Schools for All Kinds of Minds

This book shows how schools can--and must--develop expertise in "e;learning variation"e; (understanding how different kinds of minds learn) and apply this knowledge to classroom instruction in order to address the chronic learning challenges and achievement gap faced by millions of students. Barringer shows how using what we know about learning variation with a focus on discovering learning strengths, not just deficits, can help schools create plans for success for those students who often find it elusive. The book specifically addresses how school leaders can incorporate this knowledge into instructional practice and school-level policy through various professional development strategies. Schools for All Kinds of Minds: Provides a readable synthesis of the latest research from neuroscience, cognitive science, and child and adolescent development as it relates to understanding learning and its many variations. Links this information to strategies for understanding struggling learners and adapting school practices to accommodate a wider array of learning differences in a classroom. Demonstrates how this understanding of learning variation can change the way teachers and others help students succeed in various academic and content areas and acquire necessary 21st century skills. Includes discussion questions and facilitator guidelines for staff developers and teacher education programs; downloadable forms that accompany exercises from within the book; an action plan for schools to implement the ideas found in the book; and more.

This book shows how schools can--and must--develop expertisein "learning variation" (understanding how different kinds of mindslearn) and apply this knowledge to classroom instruction in orderto address the chronic learning challenges and achievement gapfaced by millions of students. Barringer shows how using what weknow about learning variation with a focus on discovering learningstrengths, not just deficits, can help schools create plansfor success for those students who often find it elusive. The bookspecifically addresses how school leaders can incorporate thisknowledge into instructional practice and school-level policythrough various professional development strategies.Schools for All Kinds of Minds:* Provides a readable synthesis of the latest research fromneuroscience, cognitive science, and child and adolescentdevelopment as it relates to understanding learning and its manyvariations.* Links this information to strategies for understandingstruggling learners and adapting school practices to accommodate awider array of learning differences in a classroom.* Demonstrates how this understanding of learning variation canchange the way teachers and others help students succeed in variousacademic and content areas and acquire necessary 21st centuryskills.* Includes discussion questions and facilitator guidelines forstaff developers and teacher education programs; downloadable formsthat accompany exercises from within the book; an action plan forschools to implement the ideas found in the book; and more.

FOREWORD: AMERICA NEEDS ALL KINDS OF MINDS VIIACKNOWLEDGMENTS XIABOUT THE AUTHORS XIVINTRODUCTION: AN ENDURING DILEMMA XVII1 UNDERSTANDING LEARNING AS THE CORE BUSINESS OF SCHOOLS 12 BRINGING THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING INTO THE CLASSROOM 173 KEY INGREDIENTS OF LEARNING 334 DIGGING DEEPER: KNOWING STUDENTS AS LEARNERS 655 BUILDING ON STUDENT ASSETS 936 LOOKING DEEPER: A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON BEHAVIOR 1157 BOOSTING WRITING ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING 1398 GETTING STARTED: CREATING SCHOOLS FOR ALL KINDS OF MINDS 183APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS 215APPENDIX B: ALL KINDS OF MINDS SCHOOLS OF DISTINCTION 221APPENDIX C: THE EFFECTS OF THE SCHOOLS ATTUNED PROGRAM: A SNAPSHOT OF RESEARCH RESULTS 229APPENDIX D: PROGRAMS FROM ALL KINDS OF MINDS 235APPENDIX E: ALL KINDS OF MINDS WEB SITE RESOURCES 239NOTES 241INDEX 253