Bandwidth Recovery For Schools: Helping Pre-K-12 Students Regain Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and other Social Marginalization

The book "The Attention Revolution" argues that societal realities such as poverty, racism, and social marginalization deplete cognitive resources for students and those who are trying to help them succeed. It offers concepts and strategies to help people recover the bandwidth they need to learn and thrive, such as acknowledging the "funds of knowledge" of students and their families, promoting growth minds, using reflective practices, fostering peer collaboration, and implementing restorative practices.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 30 December 2020
Publisher: Stylus Publishing

Are your students struggling to maintain focus, forming meaningful connections with their peers, or keeping up with the curriculum? Do you feel like you lack the necessary skills or resources to support your students' learning and growth? This book argues that societal factors such as poverty, racism, and social exclusion lead to a depletion of cognitive resources for students and those who work to support their success.
Each individual possesses a limited amount of mental bandwidth, which encompasses the cognitive resources available for learning, personal development, work, caring for oneself and one's family, and all other responsibilities. These "attentional resources" are not solely determined by intelligence but rather by the amount of brain power that is accessible for the task at hand. When bandwidth is occupied by the stress of ongoing economic insecurity or negative experiences related to racism, classism, homophobia, religious intolerance, sexism, ableism, or any other form of discrimination, there is less availability for learning and growth. This applies to students of all ages, as well as their parents and teachers.
In the first half of the book, the author makes the case that poverty and these forms of discrimination deplete the bandwidth of students, parents, and teachers. The second part presents concepts and strategies to help individuals regain the bandwidth they need to thrive. Cia Verschelden offers practical approaches to help students recover their cognitive resources, such as recognizing the "funds of knowledge" that students and their families bring to the classroom, fostering a growth mindset among students, implementing reflective practices to create a sense of belonging for all students, promoting peer collaboration, and utilizing restorative practices instead of punitive measures to address behavioral issues.
By addressing these societal realities and implementing these strategies, educators and school leaders can create a more supportive and inclusive learning environment that helps all students reach their full potential.

Weight: 332g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781642670776