Last week I attended a lecture on Computational Behavioral Sciences. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but the word “Computational” caught my attention. I know a little about Computational Thinking, especially as it has been applied in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. I looked forward to learning about related ideas in the humanities.

The talk was held in the building at the University of Oregon that houses the Computer and Information Science Department. I got there a few minutes early and struck up a conversation with a person seated next to me. He indicted he was a faculty member in the CIS Department specializing in machine learning.

By luck, the previous day I had read an article on the use of machine learning in developing a short and easy to administer written test for Autism. So I brought up this topic and we had a pleasant conversation.

I like to talk with people who have a high level of expertise—especially those who have a much higher level of expertise in an area than I do. Yesterday and today I had the pleasure of talking with my daughter Beth who is a “super” programmer.

Super Programmer

Click here to learn about and download Dave Moursund's free book on science and technology education for teaches and parents of K-8 children.

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This Blog entry is a follow-up to my previous entry (http://i-a-e.org/iae-blog/a-technology-developmental-line-and-applications-to-math-education.html) discussing the book:

You know, of course, that most people only use 10% of your brain. And, of course, you also know about learning styles and the really important roles they play in high quality education.

These, and other brain science myths are easy to accept and attempt to act on. The field of brain science is making amazing progress. Many people read a little bit about this progress and try to translate it into ways to solve problems or accomplish tasks in their own particular areas of interest.

In education, we now have a lot of neuromythologies. My Web search of this term produced a huge number of hits. You might ask yourself, what does a person gain by believing a myth even when there is substantial research evidence that says the myth is incorrect?

Click here to learn about Dave Moursund's free book on science and technology education for teaches and parents of K-8 children.

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You are undoubtedly aware of various theories of Multiple Intelligence, such as Howard Gardner’s 9-intelligences theory and Robert Sternberg’s 3-intelligences theory. ( See http://iae-pedia.org/Howard_Gardner and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triarchic_theory_of_intelligence.) These theories focus on different types of intelligence that a human brain has.

Click here to learn about Dave Moursund's free book on science and technology education for teaches and parents of K-8 children.

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Mind, Brain, & Education: Neuroscience Implications for the Classroom is a 2010 book edited by David A Sousa. It provides an excellent overview of how brain science is changing and will change education. I strongly recommend the book for all who are interested in improving our educational system. It reflects many years of solid progress in cognitive neuroscience and applications to education.