Why Should Educators Care About Cognitive Neuroscience? Daniel Ansari Numerical Cognition Laboratory Department of Psychology & Brain and Mind Institute University of Western Ontario Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, Toronto, January 29th 2016 Why? • Education changes the brain • Experience-dependent plasticity • Teachers as ‘Orchestrators of neuronal plasticity’ • Understanding the brain - changes in practice? • Understanding how education changes the brain can inform neuroscience Why? • Because Neuroscience evidence is very present • Therefore there is a need to think critically • Be informed about it • Be able to evaluate it Surge of interest Graduate programs 2014 New funding initiatives