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  I feel a little bit torn, because on the one hand the research and findings on the brain are fascinating; and on the other hand are these findings not what inquisitive thinkers have discovered and rediscovered over the course of history?  Is understanding the brain not just understanding people? Good teachers do understand how people work, but I think that neurosciences understanding of the brain can go to different levels. 

  This is most interesting because neuroscience, as I understand it, is either in or just out of its infancy and as a result is still finding itself.  There is so much to learn about the brain, so much that is known, and then so much that is not known.  By understanding the brain, educators are better able to tap into resources that can be used for individual students through knowledge of how different students or groups learn best.  One potential example is that if Altzheimer's is caused by a decay in a certain part of the brain, and children who have a test done see if they are more susceptible to this disease, and the brain does have neuroplasticity ("how entire brain structures, and the brain itself, change from experience" (wikipedia)), then knowing a way (hopefully non-invasive) to improve that part of a child's brain could serve the dual purpose of improving her memory, while also diminishing the likelihood, or at least delaying the onset, of the disease.  There are a number of ifs in that statement, but it also comes from some speculative research that is being done on seeing precursors to Altzheimer's (with a dab of conjecture placed on top by me).

A link to a summary of a study the Professor Grobstein posted last week that talks about Altzheimer's, and other diseases, and the brain:

http://www.dana.org/news/brainwork/detail.aspx?id=7382&p=2