the
teenage
brain
2011 Suspension Centre conference
Explaining student behaviour
2011 Suspension Centre conference
Psychoanalytical
Explaining student behaviour
Behaviour modification
Neuroscience
Cognitive behaviourists
Solution focussed
Positive psychology
2011 Suspension Centre conference
One of the most exciting
discoveries from recent
neuroscience research is how
incredibly plastic the human brain
is. For a long time, we used to think
that because the brain is already 95
percent of adult size by age six, that
things were largely set in place
early in life.
Increases in grey matter in the
brain from 5 to 20 years
And now we realize that isn't true; that even throughout
childhood and even the teen years, there's enormous capacity
for change.
From http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/interviews/giedd.html#ixzz1eFA3pzly
2011 Suspension Centre conference
We think that this capacity for change is very empowering
for teens.
The next step will be, what can you do about it, what can
we do to help people? What can we do to help the teen
optimize the development of their own brain?
From http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/interviews/giedd.html#ixzz1eFA3pzly
2011 Suspension Centre conference
Brain research tell us . . . .




Learning environments must provide emotional safety
Stress is toxic
Boredom is as toxic to the brain as stress
Construction of individualized meaning promotes higher level
intellectual functioning
 Differentiation offers the best opportunity for appropriate use
of challenge.
 Differentiation offers the best opportunity for building on
students’ interest and need for engagement.
 Differentiation gives individual students meaningful
experiences.
2011 Suspension Centre conference
Teens (left) used less of the prefrontal (upper) region than adults (right) when reading emotions
What
emotion
shownthe
by the
person
in thishere
image?
100%isofthe
adults
identified
emotion
shown
as fear
Only 50% of adolescents identified the emotion as fear.
Many typically said that they saw shock or confusion or sadness.
2011 Suspension Centre conference
More from the experts . . . .
Let’s look at 3 perspectives on how the teenage brain works and the implications this has on
the way we remodel and support changes in attitude and behaviour:
The Teen Brain: the neuroscience of adolescent behaviour
Catalyst
The brain that changes itself - Norman Doidge (Lateline – ABC)
Neuroplasticity
What we can learn about learning from digital games
Gamification
2011 Suspension Centre conference
The Teen Brain: the neuroscience of adolescent behaviour
Catalyst
2011 Suspension Centre conference
The brain that changes itself - Norman Doidge (Lateline – ABC)
Neuroplasticity
2011 Suspension Centre conference
What we can learn about learning from digital games
Gamification
2011 Suspension Centre conference
More information and references
Catalyst (ABC TV) 2005 – The Teen Brain at
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1424747.htm
PBS TV 2002 - Inside the Teenage Brain found at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/
Lateline (ABC TV) 2009 – The brain that changes itself at
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2558852.htm
Doidge, N. 2007 The Brain That Changes Itself : Stories of Personal Triumph from the
Frontiers of Brain. Science Baker & Taylor; USA
Weinberger, D., Elvevag, B & Giedd, J. (2005) The Adolescent Brain – a work in progress.
Accessed online at www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/BRAIN.pdf
Dunn, B (2010) Teaching the teen brain. Online resource accessed at
http://www.weteachwelearn.org/2010/05/teaching-the-teen-brain/
2011 Suspension Centre conference