There’s been a lot of buzz in the news over the past few days about a humongous new longitudinal study being launched by the National Institutes of Health in conjunction with several universities to study the brains of 10,000 kids starting at age 9-10 and on into their early twenties using structural and functional brain imaging...Read More

In this video, I explore six key findings from recent research into how the adolescent brain functions and develops over time.  To further explore these issues, see my book The Power of the Adolescent Brain: Strategies for Teaching Middle and High School Students.   Below is the transcript of the video: Hi, I’m Dr. Thomas...Read More

I’m starting a new video series based upon my book The Power of the Adolescent Brain: Strategies for Teaching Middle and High School Students (ASCD).  This is the first video, entitled ”The Passion and Promise of the Teenage Years.”  For those of you who prefer to read a transcript rather than watch the video, I’ve...Read More

In today’s educational climate, where students are increasingly being compressed by technology and accountability pressures into computable ‘’data units,’’ there’s never been a more vital priority than addressing the needs of students as persons.  While the etymology of the word ‘’person’’ goes back to the idea of having a ‘’persona’’ or ‘’social mask,’’  I think...Read More

A new study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that a adolescents will eat healthy foods if they believe they are ”sticking it to the man.”  When given accurate information, for example, about how the food industry engineers junk food to make it addicting and engages in deceptive marketing practices aimed...Read More