How to Practice Effectively...for Just About Anything

This great Ted Talk explains the neurology of effective practice. The myelin that covers axons in our bodies physically changes with practice, creating an effective flow of electrical signals along our neural pathways. Essentially, it allows our brains to communicate faster with our bodies. 

The talk also emphasized that "mastery isn't simply about the amount of hours of practice, it's also the quality and effectiveness of that practice." This connected me back to the classroom and how essential it is that we are providing our students not only with repetition or practice of skills, but also with quality practice. The implications for warm-ups, class work, group work, homework, and all learning tasks should be shaped by this focus on quality and rigor to ensure the myelin in our student's brains