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Empower Yourself to Learn!
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Empower Yourself to Learn
Intelligence is a developmental process,
not something that is fixed at birth or by
socioeconomic or cultural factors.
"Smart is not something you are. Smart is
something you get."
Messages Students Sometimes
Say to Themselves
 I’m not very smart
 I’m not good at … (math, science,
reading, etc.)
 I’ll never be smart
 You have the power to change the
message you tell yourself
 You have the power to “GET SMART”!
The Secret to Raising Smart Kids
Hint: Don't tell your students that they are
smart. More than three decades of
research shows that a focus on effort—
not on intelligence or ability—is key to
success in school and in life
 Research has shown that when students
understand they can “get smarter”; they
understand the decision to “be smart” is
up to them.
Let’s learn about how the brain is wired
This is a neuron (a brain cell)
Interesting facts about neurons:
A human brain has 100 billion
neurons
At birth, the number of synapses per neuron is 2,500
but by age two or three, it’s about 15,000 synapses
per neuron. This is like going from 100 to 600 friends
on Facebook, and each of those friends in turn, is
connected to 600 more people!
There are 1,000 to 15,000
synapses per neuron
How are neural connections made?
Neuroscientist Dr. Kenneth
Wesson says this about
learning:
There are more neurons in your brain than
there are stars in the galaxy
Learning = creating linkages between
neurons (brain cells)
There is a correlation between
density of neural connections and
acquired knowledge and skills
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
THE MORE YOU USE YOUR BRAIN,
THE MORE CONNECTIONS YOUR BRAIN
MAKES !
THE LESS YOU USE YOUR BRAIN, THE
FASTER YOUR NEURAL CONNECTIONS
WILL FADE!
So don’t quit and say that you can’t learn.
Everyone can get smarter.
DR. MARK ROSENZWEIG SAYS:
“It’s
a fortunate person whose brain,
Is trained early again and again,
And who continues to use it,
To be sure not to lose it,
Thus, the brain in old age may not wane.”
ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION:
DO YOU WANT TO BE A PERSON WHO
CHOOSES TO “GROW” THEIR BRAIN OVER
THE COURSE OF A LIFETIME,
OR
DO YOU WANT TO BE A PERSON WHO
LOSES NEURAL CONNECTIONS OVER
A LIFETIME?
YOU HAVE A CHOICE!
And another good reason to exercise your brain…
Research shows that the more you “use your
brain”, the less likely it is that you will develop
Alzheimer’s disease later on!
Use it or lose it!
Why Learn?
You will “wire”
your brain &…
To get a …
JOB!
A job!
It is more important to get a …
LIFE!
What does “getting a life” mean?
Being the best that you can be!
Why?
When you are the “best that you
can be”, you will have something
to offer others AND consequently
you will give yourself a gift.
Let me explain…
You will have something to offer your …
Peers (friends)
You can be a friend who positively influences
others and who models kindness, respect
and hard work.
You will have something to offer your…
School
A collection of positive, hard working
students creates a school climate of
positive, hard working students.
You will have something to offer your…
Family
You CAN be a leader in your family simply
from leading by example.
You will have something to offer your…
Self!
Knowledge is power. You will be less
susceptible in situations requiring information
processing. (bank, doctor, etc.)
With the skill set you will gain from getting an education
securing a meaningful and high paying job will be
possible.
Remember, the more you
use your brain, the more
neural connections you
will make!
You will have something to offer…
A future family
The more skills you have to offer your future family,
the more likely they will be successful in their future.
You can’t share knowledge that you don’t have.
You will have something to offer…
Your community
Martin Luther King was influential because he was
intelligent and articulate.
Set a goal to make your world a better place.
Without knowledge of political issues, you cannot
effectively vote.
Without knowledge, you cannot be a fully
productive world citizen.
Civic Responsibility
Don’t go to school to “get a job”,
go to school to “get a life”!
During this presentation,
your brain has changed!
Famous people with dyslexia …
Edison
Goldberg
Da vinci
Picasso
Einstein
What is an Advanced Placement class?
•A college level class offered in a high school
classroom.
*A required formal national exam is taken in
the spring.
*If a student has a high score on this exam,
they are exempt from taking that class in
college.
Why take an A.P. course?
* You will develop foundational knowledge
in that subject area!
* Your brain will form some “serious connections!”
* You will gain confidence in that subject area!
* It’s a WIN WIN situation!