King of the Wind: Story of the Godolphin Arabian
John Newberry MedalA wonderfully woven story of the first Arabian horse that was brought to Europe, thereby establishing a lineage of prized Arabian horses used in races to this day. This story is based on some true aspect of history pertaining to the gifting of an Arabian horse to a French king. Henry brings the […]
Teaching Minds : How Cognitive Science Can Save Our Schools
Schank is definitely a divergent thinker and this comes out in his innovative thoughts on the conventional system of education and his proposals for solutions. Instead of acquiring factual knowledge, he focuses on thinking. He proposes a high school program in which the students get a mentor in different areas and learn the ‘subjects’ in […]
Think Smart: A Neuroscientist’s Prescription for Improving Your Brain’s Performance
One theory claims that creative impulses exist in all of us but are weakened by custom and social rules of behavior – a variation of the claim dating back to French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau that formal schooling inhibits rather than stimulates creativity.
How We Learn
The harder we have to work to retrieve a memory, the greater the subsequent spike in retrieval and storage strength (learning). The Bjorks call this principle desirable difficulty, and its importance will become apparent in the coming pages.
Subjects: Cognitive Science, Learning, Neuroscience
A Faraway Island
Imagine yourself a child, and you are sent away to another country on your own, or with your younger sibling, who can get on your nerves sometimes, while your parents remain behind in the country where you were born and raised. You are told that it would only be 6 months before you are reunited […]
The Green Glass Sea
Judy Lopez Memorial AwardNew Mexico Book Award for Best Young Adult BookScott O’Dell AwardDewey Kerrigan is the daughter of a scientist who works with the government during the World War II years. From St. Louis, Dewey was put on a train to Lamy, New Mexico, to next be transported to the ‘Hill’ where her father […]
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing
Taken together, all of these studies suggest that the path to a life of meaning and significance isn’t to “live in the present” as so many spiritual gurus have advised. It is to integrate our perspectives on time into a coherent whole, one that helps us comprehend who we are and why we’re here.
The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain
Dyslexia, or the dyslexic processing style, isn’t just a barrier to learning how to read and spell; it’s also a reflection of an entirely different pattern of brain organization and information processing – one that predisposes a person to important abilities along with the well-known challenges.
Out of My Mind
“Words have always swirled around me like snowflakes-each one delicate and different, each one melting untouched in my hands.”