The Neuroscience Behind Productive Struggle
Challenging tasks spur the production of myelin, a substance that increases the strength of brain signals. Here are four strategies to incorporate productive struggle into your lessons.
Background knowledge has often been viewed as a set of skills, vocabulary words, or experiences that provide a foundation for future learning. Research indicates that neural networks are built as this information is learned. Educators who understand that absent background knowledge can be built, and that it takes time, create learning environments that support the development of new neural structures and establish school and class policies and practices that respect the process.
Challenging tasks spur the production of myelin, a substance that increases the strength of brain signals. Here are four strategies to incorporate productive struggle into your lessons.
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Teachers can take a step back and create lessons that put student explorations at the center of learning.