Reimagining Learning Support By Lauren Walton, Learning Specialist
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s scientific advances help us better understand the brain and cognitive processes, those insights can help educators develop more effective practices in the classroom and explicitly teach students how to learn. The interdisciplinary field of MBE (Mind, Brain, Education) science blends neuroscience, psychology, and educational pedagogy in ways that encourage innovative, research-based teaching and learning practices that empower students to develop self-efficacy (confidence in their ability to learn and do challenging things). Self-efficacy is not false confidence; it is based on experiences of authentic accomplishment that are rooted in the ability to seek feedback and grow through mistakes (“fail forward” as the modern terminology goes) to cultivate metacognitive awareness (the ability to describe and evaluate one’s mental processes and knowledge gaps). Archmere is working to harness the power of these insights. In the interests of serving our students and preparing them for lives of principle and purpose outside of the classroom, Archmere is reimagining learning support in subtle ways that we hope will have a significant impact.
In the interests of serving our students and preparing them for lives of principle and purpose outside of the classroom, Archmere is reimagining learning support in subtle ways that we hope will have a significant impact.
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The Archmerean • fall 2021
Learning support is for everybody. There’s been a longstanding misperception that the only students who have learning differences or struggle academically can benefit from learning support. We want to challenge this assumption. Neuroscience findings indicate intelligence is not a fixed trait; we can grow our intelligence through deliberate practice in stimulating, structured environments. Since learning is essentially based on the formation of new neural connections (neuroplasticity) and new neurons (neurogenesis), it’s important for schools - and students/families - to create conditions where those two processes are maximized. All people can benefit from a better understanding of how brains learn (in a general sense and on an individual basis) and how to mindfully structure institutions and habits to facilitate that process. By framing intelligence this way and addressing skill deficits that have nothing to do with intelligence but often get in the way of demonstrating it (e.g., lack of executive functioning skills), we also better address equity issues in education.
