There’s too much anger and finger-pointing in our world — so much blaming of others — especially these days.
Some people and communities are definitely more fortunate than others — I have many things that others do not.
If we all took a bit more time to practice gratitude — for both the big and little things — I’m pretty sure our world would be a better place.
That’s all.
I’ve been doing a lot of recent wondering about the large amount of loud, social media noise that is crowding out more rationale thoughts and ideas. Part of my musing is how the education system should be responding to it in a way that builds a capacity in students to be able to discern truth from fiction — facts from opinions.
Let me go back a few years to my late teens and early 20s.
My undergraduate training in science provided me with an excellent set of tools to understand the world — to find reasons or explanations for a lot of things:
Science uses The Scientific Method which, at its heart, is about ‘careful observation coupled with rigorous skepticism‘. Science uses a systematic process of working to disprove a current understanding about something, until the overwhelming evidence points to the truth — to an accepted fact.
I also love that science remains open to being wrong — that it challenges our assumptions and beliefs to ensure that bias is not part of the explanation.
REALITY IS MORE THAN FACTS
Yet, as I’ve grown in my career and throughout life, I’ve also come to understand that the ‘black and white’ world of science is not the complete answer. Reality is a combination of both the facts in front of us, and our personal experiences — experiences that help to create the context surrounding the facts.
Context: The conditions or situations that give meaning to an event.
Context adds the colour to the ‘black and white’ world of facts. The reality that we each experience lies enveloped in our own personal history and context.
By taking the time to understand the ‘tapestry’ or colour of the situation you can start to forge a deeper understanding of what lies before you — helping you create a better solution to whatever problem or situation exists.
So, what do context and our own history have to do with public education? I’m glad you asked!
CRITICAL THINKING
If a goal of public education is to ‘have educated citizens who thrive in a changing world’, then preparing them to be critical consumers of their world is essential. Students need to be able to understand more than facts — they need to be able to examine the context in which they observe these facts and be aware that a person’s own history and perceptions may be affecting their understanding.
Critical Thinking is an absolute necessity for our students to be the citizens we need in a world filled with fake news, social media bias and opinions camouflaging as fact:
BC Education: Critical … thinking encompasses a set of abilities that students use to examine their own thinking and that of others. This involves making judgments based on reasoning, where students consider options, analyze options using specific criteria, and draw conclusions.
Sounds great. We want students to critically examine the information before them, ask relevant questions and move their understanding forward.
But, can we objectively measure Critical Thinking? Should we even try?
It’s not like you can easily put a number beside Critical Thinking to see if it improves over time. And, because something isn’t easily measured, it doesn’t mean it isn’t important — As examples, Character, Integrity and Honesty are three traits that I would argue are very important but aren’t easily measured.
Several cognitive experts set out to come to an agreed definition of Critical Thinking at a Learning and the Brain conference. And to save you the time of wondering … No agreement was reached. In fact, they disagreed on a number of issues surrounding the concept.
Curiosity Leads to Thinking Critically
But, here’s some of what they did agree on about Critical Thinking …
FINAL THOUGHTS
Here are my top 5 take aways to help students be well prepared in distinguishing reality from what is not reality:
That’s a pretty good list.
- Science gives us a foundation;
- Critical Thinking can lead to understanding context and its impact on the facts; and
- Students become better, more informed citizens.
Important concepts in a world of uncertainty, hyperbole and unsubstantiated opinions. And there’s no shortage of that these days.
The teenage years have always been a big adventure — a time of seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm. There has also been a tendency to sometimes label the teenager as impulsive and reckless — risk-takers who lack the decision-making abilities of adults.
This characterization is misleading as recent neuroscience research is flipping this narrative on its head.
In an article by Zara Abrams, “What neuroscience tells us about the teenage brain” (2022), it turns out that the teenage brain is not just a bundle of chaos heading towards risky behaviour, but a powerhouse of neural potential and adaptability.
Here are some recent findings …
One of the most fascinating aspects of the teenage brain is its heightened sensitivity to rewards. This trait is driven by increased neural activity in an area known as the ventral striatum, a part of the brain that is involved in decision making, motor control, emotion, habit formation, and reward. This area has long been linked to risky behaviors like substance use, however, in the right environment this same sensitivity can lead to positive outcomes, such as increased motivation and social engagement. Not surprisingly, when teens are exposed to positive environments, their resulting actions tend to point in directions that can lead to some pretty amazing things.
There is building, brain-based evidence to support this.
Here are three brief descriptions of some amazing youth and the impacts they made in their teens:
Today, researchers are using sophisticated methods to study the teenage brain including conducting longitudinal studies. Instead of just comparing different age groups, researchers are following the same individuals over time. This approach is providing an even clearer picture of how the teenage brain develops and changes during adolescence.
The teenage brain is more malleable than we had thought.
This malleability or neuroplasticity means that teens are particularly adept at learning and adapting to new situations — all while their brains are undergoing a significant re-wiring — where their neural network is reducing grey matter (the cell bodies and connections between nerves) while increasing white matter (the insulated neural highways that speed information within the brain and throughout the body).
Teens are living their complex lives while their brains are making neural changes affecting their thinking, reasoning and actions. And … these changes are not uniform. This variability makes adolescence a unique and critical period, where it can lead to both positive and negative teen behavior.
This is where parents and educators play a pivotal role.
We cannot easily change certain environmental conditions like socio-economic status or even where we live, but we CAN influence an environmental condition that is likely even more important — our relationships with teens.
And because of this, parents and educators play a crucial role in shaping the teenage brain. Positive reinforcement and supportive relationships can steer teens towards healthier behaviors. We can’t always control teen life stressors, but we can model how we react to them and also how we support teens. Understanding this developing science behind teenager brain development can only help influential adults such as parents and educators provide the best possible guidance for youth.
Despite these advances in research, there’s still much to learn about the teenage brain — an incredible, morphing marvel of nature.
So, the next time you see a teenager remember – their brain is not just a work in progress, but a potential masterpiece in the making in which we can all play a role.
The Power of Why 