Learning and the Brain conference, San Francisco, day 3

[Connie Weber]

It has been an extraordinary conference. I'm just drinking it all in, happy to be in "student mode." At last count I had filled 68 notebook pages. What an exercise it is, to track and record a speaker. And whew--I'm tired! Today is the final day. Tomorrow I'll have to counterbalance all this heady activity: go for a LONG run, watch some oldtime comedy shows, do some art.


Here's the lineup for this morning:

The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique: Navigating the Social World

Dr. Michael Gazzaniga, one of the world's leading neuroscientists, will explore how best to understand the human condition by examining the biological, psychological, and highly social nature of our species within the social context of our lives.
Michael S. Gazzaniga, PhD, Professor of Psychology; Director of Sage Center for the Study of Mind, University of California, Santa Barbara; author of Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique (2008), The Ethical Brain (2005), The Mind's Past (2000), Nature's Mind (1994), and Social Brain (1985)

Neuroeducation: Creating Collaboration and Community-Based Research Schools

In schools, students learn by building knowledge along specific skill pathways, mastering the special tools of mathematics, literacy, and other human inventions. Modern cultures have created schools as the main institution for promoting this learning beyond the family, but schools must change if they are to educate not only an elite, but everyone. Cognitive and neuroscience are beginning to provide tools for facilitating learning along many distinct pathways. Explore how to create collaboration and research-based schools to help use these tools to improve education.
Kurt W. Fischer, PhD, Charles Bigelow Professor; Director, Mind, Brain & Education Program (MBE), Harvard University Graduate School of Education; Director, International Mind, Brain and Education Society (IMBES); Editor, Mind, Brain & Education Journal; co-editor of Mind, Brain and Education in Reading Disorders (2007), and The Educated Brain (2008)


Promoting Social, Emotional & Academic Learning

This talk will provide an overview of the latest research, practice, and policy advances in social and emotional learning (SEL). It will discuss the impact of SEL programming on children's skills, attitudes, behavior, and school performance. social and emotional learning. It will also describe classroom and school-wide programming strategies.
Roger P. Weissberg, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Education, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago; President, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL); author of Sustainable Schoolwide Social & Emotional Learning (2006), School-Family Partnerships for Children's Success (2005), and Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say? (2004)

[Connie Weber]

Hi Or-Tal,
Most of the professors gave out their email so that we could request their power-points. Maybe I should do that. I really want to process the experience; am starting to link in people as they come up, and am trying to start forums on notes I took at keynotes. You've so far seen a lot of Paul Ekman stuff, I believe. He seems like a true wise-man. I think listening to him is beneficial. There are about six more people to write about and link into Fireside. I'll try various ways. If you get ideas or have feedback, let me know. We should all share stuff from our conferences.

Ian, I am not recognizing that name, but that might only be because I was taking in so much so fast. I'll keep my eyes open for Damasio as I go back over notes.

[Or-Tal Kiriati]

Are they putting some of the lectures or slide shows online?? If they do, I'd love it if you shared the links.

[Ian Carmichael]

Any mention of Damasio and the neuroscience of feelings and emotions?