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The Best of Our Knowledge # 1026

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-898538.mp3

Albany, NY – THE HAWN FOUNDATION'S "MINDUP" PROGRAM

AN EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING MODEL AND CURRICULUM FOR GRADES K-7, Part Two: Education Gaps, Teaching Joy, Curriculum Publishing -

Scientists confirm that stronger and more lasting memories are likely to be formed when a person is relaxed and the memory-related neurons in the brain fire in sync with certain brain waves.

This new study comes from the California Institute of Technology, and was just published in the journal "Nature." Their findings "establish a direct relationship between events at the circuit level of the brain, and their effect on human behavior."

Dr. Adam Mamelak, a neurosurgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, says "our research shows that when memory-related neurons are well coordinated to theta waves during the learning process, memories are stronger."

This latest research aligns favorably with ongoing studies conducted by The Hawn Foundation. Children's advocate and philanthropist, Goldie Hawn, says "we need to rethink our approach to classroom education integrating neuroscience with the latest social and emotional learning techniques."

Last week, Hawn spoke with us about those findings. You can still hear that show online at: http://www.wamc.org/prog-tbook.html

This week, Goldie Hawn talks with us about education gaps, teaching joy, and about publishing her new curriculum.

Glenn Busby reports. (12:48)

**(Attention Listeners. If you would like to read more about Goldie Hawn's research and education efforts, and look at the classroom curriculum, it's online at: www.thehawnfoundation.org Hawn is also featured in a video about the program that can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgGFzTkGQgs.)**

BOSNIAN SEGREGATED SCHOOLS -

And while Goldie Hawn addressed the impact of stress on American school children in the earlier segment, our next story is ripped straight out of the current events headlines in Europe and Russia.

At the time of this show's production, at least five recent terrorist attacks had killed 60 people and left Russians shaken.

There is concern that an Islamist insurgent network, led by a Chechen who took responsibility for the suicide bombings at two Moscow subway stations, could lead to a new wave of assaults.

The bombings in Moscow were the first major rebel attacks in central Russia since the 2004 school hostage crisis where over 300 people died.

With that as a backdrop, Serbia has finally just apologized for the massacre of thousands of Muslim children in 1995.

And last month also marked 18-years since the start of the Bosnian war, in which 100-thousand people died when ethnic Serbs, Croats, and Muslims turned on each other.

Peace has returned to Bosnia since the guns fell silent. But deep divisions remain, especially in the school system.

Bosnian Croats and Muslims attend separate classes and sometimes even use different parts of school buildings.

So, what sort of future is this system creating for a country trying to regain its multi-ethnic harmony? Network Europe's, Mark Lowen, traveled to Southern Bosnia to find out, and files this report for TBOOK.

Mark Lowen reports. (4:00)