MSU education students participate in training

Three seniors from Morehead State’s College of Education recently participated in training that incorporates brain science into the classroom.   

Ashley Blanton, a middle grades 5-9 major from Salyersville; Brooke Hopson, a learning and behavior disorders 5-9 major from Paintsville; and MacKenzie Thompson, a middle grades 5-9 major from Sharpsburg, recently completed the Kagan Brain Friendly Two-Day Training at the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC) in Lexington as a part of its Academic Support Program Inspiring to Reach Excellence (ASPIRE) Program.     

Kagan’s Brain Friendly Training puts the power of brain research and theory to work in the classroom. Research shows that students learn more, learn more quickly, retain and recall more and like learning more if the six essential principles of brain science are employed to align teaching with how students’ brains naturally learn. Teachers were immersed in interactive learning to gain practical tools, tips and structures to leap from theory to practice.   

The ASPIRE grant, a U.S. Department of Education American History and Civics Academies grant awarded to the KEDC, works in partnership with the National Council of History Education (NCHE), the Kentucky Council for the Social Studies (KCSS), Georgetown College, Eastern Kentucky University, Morehead State University and the Kentucky Department of Education to support the establishment of:

• Presidential Academies for the Teaching of American History and Civics that offer workshops for veteran and new teachers to strengthen their knowledge of American History, Civics, and Teaching Strategy through the use of student engagement in an effort to better involve 6-12th grade students with activities that teach them about civic responsibility and help them to become active, informed and productive citizens.
• Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics to provide students with opportunities to develop a broader and more in-depth understanding of these subjects. Kentucky Social Studies, Language Arts, and Special Education teachers are accepted into the ASPIRE project on an application basis.