The Brain That Changes Itself on David Suzuki’s ‘The Nature of Things’ based on the fascinating book of the same name by Dr. Norman Doidge
Based on the best-selling book, The Brain that Changes Itself, by Canadian author, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge M.D., this fascinating one hour documentary contains a segment that focuses on the work of Arrowsmith School with students with learning disabilities and places its program in the context of the broader field of neuroplasticity.
Chapter 2 of the book is devoted to the Arrowsmith Program and is based on the award winning cover story in Saturday Night Magazine that is available here on our website.
‘The Brain That Changes Itself’ first appeared on David Suzuki's The Nature of Things on November 27, 2008.
To watch it on the web please visit this link. This documentary is only available to viewers in Canada.
VIDEO
The Agenda with Steve Paikin for a video replay of a recent panel discussion on technology and the brain.
THE AGENDA with STEVE PAIKIN on TV ONTARIO
Barbara Young appeared on TVO’s flagship public affairs program, The Agenda with Steve Paiken, on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 discussing the topic ‘Your Brain on Technology’ with a panel of experts and commentators in the field.. A video replay is available on the TVO website at
2009 Syfr Summer Retreat Topic: A Whole New Brain
This conference was sponsored by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), Austin, Texas from July 19 to July 22, 2009. The sessions were designed for superintendents, chief academic officers and district teams of educators. The conference explored facets of research in neuroscience and its ramifications for today’s classrooms.
Annette Goodman, Chief Education Officer of Arrowsmith Program, made three presentations on the neuroscience behind the Arrowsmith Program and its practical benefits in the field of education. For more information about the other speakers on the program, who include Sharon Begley, author of "Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain" and Dr. Bruce Wexler, Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine and the author of "Brain and Culture; Neurobiology, Ideology and Social Change" please click here.
Syfr (www.syfrcorp.com) is a company dedicated to initiating and nourishing a culture of change in American education that embraces innovation and creativity while expecting all students to excel, independent of their demographics.
Video: SYFR Interviews: Christine Drew and Annette Goodman
ARROWSMITH SCHOOL IS FEATURED IN A NEW BOOK ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY
THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, by Norman Doidge, M.D. is available online from chapters.indigo.ca and amazon.ca
Published in March, 2007, THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF has been attracting wide interest and receiving very positive reviews in Canada and the United States. Chapter 2 is devoted to the work of Arrowsmith School.
To learn more about the book and read some of the reviews, please visit the website for Dr. Norman Doidge at www.normandoidge.com
The following synopsis is from the publisher’s website:
Chapter 2 of THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF is devoted to the work of Arrowsmith School.
(from the publisher)
"An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country to meet both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they've transformed people whose mental limitations or brain damage were seen as unalterable. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, blind people who learn to see, learning disorders cured, IQs raised, aging brains rejuvenated, stroke patients learning to speak, children with cerebral palsy learning to move with more grace, depression and anxiety disorders successfully treated, and lifelong character traits changed. Using these marvelous stories to probe mysteries of the body, emotion, love, sex, culture, and education, Dr. Doidge has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential."
The following reviews that mention Arrowsmith and Barbara Young and a radio interview with Dr. Doidge may be of particular interest to educators and persons following the work of Arrowsmith School:
CBC Radio Interview with Dr. Norman Doidge Please click on this link to access streaming audio of a conversation between Karin Wells and Dr. Doidge on his book from the CBC Sunday Edition. Please scroll down to April 29, 2007 to download the file. The site contains a link allowing you to install RealPlayer which is required to listen to the streaming audio file.
‘Raising Cognitive Capacity” - the Arrowsmith Program in Professionally Speaking, the magazine of the Ontario College of Teachers
The Arrowsmith Program was featured as the September, 2008 cover story of Professionally Speaking Magazine that focused on the Arrowsmith Program in the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
This article recently won a 2009 TABPI Gold Award for the best Focus/Profile Article awarded by Trade Association Business Publications International from among 500 entries in all categories from English-language publications worldwide. The judging comments included the following:
"The journalist has skilfully combined human interest with some quite complex medical, sociological and educational information into an easily understood and interesting read."
"This is a fascinating and well-done piece on an innovative teaching method involving brain theory and research. Well crafted and captivating."
Articles about Arrowsmith School The following articles have been published in various periodicals in Canada and the U.S. over the past several years and describe some of the work at Arrowsmith School.
School Worked Wonders - letter to the editor in the Toronto Star on December 12, 2008 from the mother of a former student who completed the program four years ago.
An Arrowsmith HALB Success Story - letter to the editor in the 5Towns Jewish Times (Long Island, New York) on December 11, 2008) about the Arrowsmith Program at the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach
A Wasaga Beach school will be the first in Simcoe County
to offer an
intensive program to help students overcome their learning
disabilities.
Silvercrest Christian School in Wasaga Beach will be
offering the Arrowsmith
Program beginning in September, 2006.
"Barbara Arrowsmith
Young's revolutionary approach to learning disabilities
is changing the lives of children" This edited version
of Norman Doidge's May, 2001 article in Saturday Night
magazine appeared in the April, 2002 edition of the Canadian
edition of Reader's Digest.
She Changes Lives by Dr. Norman Doidge
(National Post, Toronto - February 28, 2001)
This lengthy profile
in Saturday Night Magazine is the most detailed introduction
to the work of Arrowsmith School and includes an overview
of the history of the development of the Arrowsmith Program
and a discussion of some of the theoretical background.
Norman Doidge, MD, is a research psychiatrist and psychoanalyst,
on faculty at Columbia University, New York, and Head,
Long Term Psychotherapy at the University of Toronto.
This article appeared in Interconnections, a magazine for instructors published by the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto. Professor Marcel Danesi is Professor of Semiotics and Communication Theory, and coordinator of the University of Toronto Undergraduate Program in Semiotics and Communication Theory at Victoria College. Professor Danesi has published profusely in the fields of Linguistics, Italian Studies, Applied and Cultural Semiotics, and Communication Theory.
Other
Newspaper Articles (not available on this web site)
"Parents Laud
Expansion of Arrowsmith Plan" by Carrie Brunet
The Mirror, September 1, 2000
"Stretching a
Child’s Brain" by Agnes Bongers
The Hamilton Spectator, October 15, 2001
Television
Segments
"Studio 2" segment
on Arrowsmith School produced by Liane Kotler
(first shown on TVO
on March 14, 2001 at 8:00 p.m.)
"Studio 2: Person
2 Person" Interview with Barbara Arrowsmith Young
Paula Todd Inverviewer
(first shown on TVO on October 23, 2001 at 8:00 p.m.)
"Innovating Tomorrow"
Segment on Barbara Arrowsmith Young and Arrowsmith School
"Vicki Gabereau
Show"
Interview with Barbara Arrowsmith Young
(first shown on CTV on Monday Dec. 17, 2001 at 10:00 a.m.)
"Body and Health"
Segment on Barbara Arrowsmith Young and Arrowsmith School
(first aired, November 2, 2002)
"Open Heart"
Segment on Barbara Arrowsmith Young
Discovery Health Channel
"Moving On"
Segment on Barbara Arrowsmith Young and Arrowsmith School
(aired on CBC Television, June 29, 2003)
"Vicki Gabereau
Show"
Second interview with Barbara Arrowsmith Young
"CITY-TV
Breakfast Television"
Live broadcast from Arrowsmith School, February 2, 2004
"CBC News - Canada
Now"
Two part segment on Arrowsmith School
