How To Begin. Many of these archived Brain Connection columns focus on fascinating new developments in the brain sciences that can be easily passed on to students. Brain Connection itself also posts much useful information on our brain.

The References below provide a selection of recent informative books and websites that explain brain anatomy and processes in functional terms that even young students can understand. Print and electronic media report new discoveries in non-technical terms that you can use with your students. Further, since managing a body and managing a classroom have intriguing parallels, I've proposed a simple way of incorporating knowledge about our brain into a collaborative classroom management model (2003). Much useful information for educators is thus readily available!

Begin by informally inserting your own increasing knowledge of our brain and its processes into your classroom instruction whenever it's appropriate. You'll discover that you and your students will make all kinds of fascinating connections between brain processes and school practices, as you all get increasingly comfortable with the information.

But does brain research validate any educational activity? Despite what I've written above, the answer is yes, and such validation will increase in the years ahead. Next month's column will describe and discuss our current knowledge of the positive connections between cognitive neuroscience research discoveries and educational practices.

Useful Websites That Focus on Cognitive Neuroscience Information and Issues

Brain Connection.
www.brainconnection.com

BrainInfo Database.
braininfo.rprc.washington.edu/mainmenu.html
A comprehensive resource on brain regions, terms, and processes

Eric Chudler's Neuroscience Resource Site.
faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ehceduc.html
A very informative website, with links to many other websites. See also Chudler's other website, Neuroscience for Kids (below).

CogNet: MIT Cognitive and Brain Science Community Online.
cognet.mit.edu
A wide range of useful information in an interactive format, sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Charles A. Dana Foundation.
www.dana.org
A broad informative website suitable for both scientists and the general public. Brainy Kids Online is an especially useful section for educators

Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling the World.
www.hhmi.org/senses
A fine non-technical introduction to the sensory system

Neuroscience for Kids.
faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html
A marvelous resource of information and exploratory projects for young people. See also Eric Chudler's Neuroscience Resource Site (above)

Public Broadcasting Service Teacher Source.
www.pbs.org/teachersource
Excellent resource for educators on many topics, including the cognitive neurosciences.

San Francisco's Exploratorium Online.
www.exploratorium.com
An excellent Internet expansion of an excellent interactive museum.

The Washington University School of Medicine Neuroscience Tutorial.
thalamus.wustl.edu/course
An excellent Internet tutorial on the brain and brain anatomy

The World Wide Web Virtual Library: Neuroscience (Biosciences)
neuro.med.cornell.edu/VL
Links to just about any website one could imagine

Whole Brain Atlas.
www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html
Anything you could possibly want to know