Brain research reveals that learning happens within five core domains or pillars: symbols, patterns, order, categories and relations. Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa proposes that redesigning school curriculum around these five pillars rather than by traditional subject divisions could enable students to develop the transdisciplinary problem-solving skills that are often touted as the ultimate goal of 21st-century education.

Learning specialist Leslie Hart once wrote that designing educational experiences without knowledge of the brain is like designing a glove without knowledge of the hand. Making Classrooms Better takes this concept a step further, building from general knowledge of brain-based education science and current educational research to offer specific suggestions for how teachers can improve student learning outcomes. Covering a range of subjects, from creating an optimal classroom climate to maximizing metacognitive skill development, this well-researched, state-of-the-art guide is an essential resource for highly effective practices that teachers, administrators, and curriculum planners can easily use. The first half of the book provides a practical overview of teaching from a Mind, Brain, and Education perspective through an understanding of the intersection of the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and pedagogy. The second half shares 50 evidence-based classroom "best practices" that have a proven positive impact on student learning outcomes and explains why they work.

A groundbreaking work, Mind, Brain, and Education Science explains the new transdisciplinary academic field that has grown out of the intersection of neuroscience, education, and psychology. The trend in "brain-based teaching" has been growing for the past twenty years and has exploded in the past five to become the most authoritative pedagogy for best learning results. Aimed at teachers, teacher trainers and policy makers, and anyone interested in the future of education in America and beyond, Mind, Brain, and Education Science responds to the clamor for help in identifying what information could and should apply in classrooms with confidence, and what information is simply commercial hype. Combining an exhaustive review of the literature, as well as interviews with over twenty thought leaders in the field from six different countries, this book describes the birth and future of this new and groundbreaking discipline. Mind, Brain, and Education Science looks at the foundations, standards, and history of the field, outlining the ways that new information should be judged. Well-established information is elegantly separated from "neuromyths" to help teachers split the wheat from the chaff in classroom planning, instruction and teaching methodology.

This practical resource draws on the best of neuroscience to inform decision-making about digital learning. We live in unprecedented times that have pushed schools to make many decisions that have been postponed for years. For the first time since the inception of public education, teachers have been invited to redesign the learning landscape by integrating an intelligent selection of digital educational resources and changing pedagogical approaches based on information from the learning sciences. This handbook will help teachers make the most of this opportunity by showing them how to use digital tools to differentiate learning, employ alternative options to standardized testing, personalize learning, prioritize social-emotional skills, and inspire students to think more critically. The author identifies some gems in quality teaching that are amplified in online contexts, including 40 evidence-informed pedagogies from the learning sciences. This book will help all educators move online teaching and learning to new levels of confidence and success.Book Features: Provides quick references to key planning tools like decision-trees, graphics, app recommendations, and step-by-step directions to help teachers create their own online learning courses. Guides teachers through a 12-step model for instructional design that meets both national and international standards. Shows educators how to use an all-new Digital Resource Taxonomy to select resources, and how to research and keep them up to date. Explains why good instructional design and educational technology are complementary with best practices in learning sciences like Mind, Brain, and Education Science. Shares ways teachers can leverage technology to create more time for the personalized aspects of learning. Shows educators how to design online courses with tools that let all students begin at their own starting points and how to differentiate homework. Offers evidence-informed pedagogies to make online intimate and authentic for students.

Globalization is on everyone's tongue, and the discussion is not only limited to economic exchange, but expands to the intermingling of cultural values. To be truly successful in the international arena, whether as an immigrant, student, businessperson, or tourist, openness toward other cultures is vital and the most obvious door to those cultures is through language. Learning a second language is no longer an option for many, it is both a survival tool and an opportunity. This book is an aid to parents, educators, researchers, and individuals who want facts about foreign language learning in order to apply concrete tools to maximize their potential in this area, independent of their age. This book examines the various factors in successful multilingualism across the lifespan, discussing groups such as those lucky enough to enjoy bilingualism from birth to those who become foreign language learners in adulthood. Special attention is paid to a critique of the academic critical years concept and the question, how long does it take a non-native speaker to become fluent? While many are concerned with bilingualism, millions around the world live with three or more languages. For those considering adding a third language, this book looks at the benefits of bilingualism that transfer to trilingualism. Finally, the book establishes methods for teaching foreign languages and hints for home support that maximize each person's potential for languages.

The bulk of the world's population is multilingual, and one in seven Americans speak a language other than English at home. Multilinguals crave answers to question both basic and profound, questions relating to linguistic identity, schools, multiliteracy, how languages are actually learned, and why there are so many variations on individual success. Tokuhama-Espinosa combines solid research, humor, and real-life examples into 21 informative and entertaining essays about people who experience the world with multiple languages.

This book tackles common misconceptions about polyglots (too many languages can cause brain overload, some languages are easier to learn than others, an adult cannot learn a foreign language as fast as a child, etc.)

Other topics include:

Curriculum choice

Teaching languages using the multiple intelligences

How different education systems can influence multilingual skills

Language's relationship to mental tasks such as music and math

Languages from the womb and bilingualism from birth

The growth of the trilingual family

The societal situation of third culture kids (those growing outside of their parents' native country)

A special case for foreign language development

The emerging cross-area study of multilingualism and cosmopolitanism

Questions of linguistic identity

Challenges to normal foreign language learning, such as dyslexia, Downs Syndrome, and deafness

The bulk of the world's population is multilingual, and one in seven Americans speak a language other than English at home. Multilinguals crave answers to question both basic and profound, questions relating to linguistic identity, schools, multiliteracy, how languages are actually learned, and why there are so many variations on individual success. Tokuhama-Espinosa combines solid research, humor, and real-life examples into 21 informative and entertaining essays about people who experience the world with multiple languages. This book tackles common misconceptions about polyglots ("too many languages can cause brain overload," "some languages are easier to learn than others," "an adult cannot learn a foreign language as fast as a child," etc.). Other topics include: BLCurriculum choice BLTeaching languages using the multiple intelligences BLHow different education systems can influence multilingual skills BLLanguage's relationship to mental tasks such as music and math BLLanguages from the womb and bilingualism from birth BLThe growth of the trilingual family The societal situation of "third culture kids" (those growing outside of their parents' native country) BLA special case for foreign language development BLThe emerging cross-area study of multilingualism and cosmopolitanism BLQuestions of linguistic identity BLChallenges to normal foreign language learning, such as dyslexia, Downs Syndrome, and deafness

"Raising Multilingual Children: Foreign Language Acquisition and Children" elucidates how children learn foreign languages and when they can do so with the best results. The most recent studies in linguistics, neurology, education, and psychology are evaluated and the findings are presented in a recipe format. Parents and teachers are encouraged to bake their own and evaluate the multilingual children in their lives with the use of tools which include a family language profile and family language goals worksheet. Beginning with the "Ingredients" of Timing, (or the Windows of Opportunity, ) and Aptitude, the book goes on to include the "Baking Instructions" of Motivation, Strategy, and Consistency. This is followed by "Kitchen Design," or the role of the language learning environment which includes the child's Opportunity to use the languages being learned, the Linguistic Relationship between the child's languages, and the possible influence of Siblings.

"Plumbing and Electricity" round out the ten key factors in raising multilingual children by discussing the possible role of Gender and Hand-Use, and our understanding of the multilingual brain at present. "Chef and Chef's Assistants" addresses the vital roles of teachers and schools in a child's foreign language development. "A Mess in the Kitchen" discusses problem situations related to foreign language learning, and offers a variety of resources to address such issues.

This book offers a definitive, scientifically grounded guide for better teaching and learning practices. Drawing from thousands of documents and the opinions of recognized experts worldwide, it explains in straight talk the new Mind, Brain, and Education Science--a field that has grown out of the intersection of neuroscience, education, and psychology. While parents and teachers are often bombarded with promises of ""a better brain,"" this book distinguishes true, applicable neuroscience from the popular neuromyths that have gained currency in education. Each instructional guideline presented in the book is accompanied by real-life classroom examples to help teachers envision the direct application of the information in their own schools. The authors offer essential tools for evaluating new information as it flows from research and adds to what we know. Written by a teacher for teachers, this easy-to-use resource: Documents the findings of the top experts in the field of neuroscience, psychology, and education; Addresses the confusion around the misuse of concepts in brain-based education; Applies well-substantiated findings about the brain to classroom practice and teaching.

This practical resource draws on the best of neuroscience to inform decision-making about digital learning. We live in unprecedented times that have pushed schools to make many decisions that have been postponed for years. For the first time since the inception of public education, teachers have been invited to redesign the learning landscape by integrating an intelligent selection of digital educational resources and changing pedagogical approaches based on information from the learning sciences. This handbook will help teachers make the most of this opportunity by showing them how to use digital tools to differentiate learning, employ alternative options to standardized testing, personalize learning, prioritize social-emotional skills, and inspire students to think more critically. The author identifies some gems in quality teaching that are amplified in online contexts, including 40 evidence-informed pedagogies from the learning sciences. This book will help all educators move online teaching and learning to new levels of confidence and success.Book Features: Provides quick references to key planning tools like decision-trees, graphics, app recommendations, and step-by-step directions to help teachers create their own online learning courses. Guides teachers through a 12-step model for instructional design that meets both national and international standards. Shows educators how to use an all-new Digital Resource Taxonomy to select resources, and how to research and keep them up to date. Explains why good instructional design and educational technology are complementary with best practices in learning sciences like Mind, Brain, and Education Science. Shares ways teachers can leverage technology to create more time for the personalized aspects of learning. Shows educators how to design online courses with tools that let all students begin at their own starting points and how to differentiate homework. Offers evidence-informed pedagogies to make online intimate and authentic for students.