The Adolescent Brain

Reaching for Autonomy
Robert A. Sylwester - University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
The Adolescent Brain
January 2007 | 176 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781452293486
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781412926119
Available from January 0001

Description

"Excellent advice on dealing with young people. I wish I'd had this book when my own children were adolescents!"
—Patricia Wolfe, International Educational Consultant, Mind Matters, Inc.

"Written in a reader-friendly manner, the book thoughtfully examines the transition period from childhood to adulthood and combines scholarship from psychology, education, and neuroscience. Loved the graphics!"
—Sheryl Feinstein, Associate Professor, Augustana College

"Readers will leave this book with a sense of calmness about living or working with adolescents."
—Bob Patterson, Training Manager, Discovery Education

How the teenage brain thinks, feels, learns, and changes on its journey to adulthood.

In this enlightening volume, expert educator Robert Sylvester explains how adults can better understand teenagers through an engaging discussion of the adolescent brain. Readers will learn how to:

  • Mentor adolescents rather than attempt to manage and control them
  • Nurture creativity, imagination, and individuality
  • Understand such critical issues as sexuality and bonding,productivity and vocation, morality and ethics, risk and security, technology and drugs, collaboration and autonomy, and more


Familiar examples and nontechnical language make this an accessible resource appropriate for rewarding classroom or family discussion.

Contents

Preface

Preface

About the Author

  • 1. Adolescence in Contemporary Society: Being Somewhat Confused
  • Confusion Within Adolescents
  • Confusion About Adolescents
  • An Introduction to the Issues Explored in Subsequent Chapters
  • 2. Brain Organization and Development: Being Human
  • Mirror Neurons
  • The Organization of the Human Brain
  • The Development of the Human Brain
  • Maintaining a Developing Brain
  • 3. Sexuality and Bonding: Maintaining Our Species
  • Biological Differences
  • Interpreting Gender Differences
  • Cultural Confusion
  • Human Bonding Behavior
  • Emerging Cultural Conflicts
  • The Hazards of Sexual Pleasure
  • 4. Productivity and Vocation: Maintaining Our Planet
  • A 21st-Century Curriculum for 21st-Century Students
  • A 21st-Century Vocation
  • Home, School, and Vocation
  • 5. Morality and Ethics: Maintaining Our Culture
  • Factual Knowledge and Decisions
  • Adaptive Preferences and Choices
  • The Development of Our Moral/Ethical Base
  • 6. Risks and Security: Going Beyond the Known
  • Our Brain's Regulatory Systems
  • From Emotional Arousal to Conscious Decision
  • The Biology of Risk and Security
  • Adults and Adolescent Risks
  • 7. Technology and Drugs: Going Beyond Nature
  • Biological Stress
  • Technological Enhancement
  • Drug Support
  • Psychoactive Drugs: A Primer
  • 8. The Arts and Humanities: Going Beyond Reality
  • Adornment
  • Language, Music, and Dance
  • The Humanities
  • 9. Collaboration and Autonomy: Going Beyond Adolescence
  • Collaboration
  • The Reach for Autonomy

Appendix A: Neurotransmitters and Neural Transmission

Appendix A: Neurotransmitters and Neural Transmission

Appendix B: The Cerebral Cortex

Appendix B: The Cerebral Cortex

Glossary

Glossary

References and Resources

References and Resources

Index

Index

Additional materials

Description

"Excellent advice on dealing with young people. I wish I'd had this book when my own children were adolescents!"
—Patricia Wolfe, International Educational Consultant, Mind Matters, Inc.

"Written in a reader-friendly manner, the book thoughtfully examines the transition period from childhood to adulthood and combines scholarship from psychology, education, and neuroscience. Loved the graphics!"
—Sheryl Feinstein, Associate Professor, Augustana College

"Readers will leave this book with a sense of calmness about living or working with adolescents."
—Bob Patterson, Training Manager, Discovery Education

How the teenage brain thinks, feels, learns, and changes on its journey to adulthood.

In this enlightening volume, expert educator Robert Sylvester explains how adults can better understand teenagers through an engaging discussion of the adolescent brain. Readers will learn how to:

  • Mentor adolescents rather than attempt to manage and control them
  • Nurture creativity, imagination, and individuality
  • Understand such critical issues as sexuality and bonding,productivity and vocation, morality and ethics, risk and security, technology and drugs, collaboration and autonomy, and more


Familiar examples and nontechnical language make this an accessible resource appropriate for rewarding classroom or family discussion.

Contents

Preface

Preface

About the Author

  • 1. Adolescence in Contemporary Society: Being Somewhat Confused
  • Confusion Within Adolescents
  • Confusion About Adolescents
  • An Introduction to the Issues Explored in Subsequent Chapters
  • 2. Brain Organization and Development: Being Human
  • Mirror Neurons
  • The Organization of the Human Brain
  • The Development of the Human Brain
  • Maintaining a Developing Brain
  • 3. Sexuality and Bonding: Maintaining Our Species
  • Biological Differences
  • Interpreting Gender Differences
  • Cultural Confusion
  • Human Bonding Behavior
  • Emerging Cultural Conflicts
  • The Hazards of Sexual Pleasure
  • 4. Productivity and Vocation: Maintaining Our Planet
  • A 21st-Century Curriculum for 21st-Century Students
  • A 21st-Century Vocation
  • Home, School, and Vocation
  • 5. Morality and Ethics: Maintaining Our Culture
  • Factual Knowledge and Decisions
  • Adaptive Preferences and Choices
  • The Development of Our Moral/Ethical Base
  • 6. Risks and Security: Going Beyond the Known
  • Our Brain's Regulatory Systems
  • From Emotional Arousal to Conscious Decision
  • The Biology of Risk and Security
  • Adults and Adolescent Risks
  • 7. Technology and Drugs: Going Beyond Nature
  • Biological Stress
  • Technological Enhancement
  • Drug Support
  • Psychoactive Drugs: A Primer
  • 8. The Arts and Humanities: Going Beyond Reality
  • Adornment
  • Language, Music, and Dance
  • The Humanities
  • 9. Collaboration and Autonomy: Going Beyond Adolescence
  • Collaboration
  • The Reach for Autonomy

Appendix A: Neurotransmitters and Neural Transmission

Appendix A: Neurotransmitters and Neural Transmission

Appendix B: The Cerebral Cortex

Appendix B: The Cerebral Cortex

Glossary

Glossary

References and Resources

References and Resources

Index

Index

Additional materials

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The Adolescent Brain

Reaching for Autonomy


January 2007 | 176 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 28/04/2023 9781412926119 $39.95
Hardcover 27/02/2023 9781412926102 $80.95
Lifetime 28/04/2023 9781452293486 $36.00

"Excellent advice on dealing with young people. I wish I'd had this book when my own children were adolescents!"
—Patricia Wolfe, International Educational Consultant, Mind Matters, Inc.

"Written in a reader-friendly manner, the book thoughtfully examines the transition period from childhood to adulthood and combines scholarship from psychology, education, and neuroscience. Loved the graphics!"
—Sheryl Feinstein, Associate Professor, Augustana College

"Readers will leave this book with a sense of calmness about living or working with adolescents."
—Bob Patterson, Training Manager, Discovery Education

How the teenage brain thinks, feels, learns, and changes on its journey to adulthood.

In this enlightening volume, expert educator Robert Sylvester explains how adults can better understand teenagers through an engaging discussion of the adolescent brain. Readers will learn how to:

  • Mentor adolescents rather than attempt to manage and control them
  • Nurture creativity, imagination, and individuality
  • Understand such critical issues as sexuality and bonding,productivity and vocation, morality and ethics, risk and security, technology and drugs, collaboration and autonomy, and more


Familiar examples and nontechnical language make this an accessible resource appropriate for rewarding classroom or family discussion.


Table Of Contents:

  • Preface
  • About the Author
  • 1. Adolescence in Contemporary Society: Being Somewhat Confused
  • Confusion Within Adolescents
  • Confusion About Adolescents
  • An Introduction to the Issues Explored in Subsequent Chapters
  • 2. Brain Organization and Development: Being Human
  • Mirror Neurons
  • The Organization of the Human Brain
  • The Development of the Human Brain
  • Maintaining a Developing Brain
  • 3. Sexuality and Bonding: Maintaining Our Species
  • Biological Differences
  • Interpreting Gender Differences
  • Cultural Confusion
  • Human Bonding Behavior
  • Emerging Cultural Conflicts
  • The Hazards of Sexual Pleasure
  • 4. Productivity and Vocation: Maintaining Our Planet
  • A 21st-Century Curriculum for 21st-Century Students
  • A 21st-Century Vocation
  • Home, School, and Vocation
  • 5. Morality and Ethics: Maintaining Our Culture
  • Factual Knowledge and Decisions
  • Adaptive Preferences and Choices
  • The Development of Our Moral/Ethical Base
  • 6. Risks and Security: Going Beyond the Known
  • Our Brain's Regulatory Systems
  • From Emotional Arousal to Conscious Decision
  • The Biology of Risk and Security
  • Adults and Adolescent Risks
  • 7. Technology and Drugs: Going Beyond Nature
  • Biological Stress
  • Technological Enhancement
  • Drug Support
  • Psychoactive Drugs: A Primer
  • 8. The Arts and Humanities: Going Beyond Reality
  • Adornment
  • Language, Music, and Dance
  • The Humanities
  • 9. Collaboration and Autonomy: Going Beyond Adolescence
  • Collaboration
  • The Reach for Autonomy
  • Appendix A: Neurotransmitters and Neural Transmission
  • Appendix B: The Cerebral Cortex
  • Glossary
  • References and Resources
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

Excellent book to discuss why adolescents do what adolescents do.
Ms Denise Rattigan, Education Division, Carthage College
"Throughout the book, Sylwester emphasizes the importance of caring adults listening and reflecting through dialogue with these brainy teens."
Brain Compatible Learning Newsletter, Issue 1
"Makes an outstanding contribution to the field. Clear, concise, and flows easily from one cleverly titled chapter to the next. Sylwester uses metaphors beautifully, making the information much more accessible to the lay reader. Excellent advice on dealing with young people. I wish I had this book when my own children were adolescents!"
Patricia Wolfe, International Education Consultant, Mind Matters, Inc.
"Sylwester does a nice job of tying in the concepts he introduces with the moral and ethical growth of the adolescent."
Lisa Edwards, Teacher, Hickory High School, Conover, NC
"The personal stories provide a 'front line' credibility and contribute to the clear flow of the book. Readers will leave this book with a sense of calmness about living or working with adolescents."
Bob Patterson, Training Manager, Discovery Education

Recommendations