Cognition in Children for Teachers

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This first videocast discusses the influence of genetics on children.  It is has a strong biological focus and comes first because it introduces important biological concepts that will be frequently referenced in the remaining videos. Some viewers may prefer to go immediately to the second video and review this podcast once they have a feel for the discussion. If you choose to do this, we do hope you come back to this preliminary discussion because the framework will prove helpful. Even in this episode, our aim is to explain childrens' behaviours and how teachers might better interact with their students.

Useful references
Blue Print : How DNA mades us what we are.  By Robert Plomin.  Plomin argues that teachers and parents should accept children for who they are, rather than trying to mould them in certain directions. Even the environment and the events that impact our lives are influenced by our genetic predispositions.
Robert Plomin Video. Double click the button on the left to link to the full video referenced in  the video-cast.
Double click
Human Evolution: Our Brains and Behaviour.   Robin I.M. Dunbar. 
This book focuses on the biological, neurological, and genetic changes that occurred with each "transition" in the evolution of humans.
The Blanks Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature.  Steven Pinker.  This is quite old although there is a 2016 revised edition makes a case against tabula rasa models in the social sciences, arguing that human behavior is substantially shaped by evolutionary psychological adaptations
G is for Genes: The Impact of Genetics on Education and Achievement: 13 Paperback. Kathryn Asbury and Robert Plomin. This is a little old but provides a useful discssion about discussion of genetics and cognition.
Bad Blood: The Story of Eugenics.  A 6 part podcast on the BBC.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001fd36.
Please note that our videocast is not about eugenics but if you are interested in how a misunderstanding of genetics led to this pseudoscience these podcasts are interesting.