Presidential Proclamation 6158 declared the 1990s as the Decade of the Brain. As such, an enormous amount of time, funding, and research was dedicated to understanding how the brain works and to uncovering the implications of new advances to areas such as behavior, clinical medicine, human-computer interaction and interface, and education. Implications of recent advances in brain studies can have a significant impact on how teachers teach by understanding how the mind learns, organizes, stores and retrieves, and processes information.

This course aims to address the relevance and importance of brain research to practicing, professional educators. Participants will enter into the world of modern cognitive neuroscience by way of readings, internet explorations, and activities designed to provide the educator opportunities to consider the potential impact of this area of active research to the practice of education of both mainstream and special needs students.

Participants will be provided the opportunity to explore the following topics in relation to the practice of professional education: 

• An Overview of Basic Brain Development

• Information Processing in the Brain

• Memory and Learning

• Hemispheric Functional Specialization 

• Thinking Skills and Transfer

• Understanding Selected Disabilities

• Techniques and Classroom Applications

NOTE:  This course will not be cancelled due to low enrollment.

This course has been designed to meet the following Wisconsin Teacher Standards: