This celebrated new book breaks convention by providing a blueprint for educators to align how they teach with how brains best learn. ‘Brain-Friendly Teaching: Tools, Tips & Structures’ is the culmination of decades of research by former clinical psychologist and professor of psychology and education at the University of California, Dr. Spencer Kagan. Any teacher can master and implement the book’s six principles that will see students learn more efficiently, retain more information and unleash their true potential.
San Clemente, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/16/2014 -- With four decades of research and over one-hundred books and scientific journal articles to his name, Dr. Spencer is on the cutting edge of revolutionizing teaching practices. His latest book breaks convention and bucks the trend of intricacy to expose a model that cuts to the very core of educational psychology – aligning teaching practices with how brains best learn. Dr. Kagan calls it ‘Brain-Friendly Teaching’.
Everything is showcased in ‘Brain-Friendly Teaching: Tools, Tips & Structures’ which can help any teacher better nourish the brains of their students and unlock their boundless potential with little effort.
Synopsis:
Become a brain-friendly teacher! Put the power of brain research and theory to work in your classroom. Your students will learn more, learn more quickly, retain and recall more, and like learning more. Dr. Kagan's extensively-researched book distills the world of brain science into 6 essential principles that will align your teaching with how your students' brains naturally learn. For each of the 6 brain-based principles, you will find practical tools, tips, and structures to easily make the leap from theory to practice. Teaching is so much easier and more successful when you do it the brain-friendly way.
“Thousands of scientific research studies have been analyzed and translated into action items for teachers,” explains Dr. Kagan, who is known around the world for his ability to convert brain science principles into practical tools. Each of the six principles is introduced with some easy-to-understand research and is then transposed into accessible ‘actions’. For example, take Principle 4 ‘Emotion.’ Extensive research demonstrates that positive emotion dramatically increases creativity, problem solving, and even IQ. To translate these research findings into easy-to-implement tools for teachers, Dr. Kagan provides thirty-seven practical ways in which any teacher can elicit positive emotions while teaching – including football-style team chants! Surprisingly, the research indicates praise prior to performance enhances performance more than the usual praise following performance!
Dr. Kagan explains, “Each principle seeks to release the full potential of the Prefrontal Cortex, which does our thinking and problem solving, as well as engaging the Social Cognition Network — a neural network deep in the brain that dramatically enhances memory for academic content. Everything helps educators teach with stimuli to which the brain naturally attends. But, don’t get bogged down with the terminology – everything is written in a way that even student and inexperienced teachers can understand and implement.”
Dr. Kagan believes that there has never been a better time for this kind of book.
“The truth is that, while our teachers appear to be working harder than ever, they’re mostly using outdated methods that go against the grain of how students’ brains naturally work. This book almost flips things on its head so that a teacher’s job gets easier and a student’s time in the classroom is more fruitful. It’s a powerful lever that can move mountains with very little effort,” he adds.
Early reviews for the book have been extremely positive. One veteran teacher commented, “I was counting the days until retirement, but now with the Kagan approach I can’t wait to get back to class!”
Dr. Patricia Wolf, internationally acclaimed brain research and presenter, is impressed with Dr. Kagan’s ability to take sometimes-confusing science and mold it into something that can be used by teachers daily. She writes, “While more and more educators are becoming aware of the general implications of neuroscience research for educational practice, there has been little written about what it actually looks like in the daily life of teachers. Kagan's Brain-Friendly Teaching does a fantastic job of meeting this need. Here you'll find a cornucopia of practical strategies all based on clearly delineated research. Be prepared for a fabulous resource. Your students will thank you!”
‘Brain-Friendly Teaching: Tools, Tips & Structures’, from Kagan Publishing, is available now. For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/1Bdta09
About Dr. Spencer Kagan
Dr. Spencer Kagan is an internationally acclaimed researcher, presenter and author of over 100 books, chapters, and scientific journal articles. He is a former clinical psychologist and full-time professor of psychology and education at the University of California. Recipient of two honorary doctorates, Dr. Kagan is the principal author of the single most comprehensive book for educators in each of five fields: cooperative learning, multiple intelligences, classroom discipline, classroom energizers, and now Brain-Friendly Instruction. His instructional strategies are used in teacher training institutes in many countries. Dr. Kagan provides workshops and keynotes in over thirty countries and his books are translated into many languages. Dr. Kagan developed the concept of structures; his popular brain-based, cooperative learning and multiple intelligences structures like Numbered Heads Together and Timed Pair Share are used in classrooms world-wide. Dr. Kagan has been featured in the leading educational magazines including Educational Leadership, Instructor, Learning Magazine, and Video Journal. He is in high demand as a keynote speaker at national and international conferences.