COURSE TITLE:

TEACHING THE TEEN BRAIN

NO. OF CREDITS:

3 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 2.00 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:
OREGON PDUs:
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:

30
30
30

INSTRUCTOR:

Brenda McKinney
bbbrain@comcast.net

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

What’s going on in there? This is a question every parent and teacher of a teen has asked. No one expected the answer that the teen brain was keeping secrets-big ones at that. What scientists found took everyone by surprise; indeed, the adolescent brain was undergoing a dynamic transformation getting ready itself for adulthood. Even more shocking was the information that the brain keeps developing into the twenties.

This is your chance to discover that the old culprits, rebellion, exuberance and hormones, are not the only answers. In this course you will learn about the teen brain, how to navigate the abrupt shifts in emotion and behavior and still be an effective teacher.

Now is the time to unlock adolescent thinking and behavior by explaining the biological changes happening in the teenage brain. The practical side of this exciting class is to provide strategies for creating a more academically AND emotionally productive classroom. Don’t miss this opportunity to find out the secrets that have eluded teachers since teenagers have been going to school!

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

Explored key findings of the adolescent brain
Gained an understanding of the neurological and behavioral changes in the brain
Gained an understanding of the impact of drugs and other risk taking behaviors
Experienced effective teaching strategies to effectively work with teens
Learned positive ways to communicate and stay grounded with teens
Learned facts and research that topple assumptions previously held about the teen brain
Discovered ways to transform your classroom to take advantage of those ever changing teen brains

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

Feinstein, Cheryl. Secrets of the Teenage Brain. 2009. Corwin Press. ISBN 1-890460-42-7.

None. All reading is online.

MATERIALS FEE

Text, Secrets of the Teenage Brain, is approximately $14 on Amazon.com. Available used from $4.00 and up.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Brenda McKinney, CEO of Vancouver, WA based BrainVolution, is a developer and dynamic facilitator of workshops that teach practical thinking and learning tools for raising student achievement with the brain in mind. She has trained educators throughout the Pacific Northwest and is a popular presenter because of her ability to motivate, make things fun, and teach practical techniques for the classroom that can be used immediately. Brenda continues to read hundreds of books and articles on the subject of neuroscience and searches for the answer to success for every student. Her work with at-risk students and those with reading problems have made her a popular speaker at the state, regional and national level.

Brenda is able to synthesize the new research and continues to address the role of how to use the latest findings to create high achievement classroom. She brings 30+ years of experience at the elementary, middle school, high school and university level as a mentor teacher, consultant, motivational speaker, university instructor, and reading specialist. Brenda has her Master’s in Education from Washington State University and is nationally certified in Brain Based Learning through the renowned Jensen Corporation, led by Eric Jensen, a noted international spokesperson for neuroscience and education.

Brenda will inspire and motivate you with her energy, enthusiasm and knowledge. Her wisdom, techniques, and brain based approach to education will inspire you and challenge you to meet the demands of this ever changing world.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

TEACHING THE TEEN BRAIN

Feinstein. Cheryl. Secrets of the Teenage Brain. Corwin Press. 2009. Recent advances in neuroscience technology has finally made it possible to peer inside the teen brains. The secrets have been revealed in this wonderful text. The print is user friendly and the text reads almost like a novel. Every middle school and high school teacher will find this a must read. The critical element is that though we cannot change teen behavior we can adapt our teaching to more effectively reach and teach these teen minds. This text provides the science and the practical applications.

Jensen, Eric & Carole Snider. Turnaround Tools for the Teenage Brain: Helping Underperforming Students Become Lifelong Learners. Jossey Bass. 2013.

ISBN: 978-1-118-34305-0. The latest research shows not only that brains can change, but that teachers and other providers have the power to boost students' effort, focus, attitude, and even IQs. In this book bestselling author Eric Jensen and co-author Carole Snider offer teacher-friendly strategies to ensure that all students graduate, become lifelong learners and ultimately be successful in school and life. Drawing on cutting-edge science, this breakthrough book reveals core tools to increase student effort, build attitudes, and improve behaviors.

Jensen, Frances, MD. The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults. Harper Collins. 2016. ISBN: 978-0-06-206785-2. Dr. Jensen explores adolescent brain functioning and development in the contexts of learning and multitasking, stress and memory, sleep, addiction, and decision-making. The Teenage Brain sheds new light on the brains—and behaviors—of adolescents and young adults, and analyzes this knowledge to share specific ways in which parents, educators, and even the legal system can help them navigate their way more smoothly into adulthood.

Siegel, Daniel, MD. Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. Penguin Books. 2013. ISBN: 978-1-101-63152-2. Between the ages of twelve and twenty-four, the brain changes in important and, at times, challenging ways. In Brainstorm, Dr. Daniel Siegel busts a number of commonly held myths about adolescence. Drawing on important new research in the field of interpersonal neurobiology, Siegel explores exciting ways in which understanding how the brain functions can improve the lives of adolescents.

Stauch, Barbara. The Primal Teen: What Discoveries about the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids. Anchor Books, 2003. This book offers cutting edge studies that now tell us the whole story about the teen brain. It is not finished growing. I like this text because it is appropriate for parents or educators. This offers critical information about the wild wacky teen brains. Find out about the blueprint for growth that shows us critical information about what happens during the teen years.

Sylwester, Robert. The Adolescent Brain. Reaching for Autonomy. Corwin Press. 2007. Sylwester always calls it like it is. In this wonderful book, he traces the biological and cultural universals in the teen life. Each chapter offers critical information from drugs to sexual activity, video games to understanding the wiring of the brain.

Walsh, David. Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen. Free Press. 2004. This book reveals the latest scientific findings in easy to understand terms. Sample dialogues with parents and teens, examples of behavior contracts and an entire arsenal of strategies for parents, but teachers can benefit as well. It is powerful and practical and answers the question, “Why do they act this way?”