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1 - Toward a grounded synthesis of mind, brain, and education for reading disorders: an introduction to the field and this book

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2009

By
Kurt W. Fischer ,
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang  and
Deborah Waber
Edited by
Kurt W. Fischer ,
Jane Holmes Bernstein  and
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang
Kurt W. Fischer
Affiliation:
Charles Warland Bigelow Professor and Director of the Mind, Brain, and Education Program Harvard Graduate School of Education
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral Fellowship Brain and Creativity Institute and the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
Deborah Waber
Affiliation:
Director of Research in the Department of Psychiatry Children's Hospital Boston; Associate Professor (Psychology) Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Kurt W. Fischer
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Jane Holmes Bernstein
Affiliation:
The Children's Hospital, Boston
Mary Helen Immordino-Yang
Affiliation:
University of Southern California
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Summary

This is a new era in the fields of education, neuroscience, and cognitive science – a time to bring together mind, brain, and education. The advent of powerful new in vivo brain imaging technologies, the power of the burgeoning discoveries in genetics, and the general excitement in society about biology make possible a new alliance relating biology, cognition, and education (Educational Leadership, 1998). Hidden brain and genetic processes are becoming increasingly visible (Gage, 2003; Lyon & Rumsey, 1996; Thatcher, Lyon, Rumsey, & Krasnegor, 1996), and in a few tantalizing cases, researchers and educators can even begin to observe the functional neuropsychological effects of educational interventions. It is an exciting time! This book is designed to promote the dialogue that is essential to creating the best integration of biology, cognitive science, and education.

The burgeoning new knowledge and the focus of society on biology lead to expectations that sometimes upset the balance between scientific knowledge and meaningful use in practice, raising numerous new ethical and educational issues (Battro, 2000; Bruer, 1997, 1999; Scientific American, 2003). The best research and the best educational practice require a two-way interaction between the scientific research and the knowledge of educators working to help children learn. Research in neuroscience and genetics, for instance, gains new significance and controversy as educators and clinicians work to translate it into practice, dealing with the strengths and weaknesses of real children learning in schools. This translation to practice should, in turn, filter back down to shape new scientific questions.

Type
Chapter
Information
Mind, Brain, and Education in Reading Disorders , pp. 3 - 15
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

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References

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