THIS MORNING, just like any other school day in America, about 50 million students will head out for 100,000 public elementary and secondary schools to be taught by three and a half million teachers at an annual cost approaching 500 billion dollars. Add another six million students in private schools, 18 million in colleges, (plus two million more teachers), perhaps eight million more children in preprimary schools — and this morning, more than a quarter of the population of this nation is in classrooms of some kind, going about the business of educating. The business perhaps — but is there yet a science of educating?
The Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center (TDLC) is one of six Scientific Learning Centers funded by the National Science Foundation. At the TDLC, we believe that part of the current crisis in education is the lack of scientific understanding of how the brain learns, and the lack of translation of this understanding to the classroom. And we propose, uniquely, that an essential and understudied element of learning that could have a powerful impact on the success of children in schools is the role of time and timing in learning. At this meeting, you will learn more about TDLC research.
You will also discover that this is a pioneering perspective. You will discover that there are skeptics who caution that: "Neuroscientific research, at this stage in its development, does not offer scientific guidelines for policy, pratice, or parenting." There are those who are troubled by the excessive claims made for so-called “brain-based education” (although what else would you use?), and for translational science. And you will learn about the science at the heart of the debate. What is neuroplasticity, why is it so important, and can it be used to enhance educational outcomes? You may have heard about the Mozart Effect — but what about the Spacing Effect? (It may not be as catchy – but what if you could remember more without studying longer?) And you’ll discover why robots in classrooms get the cold shoulder unless the timing is right.
Brains R Us: The Science of Educatingwill offer a unique town hall forum for exploring these and other aspects of the educational conversation. We are aiming for a highly interactive group of researchers, educators, policy makers, parents and students (the ultimate end-users) to discuss the state of the science of educating from synapse to schoolroom, from neurons to neighborhoods. Join us — and discover why timing is everything.
As an extension to this event, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, Roger Bingham will videotape a conversation with Physics Nobel laureate, Dr. Leon Lederman. The conversation will be followed by a signing of Dr. Lederman's books The God Particle and Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe. This will offer attendees a unique opportunity to meet one of world’s most engaging Nobel laureates and leading spokesmen for science education.
This March 4th interview portion does not require pre-registration to attend and will not be live webcast or closed captioned.
Gary Cottrell – Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego; Director, TDLC
8:40 - 8:45
Introduction
Roger Bingham - Director, The Science Network; Executive Committee, TDLC
8:45 - 10:15
BRAINS
Mike Merzenich - Francis A. Sooy Chair of Otolaryngology, UC San Francisco, Founder, Scientific Learning Corporation
Terry Sejnowski – Director, Crick-Jacobs Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies; Co-Director, TDLC
Terry Jernigan - Professor of Psychiatry, UC San Diego
Andrea Chiba – Associate Professor of Cognitive Science, UC San Diego; Co-Director, TDLC
Jay Giedd - Chief of Brain Imaging, National Institute of Mental Health
Urs Ribary - Leadership Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience in Childhood Health and Development, Simon Fraser University
Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek - Director, Infant Language Laboratory, Temple University; Member, Spatial Intelligence and Learning Center
Fred H. Gage - Adler Professor, Laboratory of Genetics, Salk Institute for Biological Studies; Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience, UC San Diego
10:15 - 10:30
Break
10:30 - 11:30
SCHOOLS
Mike Moses - Senior Advisor, Raise Your Hand Texas
Patricia Wright - Chief Deputy Superintendent, Virginia Department of Education
Paul Houston - Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators
Kathleen Leos - President and CEO, The International Institute for Language and Literacy Development
Donald Phillips - Superintendent, Poway Unified School District
11:30 - 12:00
David Boulton - Co-Producer and Creator, Children of the Code
John Corcoran - Author, TheBridge to Literacy: No Child-or Adult left Behind
12:00 – 1:00
Lunch
1:00 – 2:30
CHILDREN
Paula Tallal - Co-Director, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University; Founder, Scientific Learning Corporation; Co-Director, Educational and Outreach Center, TDLC
Adele Diamond - Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, University of British Columbia
Javier Movellan – Director, Machine Perception Laboratory, UC San Diego; Co-Principal Investigator, Social Interaction Network, TDLC
Hal Pashler - Professor of Psychology, UC San Diego
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang – Brain and Creativity Institute/Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
Kurt Fischer - President, Society For Mind, Brain and Education, Harvard University
2:30 – 2:45
Break
2:45 – 3:45
TEACHERS
Nancy Farnan - Director of Teacher Education, San Diego State University
Roxie Jackson - Executive Director of Special Education, San Diego Unified School District
Barbara Edwards - Professional Development Coordinator, CREATE, UC San Diego
Michael Dabney - Director of News Media Relations and Public Relations, Student Educational Advancement Division, UC San Diego
Eric Jensen - Founder and Director, Jensen Learning Corporation
Kathleen Paliokas - Director, Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium at the Council of Chief State School Officers
Jennifer Husbands - Director of Teacher Credentialing & Support, High Tech High; Member, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
3:45 – 5:00
TRANSFORMATION
Leon Lederman - Nobel Laureate (Physics 1988); Director Emeritus, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Founder, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Terry Sejnowski - Director, Crick-Jacobs Center, Salk Institute for Biological Studies; Co-Director, TDLC
Paula Tallal - Co-Director, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University; Founder, Scientific Learning Corporation; Co-Director, Educational and Outreach Center, TDLC
Kurt Fischer - President, Society For Mind, Brain and Education, Harvard University
Mike Merzenich - Francis A. Sooy Chair of Otolaryngology, UC San Francisco, Founder, Scientific Learning Corporation
Jim Nelson - Executive Director, AVID
David Lightfoot – Assistant Director, National Science Foundation
Soo-Siang Lim-Science of Learning Centers Program Director, Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences, National Science Foundation
Marye Anne Fox - Chancellor, UC San Diego
5:00 – 7:00
Reception
TUESDAY, MARCH 4TH
1:00 – 2:30
Conversation with Physics Nobel laureate, Dr. Leon Lederman
2:45 – 3:30
Book signing with Dr. Lederman (Copies of Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe and The God Particle will be available)
3:30
Event Close
Date, Time, and Location
Date
Monday, March 3, 2008
Time
8:00 am PT - 6:30 pm PT
Location
Salk Institute for Biological Studies Frederic de Hoffmann Auditorium 10010 North Torrey Pines Road La Jolla, CA 92037
- Brought to you by the Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center (a National Science Foundation Science of Learning Center) and The Science Network.
- In partnership with the Crick-Jacobs Center for Theoretical and Computational Biology, the Sloan-Swartz Center for Theoretical Neurobiology, the Scientific Learning Corporation, The Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, and the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology.
NOTE: The live webcast of the March 3rd event will be closed captioned for the hearing impaired.
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