Rich Brain-Poor Brain World Views

I will never forget a clinical teaching debacle in which I played the role of the fool. I was wrapping up my M.Ed. at a university lab school that catered to the children of faculty there and at  neighboring medical and dental schools. There were more BMW’s in that school pick up line than I have ever seen in one place before! I was doing an art activity with six year olds, while being observed by a faculty member from behind the two way mirror. The lesson was going nicely, until a very erudite child corrected me about geography. He and his family had gone away for a long weekend to “Florence” to visit his granny, and he was sharing about the trip. Well, in my part of the South, “Florence” is a mid-sized town known for pecan groves and barbecue, about 75 miles to the North. “Did you eat at the barbecue barn? “ I inquired. The child looked dubious then laughed. “Of course not,” he said. “I meant Florence, Italy and we had pasta.” My university supervisor was critical of my lack of sophistication. I should have realized, she pointed out, whom I was dealing with. This child, only six years old, already has an international world view. But what about his peers in a high poverty school only a block away? Would that same conversation ever occur? Rich brains have no geographic limits, so we must expand beyond the walls of our classrooms to help all students become connected to the bigger world

Dr. Bone's new book "Rich Brain-Poor Brain: Bridging Social and Synaptic Gaps" was released by the Lorenz Educational Press in January 2016. Find out more at www.educationinsite.com