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How the Special Needs Brain Learns David Sousa By Dr. Paul A. Rodríguez 11 Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2 Who are the special needs students? Those diagnosed and classified with having specific learning problems, including speech, reading, writing, math, emotional & behavioral disorders Those enrolled in supplemental instruction programs for basic skills, such as Title 1 Those not classified but still struggling with problems affecting 2 their learning Who is not covered in Sousa’s book? Those students with learning problems resulting primarily from hearing, visual, or physical handicaps 3 Focus of Sousa’s book Brain research – how it can help teachers reach special needs learners Common difficulties & disorders that teachers are likely to encounter Practical applications/strategies Not to be used for diagnoses! 4 Something to Think About “As we gain a greater understanding of the human brain, we may discover that some students designated as ‘learning disabled’ may merely be ‘schooling disabled.’ Sometimes, these students are struggling to learn in an environment that is designed inadvertently to frustrate their efforts…” 5 Something to Think About (cont.) “…Just changing our instructional approach may be enough to move these students to the ranks of successful learners.” (Sousa, p. 4) 6 The Brain and Learning (chapter 1) 7 Exterior Parts of the Brain (pp. 5-8) Four lobes in each hemisphere – each lobe tends to specialize for certain functions Motor cortex and somatosensory cortex Cerebellum 8 Interior Parts of the Brain (pp. 8-12) Brainstem Limbic area: thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala Cerebrum Brain cells & related parts: neurons, glial cells, dendrites, axon, myelin, sheath, synapse, synaptic vesicles, neurotransmitters 9 Mirror Neurons (p. 12) Clusters of neurons in the premotor cortex fire just before person carries out a planned movement Also fire when see someone else perform the movement (reach for ball or cup) Scientists believe mirror neurons help us decode the intentions & predict the behavior of others 10 Mirror Neurons (cont.) Structures in the limbic area that activate during one’s own pain also activate during empathy See look of disgust, pain, happiness, etc. on someone else’s face triggers that feeling in us 11 Mirror Neurons (cont.) Mirror neurons might explain young children’s mimicry, yawning when someone else does, etc. New idea: People with autism may have a deficit in their mirror-neuron system, which would explain why they have difficulty inferring the intentions and emotions of others 12 Learning and Retention Learning is the process by which we acquire new knowledge & skills Memory is the process by which we retain knowledge & skills for the future Retention is the process by which long-term memory preserves learning so that the memory can be located, identified, & retrieved accurately in the future 13 Retention (cont.) Retention requires building conceptual frameworks that have personal meaning to the student This relevancy is especially important for students with special needs, as they may have trouble focusing for very long 14 Rehearsal (pp. 14-15) Time is needed for initial and secondary rehearsal – for information to first enter working memory and for the brain to make sense of that information & add details Rote rehearsal – remember & store (often seen as boring to students with learning disabilities) Elaborative rehearsal – associate new learning with prior learning 15 Rehearsal (cont.) Students with learning disabilities often find rote rehearsal boring They need more time & guidance through elaborative rehearsal – seeing relationships, finding meaning/relevance 16 Something to Remember: “Rehearsal only contributes to, but does not guarantee, information transfer into long-term storage. However, there is almost no longterm retention without rehearsal.” (p. 15) 17 Learning Motor Skills (pp. 15-16) Too much conscious attention focused on learning a new motor skill can reduce the quality of the output Attention & awareness are necessary for learning a new skill, though Deep sleep & time help skill become more automatic (requiring less direct thinking) 18 Learning Difficulties & Motor Skills Low motor ability does not necessarily mean low perceptual or intellectual ability Sometimes can be related – developmental dyslexia ADD – may not be able to focus long enough to learn new motor skills – get person to focus externally 19 Today’s Brains Differences in environment of past & present – see pp. 16-18 Brain seeks novelty – if classroom is too predictable in its stimuli, then the brain will look inward for novel sensations Even using technology in the classroom may not be novel enough – depends on how it is used 20 Something to Think About What some teachers see as a learning disability may jus be alienation from school due to lack of engagement, relevance, & novelty (Sousa, p. 18) We must adjust our schools even more to keep up with the changing brains 21 When Learning Difficulties Arise (Sousa chapter 2) 22 Prenatal Development (p. 19) Defective apoptosis (purposeful destruction of extra neurons) may prune more than it should, such as photographic memory Maternal drug & alcohol use can interfere with growing brain cells – fetal addiction & mental defects 23 Infancy (p. 19) 20 hours of sleep each day – energy for rapid brain development & neuron connections A richer environment = more connections made = faster learning with more meaning 24 Approaching Puberty (pp. 19-20) Neuron connection pace slows Useful connections become permanent Non-useful connections are eliminated (apoptosis) All “decisions” based on experience These processes continue throughout life, but are most intense during ages 3-12 25 Possible Causes of Learning Disabilities (pp. 20-27) Genetics Maternal use of tobacco, alcohol, & other drugs Problems during pregnancy or delivery Toxins in the child’s environment Stress in the child’s environment 26 Possible Causes of Learning Disabilities (cont.) Gender differences (p. 25): More boys than girls Foreign body response? Testosterone? Genetic mutations on the X chromosome? 27 Most Effective Forms of Instruction (p. 25) Combine direct instruction with teaching students learning strategies (memorization & study skills) Use of technology Control of task difficulty – small group work 28 Misconceptions about Learning Disabilities Look at chart on p. 26 Which misconceptions do you have? Which misconceptions do you hear most often from others? 29 Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities (p. 27) Twice-exceptional 2-5% of student population Tend to fall through the cracks Often labeled “lazy” – see Levine 30 Responsiveness to Intervention (pp. 27-31) Many variations, but all follow basics: Use data Multi-tiered interventions 31 Helping Students Become Strategic Learners (pp. 31-35) Cognitive & metacognitive strategies (p. 34) Students with learning disabilities may have problems with learning due to being overwhelmed, disorganized, frustrated, unable to follow directions, etc. They may have perception or processing problems Lack of prior success = lack of confidence They may not see connection with information 32 Helping Students Become Strategic Learners (cont.) Therefore, students with learning disabilities need to learn strategies for how to learn Some of these strategies include note taking, outlining, asking questions, rereading, asking others to edit work, making up mnemonic devices See even more strategies on p. 33 33 Something to Remember “Learning and retention are more likely to occur when students can observe, engage in, discuss, reflect upon, and practice new learning.” (Sousa, p. 34) 34 Importance of Self-Esteem (pp. 35-36) Students with learning disabilities often have negative feelings about learning They feel that they cannot learn, because they could not in the past School-based interventions to raise self-esteem do show success Word of caution: Not all of our perceptions about self-esteem appear to be correct (bullies, drug users, etc.) 35 Strategies to Consider Break into 5 “groups” Each group (or individual) will take one of the Strategies to Consider (pp. 37-47) & summarize the ideas as quickly as possible You will have 5 minutes to do that, then 1 minute to present your summary 36 Final Discussion What are the main ideas that you will take away from Sousa’s introduction and chapters 1 & 2 that we just went over? How will you apply those ideas in your classroom beginning immediately? 37
