Jonathan Mooney - Educational/Instructional Staff Training

Re-Drawing The Lines Neurodiversity: A Compass to a Changing World—September 13, 2013 at CESA 8

Welcome to a new world, where the good kid doesn't sit still. A world where some of the smartest kids in the class don't read well or don't read at all. A world where the popular kids don't make eye contact, don't shake hands, and definitely don't back slap.
In this world, these kids enjoy academic success and personal fulfillment at places like the MIT Media Lab and MET High School in Providence, Rhode Island, one of the top charter schools in the country. Then, they go on to run com-panies in Silicon Valley, New York and Tokyo.
Unlike ever before, this century proves their cognitive differences are more than "quirks"—they are the groundwork for innovative ideas and skills to solve problems most of us wouldn't anticipate. Think Google. Jet Blue. Apple.
By embracing the beautiful, bizarre realities of neuro-diversity—the idea that we are all special snowflakes—as es-sential components of a healthy vibrant culture, we can propel students not only to better participate in, but seize the changing world where the digital brain rivals the text-oriented and a design oriented economy replaces a manufac-turing base.
Renowned writer, neuro-diversity activist and author Jonathan Mooney vividly, humorously and passionately brings to life this wonderful world of neuro-diversity: the research behind it, the people who live in it, and the lessons it has for all of us who care about the future of education.
Explaining the latest theories, Jonathan helps teachers and parents redefine what it is for students in the 21st century to think and to learn and to be successful. He provides concrete examples of how to prepare students and implement frameworks that best support their academic and professional pursuits.
In this lecture, Jonathan takes the audience to life in high schools organized around the principles of video gaming and visual culture. He transports the audience to snow-bound strip malls in Sweden where a software design compa-ny has decided to only hire people with Asperger's syndrome-not as charity, but because this company believes pro-grammers with Asperger's make superior employees.
As with Jonathan's other lectures, the audience will leave this talk fundamentally changed and empowered. "Re-drawing the lines" blends research and human interest stories with concrete tips that parents, students, teachers, and administrators can follow to transform learning environments and create a world that truly celebrates cognitive di-versity.
 

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