BONNIE BENESH

The Brain and Leadership
Bonnie Benesh, Educational Consultant, Newton, Iowa

New brain research developments are helping us to understand the teaching and learning process in ways we could not have imagined before. Attention to how the brain learns challenges us to lead differently. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and translate theory into practice, challenge their own beliefs about how children learn and explore the power of the research to create the learning and leadership strategies to change the way schools are organized. Topics to be covered in the two day session:

  • Brain anatomy basics
  • How the brain adapts to its environment
  • The effects of sleep, nutrition, and emotion on learning
  • Ways to get students' attention and improve their memory & understanding
  • How to help students store information, understand it, and recall it
  • Why accurate and timely feedback is critical to learning
  • How to teach for declarative and procedural knowledge
  • Which classroom practices support the ways students' brains work
  • When and how to introduce students to new skills and concept
  • Brain Basics
  • The Role of Emotion in Learning
  • How Memory Works
  • How the Brain Makes Meaning
  • Brain-Friendly Learning Environments
  • Optimal Learning Times
  • Refining and Extending Your Learning