conference
Learning and the Brain 70: Teaching Stronger Brains
TEACHING TO STUDENTS' STRENGTHS AND CHARACTER
Americans are concerned that student character and autonomy are in decline. A 2023 Gallup Poll found that 54% of Americans rated the state of moral values in the U.S. as poor, and 83% believed they were getting worse. In a 2023 MOTT National Poll on Children’s Health, less than half of parents reported their 5-8 year old children regularly engage in independent activities and research shows children’s autonomy is in decline and may be hurting mental health. Yet, a 2023 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Poll found that nearly four in five Americans (79%) believe having strong values and character are important. Psychological research finds that strength and character-based education can increase student resilience and achievement, and that autonomy and agency can foster intrinsic motivation, critical for academic success.
This interdisciplinary conference will explore the “science of student brain strengths”; ways to create hopeful schools of character; and how to build learner ownership and self-direction. Learn how to provide strength-based teaching; promote character and honesty; strengthen neurodiverse students through their abilities; cultivate gratitude and wonder; harness the power of hope for student success; use the brain's hidden talents; and foster student agency and autonomy to motivate learners in today's disengaged, dependent, and deficit-focused age.
Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
United States