Brain-Based Teaching in the Digital Age

by Marilee Sprenger

Overview

Smartphones, videogames, webcasts, wikis, blogs, texting, emoticons. What does the rapidly changing digital landscape mean for classroom teaching? How has technology affected the brain development of students? How does it relate to what we know about learning styles, memory, and multiple intelligences? How can teachers close the digital divide that separates many of them from their students? In Brain-Based Teaching in the Digital Age, Marilee Sprenger answers these and other questions with research-based information and practical advice gained from her years as a classroom teacher and a consultant on brain-based teaching. As she puts it, ""It's time to meet the 'digital brain.' We need to use the technology tools, learn the digital dialogue, and understand and relate better to our students."" At the same time, she emphasizes the importance of educating the whole child by including exercise, music, and art in the classroom and helping students develop their social-emotional intelligence. Creativity, empathy, and the ability to synthesize material are 21st century skills that can't be ignored in the digital age. Readers will find easy-to-understand information about the digital brain and how it works, ""high-tech"" and ""low-tech"" strategies for everyday teaching and learning, and inspiration for creating classroom environments that will entice and encourage students at all grade levels. With this book as a guide, educators can move confidently across the digital divide to a world of new possibilities-for themselves and their students.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416609186
Publisher:	ASCD
Publication date:	03/15/2010
Pages:	177
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Part 1 Digital Technology and the Brain 1

1 iPod + iPhone + iVideo + Internet = iBrain 3

2 Recent Research on the Brain: We Need Low Tech, Too 17

3 Do Brain-Based Principles Apply in the Digital Age? 26

Part 2 Desk Space, MySpace, My Style 41

4 Environments for Learning 43

5 Social Networking Through Teams 57

6 Understanding Learning Styles 70

7 The Digital Native and Intelligence 81

Part 3 Music, Mind Maps, and Memory 89

8 The Digital Brain and Music 91

9 Visual Tools 101

10 Flash Blubs and Flash Drives: Understanding How Memory Works 110

Part 4 Balancing Digital Desires with Digital Natives' Needs 127

11 The Balancing Act 129

12 The Present and the Future of Learning 141

Appendix A How the Brain Works 151

Appendix B How Tech Savvy Are You? 161

Appendix C Glossary of Digital Terms 163

References 165

Index 171

About the Author 177