Brainstem

Educating the Whole Child by turning Thought into Action.

Anatomically, the brain stem connects the body to the brain by collecting and wrapping up activity from all parts of the brain including autonomic functions, skill, emotion and character and turning it into action in the body.

Brainstem Education aims to use solving real problems for real people that are so complex that require trans-disciplinary solutions, with contributions from all aspects of a person and their brains .  Taking action is required.

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” Leonardo DaVinci

We are a group of educators interested in Renaissance education. There is power in combining the discovery and action of the STEM movement with all the disciplines to solve real problems for real people.

A grassroots, 3-day staff development for educators- by educators.

Would you like to spend time with a select group of educators who share your commitment to education? Are you looking for ways to get your students excited about high-level learning? Would you like to increase your students’ academic confidence and competence? Would you like to learn with experts in problem-based teaching and learning? How would you enjoy beautiful Fundy Coast in May 2017 ?

The Brainstem Educator Symposium is designed to enable Educators, Community and Businesses to share practices that will result in a larger and more effective workforce. Become an Agent of Change!

Visit the 2017 iteration

Innovation in Education is critical for humanity to survive the 4th Industrial Revolution. The needs of our students and of society are changing. If we adapt out education system properly, we will be able to leverage the advances such as AI to our advantage and enter a more Utopian future. If we get it wrong, the negative implementation of these new advances may end humanity.

Innovation will be a critical competency for our students. How will students learn Innovation, if they to do not see the Design Thinking process on a daily basis with the excitement, the fails, the iterations and the successes.

Science 12 is designed to blend all of the disciplines into one real world learning experience. Visitors are unable to identify to what discipline the class belongs because while there is science, there is also public speaking, business, entrepreneurship, writing, art, music and philanthropy. Students are able to use the the confidence of their passions and strengths to explore a multitude of topics, disciplines and career paths.

Teamwork will be required to solve the multifaceted problems of the world.  My role as a teacher is to help my students grow as people. Perhaps more important than a chemistry formula or a poetry rhyming scheme, is the development of skills and competencies such as Teamwork, Communication and Collaboration

Creativity by Novel Problems

It is possible to use ICT to find how much Carbon Dioxide is being emitted into the atmosphere, or how many calories are required for proper nutrition, or how much arable land is available, or where refugees are migrating. But it is not possible to look up how to solve Global Warming, World Hunger or Human Migration.  Our students will have to solve problems that have never been considered before. We can start building the pathways for creative thought even in word problems. While Collaboration, Communication and Critical Thinking are always involved, having students solve never seen before novel problems allows students to practice CREATIVITY out side of the typical disciplines of art, music, theater and languages.

Essentials & Extensions Assessment Model supports the personalization of learning. While some content and skills are critical and paramount, others are valuable only to those who are continuing on that path. While some physics is important for everyone, other bits are only important for the future engineers and physicists. Our model ensures that the student MASTER the essentials, The model provides a reasonable depth for some and volume for others. Essentials and Extensions allows us to further personalize the learning with Passion Projects, Co-Authoring Labs, Acting like a Scientist with Vague Instructions, and No Grades Until the End.

Co-Authoring Labs is proving to be an effective method to teach both technical writing literacy as well as develop skills such as Collaboration and Communication.  Using a large interactive surface like a SMARTBoard TM is particularly effective.

Skills, Competencies and Character Development through Labs

As with any classroom activity, the details have a major impact on the learning. Labs are a wonderful way to learn competencies such as Communication, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking, Character such as Empathy and Grit. While Lab by worksheet may be effective at teaching a science literacy, I am uncertain that it is effective to also teach Competencies , Skills and Character.

No Grades Until The End

TIME should not be the constant in school, LEARNING should be. Our role as a teacher, should resemble that of a coach rather than judge for as long as possible. We have created a system where all work receives descriptive feedback until the final month of the semester. Only then do we begin to generate a grade.

Passion Projects are a way to PERSONALIZE learning much further beyond just providing choice and pace on a predefined path. We spend time learning about our students as creative individual people and connect them with our content. Sometimes they are passionate about a skill like videography which we then leverage to have them learn about something like physics. Other times they are passionate about a content area that we leverage to have them learn a skill such as learning to engineer a prosthetic leg for a Dog at the SPCA.

Science at RHS is undergoing an metamorphosis. Students, teachers, parents and organizations around the world are noticing and curious. This video was the product of two students, Sarah and Zach. Make sure you listen carefully at the end.