EducationandtheBrainJamesS.McDonnellFoundation Http://Clickon:

EducationWritersAssociation Address,March31,1998Containsslides,bibliography,papersEducationandtheBrainInfants’brainsundergorapidsynapseformation.From3-10years,children’sbrainshavemoresynapsesthanatanyothertimeintheirlives.Earlyexperiencecausessynapsestoformorprotectsthemfromeliminationatpuberty.Thetimeofrapidgrowthand/orhighconnectivityisthecriticalperiodindevelopment,theoptimallearningperiod.Enrichedenvironmentsaremostimportantandbeneficialduringthecriticalperiod.IdeasfromNeuroscienceSynaptogenesis--ininfancythebrainformssynapsesinexcessofadultlevels.Criticalperiods--normaldevelopmentofneuralsystemsrequiresspecificexperientialinputatspecifictimes.Pruning

atPuberty--atsexualmaturitysynapsesareprunedbacktoadultlevels.Enrichedenvironmentsincreasesynapticconnections.Synaptogenesis1.Whatbehaviorsemergeduringthistimeofrapid synapsegrowth?2.Howdothesebehaviorschangeassynapsenumbers peakandthendecrease?3.Shouldn’twetrytoincreasethisgrowthbyproviding morestimulationtobabies? 4.Whatistherelevanceofthisphenomenontoformal schoolinstruction?CriticalPeriods1.Whatisacriticalperiod?2.Howaretheyidentified?3.Howextensivelydoweunderstandtheneuralbasis ofcriticalperiods?4.Arecriticalperiods“windows”thatopen/slamshut?5.Doestheamountofstimulationmatter?6.Whatisthebenefitofcriticalperiods?EnrichedEnvironments1.Whatisanenrichedenvironment?2.Whathappenstoanimalsraisedincomplex environments?

3.Aretheeffectsofcomplexenvironments“critical period”effects?4.Dowethinkthatsamekindofneuralprocesses underliebothkindsofeffects?5.Whymighttherebesuchdifferences?

PruningatPuberty1.Whathappenstosynapsesatpuberty?2.Whatisthefunctionalandbehavioralsignificanceofthe pruning?3.Howdoespreviousexperienceaffecttheextentofthe pruning?4.Shouldweengageinintensive“synapseconservation” programspriortopruning?5.But,aren’tmoresynapsesbetterthanfewer?TheBrain:LevelsofStudy(S.Churchland&T.Sejnowski,TheComputationalBrain,MITPress,1992,p.11)CNS(1m)Systems(10cm)Maps(1cm)Networks(1mm)Neurons(100μm)Synapses(1μ)Molecules(1?)

BehaviorEducation-Mind-Brain

Educatorsarelookingatthewronglevel.Wecannotyetlinkgrossbehaviorswithbrainstructures(synapsesorhemispheres).Cognitiveanalysescanlinkeducation(behavior)tosystemsneuroscience.Cognitiveanalysesarealreadyhelpfulforimprovingeducationalpractice.Education-Mind-BrainThelinksbetweencognitiveandeducationalresearcharemuchtighterthanthelinkbetweenneuroscienceandeducation.Thelinksbetweencognitivescienceandneurosciencearealreadystrong,growing….Itisobviousthatthoseinterestedindescribingthefunctionsofneuralsystemshavebeenheavilydependentuponpsychology.(SusanChipman,ThreePerspectivesonLearning,inMind,Brain,andEducation,1986,p.215)SelectBibliographyBruer,J.T.(1997),ABridgeTooFar,EducationalResearcher,26(8):1-13. Bruer,J.T.(toappearMay1998),PutBrainScienceontheBackBurner, NASSPBulletin. Bruer,J.T.(1993),TheMindsJourneyFromNovicetoExpert,AmericanEducator, Summer,6-15. Chipman,S.F.(1986),IntegratingThreePerspectivesonLearning,InBrain, CognitionandEducation,Friedman,S.L.;Klivington,K.A.;Peterson,R. W.,(Eds.),AcademicPress,Orlando,FL.,203-232. Jones,R.(1995),SmartBrains,AmericanSchoolBoardJournal, November22-26. Schiebel,A.(1997),ThinkingaboutThinking,AmericanS