* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Presentation
Human brain wikipedia , lookup
Embodied cognitive science wikipedia , lookup
Human multitasking wikipedia , lookup
Neuroinformatics wikipedia , lookup
Haemodynamic response wikipedia , lookup
Activity-dependent plasticity wikipedia , lookup
Neurophilosophy wikipedia , lookup
Neurolinguistics wikipedia , lookup
Selfish brain theory wikipedia , lookup
Aging brain wikipedia , lookup
Neuroanatomy of memory wikipedia , lookup
Neuropsychopharmacology wikipedia , lookup
Neuroplasticity wikipedia , lookup
Cognitive neuroscience wikipedia , lookup
Brain morphometry wikipedia , lookup
Neuroanatomy wikipedia , lookup
History of neuroimaging wikipedia , lookup
Metastability in the brain wikipedia , lookup
Donald O. Hebb wikipedia , lookup
Neuropsychology wikipedia , lookup
What do you know? 1. Students have the highest capacity for learning languages when they are adolescents. 2. Students remember “the meat” (the stuff in the middle) of the lesson best. 3. Teachers need students to be on task as much of the class period as possible. 4. Emotion and intelligence are separate functions. 5. An enriched environment means a classroom with posters & music. 6. Some foods and aromas can help keep students alert during the school day. 7. It is best for students to get up and move at some time during a lesson. Brain Basics Judgment, creativity, problem-solving Processing higher sensory & language functions Vision Hearing, memory, meaning, & language FACTS: The brain is about the size of a grapefruit. It is made of 78-80% water, 10% fat, & 8% protein. It uses 1/5th of the body’s oxygen. Neurons (a type of brain cell) make connections with other neurons to pass along information. New stimulation, experience, or behavior creates new connections. The key to getting smarter is growing more connections between brain cells and not losing existing connections. How the Brain Works The brain pays little attention to information it does not see as important. If the information is relevant with an emotional hook, we pay attention. Brain can pay attention to only one thing at a time. Capacity limited to 72 items. The brain chunks information to allow us to work with or remember more information. The key word here is “actively.” We must do something with the information or it will be lost. No limits to long-term memory. Information in long-term memory is permanent, therefore it needs to be correct. Ex. Kids learn it wrong and practice it that way 30x for homework, you need to overpower a wrong memory with 7 times more practice! Implications for Teaching • Strategy: “Four Corners” –Teacher poses a question. –Teacher announces corners. –Students think & write. –Students go to appropriate corner. –Student discuss in pairs or small groups. Windows of Opportunity The brain gobbles up the external environment through its sensory system and then reassembles the digested world in the form of connections which are… constantly growing or dying becoming stronger or weaker …depending on the richness of the environment. Primacy-Recency Effect During a learning episode: We remember best that which comes first, (gets our attention) Second best is that which comes last, and least that which come just past the middle. As we shorten the learning episode, the down time decreases faster than the prime times. So, there is a higher probability of learning taking place if we can keep the episodes short and relevant-teaching two 20-minute lessons provides 20% more prime time that one 40-minute lesson. Implications for Teaching • Strategy: “Jumbled Summary” –After writing as many implications as you can, turn your attention to the front of the room where we will try to unscramble three phrases that will help us remember the content of this section of notes. Attention Cycles & Breaks Today’s students are accustomed to quick change and novelty in their environment, so many find it difficult to concentrate on the same topic for long periods of time. 30 minutes 90 minutes 30-60 minutes each Wakeup AM Noon Time of Day PM Attention Cycles & Breaks The percentage of remembering time increases as the learning episode decreases. Although some teachers believe that staying on task throughout the learning period is best, research indicates that neurons need some down time to consolidate information. We are likely to keep students focused during the lesson segments if we go off task between the segments…SO GIVE THEM BREAKS! Degree of Attending 0 10 18 20 28 36 40 50 55 60 65 70 77 80 Minutes in Learning Episode Activity between segments: On Task Off Task Learning & Emotions Get Attention with...music/songs/noises, objects, living things, video clips, cartoons, skits, newspaper articles…and make it EMOTIONAL! Emotions drive attention create meaning, and have their own memory pathways. Emotion helps reason to focus the mind and set priorities. Teachers who help their students feel good about learning through classroom success, friendships, and celebrations are doing the very things the student brain craves. Some ways to engage emotions: music, games, storytelling, model the love of learning, celebrations, structured debates/controversy, and journaling. Implications for Teaching • Strategy: “” –After a presentation, discussion, or video, ask students to reflect on the material with this framework: • One idea that squares with my beliefs • Three points I want to remember • One question/idea that is still rolling around in my head Enriching the Environment Positive environments can actually produce physical changes in the developing brain. 40-70% of the brain’s wiring is from the environmental impact. Posters are good…they create a safe, comfortable space for learners, but an aesthetically pleasing room does NOT constitute an enriched environment. You MUST also have: 1. A threat-free room: eliminate the negatives (embarrassment, finger-pointing, unrealistic deadlines, humiliation, sarcasm, bullying) 2. Mentally challenging tasks: use new material or add a degree of difficulty. 3. Novelty: change the décor every two to four weeks. Change instructional strategies often (use computers, groups, field trips, guest speakers, pairings, games, peer teaching, and journaling.) 4. Choice: students need to believe that they have some control over their learning. 5. Learner feedback: it should be immediate and specific, so that the student can use it to increase their performance. Implications for Teaching • Strategy: “Alphabet Summary” –After writing as many implications as you can, everyone in the room will get a letter (a-z). Come up with a word or phrase that begins with your letter to describe an enriched learning environment. Food & Aromas Because the brain is over 78% water, we need 12-22 glasses per day for optimal functioning. Fruit, such as apples, pears, kiwis, and berries provide water and a quick source of energy to keep students alert. Get rid of candy--it’s a quick energy source, but after it burns off quickly, then kids CRASH. Aspartame can cause depression and headaches in older students, and hyperactivity and violent behavior in younger students. Aromas to energize or induce a positive mood: peppermint, lemon, sage, cinnamon, basil, pine, eucalyptus, jasmine. Aromas to reduce stress or relax brain waves: lavender, chamomile, spiced apple Implications for Teaching • Strategy: “Draw a Picture” –After writing as many implications as you can, draw a picture that graphically summarizes the effect of food and aromas on learning. Learning & Movement The cerebellum is controls posture, coordination, balance and movement…but it also has connections distributed to ALL areas of the brain. The part of the brain that processes movement is the same part of the brain that processes learning = Mind-Body Link. Exercise fuels the brain with oxygen and it feeds it neurotropins (high nutrient food) to enhance growth and greater connections between neurons. Exercise can reduce stress (important because chronic stress releases a chemical that kills neurons in the hippocampus, a critical area for long-term memory formation.) Having fun decreases stress and improves the functioning of the immune system for three days after the fun. All K-12 students need 30 minutes a day of physical movement to stimulate the brain. (From the President’s Council on Fitness and Sports) Some suggestions include: daily stretching, walks, dance, theater, seat-changing, and energizers. Implications for Teaching • Strategy: “Whip-Around” –After writing as many implications as you can, everyone in the room will stand up and share how we can exploit the mind-body link in our classrooms. You may sit as soon as you’ve contributed a new idea. What do you know NOW? 1. Students have the highest capacity for learning languages when they are adolescents. FALSE 2. Students remember “the meat” (the stuff in the middle) of the lesson best. FALSE 3. Teachers need students to be on task as much of the class period as possible. FALSE 4. Emotion and intelligence are separate functions. FALSE 5. An enriched environment means a classroom with posters, music only. FALSE 6. Some foods and aromas can help keep students alert during the school day. TRUE 7. It is best for students to get up and move at some time during a lesson. TRUE Resources Jensen, Eric. Brain Compatible Strategies.The Brain Store: San Diego, CA. 1997. Jensen, Eric. Teaching with the brain in mind. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. 1998. Sousa, David. How the brain works. Corwin Press: California. 2001.