Neuroscience is hot. Everyday we are learning new things about how our brain works. Still in most research papers I read, they warn us for jumping too fast to conclusions when using these new insights in education.

Doug Thompson sees 5 ways in how neuroscience will change education:

1. We’ll Start to Hear a Lot About “Neuroeducation”
   “In the future, we’ll hear a lot about neuroeducation, and we can expect to see curricula based not just on teaching subjects, but on preparing brains for learning.”
2. Changing the Way Kids Study
   “Our understanding of the brain is leading to remarkable insights into how memories are formed and how we access those memories. These insights are leading to new approaches to helping kids to study and learn.We’ll expect to see new insights into helping your kids with their study plans.”
3. Music, Language and the Mind
   “Neuroscience has shown that learning to play an instrument or learning about notes, rhythm and song can have a dramatic impact on how the brain develops.But the breakthrough is in understanding why this happens: that the brain has a capacity to create new connections through things like music, and the impact of those connections is increased IQ, memory and attention.”
4. The Bilingual Advantage
   “Similar to music, learning a second language has a direct impact on how the brain develops and grows. And the impact can be unexpected: a child who has learned English and French will perform better than a child who grew up learning English only—in English!”
5. The Parenting Advantage
   “What a child does in school goes hand-in-hand with what happens in the home. The advantages on the brain of a great school program, for example, are only fully realized when parents play a role in their child’s development”

Click here if you want to read more in his piece as introduction to the Brain Power Conference in Toronto May 3-4.

But if you want to learn more about brain and learning, maybe this can be a real treat for you:

If you click here, you will enter a 6 unit course made in corporation with Harvard professor Kurt Fischer. Besides an introduction and conclusion, you can watch 43 movies about our brain and teaching/learning.

This video gives us an overview of the course: