Latest news with #ThomasPerry
DW
15-07-2025
- Health
- DW
Brain training for school kids: A boost for learning? – DW – 07/14/2025
Apps that train cognitive skills claim to help children learn, and some research backs that up. But there are concerns cognitive training hinders reading development. The years of educational disruption during the COVID pandemic have had profound effects on children's learning outcomes, worldwide. Children from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds have been particularly affected. Research suggests that children's cognitive skills are declining — reflected in kids having weaker memories, attention spans, and diminished flexible thinking skills. So, some experts are suggesting that specialized 'brain training' programs be used in schools to improve those skills. Cognitive scientists are interested in testing whether these will help train children's working memory, with brain training programs that present kids with puzzles and other challenges. The working memory is the mind's staging area, where information is processed in the short term. It's the bit that you use when you're struggling through a math or logic problem — the part of our mind that can feel blocked when you can't find a solution. "The challenge is that some children's working memories are limited, and it's a huge bottleneck for learning," said Thomas Perry, a social scientist and education researcher at the University of Warwick, UK. Brain training programs claim to boost these brain skills. One recent study claimed to show that a 12-hour working memory training program had improved children's focus, IQ and long-term academic outcomes. The study followed 572 German schoolchildren aged 6–7 years over three years. One group of children completed a 12-hour-long working memory training over a period of 5 weeks. The kids who did the training missed out on an equivalent time of mathematics or German classes. Meanwhile, a control group of children had regular classes. They found that children who completed the training had increases in working memory capacity up to a year after the training. Three years after the program, researchers found that the trained children had 16% higher chances of entering an academic track at secondary school — 46% instead of the average 30%. "I was surprised by the breadth of benefits, not just for working memory and closely related academic subjects. Even broader capacities such as IQ and self-control improved," said Torkel Klingberg, a neuroscientist at Karolinska Institute, Sweden, who designed the intervention but was not involved in the study. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The children in the study trained working memory through a series of different cognitive tasks, including visuospatial tests to see whether they would remember where things were on a screen. They used a publicly available app called Nuroe, which the study authors claim can help strengthen children's core learning system in the brain. Perry, who was not involved in the research, said the study correctly measured how working memory training mediated academic performance. However, he said, "We can't make grand claims based on one study. We need to verify the results with large scale efficacy trials in different schools and with different teachers." Already, however, he said there were indications that teachers who thought boosting IQ and critical thinking were important were teaching less substantive information related to the curriculum. "This is damaging for some kids. For example, disadvantaged kids often aren't immersed in reading at home, so they really need dedicated time at school for learning to read. Replacing reading time with working memory training might be harmful in the long term." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Perry was involved in a large-scale review of over 400 studies testing different cognitive training programs in schools. The review, conducted by the UK's Education Endowment Foundation, found that studies testing cognitive training in research settings (not in classrooms) tend to show impressive effects on kids' learning. But when they are tested in classrooms, they tend to show limited results. "There's a picture emerging from the research is that some studies show working memory training is potentially effective in certain settings, but other studies show no effect at all," Perry said. "We don't have this critical body of studies to say that working memory training is a good thing to teach students, or how to do it," Perry said. Large-scale brain training programs in US schools, for example, showed no or very small effects on kids' educational outcomes. Meta-analyses have found that working memory training programs do not improve overall cognitive performance or measures of intelligence in the long term. Some experts have said that working memory training programs do not generalize to "real-world" cognitive skills. "Critical thinking skills, for example, are based on knowledge that's built up over time. If you have critical thinking, say, about science, it doesn't necessarily translate to other subjects," said Perry. "So, I doubt we can double kids' working memory and make them suddenly superintelligent."
DW
14-07-2025
- Health
- DW
Classroom brain training: How it helps and hinders learning – DW – 07/14/2025
Apps that train cognitive skills claim to help children learn, and some research backs that up. But there are concerns cognitive training hinders reading development. The years of educational disruption during the COVID pandemic led to profound effects on children's learning outcomes, worldwide. Children from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds have been particularly affected. Research suggests that children's cognitive skills are declining — reflected in kids having weaker memories, attention spans, and diminished flexible thinking skills. So, some experts are suggesting that specialized 'brain training' programs be used in schools to improve those skills. Cognitive scientists are interested in testing whether it will help train children's working memory, with brain training programs that present kids with puzzles and other challenges. The working memory is the mind's staging area, where information is processed in the short term. It's the bit that you use when you're struggling through a math or logic problem — the part of our mind that can feel blocked when you can't find a solution. "The challenge is that some children's working memories are limited, and it's a huge bottleneck for learning," said Thomas Perry, a social scientist and education researcher at the University of Warwick, UK. Brain training programs claim to boost these brain skills. One recent study claimed to show that a 12-hour working memory training program had improved children's focus, IQ and long-term academic outcomes. The study followed 572 German schoolchildren aged 6–7 years over three years. One group of children completed a 12-hour-long working memory training over a period of 5 weeks. The kids who did the training missed out on an equivalent time of mathematics or German classes. Meanwhile, a control group of children had regular classes. They found that children who completed the training had increases in working memory capacity up to a year after the training. Three years after the program, researchers found that the trained children had 16% higher chances of entering an academic track at secondary school — 46% instead of the average 30%. "I was surprised by the breadth of benefits, not just for working memory and closely related academic subjects. Even broader capacities such as IQ and self-control improved," said Torkel Klingberg, a neuroscientist at Karolinska Institute, Sweden, who designed the intervention but was not involved in the study. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The children in the study trained working memory through a series of different cognitive tasks, including visuospatial tests to see whether they would remember where things were on a screen. They used a publicly available app called Nuroe, which the study authors claim can help strengthen children's core learning system in the brain. Perry, who was not involved in the research, said the study correctly measured how working memory training mediated academic performance. However, he said, "We can't make grand claims based on one study. We need to verify the results with large scale efficacy trials in different schools and with different teachers." Already, however, he said there were indications that teachers who thought boosting IQ and critical thinking were important were teaching less substantive information related to the curriculum. "This is damaging for some kids. For example, disadvantaged kids often aren't immersed in reading at home, so they really need dedicated time at school for learning to read. Replacing reading time with working memory training might be harmful in the long term." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Perry was involved in a large-scale review of over 400 studies testing different cognitive training programs in schools. The review, conducted by the UK's Education Endowment Foundation, found that studies testing cognitive training in research settings (not in classrooms) tend to show impressive effects on kids' learning. But when they are tested in classrooms, they tend to show limited results. "There's a picture emerging from the research is that some studies show working memory training is potentially effective in certain settings, but other studies show no effect at all," Perry said. "We don't have this critical body of studies to say that working memory training is a good thing to teach students, or how to do it," Perry said. Large-scale brain training programs in US schools, for example, showed no or very small effects on kids' educational outcomes. Meta-analyses have found that working memory training programs do not improve overall cognitive performance or measures of intelligence in the long term. Some experts have said that working memory training programs do not generalize to "real-world" cognitive skills. "Critical thinking skills, for example, are based on knowledge that's built up over time. If you have critical thinking, say, about science, it doesn't necessarily translate to other subjects," said Perry. "So, I doubt we can double kids' working memory and make them suddenly superintelligent."
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Middlebury's Thomas Perry invited to an NFL rookie minicamp tryout. Find out which team.
Thomas Perry's NFL dreams remain alive. The Baltimore Ravens have invited the All-American offensive lineman from Division III Middlebury College to their rookie minicamp tryout, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported on his Twitter page Sunday morning. Advertisement Perry, who was not among the 257 players selected during the 2025 NFL Draft, will now get a chance to earn a roster spot with the Ravens during rookie tryouts in early May. The 6-foot-3, 317-pound Perry is a native of Killingworth, Conn. During his time with the Middlebury Panthers, Perry made nearly all of his 30 starts at left guard; in the NFL, he's projected as a center. With the Panthers, Perry was a member of the 2023 NESCAC championship team and was a three-time first team offensive selection for the conference (2022-24). This past fall, Perry earned All-America honors from AFCA, and Walter Camp Division III. Perry is a molecular biology and biochemistry major with a 3.92 grade-point average Advertisement Perry's stock rose earlier this winter when he was a standout at the 100th East-West Shrine Bowl, the lone player from a D-III school to attend. Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Thomas Perry, lineman out of Middlebury, invited to rookie minicamp
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Draft: Is Thomas Perry the most unlikely pick in this year's class?
Shortly before he turned 16, Thomas Perry surprised his parents with a very unusual request for a birthday present. At the same age that many kids beg for a trendy car or truck to drive, Perry asked for a single oversized tractor tire. Amused but curious, Perry's dad asked his son why exactly he wanted the tire. Advertisement 'So I can flip it up and down the road,' the young offensive lineman responded matter-of-factly. The monstrous tire that the family acquired weighed several hundred pounds and came up to Perry's chest. Flipping it end-over-end became a staple of Perry's workouts, first around his cul de sac, then to the main road and back and eventually a mile and a half to and from the center of his small, rural Connecticut hometown. 'He would push himself harder and harder,' his mom Karen told Yahoo Sports. Stories like that help explain how Perry is on the precipice of accomplishing a remarkable feat. He is the rare 21-year-old with the self discipline and drive to will himself into becoming a legitimate NFL prospect while playing for an academically rigorous Vermont liberal arts college where football dreams aren't supposed to blossom. Advertisement Middlebury College is a member of a conference that doesn't allow its football programs to participate in the NCAA Division III postseason, let alone serve as a pipeline to the NFL. Opportunities for coaches to hold offseason practices or workouts are limited, so it's up to individual players to work by themselves if they want to improve. The most successful athletes that Middlebury has produced are world-class ski racers drawn to the school because of its remote location between the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks. The only former Middlebury football player ever to crack an NFL roster is a place kicker, former Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl champion Stephen Hauschka. Advertisement And yet here is Perry, an interior offensive lineman with enough promise and upside to entice 25 NFL teams to send scouts to western central Vermont this past fall. The 6-foot-3, 317-pound senior is projected as a possible day three NFL draft pick on Saturday after earning an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl in February and outperforming pass rushers from powerhouse programs. Should Perry fail to latch on with an NFL team as a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent, he has a heck of a backup career option to pursue. Perry demonstrates the same attention to detail in the classroom that he does on the football field, maintaining a 3.92 GPA as a molecular biology and biochemistry major and mathematics minor. He'll have his choice of medical schools after his football career is over. 'He's a rare human being, man,' Duke Manyweather, a renowned offensive line trainer who has worked with Perry, told Yahoo Sports. 'I've coached future hall of farmers, all-pros, pro-bowlers, highly intellectual players, players from Princeton, players from Yale. This dude is different. I've never seen anything like it.' Middleburys' Thomas Perry (62) more than held his own in the East-West Shrine Bowl against Division I talent. (Courtesy of Middlebury College) (Rodney Wooters) Blame the pandemic How did Middlebury College happen to develop a draft-worthy offensive lineman, a weight-room wonder who might be the strongest player in this year's draft class? Blame the COVID-19 pandemic for derailing the end of Perry's high school career and wreaking havoc on his recruitment. Advertisement Perry was a two-sport standout at Haddam-Killingworth High, a small-town public school in Connecticut's lowest-enrollment division. As a junior, Perry earned all-league honors as an undersized 6-foot-1, 250-pound offensive lineman and took third in the heavyweight division of the 2020 state open wrestling tournament. That was supposed to be a springboard for a big senior year. Then the pandemic hit. Out of nowhere, the spread of COVID-19 wiped out the spring and summer camp circuit before Perry's senior year and canceled his final season of high school football as well. The only film that Perry had to show would-be recruiters was video highlights from his junior season at Haddam-Killingworth. Advertisement 'If it weren't for COVID, I think he probably would have been off to an Ivy League school or maybe UConn,' Perry's dad Scott told Yahoo Sports. Instead, those schools all passed on Perry — even Brown, the Ivy League program where his dad and uncle both played. The most desirable remaining options were academically prestigious D-III programs, schools where Perry could fulfill his goals as a football player and a science major. Middlebury especially appealed to Perry because of the abundant nearby ski slopes and hiking and mountain biking trails. When Middlebury coach Doug Mandigo watched clips from Perry's junior season, he was impressed but not awed. Advertisement 'His film was good,' Mandigo said, but 'it was a bad level and he was undersized.' The deciding factor was that Perry was an ideal academic fit. 'He had a great high school transcript, he was a good player on film and he was looking for this kind of environment,' Mandigo said. 'We were one of the only D-III schools to offer.' Thomas Perry earned first-team all-league honors three times at Middlebury College. (Courtesy of Middlebury College) (Will Costello) 'This kid is different' It took all of one day for the Middlebury football coaches to recognize that they had unearthed a hidden gem. Perry arrived on campus standing an inch and a half taller and carrying 25 more pounds of muscle than he had when he last visited the previous year. Advertisement His first session in the weight room remains legendary at Middlebury. Other staffers barged into offensive line coach Dave Caputi's office to tell him he had to come see how much the new kid was lifting. 'He showed up the strongest kid in our program,' Caputi told Yahoo Sports. The run-heavy Wing-T system that Perry's high school coach favored did not prepare him for pass protection on downfield throws, but he worked tirelessly when he came to Middlebury to overcome that learning curve. When Mandigo would take his son to campus for early Saturday morning skating sessions at the hockey rink, he'd often find Perry hard at work inside the school's fieldhouse doing pass protection drills by himself. The strict diet that Perry has followed since late in his junior year of high school further highlights his self discipline. Eager to consume enough protein and calories to promote muscle growth and weight gain, Perry wolfs down a 12-egg breakfast each morning. He washes that down with three glasses of whole milk, part of his mission to drink a gallon of milk a day. Advertisement Perry's favorite hobby is basically testing the limits of what his body can handle. He loves the stuff normal people dread. He's been known to go on marathon-length solo hikes just for fun or to bike up to 100 miles on mountain terrain. Nowhere is Perry's desire to challenge himself more apparent than in the weight room. He performs feats of strength worthy of powerlifters and strongman competitors. The Middlebury coaches began videoing Perry bench pressing 380 pounds 12 times, squatting nearly 600 pounds or hex-bar deadlifting 725 pounds. 'We were afraid no one was going to believe he could put up those numbers,' Caputi said with a laugh. While Perry broke into Middlebury's starting lineup midway through his freshman season and earned first-team all-league honors the next three years, the extent of his potential became clear as he began to learn to harness his physical gifts. Perry's senior-year film is littered with man-amongst-boys clips of him ragdolling overmatched defensive linemen or redirecting one would-be pass rusher and then stonewalling the next. 'He would bury guys in our league, throttle guys in our league,' Mandigo said. 'Honestly, it was funny to watch at times.' Advertisement A pivotal moment in Perry's development occurred last year when he entered the orbit of one of football's most influential offensive line gurus. Duke Manyweather watched video from Perry's junior season and came away intrigued by the Middlebury offensive lineman's blend of power, agility and all-out hustle. Last July, Perry cut short an internship doing medical research in a lab at Yale to come hone his craft under the tutelage of Manyweather at his facility in Frisco, Texas. For five weeks, Perry trained alongside all-pro NFL linemen like the Philadelphia Eagles' Lane Johnson and top-tier prospects like LSU's Will Campbell. At first, Manyweather noticed members of his training group sizing up Perry with a skeptical eye. The quiet, shy science major from the tiny New England liberal arts school showed up, as Manyweather puts it, 'dressed like somebody's dad.' Perry wore white Nike Monarchs and a solid-colored polo shirt tucked into some khaki pants. The doubts about Perry melted away as soon as the small talk stopped and the training began. Heavy metal music blasting from his headphones, Perry gave maximum effort on every lift, every rep, every drill. He brought the same focus and attention to detail during film breakdowns. Advertisement 'All of a sudden it goes from, 'Who is this awkward kid? to 'Oh s—, this kid's different,'' Manyweather told Yahoo Sports. 'It's almost a Superman transformation. Clark Kent turns into his alter ego.' SUBHEAD Ignored by the major-college and professional ranks when he was a player, Manyweather saw a little of himself in Perry. The former offensive lineman at Division II Humboldt State made it his mission to spread the word about Perry and help get him exposure. Last August, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy scouted Perry at Manyweather's urging and posted a praiseworthy evaluation to social media. Perry 'is going to blow up the Combine next March,' Nagy tweeted, adding that it was 'scary to think what he'll do to poor D3 kids' during his senior season. The endorsement from Nagy turned heads in the scouting community, as did Perry headlining Bruce Feldman's annual college football Freaks list a few days later. Soon after that, NFL scouts began arranging visits to come watch Perry in person and began peppering Mandigo with questions about how he recruited Perry to Middlebury and about his upside. Advertisement Scouts had enough interest in seeing Perry face stronger competition that two college all-star games both included him on their midseason watch lists. When the Senior Bowl only selected Perry as an alternate, the Middlebury offensive lineman accepted an invitation to be the only D-III player at the East-West Shrine Bowl. A week of practices in front of NFL scouts offered Perry the platform that he needed to prove that he wasn't a product of lackluster competition. Playing center for the first time after lining up almost exclusively at left guard during college, Perry still more than held his own against top pass rushers from Georgia, Florida, Nebraska and other big-name programs. 'I told everyone he wasn't going to embarrass himself, and, sure as s—, he had a great showing,' Manyweather said. 'It was him getting on guys and they couldn't do anything. He was ending the fight before it even started with some of his aggressive sets.' Advertisement Those close to Perry envision him as more of a high-upside developmental prospect than one who is ready to contribute to an NFL team right away. They liken him to a college sophomore in terms of football experience, given the loss of his final high school season and Middlebury's nine-game seasons and limited offseason practice opportunities. Where will Perry be selected on Saturday? As always, it's difficult to say. The feedback that Manyweather has received has been anywhere from the fifth to seventh round. The volume of phone calls about Perry has picked up this week, Manyweather said. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport described Perry on Tuesday as 'a small school sleeper … generating a ton of buzz.' Only a handful of current NFL players have made the leap from Division III to pro football. None have taken a more improbable path than Perry. Even Mandigo admits that Middlebury producing an NFL-caliber prospect 'might never happen again.' If Perry beats the odds, it will be because of his self discipline as much as his talent. Advertisement Manyweather is the sort of rare bird who arrives at work every morning at 4 a.m. He usually gets a morning workout in and then gets everything prepped for the rest of his workday. Imagine Manyweather's surprise this winter when Perry also began showing up to the facility by 4:15 a.m. every morning. He would use the hyperbaric chamber or the light beds and prepare his body for the training group's 6 a.m. workout. 'He was there every single morning,' Manyweather said, 'and at first it would piss me off because I like that time in the morning to be my time.' Eventually, Manyweather came to realize that Perry was his type of person, focused, hard working and determined. 'He's incredibly disciplined,' Manyweather said. 'That discipline in everything he does is what is going to set him apart.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What scouts are saying about Thomas Perry: Middlebury College's NFL Draft hopeful
Thomas Perry made school history as Middlebury College's first three-time All-American and first participant at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Perry hopes the firsts continue this week and his name is one of the 257 players called during the 2025 NFL Draft. The draft's first round is Thursday, April 24, in Green Bay, Wisconsin; it continues Friday with rounds 2 and 3 and concludes Saturday with rounds 4-7. Advertisement Middlebury has yet to have a player drafted into the NFL. Alumnus Stephen Hauschka had a long career as a kicker in the NFL that included winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014, but he was a free-agent acquisition after the draft was complete. Perry is a 6-foot-3, 317-pound offensive lineman who is considered a potential Day 3 selection by several NFL Draft experts and analysts. Thomas Perry's career at Middlebury College A native of Killingworth, Connecticut, Perry was a longtime starter at left guard for the Panthers (made 30 starts). He was a member of the 2023 NESCAC championship team and was a three-time first team offensive selection for the conference (2022-24). Advertisement As a senior, Perry earned All-America honors from AFCA, and Walter Camp Division III. Perry, who is a molecular biology and biochemistry major with an 3.92 grade-point average, was the program's first invitee to the East-West Shrine Bowl after the 2024 season, and he was also the only player to attend from Division III. His nickname is "Thomas the Tank." Thomas Perry at the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl At the 100th edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl in January, Perry switched from guard to center and caught the attention of NFL scouts, including Dane Brugler of The Athletic. Brugler said Perry is "one of the strongest players in the draft. Tireless worker. Just needs reps and development." Advertisement "With only three weeks at center under his belt, Thomas showed that he belongs on this stage," Duke Manyweather, Perry's trainer, told Middlebury athletics. "He handled this positional transition extremely well and I am very proud of him. Thomas is a special human and player, and now the world is starting to see these qualities. I've coached a lot of professionals and I've never seen a player go as viral as Thomas has this quickly." The Athletic also wrote a detailed feature on Perry that was published this winter. Thomas Perry's stock for the 2025 NFL Draft Here's a sampling of what NFL Draft analysts are saying about Perry: Advertisement Bleacher Report: A developmental prospect for the fifth round who is an untested, undersized center who dominated on film. Has combination of raw power, athleticism and intangibles. Could carve out role on a rookie contract. Bleacher Reporter also ranked Perry 24th among interior linemen in the draft. ESPN: Called a "hidden gem" because of his strength, lower-body flexibility, versatility and football IQ. One AFC area scout said this about Perry: "Talk to the kid, you're impressed with all of it. I'll say in our meetings there's a place for this guy and let's see what he becomes." The Athletic: Brugler ranks Perry as the 11th prospect among the 70 centers in the draft. "(H)e is wired the right way with the intelligence, athleticism and power worth the investment," Brugler wrote. Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: NFL scouts on draft prospect Thomas Perry of Middlebury College
