The brain and learning

It's all about the medulla oblongata - the area of the brain responsible for autonomic functions —
blood pressure and breathing. Are there connections between the between brain functionality and educational practices?

The Brain Connection site is provides content about how the brain works and how people learn. The site is a source for discoveries relating to the brain from memory and behavior to illness and injury. Their aim is to provide informational tools for teaching and learning.

One featured article by Eric P. Jensen found on their Brain Connection's site outlines how understanding the brain and the complementary research can have practical educational applications. Jensen provides relevant historical context from critics of brain-based research to current advances made in the field.

As a result of advancements made by the brain-based community, educators are using knowledge related to brain-based education to shape education policy and practice.

Another sight worth noting is New Horizons for Learning. Their section on "New from the Neurosciences" contains articles on research, brain science, learning and the brain and brain-based teaching.

One article in particular by the primary author Timmi Jo  Forbes was intriguing. The author found that most parents, teachers and students misunderstood learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a result, Forbes uses neuroscience in the classroom to assist special needs students in discovering how they can learn.

A more in depth understanding of the brain can aide the educational field, from training material to instructional design in a plethora of ways. As research in neuroscience advances, I hope that a balance exist between brain-based research and fundamentals on education/learning. Experience is one the greatest teachers and coupled with science can be more impactful.

References
Retrieved from Brain Connection's website: http://brainconnection.positscience.com/
Retrieved from New Horizon's website: http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/front_neuro.html