Students today have different developmental experiences than they did 10, 20, 30 years ago. Those different experiences impact the way students’ brains learn and process information. Yet education as a whole has not taken this into consideration when we think about the fundamental way we educate students in the United States.
To transform education and ensure students have the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential, it is essential to align systems and practices with how the brain develops.
We have to take what we know from the field of neuroscience and combine it with the development of skills we know students need in order to be successful, including the importance of safe, positive and connected relationships, the role of critical cognitive skills and ensuring opportunities throughout each day for problem solving, innovation, and engaging in complex thinking.
To ensure every student has the opportunity to maximize their own potential and ultimately be successful in life, education must broaden its understanding of what essential skills are needed and HOW to develop those skills.