Daniel Kahneman’s work, Thinking Fast and Slow is a must read for all educators. In it Kahneman walks the reader through the decades of his Nobel Prize winning research in the area of neuro-psychology. Throughout his work he champions the notion of the dichotomy of brain function known as the “System 1” and the “System 2”. The System 1 which, “operates automatically and quickly, with little or no effort and no sense of voluntary control” (Kahneman, 20) acts as a complement to the System 2 which, “allocates attention to the effortful mental activities that demand it”. (Kahneman, 21)
Although Kahneman’s book doesn’t directly correlate to use in the classroom, his illustrations of how the brain functions is particularly useful in understanding and developing students’ critical thinking skills and their ability to focus. Thinking Fast and Slow creates a foundation for which PaleoEducation is built upon and will be referenced frequently when discussing both critical thinking and focus in the classroom. His brilliantly written narrative is as fascinating as it is educational and is a tremendous asset for any teacher.
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. Print.
