Discussion+Forum

This discussion forum was created for collaborative teams to use during the 2010-2011 school year. The purpose of the forum is to facilitate conversation between groups that are meeting to study various aspects of the adolescent brain. Common learning will take place during workshops attended by all 5-12 Nashua-Plainfield staff. Collaborative teams- formed around common interests- will meet between workshop sessions to engage in an on-going, independent study of a specific topic of their choosing. This discussion forum will facilitate communication between teams, as a way of providing brief updates about the topics being studied, and for sharing information you are learning that might be useful to other teams and individuals.

Click on the Discussion button above to add a post to the forum, or to read what others have written.

**Between October 27, 2010 and January 24, 2011:**
As you read __The Primal Teen__ by Barbara Strauch, you'll come across many descriptive words and phrases- as well as metaphors- meant to help the reader understand various concepts about the adolescent brain. Select one of the phrases listed on the document below. **Make a post to the discussion forum** explaining how the phrase you selected does indeed, aid in your understanding of a specific concept about the adolescent brain. Briefly explain your understanding... and why that particular phrase or metaphor 'worked' for you.



"sometimes parents need to BE their kids' frontal lobes!" really hits home with 5th graders. We see parents who have no boundaries. We need parents to be involved and be good role models. Kids of this age aren't adults with adult capabilities of thinking (okay, some adults don't seem to have fully developed frontal lobes either?). Parents need to be parents! Shelley L.

Brian Foster-"...sometimes parents need to be their kids' frontal lobes!" (pg 34) --This passage reasonated with me. The importance of having to be reflective in nature as a teacher, to make learning (both intelluctual and behavioral) planned and purposeful. The master teacher must use the tool of reflection daily to ensure the ways we structure our learning experiences are both direct and flexibility for student discovery. Kids are kids. As an adult, I have the benefit of being their age once. Now I have the responsbility to ensure they live to be my age :) Kids need boundaries, adults need to first set them, second-show students how to follow them, third-show students how to set them, finally, show students how to enforce them.

Here's a Forced Choice Reinforcement Survey I use for some of my students. Helps students indentify "rewards" or reinforcers.