Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Article: Why Do Some People Learn Faster?





Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Article: Education Conferences, Brain Based Learning, Professional Development For Teachers


Education Conferences, Brain Based Learning, Professional Development For Teachers
http://www.learningandthebrain.com/

(Sent from Flipboard)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Lumosity: Brain Training Product Review Survey

http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2012/02/29/limosity-brain-training-product-review-survey/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=limosity-brain-training-product-review-survey


Sent from my KMcGrew IPhone

New Journal for 2012: Trends in Neuroscience and Education

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NeuroscienceNews/~3/daYpobFVxf0/description


Sent from my KMcGrew IPhone

And another APA review of Thinking Fast and Slow

PsycNET - Direct Products

Reviews the book, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (see record 2011-26535-000). Thinking, Fast and Slow can be described as a review of current knowledge and thinking on the psychology of judgments and decision. The author goes beyond a general review and boldly applies the findings of his own research and that of other cognitive psychologists to major policy areas such as criminal justice, law, medicine, economics, financial investing, and modern media, among others. In later chapters, the perspective is broadened to the important life issues of personal judgments about happiness and psychological well-being. At times the connections between conclusions and applications and the experimental evidence are not clear. This book is a marvelous overview of the experimental psychology of judgment and decision that educates the public regarding application of the scientific method in psychology and should excite students and professional psychologists alike about the contribution that we can make to better the human condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Another review (APA) of Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow

PsycNET - Direct Products

Reviews the book, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (see record 2011-26535-000). Kahneman provides a comprehensive review of what we have learned about thinking during the last 50 years and gives a personal account of his own role in that research. He describes groundbreaking studies on heuristics and biases that he conducted with his colleague Amos Tversky and describes a dual process theory to explain their findings. He proposes that there are two different ways in which people think: One is rapid, largely automatic, and prone to error; the other is slow, deliberate, and more accurate. Kahneman uses the catch phrase WYSIATI (what you see is all there is) to explain our inability to think about possibilities beyond those that are immediately obvious. He offers a fuller description of the mechanisms that underlie heuristics than has previously been available. Dual process theory still does not provide a complete answer to the question of when and why human thinking is error prone. The reviewer suggests that Thinking, Fast and Slow will be an invaluable statement of what we know now and will be used as the foundation for further development of the theory. Kahneman does not offer much encouragement to those who seek to improve people's reasoning. Perhaps the most important contribution of Thinking, Fast and Slow is that it offers a language in which we can discuss the reasoning of other people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Article: Computer Program Helps Retrain Brains Of People With Schizophrenia


Computer Program Helps Retrain Brains Of People With Schizophrenia
http://www.positscience.com/about/news/archive/computer-program-helps-retrain-brains-people-schizophrenia

(Sent from Flipboard)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

The "Time Doc" (K. McGrew) Voice of America interview on focus and "quieting the busy mind"




Why is a scholar in intelligence theory and testing spending time working with and researching the brain-clock based neurotechnology of Interactive Metronome?

I have now explained this connection on my recent internet radio show interview. In it you will learn why IM technology appears to increase focus (controlled attention; working memory) in a manner similar to mindfulness meditation and other brain fitness programs. You will learn that these technologies help to "quiet the busy" mind that is due to the default brain network, via the strengthening of the salience and central executive networks. The connection with general intelligence (g) is also discussed via Jensen's neural efficiency hypothesis and the temporal g notion of neural efficiency. If you want to read more, check out the Time Doc's posts at the IM-Home blog (check for posts under my name or under the category of "science"....and be sure to click on "see other stories" if it does not give you all the posts) These include the Time Doc's own personal experience with the IM-Home brain clock based technology.

My radio interview with Maureen Palmer (OT), on Voice of America (Focus Point Review) is now available for off-line listening via MP3 or iTunes format (as a podcast). You can access these and listen for free. If you have an iPod, iTouch, iPad, I would recommend downloading the free podcast.

To find the file you go to the following link and look for this section with the links. Click on either the MP3 or iTunes options...and enjoy. GIven it is off-line you can skip thru commercial's, fast forward, pause, etc.


Enjoy.





- Posted using BlogPress from Kevin McGrew's iPad

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Dr. Kevin McGrew (aka, The Time Doc; IQ McGrew) on Voice of America this Friday--don't touch that dial




Little ole' me (Kevin McGrew; aka "IQ McGrew" and "The Time Doc") will be talking on Voice of America radio (Focus Point Review) this Friday re: my interests and research-based explanations of brain-clock based brain fitness technologies (Interactive Metronome in particular). Please tune in.

After the shows are completed they are available for later listening as MP3 files or free Podcasts from iTunes. I will share this off-line URL information later.


- Posted using BlogPress from Kevin McGrew's iPad

Monday, February 20, 2012

On the road again: Blogging lite

I will be traveling to a professional conference starting tomorrow and extending thru the entire week. Thus, the only posting you may see might be "push" FYI posts.

I shall return







- Posted using BlogPress from Kevin McGrew's iPad

Article: Insula and Anterior Cingulate: the ‘everything’ network or systemic neurovascular confound?


Insula and Anterior Cingulate: the 'everything' network or systemic neurovascular confound?
http://neuroconscience.com/2012/02/18/insula-and-anterior-cingulate-the-everything-network-or-systemic-neurovascular-confound/

(Sent from Flipboard)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Article: Verbal and musical abilities are linked



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Don't think...your performance may stink: Choking under pressure --"be the ball"




Double click on images to enlarge



Very interesting article (Gray, 2011; Links Between Attention, Performance Pressure, and Movement in Skilled Motor Action) that explains why some individuals motor or athletic performance may suffer when under pressure. The classic "choking" problem. Bottom line is that if you have attained a solid level of proficiency on a task...when under pressure don't revert to focusing inward...focus outward and "quiet your busy mind'"

This study is very consistent with the Kahneman's highly acclaimed and recent book on the two systems of the brain - Thinking Fast and Slow.

It reminds me of Chevy Chase in Caddyshack where his advice to the young golfer was to "be the ball"

The article, as per IQ's Reading feature, can be found here.



- Posted using BlogPress from Kevin McGrew's iPad

Article: How Meditating Helps with Multitasking - more on "quieting the busy mind"

Yet another article on the benefits of meditation..namely, "quieting the busy mind".  See my discussion of how this same or similar state can be obtained via brain clock based neurotechnology - at this link.  http://www.imhome.org/index.php/latest-news/entry/on-demand-focus.html



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Zap your brain into the zone: Fast track to pure focus - life - 06 February 2012 - New Scientist

The parallels to attaining a state of "flow" via an focused attention on an external object is remarkably similar to my experience with focus invoked via brain-clock based neurotechnology (IM). Read the story at the link at the bottom and then visit my descriptions. Very interesting parallels. http://www.imhome.org/index.php/latest-news/entry/my-personal-and-professional-experience-and-task-analysis-of-im-home-focus-and-controlled-attention.html

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328501.600-zap-your-brain-into-the-zone-fast-track-to-pure-focus.html?full=true


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Friday, February 17, 2012

PEBS Neuroethics Roundup (JHU)

http://kolber.typepad.com/ethics_law_blog/2012/02/pebs-neuroethics-roundup-jhu-2.html


Sent from my KMcGrew IPhone

Dissertation dish: Does music perception predict phonological awareness




The role of music perception in predicting phonological awareness in five- and six-year-old children by Lathroum, Linda M., Ph.D., University of Miami, 2011 , 130 pages; AAT 3491105

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of music perception in predicting phonological awareness in five- and six-year-old children. This study was based on the hypothesis that music perception and phonological awareness appear to have parallel auditory perceptual mechanisms. Previous research investigating the relationship between these constructs--music perception and phonological awareness--has been promising, but inconclusive. Phonological awareness is an important component of early literacy which many children struggle to acquire. If the constructs are shown to be related, music-based interventions may then be developed to promote phonological awareness, thus enhancing early literacy.

Music perception, phonological awareness, and visual-spatial skills of 119 five- and six-year-old children were tested. The researcher administered the Children's Music Aptitude Test (Stevens, 1987) in order to assess perception of pitch, rhythm, and melody. Subsequently, the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (Wagner, Torgesen, & Rashotte, 1999) was administered in order to measure phonological awareness skills, including blending, elision, and sound matching. The Visual Spatial Relations subtest of the Woodcock Johnson III (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) was later used to assess visual spatial skills.

Structural equation modeling (SEM) allowed the researcher to model relationships between the latent variables to investigate the contribution of music perception, visual-spatial skills, and age to phonological awareness. Results supported the hypothesis that music perception, visual spatial skills, and age predict phonological awareness.

Additionally, music perception made a statistically significant contribution to phonological awareness, when controlling for visual spatial skills and age. Specifically, music perception predicted a larger amount of standardized unit change in phonological awareness than did the other predictors in the theory. Thus, music perception appears to have a stronger relationship with phonological awareness than age or visual spatial skills.

Further, results showed that a model without music perception as a predictor of phonological awareness was not supported. These findings confirm that music perception plays a unique role in predicting phonological awareness, above and beyond the contribution made by visual spatial skills and age. This study's results could be used in support of the development of music-based interventions for promoting phonological awareness in five- and six-year-old children.




- Posted using BlogPress from Kevin McGrew's iPad

Thursday, February 16, 2012

You are a time machine: The brain clock and neurotechnolgy




Readers of this block may be interested in my "You are a time machine" post at the IM-HOME blog today. It summarizes the major research regarding the human brain clock as it relates to time-based neurotechnologies.

- Posted using BlogPress from Kevin McGrew's iPad

Neuroscientist touts benefits of meditation for kids - similar to IM neurotech focus

Yet another interesting story on increasing the focus and attention of children via techniques that require a child to control and sustain attention on a single object, event, or ........ This is the key to meditation as outlined in the article at the bottom of this post. I find the parallels to the on-demand focus I have described resulting from using neurotechnology that requires singular focus
very striking. My thoughts on this are at this link - http://www.imhome.org/index.php/latest-news/entry/on-demand-focus.html

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Neuroscientist+touts+benefits+meditation+kids/6158952/story.html


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Article: Eating less helps seniors avoid memory loss: study



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Article: Slower walkers 'more likely to develop dementia'



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Monday, February 13, 2012

Fwd: Jan/Feb 2012 SchoolNeuro Newsletter



.



School Neuro News: January/February, 2012
SNP Logo
What's new from www.schoolneuropsych.com? A message from Daniel C. Miller, Ph.D., ABPP, ABSNP, NCSP
       
 
New www.schoolneuropsych.com Website Launched
After a year's work, KIDS, Inc. was pleased to launch a new version of the www.schoolneuropsych.com website, The look and feel of the website has been enhanced. For registered users on the previous site, your username and password have changed. If you did not receive an email from us with your new login information let me know (dcmiller@kidsinc.com). 

Many of the new features are invisible to our users but are designed to make us more productive and to help us manage your interactions with our company. We are now offering credit card payments for Alumni Website Renewals and for making deposits and payments for the School Neuropsychology Training Program and the Summer Institute.

Two new paid CE/CPD Modules were added to the website. Dr. Elaine-Fletcher Janzen has a 4 hour webinar on the Neuropsychology of Chronic Illness (with a focus on diabetes, asthma, and seizure disorders). I would also highly recommend that you invite your school psychologist colleagues to view Dr. Flanagan's updated webinar or Dr. Hale's webinar, both of which address how to use neuropsychological assessment to identify patterns of strengths and weaknesses in children suspected of having specific learning disabilities.

Take time to visit the revised www.schoolneuropsych.com website and bookmark it to keep up with new trainings and resources related to school neuropsychology.

July 11-13, 2012 School Neuropsychology Summer Institute Speakers Finalized
Wednesday, July 11, 2012

  • Full Day Preconference Workshop:  Dr. George McCloskey - Understanding Executive Functions: From Theories, Assessment, and Interventions
  • Keynote Presentation: Drs. Alan and Nadeen Kaufman and Dr. Elaine Fletcher-Janzen - The Role of Cognitive Assessment in Intervention Planning: Historical to Contemporary Practices

Thursday, July 12, 2012

  • Dr. Margaret Semrud-Clikeman - Nonverbal Learning Disabilities: In the Eye of the Beholder?
  • Using neuropsychology processing deficits to identify Specific Learning Disabilities: Oregon Models - Jim Hanson and Karen Apgar
  • Dr. David Schwartz - Making School Neuropsychological Reports Relevant to Curriculum and Instruction
  • Dr. Jack Naglieri - Using PASS Neurocognitive Theory and Cognitive Assessment System: From Evaluation to Instruction

Friday, July 13, 2012

  • Dr. Christopher G. Vaughan - Concussion Recognition and Response
  • Dr. Sam Goldstein - Executive Functions and Childhood Disorders: New Assessments and Interventions
  • Drs. Erin Avirett and Jordana Mortimer - Updates on Executive Functioning: How to Incorporate the Most Recent Literature on Executive Functioning into Practice
  • Dr. Daniel C. Miller - Update on the School Neuropsychology Conceptual Model and School Neuropsychology Report Shell

Check all of the Summer Institute details at http://www.schoolneuropsych.com/conferences/index.php?id=6.

Online Registration Starts March 1, 2012

 
     
New California Board of Behavioral Sciences CE Provider
KIDS, Inc. has been approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to provide continuing education. This will specifically be helpful to those professional who are California Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEPs).
 
Share this Newslette with your friends
schoolneuropsych.com is a Division of KIDS, Inc. that specializes in quality training in the emerging specialization of school neuropsychology. 

If you have received this newsletter from a friend and would like to be added to the mailing list to receive future issues, click here

Use buttons to share this information with your friends:

     


For best delivery, please add dcmiller@kidsinc.com to your address book or safe sender list.
1156 Point Vista Road, Hickory Creek, TX 75065, USA
Review our Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.
Unsubscribe or manage your Subscription Preferences

Crafted and delivered by Kids, Inc's Mail Dog!


Saturday, February 11, 2012

IQ's Corner and Brain Clock "Times" daily e-newspapers...free



A number of months ago I started two different daily e-newspapers. It took a while to find feeds that provided good content related to each paper, but I think things are good now. However, I will continue to revise those feeds that are searched and incorporated with regularity.

The two papers are below with links to where you can subscribe by hitting the subscribe button at each page. You should be able to subsribe and have an email in your inbox each day. You do NOT need a Twitter or Facebook account to subsribe..which was a common complaint I had earlier. That problem turned out to be my error as I was providing people a link to my personal sign-in page.

Enjoy. There is some overlap in content.

IQ's Corner--Intelligent IQ Insights. This is associated with IQ's Corner Blog





The Brain Clock "Times." This is associated with the Brain Clock blog.





Posted via DraftCraft app

Article: Beyond Perfection



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Article: Brain Scans May Predict How People Learn



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders now open access


Click here to visit this journal, which is now open access.







Posted via DraftCraft app

Friday, February 10, 2012

Recommended resource: Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman

I thought I should alert my readers to one of the best voices on the net, and other media, regarding human potential, intelligence, creativity, and a varieity of other topics related to the psychology of individual differences. Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is one of those rare breed academics that knows how to bridge research/theory and practice...that is, translating cutting edge research into language the rest of us can understand. I have worked with Scott on a couple of papers and blog posts and had the honor of being interviewed by him recently.

If readers of my blogs want to stay current on a good chunk of emerging research and theory re: human capacities and potential, I would suggest making his material a regular read. I recommend following his blogs via RSS feeds and also following him on Twitter. He produces large volumns of content that is up-to-date, research based, and timely. Access to his social media sources can be found at his home page in the link above.







Posted via DraftCraft app

Why Cognitive Enhancement Is in Your Future (and Your Past) - Atlantic Mobile

http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/02/why-cognitive-enhancement-is-in-your-future-and-your-past/252566/


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Article: Amidst Chaos, 15 Minutes of Quiet Time Helps Focus Students


Amidst Chaos, 15 Minutes of Quiet Time Helps Focus Students
http://mindshift.kqed.org/2012/02/amidst-chaos-15-minutes-of-quiet-time-helps-focus-students/

(Sent from Flipboard)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Monday, February 06, 2012

Penetrating Postures: The Science of Yoga





Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Book nook: You are your connectome?

U snooze and you lose. I had received an advanced copy of Sebastian Seung's Connectome and had hoped to make one of the first book review posts about it. I simply could not find time to read it fast enough and the professionals have already weighed in on the book...so you might as well read their reviews. I have a few minor comments.




I agree with the review in the Wall Street Journal review that this may be one of the best written books on the basics of brain science. Keeping up with contemporary neuroscience and placing it in the context of what I learned during my training and professional experiences has been hard. As I read some of the material that I consider "review" I realized that it was not just a review for me, but it helped my mind see the forrest-from-the-trees re: the neuroscience knowledge I had accumulated---but had not taken time to distill. It is a very good introductory book for the educated lay public on brain science and a nice "organizing review" for professionals.

Another review, which is more an excerpt of of the essence of the book is now also available at the brain fitness heart of the internet--SharpBrains.

My only complaint is that I had hoped it would deal more with the exciting research being completed by the Human Connectome Project. The project receives mention, but Seung then tends to dismiss the approach in favor of his ideas on how to understand the human mind at different level of the connectome. In contrast, I am increasingly excited with the research on brain networks...and ultimately the brain connectome.

Finally, you can listen and watch Seung speaking about connectomes during his TED talk.



- Posted using BlogPress from Kevin McGrew's iPad

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Thursday, February 02, 2012

PEBS Neuroethics Roundup



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Online Brain Fitness Course this March: 100+ Participants, in 10+ Countries, and Growing


Online Brain Fitness Course this March: 100+ Participants, in 10+ Countries, and Growing
http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2012/02/02/online-brain-fitness-course-this-march-100-participants-in-10-countries-and-growing/

(Sent from Flipboard)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Patients’ Brains May Adapt to ADHD Medication


Patients' Brains May Adapt to ADHD Medication
http://neurosciencenews.com/adhd-medication-patient-brains-adapt-dat/

(Sent from Flipboard)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Article: Discovering How to Learn Smarter



Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist

Interactive Metronome neurotechnology measurement system developmental validity evidence






I just guest posted some material at the IM-HOME blog re: developmental validity evidence for the timing measurement system that is at the core of the Interactive Metronome neurotechnology. There is clear validity evidence that the IM technology is measuring a valid construct of human cognitive abilities, which I have hypothesized to be in the domain of executive functions (esp. controlled attention and working memory). Interested readers should click here.





Posted via DraftCraft app

Children's Psychological Processes Scale (CPPS) is now on-line and available


Kudos to Milt Dehn. His new Children's Psychological Processes Scale (CPPS) is now on-line and available for purchase and use (click here for info).

(Conflict of interest disclosure: I was the measurement person for this instrument)





Posted via DraftCraft app

The first sound recordings based on reading people's minds


Breakthrough: The first sound recordings based on reading people's minds
http://io9.com/5880618/

(Sent from Flipboard)


Sent from Kevin McGrew's iPad
Kevin McGrew, PhD
Educational Psychologist