Kate is available to give workshops and seminars, ranging from one hour to full day sessions to various groups, including high school students, parents, teachers, and pre-service teachers. Workshops can be custom designed for specific audiences. Please contact Kate at kate.e.patten@gmail.com to discuss possible bookings.

Student Workshops

How to Study Effectively: Strategies that consider cognition, emotion, and motivation

Designed for high school students who are studying for important exams that may affect their future (i.e. Provincial Exams). Includes information and strategies helpful for enhancing memory, diminishing anxiety, and improving concentration. Students are asked to bring actual material that they need to study and to work collaboratively in groups, both developing and refining strategies that are specific to their needs and learning styles.

Brain, Mind, and Emotion

Part I:  Your Brain and What it Does

Part II: Manifestations and Mechanisms of Emotion

Designed to acquaint school age students with what neuroscience can tell us about brain functions, specifically learning and the affective component of human existence. Includes a short research project assignment to encourage each student to explore an area of personal interest related to the brain.

The Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Emotion

A workshop presented to a Psychology 12 class on the function of emotion in relation to cognition. Relates the James-Lange theory of emotion to Damasio's somatic marker theory of emotion and discusses the implication of this mind/body function to emotion contagion and emotion regulation.

Teacher/Parent Presentations Workshops

Cry Me a River: The Relationship Between Emotion and Cognition

Discusses recent research in neuroscience and neuropsychology that gives emotion primacy over cognition and relate these findings to possible impications for child rearing and classroom practices: we must examine the role of emotion in teaching and learning to improve the success of these processes. Explain why caution should be afforded to brain-based enthusiasts' claims and elucidate the role of the newly minted field of educational neuroscience.

Neuroscience and Teaching

What is neuroscience and what does it tell us about brain function and behaviour? Brain-based educational claims will be critically examined in light of neuroscientific research. This workshop will examine what neuroscientific research tells us about brain function and behaviour.  Teachers will learn how they can be critical consumers of pseudo-neuropedagogical claims. Designed for both elementary and secondary teachers.

Neuroscience and Emotion

This workshop will present what neuroscience reveals about our emotions, both brain and body function, as well as resultant behaviour. Is it possible that understanding our own emotions and our students' emotions can make us better teachers? What is emotion contagion? What is emotion regulation? How can our knowledge of these concepts improve teaching and learning? These and other questions will be addressed in the interactive workshop.

Workshops for Pre-service Teachers

Educational Neuroscience and the Primacy of Emotion: Why Emotion Matters

Discussion of recent research in neuroscience and neuropsychology that gives emotion primacy over cognition and relate these findings to possible implications for classroom practices. Examine the role of emotion in teaching and learning with a view to create awareness of emotion modeling, mentoring, and pedagogy. Explain why caution should be afforded to brain-based enthusiasts' claims and modern "neuromyths." This participatory session includes the opportunity for pre-service teachers  to re/design a lesson that recognizes the importance of emotion and incorporates the function of emotion in the learning process. Elucidation of the role of the newly minted field of educational neuroscience and may include a tour the ENGRAMMETRON.