Monthly Archives: October 2015

Family Matters: Do Obligations Encourage Teens to Play it Safe?

The teenage years have long been described as a period of “storm and stress.” It’s a time for parental clashes, moodiness, risky behaviors, and a lot of cringe-worthy confessional songwriting. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Teen angst



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TOP RESEARCHERS TO EXPLORE WAYS THAT SCIENCE SHEDS LIGHT ON CHARACTER SKILLS

MEDIA ADVISORY October 26, 2015 Contact: Kristin Dunay (781)-449-4010 x 104 [email protected] THE SCIENCE OF CHARACTER: USING BRAIN SCIENCE TO RAISE STUDENT SELF-REGULATION, RESILIENCE AND RESPECT WHAT: Researchers have found that we can use the brain’s neuroplasticity to train character



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Mindfulness in the Classroom: What’s All the Buzz About?

“Mindfulness” is a buzzword popping up everywhere from the New York Times, prestigious science and education journals, to grade school and university curriculum. Headlines offer intriguing statements like, “Mindfulness meditation may have positive effects on stress, anxiety, and reshape the



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How to Recognize PTSD in the Classroom… And Why it Matters

I recently watched a Ted Talk1 by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris where she addressed the effects of childhood trauma on health. Her 16 minute talk discussed how trauma leads to higher risks of heart disease, early death, and even lung cancer.



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Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Master to Truly Transform our Schools by Ron Ritchhart

Do your schools and learning communities promote curiosity, innovation, collaboration, empathy, determination, and analytic thinking? Ron Ritchhart, a senior research associate at Harvard Project Zero and a fellow at the University of Melbourne in Australia, argues that although these are



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The Difference Between Science and Science-Sounding Solutions

From the moment a child is born (and in some cases even before), their environment and experiences will have an impact on his or her brain. Equipped with our many senses and associated sensory organs, our dynamic perceptual systems help



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Starting Early: The Benefits of Teaching Counterintuitive Concepts in Childhood

Science seems to always challenge our intuitive understanding of the world. Even as an adult, I am constantly confronted with new scientific advancements and discoveries that don’t always line up with my preconceived notions. These ideas, be it physics or



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The Lollipop Problem: How Cultural Bias Makes it Harder to Learn

I went to a school in the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan. The school consisted mostly of western children of aid workers, which meant that for the majority of my school years my family members were the only students



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Language Nutrition & the Developing Brain

We’re told that a picture is worth a thousand words, but this adage robs words of much-deserved credit. When you’re an infant with a rapidly developing brain, words are one of the most valuable things you can receive. They’re so



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