The Adolescent Brain: Reaching for Autonomy

About the Book

"Excellent advice on dealing with young people. I wish I′d had this book when my own children were adolescents!"
—Patricia Wolfe, International Educational Consultant, Mind Matters, Inc.

"Written in a reader-friendly manner, the book thoughtfully examines the transition period from childhood to adulthood and combines scholarship from psychology, education, and neuroscience. Loved the graphics!"
—Sheryl Feinstein, Associate Professor, Augustana College

"Readers will leave this book with a sense of calmness about living or working with adolescents."
—Bob Patterson, Training Manager, Discovery Education

How the teenage brain thinks, feels, learns, and changes on its journey to adulthood.

In this enlightening volume, expert educator Robert Sylvester explains how adults can better understand teenagers through an engaging discussion of the adolescent brain. Readers will learn how to:

• Mentor adolescents rather than attempt to manage and control them
• Nurture creativity, imagination, and individuality
• Understand such critical issues as sexuality and bonding,productivity and vocation, morality and ethics, risk and security, technology and drugs, collaboration and autonomy, and more

Familiar examples and nontechnical language make this an accessible resource appropriate for rewarding classroom or family discussion.

Table of Contents:
Preface About the Author 1. Adolescence in Contemporary Society: Being Somewhat Confused Confusion Within Adolescents Confusion About Adolescents An Introduction to the Issues Explored in Subsequent Chapters 2. Brain Organization and Development: Being Human Mirror Neurons The Organization of the Human Brain The Development of the Human Brain Maintaining a Developing Brain 3. Sexuality and Bonding: Maintaining Our Species Biological Differences Interpreting Gender Differences Cultural Confusion Human Bonding Behavior Emerging Cultural Conflicts The Hazards of Sexual Pleasure 4. Productivity and Vocation: Maintaining Our Planet A 21st-Century Curriculum for 21st-Century Students A 21st-Century Vocation Home, School, and Vocation 5. Morality and Ethics: Maintaining Our Culture Factual Knowledge and Decisions Adaptive Preferences and Choices The Development of Our Moral/Ethical Base 6. Risks and Security: Going Beyond the Known Our Brain′s Regulatory Systems From Emotional Arousal to Conscious Decision The Biology of Risk and Security Adults and Adolescent Risks 7. Technology and Drugs: Going Beyond Nature Biological Stress Technological Enhancement Drug Support Psychoactive Drugs: A Primer 8. The Arts and Humanities: Going Beyond Reality Adornment Language, Music, and Dance The Humanities 9. Collaboration and Autonomy: Going Beyond Adolescence Collaboration The Reach for Autonomy Appendix A: Neurotransmitters and Neural Transmission Appendix B: The Cerebral Cortex Glossary References and Resources Index

About the Author :
Robert Sylwester is an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Oregon who focuses on the educational implications of new developments in science and technology. He has written 20 books and curricular programs and 200+ journal articles. His most recent books are The Adolescent Brain: Reaching for Autonomy (2007, Corwin Press) and How to Explain a Brain: An Educator’s Handbook of Brain Terms and Cognitive Processes (2005, Corwin Press). He received two Distinguished Achievement Awards from The Education Press Association of America for his syntheses of cognitive science research, published in Educational Leadership. He has made 1600+ conference and staff development presentations on educationally significant developments in brain/stress theory and research. Sylwester wrote a monthly column for the Internet journal, Brain Connection, throughout its 2000-2009 existence, and is now a regular contributor to the Information Age Education Newsletter (http://i-a-e.org/).

Review :
"Written in a reader-friendly manner, the book thoughtfully examines the transition period from childhood to adulthood and combines scholarship from psychology, education, and neuroscience. Loved the graphics!"

"The personal stories provide a ′front line′ credibility and contribute to the clear flow of the book. Readers will leave this book with a sense of calmness about living or working with adolescents." "Sylwester does a nice job of tying in the concepts he introduces with the moral and ethical growth of the adolescent." "Makes an outstanding contribution to the field. Clear, concise, and flows easily from one cleverly titled chapter to the next. Sylwester uses metaphors beautifully, making the information much more accessible to the lay reader. Excellent advice on dealing with young people. I wish I had this book when my own children were adolescents!" "Throughout the book, Sylwester emphasizes the importance of caring adults listening and reflecting through dialogue with these brainy teens."