BrainWare Safari

Join us for an interview with Dr. Gentile in which we plan to explore his research and scientific conclusions on media violence, the potential for pro-social video games, cyber-bullying, video-game playing and attention, how our brains react to video games, and other timely topics in this age of technology and neuroscience.

Last year when we presented at a conference sponsored by Marian University, we became aware of their program for training new teachers incorporating neuroscience principles and ensuring that their graduates have an understanding of how the brain learns. Since these young men and women are starting off their careers with this understanding, we wanted to talk to them about their classroom experiences. Joining us will be Dea Nunnelly, a high school teacher, Austin Inge, a middle school teacher, and Brad Crozier, a school administrator who uses brain-compatible professional development with his teachers.

The world of neuroscience can help guide our approach to instructional methods to support higher levels of cognitive interaction and mastery across disciplines. Participants in this webinar will gain insights into the instructional methods that can help students attain the increased levels of cognition envisioned in the Common Core State Standards.
This webinar will be presented by Margaret Glick, a consultant and author of The Instructional Leader and the Brain, and a former teacher, principal and superintendent. Ms. Glick has been working to connect findings from neuroscience research to classroom practice for over a decade.

We talk a lot about the importance of underlying cognitive skills for academic performance, but how exactly do those skills show up when one is learning biology, or studying history, or analyzing literature? This webinar will take attendees beyond the elementary classroom and the priorities of reading and math to more complex, higher-order thinking required for successful performance in academic subjects at the middle-school and high-school level.

Our guest presenter for this webinar is Stacy Harris, founder of Creating Independent Learners. As a learning specialist for the past nine years, she has specialized in visual and auditory processing, visual language processing, and written expression. She has studied extensively in the areas of content learning, literacy, and writing, focusing on the application of her background in neurpsychology, in which she received a Master's degree from the University of Chicago.

The focus of this year's New Findings webinar will be on the impact of the digital age on our brains. We will review recent research on the effects of media and technology on the brain and examine the differences at different stages of development. The discussion will touch on the positive and negative effects of video games, television, and smartphones. Finally, we will look at ways to help our students, families, and ourselves be more thoughtful consumers of media and technology.

In this webinar, we will discuss the key trends in education -- including limited funds, the pressure for accountability, the emphasis on teacher proficiency and the move to the Common Core Standards -- and how these trends are adding unprecedented urgency to incorporating brain-based strategies in our schools. We will then focus on three key principles of how the brain functions/learns that are the most important for all educators to know. Each principle will be explained with concrete and practical strategies and techniques that work in the classroom.

The presenters for this webinar are Roger Stark, founder and CEO of Learning Enhancement Corporation, and Betsy Hill, the company's president and COO. The webinar will reprise content and themes recently provided in presentations at a Congressional Briefing in Washington DC, in a webinar for the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and in several venues in Florida and Texas. The strong interest generated by these presentations has been such that we wanted to expand the audience via our Neuroscience in Education Webinar Series.

Lori Desautels, PhD, is author of How May I Serve You? In this webinar, we will talk with Dr. Desautels about her book, exploring topics such as the power of the question, the issues with standardized testing, how to help students deal with stress, the concept of individualized learning plans, and other subjects that can help both novice and experienced teachers rise above education as usual.

Emotions play a role in learning, as do the cognitive skills and capacities that students bring to the classroom. Students who struggle because of deficits in underlying cognitive processes, such as working memory, executive functions, and processing speed, can become disengaged, leading to behavioral problems and low social and emotional effectiveness. This presentation will examine the interplay between cognition and emotions, focusing particularly on executive functions, and how improving underlying cognitive processes improves student capacity for academic and life success.

Ron Kraft is intensely focused on student achievement and led the Harbor Beach MI schools to be one of the highest performing districts in the state. Part of his strategy was to focus on students' cognitive skills -- and that is why he was the first superintendent in the country to introduce BrainWare Safari software throughout the district, an approach he is also implementing at a new Michigan District, Hale Area Schools. During this interview, we'll ask Mr. Kraft why he chose this path and what the impact has been. We'll also explore with him his views on educating students in the 21st century, developing students' social and emotional skills, the use of technology, and coping with challenging financial circumstances. We'll ask him how he managed to reduce spending on special education by 50%, reduce the population classified as special education from 18% to 5%, and deliver more effective interventions for students who need them. We hope to elicit some keys to creating an educational environment where everyone is truly committed to each student's success.

What teachers don’t know about neuroscience can hurt them … and their students. A recent study of teacher perceptions about neuroeducational information explored teachers’ prior knowledge, emotions, sharing of information through social and other avenues and neuromyths. The study found a significant absence of basic knowledge of neuroeducational pedagogy and an overabundance of neuromyths among the teachers surveyed and interviewed.

Dr. Tammy Shepherd, author of the study, will present her findings and explain how and why teachers without a fundamental understanding of how the brain learns best will struggle to support increased learning among their students.

Being deemed gifted may open doors to different kinds of academic experiences and can be a source of pride for students, and especially their parents. But giftedness, like most other labels in education, can become rather complex when we look below the surface. Only recently has neuroscience begun to take a look at giftedness and the research may already be calling into question some of the conventional wisdom on the criteria for “gifted and talented” and how to support gifted students, including those who also have learning disabilities (twice exceptional).

The focus of this year's New Findings webinar will be what we are learning about the adolescent brain and some of the latest thinking on creativity and how to help students (and ourselves) become more creative. Time permitting, we hope to touch on new findings on attention and multi-tasking,

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) often have deficits in core underlying cognitive functions, such as working memory, executive function, and visual and auditory processing. New evidence from a quantitative study of students with SLD shows the impact of cognitive skills development with BrainWare Safari on the students' overall cognitive and academic performance. The striking results from the study will be presented.This webinar will be presented by Sarah Avtzon, the lead researcher for the study. Ms. Avtzon is Assistant Professor at Daemen College, Master’s program in Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Director, Daemen College, Master’s Program in Early Childhood Special Education- Alternative Certification track. MS. ED and ED.S from Teachers College Columbia University, Ph.D candidate at Walden University.

In this world of very available technology, our children and students have more "Cyber Freedom" than ever before. They are connected through social networks and cell phones, for both good and ill. Dean Delisle, Founder and CEO of Forward Progress will discuss what we can do to protect our students from bullies, predators, advertisers, reputation threats and themselves. Mr. Delisle has coached and trained over 50,000 people globally on the benefits and cautions of social networking and proper use of the Internet. He has created programs to assist schools and colleges, as well as a program to improve Social Network Responsibility for families named MySocialTutor.com. With over one million reports of Cyberbullying on Facebook alone, this is a timely and important topic.

While our education system remains steeped in standardized testing, the paradigm shift of accountability for college- and career-readiness is challenging some long-held assumptions about assessments. Assessments, we are hearing, should measure competency or proficiency in applying skills and information. Students, we are told, need to become partners and owners in their own education and in monitoring their own progress. What we measure, how we measure it, and what we do with the measures are all changing.

Michael Patterson, President & CEO of Avant Assessment, and a thought-leader in the evolving role of assessments, will provide an overview of some of the latest trends and how research into how students learn is informing new approaches to assessment. Specific topics to be addressed in this webinar include:
•The roles of data, information and evidence in effective assessments;
•The validity of performance assessments;
•How rubrics help blur the line between learning and assessment for students;
•Assessing cognitive development as part of learning; and
•How student self-image and engagement can be supported through proficiency assessments.

Join for a fascinating discussion with Dr. Wolfe on the nature of the learning process, how to enhance learning and teaching by incorporating brain-compatible strategies in the classroom, and the implications of technology, gender differences, and brain development at various stages and ages.

This webinar will discuss technologies that are being implemented to improve students' cognitive skills and their thinking ability. The discussion will highlight the use of four brain-compatible technologies in Harbor Beach, Michigan, a district whose superintendent emphasizes "information age tools for information age learning." Both practical applications and research results will be reviewed.

When we read The Genius in All of Us earlier this year, we saw the nature vs. nurture debate being transformed before our eyes. The concepts of IQ, talent, and abilities now have new meaning. Our understanding of prodigies like Mozart has changed forever. All of this is thanks to David Shenk, author of this fascinating book.

Dr. Lou Whitaker, Principal of Pope John Paul II and Notre Dame Catholic Schools (and a "brainiac"), and the Learning Enhancement Team return to discuss additional practical approaches to incorporating brain-friendly practices in the classroom. When we say brain-friendly, we mean for all the brains in the classroom -- the teacher's, as well as the students'!. In August, we started this discussion with practical examples of how, why and when to integrate games, how to teach students about their brains, and strategies to make the process of adopting new practices not so overwhelming. There is more to this topic than can be handled in just one short webinar, so we asked Dr. Whitaker to come back and share more!

Dr. Lou Whitaker, Principal of Pope John Paul II and Notre Dame Catholic Schools (and a "brainiac"), and the Learning Enhancement Team discuss practical approaches to incorporating brain-friendly practices in the classroom. When we say brain-friendly, we mean for all the brains in the classroom -- the teacher's, as well as the students'! As we start to understand more about the brain and how it learns, the information can be overwhelming. How can you possibly hope to reach every student? How could you ever hope to create 30 individualized lesson plans? How can you incorporate brain-friendly techniques like games into the classroom routine and be taken seriously? And when you do, how do you know if it’s working?

This webinar will take a new look at English Language Learners (ELL, ESL, EL), review some recent research on the brain and language acquisition, and provide a case study on the use of a cognitive skills development program to help EL students accelerate gains in English acquisition and academic performance. Joining LEC staff for this webinar are Peggy Harrington, Director of Bilingual Programs for the Hammond, IN public schools, and Ana Gomez, a Coach in the Hammond Bilingual Program. The Bilingual Program includes an all-day program for low English proficiency students, classes for high school and middle school students, and ESL classes for elementary school students within the school day conducted at local elementary schools, including pull-out, push-in and sheltered English programs. The combined programs serve approximately 1600 students and have made AYP every year since 2005.

Over the last couple of years, schools have used BrainWare Safari to improve cognitive functioning and academic performance with a variety of student populations, building on earlier research in schools.

Each week seems to bring new information about the brain and how it works. Education is transforming from guesswork and folklore to science-based practice, based on our growing knowledge of the working of our students' brains. What do the lastest findings mean for educators? This one-hour webinar will focus on two primary areas where new knowledge provides compelling support for changes in educational practices: READING PATHWAYS & ADD/ADHD.

Despite the fact that Title I has been in place for over 45 years, achievement gaps persist. As new research is showing, the gaps are less achievement gaps than capacity gaps. Students from low socio-economic backgrounds come to our classrooms with cognitive deficits that stand in their way of being able to learn, even with good curriculum and good teaching. Learn about the nature of the deficits and how to address them.

What is effective Tier 2 supplemental instruction? How can you help students who are falling behind in their academic progress fill in the gaps? Is there anything you can do besides just giving students more of the same instruction and additional time on task? What do students really need to become effective learners and succeed academically?

Cognitive skills give students the basic capacity they need to be able to learn, whether it's reading, math or another subject. Understanding the role of cognitive skills in the learning process can help identify underlying reasons why some students have difficulty in certain areas. Familiarity with the principles of cognitive development can help teachers and administrators select and implement programs to support the development of learning capacity for all students.