Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain

Ten Powerful Ideas
Barry Doran Corbin - Educational Consultant, Nova Scotia
Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain
September 2007 | 168 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781452294377
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ISBN: 9781412942492
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Description

"The information is practical, and the examples make the material very easy to apply. The tone of the book is perfect for educators of middle and high school students—there's just the right amount of humor about the idiosyncrasies of this age group, as well as an appreciation for the rewards of teaching and working with adolescents."
—Kathy Tritz-Rhodes, Teacher
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Schools, Marcus, IA

"A thought-provoking resource firmly grounded in research and best practice, this handbook of exemplary ideas for teaching the teenage brain is organized in a brain-compatible format and includes a wealth of instructional strategies, from engaging activators to rich opportunities for reflection. A must-read for all educators, and an excellent resource for faculty study groups and book clubs."
—Susan LeBel, Programs Coordinator
Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, Nova Scotia, Canada

Create brain-friendly learning environments that meet the needs of growing, changing adolescents!

This resource helps teachers create the ideal classroom environment based on the latest neuroscientific research on teenagers and the implications for their social, emotional, and intellectual development. The author presents ten powerful ideas that integrate new and existing theories to help teachers create effective brain-compatible classrooms. Each idea includes:

  • Case studies and examples of strategies that illustrate how to translate theory into workable classroom practice
  • Descriptions of the changing roles and expectations for both teachers and students in the brain-compatible classroom
  • Specific guidelines for establishing an optimal learning environment

When you combine an understanding of how the brain learns with proven brain-friendly techniques, teaching and learning will be more effective and fun for both teachers and students!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

Part I. Discovering the Teenage Brain

  • 1. Introduction: The Creatures in the Classroom! Those Exasperating and Unfathomable Teenagers
  • How Do We Reach and Teach Those Unpredictable Teenage Brains?
  • Wanted: A New Approach to Teaching Teenagers!
  • Why Educators Need to Learn About the Teenage Brain
  • Brain-Compatible Teaching and the New Science of Learning
  • The Emergence of a New Pedagogical Model
  • 2. Adolescence and the Teenage Brain--What Is Different and How Do We Know?
  • Adolescence--Just the Quick Facts!
  • The Teenage Brain--What We Had Believed
  • How Neuroscience and Medical Technology Are Changing Our Ideas About the Teenage Brain
  • The Future of Brain Imaging
  • 3. Big Changes in the Teenage Brain: What We Have Learned and Are Learning
  • The Teenage Brain--A Work in Progress
  • From Back to Front: Brain Growth, Neuron Proliferation and Pruning, Myelin Development
  • What It All Means (We Think!)
  • Looking Back at Part I : Reflection and Review

Part II. Ten Powerful Ideas About the Brain and Learning and What It Means for Teaching the Teenage Brain

  • 4. Powerful Idea #1: Constructing New Knowledge
  • What Powerful Idea #1 Means for Teachers: Helping Teenagers Construct Personal Meaning
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Saving the Old Victoria Street School"
  • Constructivist Teaching Strategies
  • 5. Powerful Idea #2: Different Ways of Learning
  • Being Smart-- Human Intelligence
  • Preferred Ways of Learning--Our Learning Styles
  • What Powerful Idea #2 Means for Teachers: Teaching to Each Unique Brain
  • Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain: Six Things You Ought to Do
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Ms. Taylor's Meteorology Unit"
  • 6. Powerful Idea #3: Making Meaning, Connections, and Patterns
  • What Powerful Idea #3 Means for Teachers: Developing Pattern Making and Detecting Abilities
  • Some Strategies for You to Consider
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Parasiuk's Poetry Class"
  • 7. Powerful Idea #4: Whole-Brain Learning
  • Left, Right, or Both Brains?
  • What Powerful Idea #4 Means for Teachers: Effective Ways to Make Your Classroom Teaching Whole Brain
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Whole-Brain Assessment in Mr. Amos' Horticulture Class"
  • 8. Powerful Idea #5: Multiple Memory Pathways
  • Different Kinds of Memory--Declarative Versus Procedural
  • Learning and Memory
  • What Powerful Idea #5 Means for Teachers: Using Multiple Memory Pathways
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Singh's Musical Science"
  • 9. Powerful Idea #6: Physical Activity and Movement
  • Exercise For the Brain
  • What Powerful Idea #6 Means for Teachers: Utilizing Physical Activity to Enhance Learning
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Kinesthetic Learning in High School Biology"
  • 10. Powerful Idea #7: Memory, Learning, and Emotion
  • Too Much or Too Little?
  • The Impact of High Stress and Threat
  • Brain Attention and Focus
  • Motivation and Engagement
  • What Powerful Idea #7 Means for Teachers: Managing the Emotional Environment of the Classroom
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "The Affirmative Mr. Hawkes"
  • 11. Powerful Idea #8: Reflection and Self-Assessment
  • Knowing Oneself
  • Reflection
  • Metacognition
  • What Powerful Idea #8 Means for Teachers: Developing Reflective Learners
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Feedback and Reflection in the Visual Arts Class"
  • 12. Powerful Idea #9: Social Interaction and Learning
  • What Powerful Idea #9 Means for Teachers: Providing for Social Interaction and Collaboration
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "A Jigsaw Activity in High School Political History"
  • 13. Powerful Idea #10: Time and Timing
  • When Is the Best Time?
  • An Optimal Time to Learn
  • An Optimal Time Pattern for Learning
  • The Optimal Times During the Learning Episode
  • The Optimal Times During the Day
  • What Powerful Idea #10 Means for Teachers: Taking Advantage of Time and Timing
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Gregory's Lesson Planning"
  • Looking Back at Part II - Reflection and Review

Part III. The Classroom Environment and What Teachers and Students Should Be Doing

  • 14. The Learning Environment
  • The Physical Environment
  • The Socioemotional Environment
  • The Intellectual Environment
  • 15. The Brain-Compatible Teacher: Changing and Evolving Roles
  • A Complex and Challenging Profession!
  • The Teacher as Facilitator, Orchestrator, and Conductor
  • The Teacher as Coach and Model
  • The Teacher as Continuous Learner
  • The Teacher as Monitor, Assessor, and Evaluator
  • The Teacher as a Resource
  • 16. Teenage Students: Higher Expectations and New Roles
  • What We Want and Need From Our Teenage Students
  • Looking Back at Part III - Reflection and Review

Part IV. Now What? So What?-- Reflecting Upon What We Have Learned

  • 17. What Does It All Mean?
  • A Quick Review: The Important Things We Have Learned
  • What Do We Need to Do to Help Teenagers Reach Their Potential?
  • Some Final Thoughts: Opening Doorways to Possibilities
  • Wanted: An Epidemic for an Idea

Glossary

Glossary

Suggested Readings

Suggested Readings

Bibliography

Bibliography

Index

Index

Description

"The information is practical, and the examples make the material very easy to apply. The tone of the book is perfect for educators of middle and high school students—there's just the right amount of humor about the idiosyncrasies of this age group, as well as an appreciation for the rewards of teaching and working with adolescents."
—Kathy Tritz-Rhodes, Teacher
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Schools, Marcus, IA

"A thought-provoking resource firmly grounded in research and best practice, this handbook of exemplary ideas for teaching the teenage brain is organized in a brain-compatible format and includes a wealth of instructional strategies, from engaging activators to rich opportunities for reflection. A must-read for all educators, and an excellent resource for faculty study groups and book clubs."
—Susan LeBel, Programs Coordinator
Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, Nova Scotia, Canada

Create brain-friendly learning environments that meet the needs of growing, changing adolescents!

This resource helps teachers create the ideal classroom environment based on the latest neuroscientific research on teenagers and the implications for their social, emotional, and intellectual development. The author presents ten powerful ideas that integrate new and existing theories to help teachers create effective brain-compatible classrooms. Each idea includes:

  • Case studies and examples of strategies that illustrate how to translate theory into workable classroom practice
  • Descriptions of the changing roles and expectations for both teachers and students in the brain-compatible classroom
  • Specific guidelines for establishing an optimal learning environment

When you combine an understanding of how the brain learns with proven brain-friendly techniques, teaching and learning will be more effective and fun for both teachers and students!

Contents

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Author

Part I. Discovering the Teenage Brain

  • 1. Introduction: The Creatures in the Classroom! Those Exasperating and Unfathomable Teenagers
  • How Do We Reach and Teach Those Unpredictable Teenage Brains?
  • Wanted: A New Approach to Teaching Teenagers!
  • Why Educators Need to Learn About the Teenage Brain
  • Brain-Compatible Teaching and the New Science of Learning
  • The Emergence of a New Pedagogical Model
  • 2. Adolescence and the Teenage Brain--What Is Different and How Do We Know?
  • Adolescence--Just the Quick Facts!
  • The Teenage Brain--What We Had Believed
  • How Neuroscience and Medical Technology Are Changing Our Ideas About the Teenage Brain
  • The Future of Brain Imaging
  • 3. Big Changes in the Teenage Brain: What We Have Learned and Are Learning
  • The Teenage Brain--A Work in Progress
  • From Back to Front: Brain Growth, Neuron Proliferation and Pruning, Myelin Development
  • What It All Means (We Think!)
  • Looking Back at Part I : Reflection and Review

Part II. Ten Powerful Ideas About the Brain and Learning and What It Means for Teaching the Teenage Brain

  • 4. Powerful Idea #1: Constructing New Knowledge
  • What Powerful Idea #1 Means for Teachers: Helping Teenagers Construct Personal Meaning
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Saving the Old Victoria Street School"
  • Constructivist Teaching Strategies
  • 5. Powerful Idea #2: Different Ways of Learning
  • Being Smart-- Human Intelligence
  • Preferred Ways of Learning--Our Learning Styles
  • What Powerful Idea #2 Means for Teachers: Teaching to Each Unique Brain
  • Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain: Six Things You Ought to Do
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Ms. Taylor's Meteorology Unit"
  • 6. Powerful Idea #3: Making Meaning, Connections, and Patterns
  • What Powerful Idea #3 Means for Teachers: Developing Pattern Making and Detecting Abilities
  • Some Strategies for You to Consider
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Parasiuk's Poetry Class"
  • 7. Powerful Idea #4: Whole-Brain Learning
  • Left, Right, or Both Brains?
  • What Powerful Idea #4 Means for Teachers: Effective Ways to Make Your Classroom Teaching Whole Brain
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Whole-Brain Assessment in Mr. Amos' Horticulture Class"
  • 8. Powerful Idea #5: Multiple Memory Pathways
  • Different Kinds of Memory--Declarative Versus Procedural
  • Learning and Memory
  • What Powerful Idea #5 Means for Teachers: Using Multiple Memory Pathways
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Singh's Musical Science"
  • 9. Powerful Idea #6: Physical Activity and Movement
  • Exercise For the Brain
  • What Powerful Idea #6 Means for Teachers: Utilizing Physical Activity to Enhance Learning
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Kinesthetic Learning in High School Biology"
  • 10. Powerful Idea #7: Memory, Learning, and Emotion
  • Too Much or Too Little?
  • The Impact of High Stress and Threat
  • Brain Attention and Focus
  • Motivation and Engagement
  • What Powerful Idea #7 Means for Teachers: Managing the Emotional Environment of the Classroom
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "The Affirmative Mr. Hawkes"
  • 11. Powerful Idea #8: Reflection and Self-Assessment
  • Knowing Oneself
  • Reflection
  • Metacognition
  • What Powerful Idea #8 Means for Teachers: Developing Reflective Learners
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Feedback and Reflection in the Visual Arts Class"
  • 12. Powerful Idea #9: Social Interaction and Learning
  • What Powerful Idea #9 Means for Teachers: Providing for Social Interaction and Collaboration
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "A Jigsaw Activity in High School Political History"
  • 13. Powerful Idea #10: Time and Timing
  • When Is the Best Time?
  • An Optimal Time to Learn
  • An Optimal Time Pattern for Learning
  • The Optimal Times During the Learning Episode
  • The Optimal Times During the Day
  • What Powerful Idea #10 Means for Teachers: Taking Advantage of Time and Timing
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Gregory's Lesson Planning"
  • Looking Back at Part II - Reflection and Review

Part III. The Classroom Environment and What Teachers and Students Should Be Doing

  • 14. The Learning Environment
  • The Physical Environment
  • The Socioemotional Environment
  • The Intellectual Environment
  • 15. The Brain-Compatible Teacher: Changing and Evolving Roles
  • A Complex and Challenging Profession!
  • The Teacher as Facilitator, Orchestrator, and Conductor
  • The Teacher as Coach and Model
  • The Teacher as Continuous Learner
  • The Teacher as Monitor, Assessor, and Evaluator
  • The Teacher as a Resource
  • 16. Teenage Students: Higher Expectations and New Roles
  • What We Want and Need From Our Teenage Students
  • Looking Back at Part III - Reflection and Review

Part IV. Now What? So What?-- Reflecting Upon What We Have Learned

  • 17. What Does It All Mean?
  • A Quick Review: The Important Things We Have Learned
  • What Do We Need to Do to Help Teenagers Reach Their Potential?
  • Some Final Thoughts: Opening Doorways to Possibilities
  • Wanted: An Epidemic for an Idea

Glossary

Glossary

Suggested Readings

Suggested Readings

Bibliography

Bibliography

Index

Index

SAGE Publishing Logo

Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain

Ten Powerful Ideas


September 2007 | 168 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412942492 $37.95
Hardcover 01/01/2024 9781412957625 $69.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781452294377 $35.00

"The information is practical, and the examples make the material very easy to apply. The tone of the book is perfect for educators of middle and high school students—there's just the right amount of humor about the idiosyncrasies of this age group, as well as an appreciation for the rewards of teaching and working with adolescents."
—Kathy Tritz-Rhodes, Teacher
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Schools, Marcus, IA

"A thought-provoking resource firmly grounded in research and best practice, this handbook of exemplary ideas for teaching the teenage brain is organized in a brain-compatible format and includes a wealth of instructional strategies, from engaging activators to rich opportunities for reflection. A must-read for all educators, and an excellent resource for faculty study groups and book clubs."
—Susan LeBel, Programs Coordinator
Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, Nova Scotia, Canada

Create brain-friendly learning environments that meet the needs of growing, changing adolescents!

This resource helps teachers create the ideal classroom environment based on the latest neuroscientific research on teenagers and the implications for their social, emotional, and intellectual development. The author presents ten powerful ideas that integrate new and existing theories to help teachers create effective brain-compatible classrooms. Each idea includes:

  • Case studies and examples of strategies that illustrate how to translate theory into workable classroom practice
  • Descriptions of the changing roles and expectations for both teachers and students in the brain-compatible classroom
  • Specific guidelines for establishing an optimal learning environment

When you combine an understanding of how the brain learns with proven brain-friendly techniques, teaching and learning will be more effective and fun for both teachers and students!


Table Of Contents:

  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Author
  • Part I. Discovering the Teenage Brain
  • 1. Introduction: The Creatures in the Classroom! Those Exasperating and Unfathomable Teenagers
  • How Do We Reach and Teach Those Unpredictable Teenage Brains?
  • Wanted: A New Approach to Teaching Teenagers!
  • Why Educators Need to Learn About the Teenage Brain
  • Brain-Compatible Teaching and the New Science of Learning
  • The Emergence of a New Pedagogical Model
  • 2. Adolescence and the Teenage Brain--What Is Different and How Do We Know?
  • Adolescence--Just the Quick Facts!
  • The Teenage Brain--What We Had Believed
  • How Neuroscience and Medical Technology Are Changing Our Ideas About the Teenage Brain
  • The Future of Brain Imaging
  • 3. Big Changes in the Teenage Brain: What We Have Learned and Are Learning
  • The Teenage Brain--A Work in Progress
  • From Back to Front: Brain Growth, Neuron Proliferation and Pruning, Myelin Development
  • What It All Means (We Think!)
  • Looking Back at Part I : Reflection and Review
  • Part II. Ten Powerful Ideas About the Brain and Learning and What It Means for Teaching the Teenage Brain
  • 4. Powerful Idea #1: Constructing New Knowledge
  • What Powerful Idea #1 Means for Teachers: Helping Teenagers Construct Personal Meaning
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Saving the Old Victoria Street School"
  • Constructivist Teaching Strategies
  • 5. Powerful Idea #2: Different Ways of Learning
  • Being Smart-- Human Intelligence
  • Preferred Ways of Learning--Our Learning Styles
  • What Powerful Idea #2 Means for Teachers: Teaching to Each Unique Brain
  • Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain: Six Things You Ought to Do
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Ms. Taylor's Meteorology Unit"
  • 6. Powerful Idea #3: Making Meaning, Connections, and Patterns
  • What Powerful Idea #3 Means for Teachers: Developing Pattern Making and Detecting Abilities
  • Some Strategies for You to Consider
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Parasiuk's Poetry Class"
  • 7. Powerful Idea #4: Whole-Brain Learning
  • Left, Right, or Both Brains?
  • What Powerful Idea #4 Means for Teachers: Effective Ways to Make Your Classroom Teaching Whole Brain
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Whole-Brain Assessment in Mr. Amos' Horticulture Class"
  • 8. Powerful Idea #5: Multiple Memory Pathways
  • Different Kinds of Memory--Declarative Versus Procedural
  • Learning and Memory
  • What Powerful Idea #5 Means for Teachers: Using Multiple Memory Pathways
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Singh's Musical Science"
  • 9. Powerful Idea #6: Physical Activity and Movement
  • Exercise For the Brain
  • What Powerful Idea #6 Means for Teachers: Utilizing Physical Activity to Enhance Learning
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Kinesthetic Learning in High School Biology"
  • 10. Powerful Idea #7: Memory, Learning, and Emotion
  • Too Much or Too Little?
  • The Impact of High Stress and Threat
  • Brain Attention and Focus
  • Motivation and Engagement
  • What Powerful Idea #7 Means for Teachers: Managing the Emotional Environment of the Classroom
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "The Affirmative Mr. Hawkes"
  • 11. Powerful Idea #8: Reflection and Self-Assessment
  • Knowing Oneself
  • Reflection
  • Metacognition
  • What Powerful Idea #8 Means for Teachers: Developing Reflective Learners
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Feedback and Reflection in the Visual Arts Class"
  • 12. Powerful Idea #9: Social Interaction and Learning
  • What Powerful Idea #9 Means for Teachers: Providing for Social Interaction and Collaboration
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "A Jigsaw Activity in High School Political History"
  • 13. Powerful Idea #10: Time and Timing
  • When Is the Best Time?
  • An Optimal Time to Learn
  • An Optimal Time Pattern for Learning
  • The Optimal Times During the Learning Episode
  • The Optimal Times During the Day
  • What Powerful Idea #10 Means for Teachers: Taking Advantage of Time and Timing
  • How It Might Look--A Case Study: "Mrs. Gregory's Lesson Planning"
  • Looking Back at Part II - Reflection and Review
  • Part III. The Classroom Environment and What Teachers and Students Should Be Doing
  • 14. The Learning Environment
  • The Physical Environment
  • The Socioemotional Environment
  • The Intellectual Environment
  • 15. The Brain-Compatible Teacher: Changing and Evolving Roles
  • A Complex and Challenging Profession!
  • The Teacher as Facilitator, Orchestrator, and Conductor
  • The Teacher as Coach and Model
  • The Teacher as Continuous Learner
  • The Teacher as Monitor, Assessor, and Evaluator
  • The Teacher as a Resource
  • 16. Teenage Students: Higher Expectations and New Roles
  • What We Want and Need From Our Teenage Students
  • Looking Back at Part III - Reflection and Review
  • Part IV. Now What? So What?-- Reflecting Upon What We Have Learned
  • 17. What Does It All Mean?
  • A Quick Review: The Important Things We Have Learned
  • What Do We Need to Do to Help Teenagers Reach Their Potential?
  • Some Final Thoughts: Opening Doorways to Possibilities
  • Wanted: An Epidemic for an Idea
  • Glossary
  • Suggested Readings
  • Bibliography
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

"Any teaching library needs this."
California Bookwatch, January 2008, Midwest Book Review
"A thought-provoking resource firmly grounded in research and best practice, this handbook of exemplary ideas for teaching the teenage brain is organized in a brain-friendly format and includes a wealth of brain-friendly instructional strategies, from engaging activators to rich opportunities for reflection. A must-read for all educators and an excellent resource for faculty study groups and book clubs."
Susan LeBel, Programs Coordinator, Annapolis Valley Regional School Board, Nova Scotia, Canada
"For people not familiar with current brain research, this book will be quite useful."
David Brock, AP Biology Instructor, Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, MD
“The information is practical, and the examples make the material very easy to apply. The tone of the book is perfect for educators of middle and high school students—there’s just the right amount of humor about the idiosyncrasies of this age group, as well as an appreciation for the rewards of teaching and working with adolescents.”
Kathy Tritz-Rhodes, Teacher, Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Schools, IA
"Provides an excellent overview of the current research and knowledge on brain functioning."
Mary Little, Associate Professor, University of Central Florida

Recommendations