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| Millennial
Learning: April
16-17, 2009
James E. Zull is Professor of Biology, Biochemistry, and Cognitive Science and Founding Director of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE) at Case Western Reserve University. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) he taught and conducted research in Biochemistry at CWRU for 25 years, publishing over 100 papers, and he has lectured on his research internationally. Zull has taught thousands of students. He was named a Professor of the Year by CWRU Greek Organizations in 1995, and was a recipient of the 2004 Northeast Ohio Council for Higher Education Award for Teaching Excellence. He became UCITE Director in 1994 and began to study the literature on learning and neuroscience, which led to his book The Art of Changing the Brain; Enriching Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning. This book is based on stories about students and teachers he has met in his 38 years on the Case faculty. It provides an accessible discussion of the biology of learning for teachers at all levels. Zull is now working on a second book addressing how understanding the brain can help us create better schools. Keynote Presentation: "What is the art of changing the brain?"
Learning is change in the brain. This is no longer a metaphor, but a law of nature, a biological fact. So educators confront a daunting challenge. Everything we do has the potential to "mess with the mind." If, then, we are to have positive outcomes, we must become artists of the mind. Inventing experiences and environments that lead to positive changes in student minds is not trivial. It is much more than simply telling students things. So what else does nature tell us about this art? In this keynote I will outline three overarching concepts that seem to be essential features needed for success. These concepts are based on (1) discoveries about the plasticity of the brain (its ability to change) and intelligence, (2) the essential functions of different regions of the brain and how to engage all of them, and (3) the obligatory role of emotion in generating change and establishing memory. We will end with the understanding that effective teachers do not directly change brains themselves, but rather create conditions under which the brain cannot help but change. Learning happens. It is what the brain does! |
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