Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Ever Changing Brain

As an educator, I subscribe to the belief in Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development." We need to provide learning opportunities where concepts and skills are within reach for a student based on their current level of achievement. I have to admit though, that I have been guilty of categorizing a student based on assessment data and, perhaps, have limited my expectations. The idea that we can alter neurological pathways through programming is something we need to keep in mind as we develop programs for students. Planning must consider not only the zone of proximal development but also that, if given the right challenges, the neurological plasticity of the brain will alter pathways. We can increase IQ.... something that I need to keep in mind when examining student profiles. Have a look at this simple video. I believe that it's important for teachers to educate their students to be aware of this concept in order to foster more perseverance and resiliency in children.