Brain-Based Learning
Learning and the Social Brain
In a series of interviews/videos, researcher Patricia Kuhl reveals the science behind the social brain—which she calls the gateway to human cognition. July 25, 2018
[Dr. Patricia Kuhl, the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair at the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, in a series of interviews on the science of human learning…..]
https://www.edutopia.org/package/learning-and-social-brain?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=facebook
…..”For educators, an awareness of the social brain presents an opportunity to tap into some of our most durable, deeply seated abilities. If the species is hardwired to work together, then our classrooms should continue to feature a healthy dose of activities that emphasize cooperation, teamwork, and peer-to-peer teaching.
Even the simplest tactics should reap dividends, according to Kuhl, who suggests using “circles or U-shaped arrangements”—or anything that gets kids interacting with one another. “The social context is extremely important to learning,” she noted, “not only in infancy, but in school-aged children, who use the social brain when they’re collaborating with one another, when they’re studying how another person goes at it, when they’re watching the eyes, even unconsciously, of their study partner as they work towards a solution together.”….
In this four-part video series, see “Kuhl’s fascinating insights on the science of human learning, with a focus on the positive—and cautionary—aspects of our social brain.”
Edutopia developed this series in collaboration with the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
BRAIN-BASED LEARNING….a series of 4 short (under 3 minute videos
What Is the Social Brain? https://www.edutopia.org/video/what-social-brain The research is in: Learning is a social endeavor.
Masters of Social Learning: https://www.edutopia.org/video/masters-social-learning We’re hardwired from birth to decode facial expression, posture, and tone of voice—and to work collaboratively.
When the Social Brain Misfires https://www.edutopia.org/video/when-social-brain-misfires
Sometimes our powerful urge to belong can hurt us. We look at how stereotypes undermine learning.
The Social Classroom https://www.edutopia.org/video/social-classroom
Increasingly, modern classrooms support group work and peer-to-peer collaboration. The science says that’s right on.
