NED Learning for K12

Download FREE NED Challenge Resources

With 40 years of evidence based research behind it, the NED Challenge Board uses a neural model designed to motivate students with critical thinking and collaboration.

The NED Learning Kit includes all of the resources that you need in order to use the NED Learning Model in your classroom!

The NED Challenge Board: An evidence-based, hands-on teaching model, effective at increasing student engagement while facilitating learning with deep understanding. It’s easy to use, provides meaningful structure, and will get your students talking!
The PowerPoint Guide: The PowerPoint Guide follows the NED Challenge Board in a format that can be projected so all members of a class can see
The Quick Start Guide: This guide will help get you started on your own NED-based lesson. It includes all the information about how to design and facilitate lessons using the other NED resources
Scribe Notes: This handout provides structure to group notes during a NED-based lesson and combines thoughts and ideas from all members of a group
NED Notes: Printable simple to use worksheets for your learners to use during lessons. These will help your students organize their open-ended thoughts and ideas as they progress through the NED Model

What teachers and students are saying

“…it’s interesting. Labeling and stratification goes away. Children think about their potential, about how their brain works and even when they slip back into the old routine of thinking they are no good at reading or math, they catch themselves and realize that they are stepping out of the model.” --- Elementary teacher

"…Ned heads are fun. I never fall behind and can easily keep up with my friends because we are all working together to finish the challenge.” --- Elementary student

The NED Learning Journey

Moving from a fixed mindset....

Living in the information age we are often inundated with an amount of data that can boggle the mind. Pair this with an outdated twentieth century model of education and the problem becomes exacerbated.

K12 educators are often hindered by the following:

entrenched legacy systems and thinking
old paradigms supporting inappropriate processes and practices
outdated models that feed siloed thinking and biased mindsets
regurgitating trainers instead of instigators of innovation

....to a growth mindset

Neuroscience is your classroom currency for disruptive innovation and scaled learning which results in:

enhanced group dynamics
collaborative environment for collective innovation
insight into how to scale our learning together
understanding how to enhance group and individual thinking power
disrupt old paradigms that slow the learning process
evidence based research used to develop new training models and platforms

The NED Learning Principles

Neural Plasticity Makes Us Who We Are

A deep understanding of neural plasticity is essential so that we can reach our full potential.

Stress Prevents Learning

Awareness of stress and knowledge of resilience is a critical skill in twenty-first century living.

Neurotransmitters Are Key to Learning

Dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters help us stay motivated and engaged in learning.

Potential Rather Than Measurement

Every student has the right to reach their true potential through learning.

Intelligence is Not Fixed

Each student can grow their intelligence with knowledge and perseverance.

Mindset is Essential

Students can enhance their thinking by moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.

The NED Initiative

Engage, Share, Learn. Join colleagues and thought leaders in a learning space where neuroscience connects with teaching and learning.

Let's Go

The NED Heads

The team behind NED Learning.

Missy Widmann

Neural Educator

Scott Shepherd

User Experience Director and Product Strategist

Stephen Morrissey

Technical Strategist and Program Manager

Joseph Morrissey

Software Engineer and Tester

Daniel Doctor

Marketing and Data Consultant

Timothy Kieran O'Mahony

Neuroscientist and Researcher in the Learning Sciences

The NED Learning Community

How we are making a difference

"I have more than a dozen ethnic groups in my math classes. English as a second language is a large stumbling block for these students. On top of that there are poverty and stereotype problems that raise their ugly head. I am a firm believer that if we don't have a safe learning environment it doesn't matter what we are teaching – they will resist and fail. Including mindset and neuroscience has leveled the playing field for these students and I am seeing much better learning outcomes year after year."
Nathan Lommen - Highline Middle School, Math teacher

"I'm seeing my students are trusting the [challenge] cycle now, and are anticipating the revised thoughts/reflection questions. It's changing the discussions during their sessions."
Nicole Anastacia - Mill Creek Middle School, Math teacher

"We are focused on being able to have our students’ understand how their brain changes and how plasticity enables learning. I love it when the kids talk about growing dendrites."
Anna Kramer - Mill Creek Middle School Kent WA

"We have high poverty and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) climate. I’m seeing how knowledge about learned helplessness helps my children move beyond the “I’m no good” freeze stage. What is interesting for me is that kids who used to give up on the learned helplessness kids are now reinvigorated to teach them resilience by practicing it themselves."
Debbie Dougherty - Toppenish Middle School

"We changed our approach by introducing intentionality into measuring. We deliberately associate Growth Mindfulness with decrease in absenteeism, and increase in academic success instead of Can you Tell Me what a Growth Mindset is. That was the Epiphany for me."
Dawn Linden - Lake Washington Middle School

Neuroscience, Education, and Adaptive Expertise in Your Classroom

Download FREE NED Challenge Resources

With 40 years of evidence based research behind it, the NED Challenge Board uses a neural model designed to motivate students with critical thinking and collaboration.

The NED Learning Kit includes all of the resources that you need in order to use the NED Learning Model in your classroom!

What teachers and students are saying

"…Ned heads are fun. I never fall behind and can easily keep up with my friends because we are all working together to finish the challenge.” --- Elementary student

The NED Learning Journey

Moving from a fixed mindset....

....to a growth mindset

The NED Learning Principles

Neural Plasticity Makes Us Who We Are

Stress Prevents Learning

Neurotransmitters Are Key to Learning

Potential Rather Than Measurement

Intelligence is Not Fixed

Mindset is Essential

The NED Initiative

Engage, Share, Learn. Join colleagues and thought leaders in a learning space where neuroscience connects with teaching and learning.

The NED Heads

The team behind NED Learning.

Missy Widmann

Scott Shepherd

Stephen Morrissey

Joseph Morrissey

Daniel Doctor

Timothy Kieran O'Mahony

The NED Learning Community

How we are making a difference

Speak to NED

Get NED learning in your classroom.

Neuroscience, Education, and Adaptive Expertise in Your Classroom

Download FREE NED Challenge Resources

With 40 years of evidence based research behind it, the NED Challenge Board uses a neural model designed to motivate students with critical thinking and collaboration.

The NED Learning Kit includes all of the resources that you need in order to use the NED Learning Model in your classroom!

What teachers and students are saying

"…Ned heads are fun. I never fall behind and can easily keep up with my friends because we are all working together to finish the challenge.” --- Elementary student

The NED Learning Journey

Moving from a fixed mindset....

....to a growth mindset

The NED Learning Principles

Neural Plasticity Makes Us Who We Are

Stress Prevents Learning

Neurotransmitters Are Key to Learning

Potential Rather Than Measurement

Intelligence is Not Fixed

Mindset is Essential

The NED Initiative

Engage, Share, Learn. Join colleagues and thought leaders in a learning space where neuroscience connects with teaching and learning.

The NED Heads

The team behind NED Learning.

Missy Widmann

Scott Shepherd

Stephen Morrissey

Joseph Morrissey

Daniel Doctor

Timothy Kieran O'Mahony

The NED Learning Community

How we are making a difference

Join The NED Community

Sign up for our monthly NEDletter or join our social network

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The 2017 Pathfinder Award Goes to....

Speak to NED

Get NED learning in your classroom.