TEDSIG PRE-CONFERENCE EVENT

We are proud to host Mary Scholl and Rachel Paling in this event. Please see the session details below.

17 April TEDSIG PC Event Schedule:

13:00-13:20 Registration

13:20-14:00 Introduction to TEDSIG

14:00-15:00 Plenary

“The power of the critical response process in teaching & learning” by Mary Scholl

15:00-15:30 Coffee Break

15:30-16:30 Plenary

“Brain-Friendly – The New Way of Learning” by Rachel Paling

16:30-16:45 Closure

Session One Abstract:

Feedback in educational settings often triggers anxiety, resistance, or miscommunication—limiting its potential as a tool for growth. The Critical Response Process (CRP), developed by artist and educator Liz Lerman, offers an alternative: a structured yet flexible approach that transforms feedback into a dynamic, inquiry-based dialogue. Originally rooted in the arts, CRP is equally powerful in classrooms and professional development settings, where it fosters agency, reflection, creativity, and trust. 

In this session, I will share my decade-long journey with CRP, exploring how its core micro-skills—such as naming what is meaningful, asking neutral questions, and offering permissioned opinions—have reshaped my work with students and educators alike. Through real-world examples from teacher reflection and student writing, we’ll examine how CRP invites deeper engagement and shifts the role of feedback from correction to collaboration. Participants will leave with practical tools to integrate CRP into their own teaching, mentoring, and coaching practices—making space for conversations that spark curiosity, connection, and growth..

Presenter’s Bio

Mary Scholl is the founder and director of the Institute for Collaborative Learning in Costa Rica and a senior academic consultant with National Geographic Learning. With 30 years of experience in language education and over 20 years dedicated to designing and implementing educational projects across Latin America, she has also served as an English Language Specialist for 16 years in nine countries. A sought-after speaker, she presents regularly at local, national, and international conferences. As a teacher-trainer and trainer of trainers, Mary is also a certified practitioner and facilitator at the Centre for Holding Space and holds a mindfulness meditation teaching certification from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. She earned an MA in Teaching English and Spanish from SIT Graduate Institute and has completed doctoral studies in Adult Learning and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Having lived and taught on four continents, she now enjoys working virtually with educators worldwide from her home in rural Costa Rica while continuing to engage in face-to-face training whenever possible.

Session Two Abstract:

Neuroscience can be integrated into the learning process in several ways. First, by enhancing metacognition. A 2019 study showed that teaching metacognitive strategies—such as self-regulated learning, thinking skills, and learning-to-learn approaches—benefited learners from primary school to university, including disadvantaged and struggling students. The results demonstrated improved performance, better outcomes, and a positive motivation cycle: greater motivation leads to improved metacognition, which in turn enhances motivation. 

Second, discussing neuroscience and its findings with learners has also shown positive effects. A 2007 study found that when students understand how the brain learns and how neuroplasticity enables change, they become more autonomous, leading to increased achievement. 

Third, by designing learning experiences that incorporate neuroscientific principles, we can create a more brain-friendly learning process. Strategies such as spaced learning, chunking information, scaffolding, connecting new knowledge to prior learning, and optimizing sustained attention and memory formation all contribute to more effective learning.

This session will explore: 

·         Key neuroscience and neuropsychology principles to enhance learning

·         How to become a brain-friendly communicator

·         Understanding emotional triggers and calming the learner

·         The difference between explicit and implicit learning

·         How to provoke different brain states through an understanding of brain waves