Educational Neuroscience - Dr. Judy Willis

Educational Neuroscience - Dr. Judy Willis
• What?

Dr. Judy Willis is currently researching on the Current Impact of Neuroscience on Teaching and Learning and Learning to Love Math. These two books will be published some time this year. Dr. Judy Willis studies how understanding and teaching our students differently will allow for student success. She studies and demonstrates “Brain Friendly Strategies you can use to Ignite Your Child’s Learning and Increase School Success, in another one of her publications How Your Child Learns Best.” Dr. Judy Willis is continually striving to find better alternatives to teaching rather than just teaching to tests and overloaded curriculum. Currently her man focus is on teachers and parents. She gives new teaching styles and ways to teach to both the student and your own child.

• So What?

Dr. Judy Willis’s research is heavily involved in education. Her main goal started when she was practicing as a neurologist and she was over whelmed with several children with the referrals of ADD, OCD, oppositional-defiant syndrome, and ect and more often than not none of these students had any of these conditions. Dr. Judy Willis new exactly why all these students were being sent in for behavior disorders. Teaching had changed. Teachers were only teaching to the test. Students were becoming unengaged in the classroom and then in return act out. Knowing this information and research will allow you to become a better teacher. If educators can take the time to incorporate hands on activities and creative thinking then students will become engaged again. In Psychology Today quoted from one of Dr. Willis’s book, “When education is not enriched by exploration, discovery, problem solving, and creative thinking, students are not truly engaged in their own learning.” Teachers need to model this into their teaching and success will be seen. I want to strive to be this type of teacher and I hope my children’s teaching will follow the RAD teaching.

• Now What?

Applying Dr. Judy Willis research into my classroom curriculum will allow for better understanding of my content. By using creative thinking, exploration, discovery, and problem solving then my students will better learn the concepts I have taught. If I show my students how to explore into the human body they will gain a better understanding and apply the knowledge into there lifestyle. Using continually different teaching styles will help keep them engaged. Using imaging and hands on will allow for new pathways to be formed and for better recovery of that knowledge latter on in life.

For example, I can show the You Tube video about teens texting and driving- Public Service Annoucement  and out comes that can happen. These images will be better installed when they go to text and drive the next time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYTXjD_YOPk

In addition I also enjoyed the advice to take a three minute break when switching gears in the lesson. This allows the students to better store the knowledge and take a little brain breather!