My Thoughts on Cognitive Development

A section that stood out to me- The section all about "adolescent risk-taking" really intrigued me. It made a lot more sense of adolescents feeling "invincible" and starting to feel the need to experiment with risky behavior (drinking, drugs, sexual acts, etc). This desire is caused by their expanding thought processes and discovering themselves. This is important as a future teacher because knowing this, I can be aware of their desire for risky behavior and try to reduce it before it gets dangerous or out of hand. It was even discussed that having caring adults in young adolescence lives can reduce risk-taking behaviors so its important to me to be that "caring adult" for my students.

A paragraph that stood out to me- The third paragraph all about blossoming, pruning, and myelination really stood out to me. It went into great detail about what each is and the importance of each to a young adolescent. It explained that experiences during this time are vital in shaping who young adolescents become and greatly influence how the brain is wired for the rest of their lives. This is important to me as a middle level teacher to make sure I am creating a positive teaching/ learning experience for them so hopefully they will forever have a positive experience with schooling, teachers, friends, etc. There is no other time in their lives that this process occurs so it's important to understand their brains are processing a lot and their lives will be forever affected with experiences from this time.

A sentence that stood out to me- "Completing assignments while texting or emailing friends, watching videos for entertainment, or snapping pictures to share on social media, obliterates any opportunities for meaningful and sustained learning due the brains inability to simultaneously or efficiently conduct both activities" (27). This stood out to me because not only is it important to know for the success of my future students but it's important to know for my own success. I realized its important to give your undivided attention to school work (notes, tests, homework, etc) or else you're essentially not retaining anything. This is important as a future teacher because this is a great reason not to allow phones out during any work time. They are too much of a distraction for our brains, young or not, and they will only hinger our learning.

A word that stood out to me- "Metacognition" really stood out to me in the reading. The idea that young adolescents are able to start to think deeper and think about their thinking, how they feel, and their actions is really interesting. I did not realize that that is a skill that develops in the brain at a certain age and allows for better judgement and thinking overall.