This week we will be discussing the developmental perspectives on Executive Function skills and learning about Brain Basics. In the first section, you will be introduced to some basic information about the brain. In the second section, you'll hear more about how the brain's development affects our EF skills.

Marydee presents this information in a common vernacular that we will use through the rest of the course, to ensure we are all using the same terminology. Even if you have studied the brain in a context of teaching and learning, you should still learn something new!

Objectives:

• Discuss and synthesize the perspectives of brain development and Executive Function skills as they relate to successful classroom behaviors.
• Describe prior knowledge of pedagogy that is related to brain development for an age group and how this applies to classroom practices.
• Analyze brain development information to consider when planning lessons.

Content: (with recommended pacing, but not required)

Watch the following videos:

• Monday: Topic A Videos
• Wednesday: Topic B Videos

Read from the textbook(s):

• Monday: Kaufman(2010) Executive Function in the Classroom: Practical Strategies for Improving Performance and Enhancing Skills for All Students, Chapter 2
• Wednesday: Sousa, D. (2017). How the Brain Learns, pgs. 15-42

Post and respond to the following Discussions:

• Monday: Brain Basics Discussion
• Wednesday: Developmental Perspectives on Executive FunctionSkills Discussion