Does a teenager’s brain function the same as an adult’s? They look like adults, talk like adults, and have fully developed bodies like adults, so they must be adults, right? Until the last decade, neurologists and neuroscientists would have agreed that an adolescent’s brain is effectively identical to the brain of a fully matured adult.
Through advances in neuroimaging technologies, such as sMRI and fMRI, scientists are painting a new, more accurate picture of the teenage brain. During these formative years, the adolescent brain sees a significant increase in white matter and pruning of gray matter, which allows the teenager 's brain access to a more efficient, higher-capacity for learning. There is no better time in a person’s life for learning than adolescence, because of the brain’s incredible efficiency in absorbing, processing and using new information. However, roadblocks interfere, and the rapidly maturing limbic system outpaces the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, leading to heightened emotions, risky behavior, the inability to think through actions, and an intense desire for social connections.
As an educator, knowing how the adolescent brain functions will give you the edge you need to create healthy and productive learning environments for your students. Through this research-based course, you will discover how to teach the teenage brain through the tumultuous ups and downs of their emotional rollercoasters, navigate sensitive issues concerning mental illness, diverse cultures, and gender, and discover a renewed passion and vigor for teaching this remarkable individual--the teenager. You will also learn to skillfully navigate and debunk commonly held myths about adolescent learning, multitasking, stress, memory, sleep, addiction, decision-making, and much more.
This course is applicable towards the following certificate:
*Health and Human Development
Visit our Certificates page for more information.
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• Self-paced coursework
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