Powerful Teaching—Bransford, Fouts, and Baker

Due to significant advances over the past several decades in the cognitive sciences (the scientific understanding of how the brain works, particularly the neural processes that occur during thought and learning), a new theory of learning is evolving. This theory leads to very different approaches to curriculum design, teaching, and assessment than those often found in schools today.

Here in Washington State, Dr. John Bransford (UW), Dr. Jeffrey Fouts (SPU), and Dr. Duane Baker (SPU) are among the premier 'synthesizers' of this new information coming from the cognitive sciences, applying it to the development of new models of powerful teaching. For those interested, the following links will take you to some of the foundational work of Bransford, Fouts, and Baker:

• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
  http://books.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/es.html
  (Executive summary: Note the section titled "Designs for Learning Environments.")
• Fouts, J. T. (2003). A decade of reform: A summary of research findings on classroom, school, and district effectiveness in Washington State. Lynnwood, WA: Washington School Research Center, Seattle Pacific University.
  http://www.spu.edu/orgs/research/ADecadeofReformOctober192003v5.pdf (PDF)
  (Note the section titled "Classroom Instruction in a High Standards Environment: Research Findings" and pp. 26–30.)
• Baker, D. B., Olzendam, A. M., Gratama, C. A., & Arington, S. R. (2005). The powerful teaching and learning project: How teachers in Washington State developed the essential components of powerful teaching and learning. Mill Creek, WA: The BERC Group.
  http://www.powerfulteaching.com/cmsFiles/PTL_ResearchReport_BERC.pdf