The human brain undergoes a long period of development. While the brain is changing dramatically in childhood, there are also changes during the second decade of life that make this period, known as adolescence, awesome. Adolescents have brains more capable of change than adults and, unlike children, adolescents have a greater ability to actually shape the brain’s development. Heightened information processing abilities and social sensitivity during adolescence also make this a time of increased ability to navigate our complex social world. This article discusses how current research on brain development can be used to empower adolescents as capable learners of the world around them. We make recommendations on how educational settings can nurture brain development and optimize the learning environment during adolescence.
@article{mills_adolescent_2020,
title = {The {Adolescent} {Brain} is {Literally} {Awesome}},
volume = {8},
doi = {10.3389/frym.2020.00075},
language = {en},
journal = {Frontiers for Young Minds},
author = {Mills, Kathryn L. and Anandakumar, Jeya},
month = jun,
year = {2020}
}