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In 1994 Valley Park Elementary School, Blue Valley School District, in Kansas City, Kansas was a "good" school Students consistently scored well above the national average on standardized tests. Well educated parents demanded excellence Staff described as "highly-motivated" Sought to answer the question "can brain research make a difference in our school? Conducted questioning, researching, studying related to brain research and education to become critical consumers of brain research Worked to develop a functional understanding of how the brain works Established partnership with a school reform group at a Kansas City university Goal: combine this knowledge with experiential wisdom amassed during years of teaching Findings from research on brain research 1. Brain changes physiologically as a result of experience. a. Environment determines to a large extent the functioning ability of an individual b. Brain can change structure/function in response to external experiences 2. Emotion influences learning. a. Daniel Goleman and Joseph LeDoux (separately) contribute to our understanding of the role of emotions in learning b. When brain recognizes an experience as useful, more of what is learned is retained i. Positive emotion facilitates that recognition ii. Learning shuts down when experience is perceived as threatening c. Create an emotionally positive/engaging environment or compromise learning 3. Intelligence is multiple a. Disputes long-held single general intelligence. b. Adds to the traditionally recognized intelligences of verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical intelligences c. Adds other intelligences such as interpersonal and naturalist i. These can serve as a foundation for better instruction & deeper emotional engagement of the learner Theory into Practice Proceeded with brain-compatible classroom practices o Safe, nonthreatening environment o Active and meaningful learning o Rich, stimulating, varied input o Accurate timely, and helpful feedback Publicized within school and community Blue Valley School District's core values o Compassion o Courage o Honesty o Perseverance o Respect o Responsibility o Self-discipline [this sounds a lot like character education as it is commonly practiced - JCD] Concentrated on thematic, integrated units of study o Developed a unit plan process (collaborative) - classroom teachers and specialists o Yearlong themes focused on district objective o Closely integrated the core disciplines with music, physical education, art o Included the librarian!!! (And the counselor and the reading teacher) Combined performance-based assessments with traditional paper and pencil tests Provided ongoing staff development to equip teachers w/ requisite knowledge & skills Also used multiple personality assessments for Valley Park staff - goal to better understand one another A School Snapshot (this section provides details of a typical class) Teacher conducting writing conference with small group Students working independently at other tables & computers Agenda board Student work displayed (with rubrics attached to backs) Paraprofessional available Quiet music Lots of natural lights Live plants (none from the Dossett Plant suicide corner!) Teaching Students About Brain Research Help students understand their own thinking and learning o Brain function o Brain anatomy o Brain physiology at varying developmental levels o Theme days related to multiple intelligences o Various other hands-on, student centered activities related to brain & learning Results Used three measures o Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests o End-of-book tests (Harcourt Brace or DC Heath math textbooks) o Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Four years of data studied o Gates-MacGinitie gain from grade 1 to grade 4 was 16 points - almost one full standard deviation o Mathematics end-of-course: fall to spring increases of 37,44,36,35 in grade 2 o Iowa Tests - reading results steady with gains in math "Overall support of the premise that a school can be transformed into a more enriched environment without introducing negative effects in reading or mathematics learning." Results mixed on whether or not changed environment challenged students to actually increase their learning in math and reading.
Caulfield, Joan, Sue Kidd and Thel Kocher. Brain-Based Instruction in Action. Educational Leadership 58, no. 3 (November 2000): 62-65.
