>>Dr Cantor: The Science of Learning
and Development Initiative came together to answer a question.
What science should we pay attention to in order
to understand how learning happens?
>>Teacher: Have a good day.
>>Dr Darling-Hammond: The Science of Learning
and Development is really an attempt to synthesize a huge body
of knowledge that's accumulated over many,
many years from the learning sciences, from psychology and anthropology
and brain science and put all that together and understand how people,
in fact, develop and how they learn.
>>Dr Cantor: There are a few core principles
that define all of human development.
The first is malleability, the unique property of the brain to change
in response to relationships and experiences.
Neural tissue is the most susceptible to change of any tissue in the human body.
When children are born, their brains are not fully developed.
The development of the brain actually continues into young adulthood.
It is relationships and experiences that drive the development of the brain.
If children have the experience
of adversity they will have uneven development of foundational skills,
like self-regulation, relationship skills that are prerequisites
for more complex skills like perseverance and self-direction.
These are the children who are at risk to fall further and further behind.
But what's most interesting is that a child can become a productive
and engaged learner from any developmental starting point as long
as we intentionally build those skills.
>>Teacher: Turn to your table group and discuss this.
Come up with a statement.
>>Dr Cantor: When we're able to combine social, emotional, affective
and cognitive development together, we are creating many,
many more interconnections in the developing brain that enable children
to accelerate learning and development.
>>Teacher: We got this, guys. We got this!
>>Dr Cantor: As educators, we have an extraordinary opportunity
to shape the developing brains of children and to create that kind
of stimulus that drives the integration of the brain.
>>Teacher: Life isn't all about going at it alone.
We're up there to support you
when you don't necessarily have the skills or tools that you need.
>>Dr Darling-Hammond: The Science of Learning and Development tells us
that school needs to organize for strong relationships.
>>Student: You look pretty, Miss Turner.
>>Ms. Turner: Thank you, baby.
>>Dr Darling-Hammond: When a strong relationship exists with a teacher,
with a mentor, with an advisor, with a school administrator,
it actually can reverse the effects of adverse experiences.
Children are amazingly resilient, if they get that opportunity
for attachment, for comfort and for problem solving with a caring adult.
>>If we walk into a classroom that's really informed by these principles,
we'll see kids actively engaged in their learning.
>>Teacher: What is this graph telling us?
>>They will be using critical thinking and problem solving.
They will be putting ideas into action.
>>Teacher: This one is much longer than the other one you were using.
>>They will have lots of tools and manipulatives that they can work
with to help them understand the ideas.
As they undertake these tasks, they're building both the social
and emotional foundation and they're also building cognitive abilities.
>>Teacher: Any volunteers who are open to a priority list?
>>Student: Okay, we have Alex due tomorrow.
>>These are all skills that can be taught.
These are as important as learning your ABCs and your arithmetic facts.
>>Student: It's 80 so it has to be under.
>>Teacher: Nice.
>>Teacher: So it's important to understand
that even though somebody says something you might disagree with,
everybody's contributing to this shared dialogue in this safe space.
>>Dr Cantor: Today, we have a very big task in front of us,
but it is a very positive and optimistic task.
>>Teacher: Good morning, friends!
>>Students: Good morning.
>>Dr Cantor: Because we now have a knowledge
of how children become learners and the opportunity
to create an education system that's informed
by a knowledge of the developing brain.
>>Teacher: So that's collaboration and compassion.
>>Students: Yay!