Five Big Ideas for Effective Teaching

Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers are developers of graduate degrees focused on applied Mind, Brain, and Education science and are founders of the Center for Innovative Education and Prevention. Donna, former chair of Education at University of Detroit Mercy, is faculty with ASCD, and Marcus is a PhD research supervisor with Canterbury Christ Church University.

Contents (Tentative)


Foreword by Robert Calfee  ix


Acknowledgments  xi


Preface xiii


Introduction 1

Teacher Education and Professional Development: Preparing, Developing, and Supporting Teachers by Providing Them with a Firm Foundation 1

Teachers as Learners: Enhancing Mindsets and Methods 4

Five Big Ideas from Research to Application 5


Prologue: Challenges and Opportunities in 21st Century Schooling 9

In Support of a Gold Standard for Educational Professionals: Teachers as Adaptive Experts and Lifelong Learners 11

Challenges in the Current System of Teacher Education and Schooling 12

Tools for Learning and Teaching in the 21st Century 14

Brain, Plasticity, Potential, and Intelligence 15

The Body-Brain System 17

Metacognition 19

The Challenges of Teaching Today 21

Opportunities Knock for Lifelong Learners 24

Connecting the Science of Learning to the Art of Teaching 27


1. Big Idea 1: Implications of Neural Plasticity for Learning and Teaching 28

Understanding the Science of Neural Plasticity 30

Brain Development Over the Life Span 33

Plasticity Research and the Classroom 37

From Research to Classroom Practice: Plasticity in Action 41

What’s the Big Idea? 45


2. Big Idea 2: Recognizing Human Potential 48

Misunderstanding Potential: The Fixed Mindset 50

Defining Potential in the Classroom 51

Teacher Expectations About Their Students’ Learning Potential 54

Educational Leadership: Beyond the Classroom 59

From Research to Classroom Practice: Guiding Students to Actualize Their Learning Potential 61

What’s the Big Idea? 62


3. Big Idea 3: Understanding Intelligence 65

Conceptions of Intelligence 68

Dynamic, Changeable Intelligence 73

Malleable Intelligence, Growth Mindsets, and Student Learning 73

Malleable Intelligence, Motivation, and Effort  75

Rehearsal: Talent vs. Deliberate Practice 79

Using Formative Assessment for Intelligence-Building 81

Educational Leadership: Beyond the Classroom 82

From Research to Classroom Practice: Intelligence and a Growth Mindset for 21st Century Success 82

What’s the Big Idea? 89


4. Big Idea 4: The Body-Brain System at Work for Learning 92

Social and Emotional Learning 93

Modeling and Teaching Practical Optimism 97

Managing Stress 99

Stronger Bodies, Sharper Minds 100

The Search for Causal Connections 103

High-Octane Fuel for Learning 105

Preparing for Learning with a Good Night’s Sleep 107

From Research to Classroom Practice: Putting the Body-Brain System to Work 108

What’s the Big Idea?  111


5. Big Idea 5: Metacognition as a Path to Becoming Functionally Smarter 115

Metacognition Through the Ages 116

Thinking About Thinking: Two Layers of Learning 117

Connecting Metacognition and Executive Function 119

Teaching and Facilitating the Use of Cognitive Strategies 121

Connecting Cognitive Strategies to Current Rigorous Standards 123

Gathering Information 124

Exploring and Elaborating 128

Communicating What You Have Learned 134

Teaching Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies by Example 138

A Metacognitive Approach to Social and Emotional Learning 140

From Research to Classroom Practice: Learning by Teaching and Reflecting on Your Professional Practice 144

What’s the Big Idea? 145


6. Teaching, Learning, and Neuroeducation Myth Busting 148

Becoming an “Apprentice” of Effective Education 149

There Is More to 21st Century Education Than the 3 Rs—A Lot More 150

You Can Get Better at Almost Anything If You Set Your Mind to It 152

Your Brain Is a Learning Muscle—Build It 153

Early Intensive Reading Instruction Can Open New Worlds 154

The Little Engine That Could Had the Right Idea 155

Don’t Forget: You Can Remember 157

Support Physical Activity to Support Learning 160

Your Role as a Myth Buster 161


7. Your Journey of Learning and Teaching 162

The Importance of Learning Together 163

Connecting with a Worldwide Professional Learning Community  170

The Joy of Informal Learning 172

Rising to the Hope and Challenges of Your Professional Practice 173


References 176


Index 196


About the Authors 209