Speakers Bureau

Research from neuroscience has clearly determined that each of us have a range of strengths and weaknesses among the numerous brain functions (information processing skills) that influence learning. The unique blend of these cognitive “traits” influence how we learn. As teachers gain greater insight into diverse learning patterns, they are better equipped to understand and teach to the learning style of individual students.

Other fields are racing to leverage these new scientific insights into how people learn and think; advertising agencies, videogame developers, marketing companies, and telecommunication and tech companies are just a few. However, in most schools, and even colleges, teachers have not yet been afforded the opportunity to embrace or apply the current understanding of learning theory in any significant or systematic way.

As a consequence, a significant number of students struggle needlessly, simply because the way they learn doesn’t align with how they are being taught. In many cases, these students lose interest in school, see themselves as failures, and become difficult in the classroom, both to teach and to manage. Even more concerning is the resulting anxiety, self-doubt, and depression that often accompanies the struggling student.

The goals of this presentation include:

• Provide a basic understanding of the learning process and the neuropsychological constructs underlying learning.
• Understand the link (interactional effect) between the struggling learner, poor executive function skills, and poor emotional regulation skills.
• Understand the relationship between well-established neuropsychological constructs underlying learning and curriculum delivery and assessment techniques.
• Develop reasonable classroom modifications to maximize the potential of individual students based on their learning style, without compromising the integrity of the learning of other students.
• Help those who do not read, write, or do math as well as their peers to not be blocked from their dream and maintain their self-esteem.