The fluidity and resiliency of cognition
Very often, when I am discussing cognitivism, information processing theory, and automaticity, I mention a story I saw dramatized in Grey’s Anatomy and then reported on ABC’s 20/20. In the story, a toddler has a hemispherectomy—a literal removal of half of the brain. This story is from about 4 or 5 years ago. This amazing little girl demonstrates the power of the human brain and cognition in young children to find new paths to accomplish the tasks we need to live. Other older stories also exist, such as with Jessica.
Today, on the NBC Today Show, they had another little girl, whom I believe was considerably older that the one I had seen and read about previously, that had also had a hemispherectomy. Her recovery, resiliency, and growth is nothing short of miraculous. I encourage you to watch the story and let me know what you think.
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As I reminisce on my undergraduate Education Psychology course and graduate courses that promoted the need for incorporating constructivist practices in the classroom to “prove” you are a student-centered educator, I often contemplated the effectiveness of the constructivist teacher in the classroom. Before revealing my perspective, let’s identify some key points related to constructivism.




