1. Preparing
21st Century Minds
Using Brain Research to
Enhance Cognitive Skills
for the Future

2. Tony Wagner
Harvard Innovation
Education Fellow
What’s “the PROBLEM”?

3. “Knowledge Society”
requires new skills for
ALL STUDENTS
- Work, continuous
learning, citizenship

4. “Net Generation” is differently
motivated to learn
- Boredom is the leading cause of low
achievement and dropouts

5. Need to create an
“Innovation Nation”
- Revive America – we cannot
save or spend our way out
- Innovators are only people
whose jobs cannot be automated
or off-shored

6. Survival Skills for Careers,
College and Citizenship:
1. Critical thinking / problem solving
2. Collaboration / leading by influence
3. Agility / adaptability
4. Initiative / entrepreneurism
5. Effective oral / written communication
6. Assessing / analyzing information
7. Curiosity / imagination

7. For More Information:
www.tonywagner.com

8. Helen Neville
Brain Development Lab
University of Oregon
Interventions for
Children At-Risk for
School Failure

9. Studies Brains Using:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Psychophysics
- Electrophysiological imaging (ERP)

10. Findings:
Some neural systems and
subsystems are highly
modifiable (neuroplastic), with
the potential for either
enhancement or vulnerability.

11. The most plastic neural
systems are also vulnerable
among individuals with lower
socioeconomic backgrounds.

12. Early environmental
enrichment in the form of
interventions can protect and
enhance the plastic and
potentially vulnerable
neurocognitive systems in
children with, or at risk for,
developmental deficits.

13. Intervention Framework
- Use neuroimaging to observe
differences among children and adults
from different socioeconomic
backgrounds
- Vulnerable systems can be enhanced
- Early intervention buffers and protects
vulnerable neural systems

14. Intervention Overview
- Children living at or below poverty level
- Randomly assigned to control or
treatment group
- No difference between groups in student
age, gender, language, nonverbal
intelligence;
parent age, maritial/partner status,
education level, socioeconomic
background

15. Key Components of Intervention
- High levels of positive reinforcement and
specific praise
- Consistent discipline with clear
expectations and natural consequences
- Use language to encourage high quality
interactions
- Provide frequent opportunities for
choosing, thinking, solving problems

16. Intervention Results
- Improvement in student language,
cognition, and attention
- Parent training yielded significant
student outcomes
- Ongoing, longitudinal studies in
progress

17. “These studies contribute to a basic
understanding of the nature and
mechanisms of human brain plasticity. In
addition, these results lend impetus to
further development and broader
deployment of education programs based
on evidence from research in
neuroscience, especially those that
impact at-risk populations to reduce
academic achievement gaps, resulting in
long-term positive outcomes for
individuals and society.” H.N.

18. For More Information:
Brain Development Lab
www.bdl.purpled. Com
DVD: Changing Brains
on YouTube or free download
changingbrains.com

19. Free Brain Apps for iPad:
3D Brain
3D Medical Images
Brain MRI Atlas