Teaching Minds How Cognitive Science Can Save Our Schools

From grade school to graduate school, from the poorest public institutions to the most affluent private ones, our educational system is failing students. In his provocative new book, cognitive scientist and bestselling author Roger Schank argues that class size, lack of parental involvement, and other commonly-cited factors have nothing to do with why students are not learning. The culprit is a system of subject-based instruction and the solution is cognitive-based learning. Teaching Mindsprovides a model for revolutionizing the very foundations of education. Using the cognitive science discoveries of recent years, Schank demonstates how teaching should be aligned with the way people think rather than with the subjects that have always been taught. He identifies 12 cognitive processes that must be mastered by all students no matter what careers they choose. He explains how teachers can act as mentors and facilitators, guiding students as they acquire experiences related to these processes. This "new" kind of learning will naturally lead to a "new" kind of teaching that will better prepare students to succeed in school and in the highly competitive global arena. This groundbreaking book defines what it would mean to teach thinking. The time is now for schools to start teaching minds!