Download AM-1 Handout-Judy Willis

Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools (AIMS)
AIMS Annual Conference
Nov 4, 2013
Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed.
Thematic Keynote
www.RADTeach.com
10-11:30 a.m.
Using Brain Research to Help Students Develop their Executive
Functions for 21st Century Success
Executive Function Increasingly Critical
In the coming years, information will accumulate and facts will change at exponential
rates. Technology will offer many opportunities for creative innovation to those
prepared to continue to acquire new learning throughout their lifetimes.
Preparation for Future Demands and Opportunities
Rapidly increasing quantity and availability of information, changes in “facts”
recognized by more sophisticated tools of analysis, technological innovations,
increasing subspecialization as domain knowledge exceeds the amount of information
that can be mastered by generalists, and greater interdependence among political,
economic, social, and technological domains are inevitable.
All students need to be prepared for their futures with more than factual knowledge.
They need to evaluate, comprehend, and incorporate new input into their concept
networks.
To be adequately prepared for success in careers or higher education, students need
guided opportunities to construct strong networks of executive functions. Without this
preparation of their developing executive functions during the school years, students
will fall short of the requirements for higher education and the competitive job market
including the skillsets needed for cognitive flexibility, successful communication,
collaboration, or creative innovation.
Educators are the caretakers of students’ brains –especially between ages 5-18 when
the rate of neuroplasticity (maturation and pruning) is greatest in the PFC where
executive functions are developing.
• The brain constantly changes; it adapts and improves in response to environment and
experience through a process known as neuroplasticity.
• The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) develops neural networks of “executive functions” (e.g.,
planning, organization, critical analysis, metacognition). These networks’ development is
promoted by their activation (use) through neuroplasticity.
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Neuroplasticity is the process through which thoughts and actions change the brain.
Scientists previously believed that many parts of the brain only change during the
“critical stages” of infancy.
 Research now suggests that all parts of the brain are malleable throughout our
lives.
 Specifically, when a region of the brain is stimulated repeatedly (which happens
when we practice and use information) the connections between neurons (nerve
cells) in that memory circuit are increased in number and durability.
 These strengthened connections, if used consistently, become useful, long-term
memories.
 Conversely, if a neural pathway is not used, it will be pruned (removed).
The Brain’s CEO: The Prefrontal Cortex
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The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the region of the brain that allows us to make
conscious decisions in regards to our thoughts and emotions. - Mature
humans are the only creatures with the ability to analyze their thoughts and
behaviors and then act in accordance with expectations for goal attainment.
The PFC is the last part of the brain to mature, and maturation continues into
the mid twenties.
The PFC, once mature, is associated with the highest cognitive processes, also
referred to as executive functions.
Executive functions can be thought of as the skills that would make a
corporate executive successful.
Executive functions give us the ability to develop and apply concepts.
Learning events and instruction are needed to develop the executive
functions to help learners acquire targeted knowledge and skills, make
meaning of important ideas, and transfer their learning to new situations and
new uses
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Executive Functions
Goal-development
Prioritizing/organizing
Self-monitoring/delay immediate gratification
Judgment
Reasoning
Risk Assessment
Deduction/Induction
Critical analysis
Cognitive Flexibility
Emotional self-regulation
Attention focus/Inhibitory Control
Working memory efficiency
Students’ Needs
 Self-Motivated and action-oriented in their learning
 To care for others and the world
 How to think critically about new information, to check reliability of sites/sources,
challenge assumptions, seek contradictory evidence, identify most meaningful data
to arrive at reasonable conclusions
 Think in creative and connective ways: Predictions are that over 50% of today’s
grade-school children may work in jobs not yet invented
Executive functions are embedded in the Common Core Standards
in which students are expected to:
 Be self-directed and goal-motived
 Think critically about information, check the reliability of sites/sources, challenge
assumptions and seek contradictory evidence
 Have the understanding and cognitive flexibility to adapt to new information
 Prioritize: identify the most meaningful data to use for problem solving and analysis
 Recognize relationships and concepts to use for transfer and creative innovation
 Communicate and collaborate successfully
 Anticipate consequences, outcomes, plan & revise accordingly
Student-Constructed Learning as an example of providing opportunities for executive
function network activation through application as students make meaning of important
ideas. Units planned for construction of understanding activate executive functions and
construct concept memory networks – available to transfer their learning to new situations
and new uses
In Well-Planned EF Units Students:
Apply the executive functions (higher-order thinking)
Question initial assumptions or answer and explore it further
Recognize relevance to their own lives and immediate future (how they will learn
and be assessed on the information)
Find relational meaning and patterns in information
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Recombine their new knowledge with what they've learned in the past
Develop an ever-expanding network of neural connections within the brain. — more
connections and pathways of a transferrable concept network
Examples of Executive Function Activation Incorporated in Instruction and
Assessment
Prioritizing
Guided practice separating low relevance details from the main ideas in literature, word
story math problems, lectures, and textbook chapters develops prioritization skills.
Graphic Organizers for EF Skills
Maps, timelines, flow charts for planning or topic (an external prefrontal cortex)
Judgment
This executive function, when developed, promotes a student’s ability to monitor the
accuracy of information as well as of his or her understanding and work. This executive
function can be developed through guided opportunities for self-checking strategies such
as estimating in math, checking grammar accuracy, time planning, looking for clues for
questions in subsequent questions, checking in with themselves to monitor their focus, and
editing and revising their work.
Cognitive Flexibility: Perspective Building
Critical Analysis:
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Know the difference between theory and research
Read actual research
Learn the scientific method & use it to critique scientific research
Ask students to support opinions with reasons and to predict what an opposing
viewpoint would be and how they would defend against those arguments
Ask students how they would solve real problems, especially related to current
events and teachable moments
Critical Analysis Activity With Website Analysis:
• Find examples of objective and authenticated websites and examples of
opinions presented as facts
• Develop criteria for website validity
• Apply the criteria to assess other websites and sources of information
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Developing Enduring Understanding, Concept Memory Networks, &
Strong Executive Functions
How Knowledge Becomes Wisdom
Goal of Learning: To extend beyond information acquisition to knowledge production that
can be applied to new questions, problems, and innovations.
Basics must be mastered with understanding so the information links into a relational
concept for transfer, recall, and as a network recognized by the brain as a pattern to which
new input can be linked.
Learning without Understanding
 “The purpose of education is to develop individuals who can apply what they know
beyond the classroom”
 Students can have memory circuits of abundant facts, but not understand their
meaning
 That knowledge cannot be applied beyond the ways in which it was learned or
practiced
Multisensory Input and Practice
Multiple sensory modalities of instruction and practice result in multiple storage areas of
the information. These are connected by dendrites so recall of one sensory memory
activates all the storage areas. Examples include:
 Songs with gestures
 Movements that represent concepts (rotation vs. revolving of planets)
 Visualization
Extending Patterns to Concepts
 The concept network is constructed as a growing pattern in a neuronal circuit along
the way – not as a culmination. Building a concept network requires understanding
built through analysis, synthesis, and comparisons.
 Learning is cumulative and information can be retained best if, even before full
understanding, it is recognized as part of a pattern. Ongoing instruction and
formative assessment is needed to build patterns.
 With application of executive functions and mental manipulation for meaning
making and opportunities to apply learning to novel applications, understanding
extends beyond knowledge acquisition to knowledge production
Inquiry and Problem/Project-Based Units Use Executive Functions to Increase
Concept Development
Project and integrated learning with inherent critical analysis, problem investigation,
collaboration, and communication promote cross-brain interactivity and global thinking
 Opportunities to try multiple approaches
 Discuss and evaluate verbally in groups
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Extend pattern networks as new knowledge links to prior knowledge
Relevant experiences to give meaning to context specific vocabulary and domain
principles
Use of executive functions to transfer learning to new applications builds more
awareness of concept links (e.g. analysis, judgment, and prioritizing as students sift
through data
Cross-Disciplinary Curriculum: Expand concept networks and prepare students for
the increasing collaboration and interdependence resulting from more
subspecialization
Authentic, problem-oriented situations to foster inquiry, critical thinking, logical
conclusions, and increase depth knowledge of how to access and evaluate
information.
As understanding and meaning are student-constructed, long-term concept memory
networks are brain-constructed
Extended concept memory networks are available for TRANSFER: application to
understand changing “facts”, apply new technology, solve future problems, and for
creative innovation
Website: WWW.RADTeach.com
Judy Willis, M.D. M.Ed.
[email protected]
© 2012 Judy Willis
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