BRAIN-BASED Learning: Using BRAIN-BASED Learning: Using Questioning TECHNIQUES,Questioning TECHNIQUES,

Graphic Organizers & PERFORMANCE-Graphic Organizers & PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENTBASED ASSESSMENT

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. - Oscar Wilde, 1856-1900

Nora El-Bilawi

K-W-LK-W-LWhat do you Know about brain-based

learning?

What do you Want to learn about brain-based

learning?

What did you Learn about brain-based

learning?

Optical Illusions Optical Illusions

The "illusion" is that this is just a picture of coffee beans; but it is not. Can you find a man's face among the beans? Some say that if you find the man in 3 seconds or less, the right half of your brain may be more well developed than most.PS: This is not a trick. A man's face is really hidden among the beans.

How many legs does How many legs does this elephant have?this elephant have?

A skull? Or a woman looking into a vanity mirror?

Why this presentation can Why this presentation can help you in the teaching help you in the teaching

and learning processand learning process

Helping students to understand and remember more of what you teach.

Helping students finding meaning in what they are learning.

Transferring information with a powerful impact.

Planning daily and unit lessons with reference to brain science.

brain factsbrain facts

Brain Brain BiologyBiology

1. The number of nerve cells in our brain peaks prenatally and then they start to prune themselves out, one by one, through childhood.

2. The decision is based on which cells we use and which we do not. The cells we do not use are pruned away leaving more room to add branches, or dendrites, to the nerve cells that we do use.

3. The chief pruner is probably an enzyme named Calpain. Calpain has the ability to self-destruct a cell.

4. Calpain is produced in the nerve cells when there is a heavy calcium ion concentration in their surrounding environment. Reduced blood flow can cause this high calcium ion build up between and within cells.

5. In other words, high activity in a brain region calls for heavy blood flow to service the cells, low activity requires little blood flow. Therefore, the less-used areas, with their limited blood flow activity, tend to build up calcium ions. This build-up triggers the secretion of the enzyme Calpain, which causes the nerve cell to self -destruct.

6. New growth, on the other hand, comes in the dendrite development, or branching of well-used neurons. This branching is caused from

chemicals known as Neurotrophins. We continue to use neurotrophins all of our lives, especially in the hippocampus area, the brain region responsible for new learning and new memory formation.

Cunningham, L. et al. (1994)

Applying the Applying the Knowledge of Brain Knowledge of Brain Biology Into Brain-Biology Into Brain-

Based LearningBased Learning

Introduction to Brain- Introduction to Brain- Based LearningBased Learning

According to Spears, A. & Wilson, L.:

Brain-Based learning is a comprehensive approach to instruction based on how current research in neuroscience suggests our brain learns naturally.

This theory is based on the actual structure and function of the human brain at varying stages of development.

This type of education provides a biologically driven framework for teaching and learning, and helps explain recurring learning behaviors.

It is a meta-concept that includes and eclectic mix of techniques. Currently, these techniques stress allowing teachers to connect learning to students’ real life experiences.

Also..Also..*Brain-based learning is a new paradigm that has tremendous implications for educators and students. However, it is not a recipe for all learning, but it can be used to develop strategies that are based on the current available research.

*Every task that the brain completes requires communication and coordination among several of its parts. The task of learning functions in a similar way, as multiple areas of the brain must communicate and work together for learning to occur.

Squire, L. & Kandel, E. (1999)

Further Explanations & Further Explanations & QuotesQuotes

Brain-Based learning is the purposeful engagement of strategies based on neuroscience. To Jensen (2000), brain-based learning is “learning in accordance with the way the brain is naturally designed to learn” (p. 6).

Everyone’s brain is uniquely shaped by genetics, the environment, social phenomena, and experience to form a “personal cognitive map” (Jensen, 2000, p. 15).

Then, Then, How Does How Does the Brain the Brain Learn?Learn?

ActivityActivitylearning about your brainlearning about your brain

Sousa (2006) p. 191-193: Testing your Hemispheric Preference.

Answer the questions.

Share and reflect with a partner.

Main Principles of Brain Based Main Principles of Brain Based Learning ResearchLearning Research

(what it involves)(what it involves)

Spears, A. & Wilson, L.:

The Brain Is a Complex Adaptive System. The Brain is a Social Brain. The Search for Meaning Is Innate.

The Search for Meaning Occurs Through Patterning.

Emotions are Critical to Patterning.

Every Brain Simultaneously Perceives and Creates Parts and Wholes.

Learning Involves Both Focused Attention and Peripheral Perception.

Continue..Continue..Learning Always Involves Both Conscious and Unconscious Processes.

We Have at Least Two Ways of Organizing Memory.

Learning is Developmental.

Complex Learning Is Enhanced by Challenge and Inhibited by Threat.

Every Brain Is Uniquely Organized.

How the Brain LearnsHow the Brain LearnsThe deepest part of the brain, the brain stem, is sometimes called the reptilian brain, and is responsible for our instinctual or survival behaviors. This area of the brain is the first to respond to trouble, and is the area of the “flight or fight” response. When a student feels threatened during a test; the brain reacts to the situation, and it is no longer able to store or learn any information; thus, learning becomes impossible (Jensen, 2000).

Learning is also due to input to the brain. Sensory information (e.g., aural, visual, and tactile information) enters the brain along multiple nerve receptors. Sensory input causes axons to react by budding, branching, and reaching out to other neurons, thus, leading to the development of new connections in the brain (Cercone, 2006) .

Emotional stimulation should be incorporated in learning, this emotion will make information more memorable-easy to recall from the long term memory (Fishback, 1999).

If the information is novel, the brain needs to develop these budding new pathways. It is when an axon grows and meets up with another neuron that is when learning occurs (Cercone, 2006).

How The Brain How The Brain Learns..Learns..The more elaborate a memory is (in terms of sound, touch,

vision, etc.), the easier it is to access (Fishback, 1999).

According to Jensen (2000), “Learning is best when focused, diffused, then focused again. Constant focused learning is increasingly inefficient. In fact, the whole notion of ‘time on task’ is in conflict biologically and educationally with the way the brain naturally learns” (p. 48).

Repetition is also important, as it causes neural connections to reactivate and increases the chance of retaining the memory (Fishback, 1999).

Preexposure, or priming, has been shown to be important to learning. The greater the amount of a priming stimulus, the more the brain extracts and “compartmentalizes (lateralize) the information” (Jensen, 2000, p. 81).

What are the What are the Implication for Implication for

TeachingTeachingAccording to Noddings, N. (1992) brain learns by:

Novelty seekeing: environment (classroom) that contains mostly predictable stimuli lowers the brain’s interest. Ex. Humor, Movement – get the blood flowing, Multi-sensory Instruction – interesting colorful visuals - & talk about their learning, Quiz Games – helps students rehearse – adds repetitions for long term memory, and Music.

Information processing model: Learning, Storing, and Remembering-Are all dynamic and interactive processes.

Memory: short term memory (5 year -2 items, 6-14 yrs. 5 item., 14 & old. 7), attention is between 5-10 or 10-20 (depend on age)/long term memory emotion, make sense, relevant)

Self-concept: constructivism

Now, How to Increase Now, How to Increase Students’ Students’

Understanding? Understanding? Implementing brain-based learning in the Implementing brain-based learning in the

classroomclassroom

Case Study, Group Case Study, Group DiscussionDiscussion

Sousa (2006) p. 121.

Read this situation in the table with your group.

Reflect on what happened in both cases.

Suggestions.

Essential for Essential for UnderstandingUnderstanding“Our brain sorts and stores information based on whether it is heavily

embedded in context or in content” (Jensen, p. 222). Learning should be meaningful for the student. Using real-life simulations and contextualized situations helps students “memorize” information.

“Psychologists have also known for a long time that understanding is largely a consequence of deep processing. Thus, complex learning depends on a person’s capacity to take charge of the processing of experience which is a matter of becoming aware of what is actually happening” (Caine & Caine, n.d., n.p.).

According to Jenkins (2000), thinking occurs when the brain accesses “prior representations for understanding” (p. 185).

Children---unconscious learning (Bollet and Fallon, 2002); whereas, Adults---metacognitive and critical thinking learning (Hill, 2001).

Embedded (on-going) assessment.

Different Different Paths/Activities To Paths/Activities To Increase Students’ Increase Students’

UnderstandingUnderstandingChoosing only three important paths:

First, Questioning Techniques

Second, use of graphic organizers

Third, performance-based assessment/ alternative assessment (ex. project based-learning: web-quest)

First, Questioning First, Questioning TechniquesTechniques

Backwards Design Planning Process: *What enduring understandings do I want my

students to develop? *How will my students demonstrate their

understanding when the unit is completed? *How will I ensure that students have the skills and understand the concepts required on the

summative assessment?

Questioning StepsQuestioning StepsGreece School District 2004 (retrieved, 2008)Greece School District 2004 (retrieved, 2008)

Step 1:Identifying Themes, Enduring Understandings, & Essential Questions (open-ended, thought-provoking, draw upon knowledge, lead to other questions)

Step 2:Designing The Summative Assessment (require students to synthesize and draw upon the skills and concepts they have developed throughout the unit in order to demonstrate their understanding). 

Step 3: Identifying Learning Outcomes & Instructional Strategies (chunking, scaffolding, modeling, guided practice, and independent application).

Step 4: Selecting Multi-genre Resources (including poetry, nonfiction, short fiction, drama, art work, political cartoons, and various forms of media).

Step 5: Refining the Learning Experiences (as you teach the unit, you will also make continual adjustments based on the formative assessment data you gather about what students know and can do).

Second, Use of Second, Use of Graphic OrganizersGraphic Organizers

They instructional tools used to illustrate a student or class's prior knowledge about a topic or section of text; specific examples include the

K-W-L-H Technique and the Anticipation/Reaction Guide.

Why Use Graphic Why Use Graphic Organizers?Organizers?

First, students are considerably more likely to understand and remember the content subject you are teaching.

Second, because the semantic information processing demands are reduced, you can often address the content at more sophisticated or complex levels; this is especially true for many students with learning disabilities. (facilitate understanding).

Third, students are more likely to become strategic learners. Reading and writing skills, communication skills, and analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills are all subject to improve when students learn recognize these patterns of thinking, construct, and use graphic organizers. ---Dunston, P.J. (1992)

ExamplesExamplesNorth Central Educational laboratory, 1988 North Central Educational laboratory, 1988

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1grorg.htmhttp://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1grorg.htm (retrieved, 2008)(retrieved, 2008)

Spider mapSpider mapUsed to describe a central idea: a thing, process, concept, or proposition with support. Key frame questions: What is the central idea? What are its attributes? What are its functions?

Series events chainSeries events chainUsed to describe the stages of something; the steps in a linear procedure; a sequence of events; or the goals, actions, and outcomes of a historical figure or character in a novel . Key frame questions: What is the object, procedure, or initiating event? What are the stages or steps? How do they lead to one another? What is the final outcome?

Human interaction Human interaction outlineoutline

Used to show the nature of an interaction between persons or groups. Key frame questions: Who are the persons or groups? What were their goals? Did they conflict or cooperate? What was the outcome for each person or group?

Fish boneFish boneUsed to show the causal interaction of a complex event or complex phenomenon. Key frame questions: What are the factors that cause X ? How do they interrelate? Are the factors that cause X the same as those that cause X to persist?

Third, Evaluate Third, Evaluate Understanding Through Understanding Through aLternative AssessmentaLternative Assessment

Project-based learningThe utilization of non-

traditional approaches in judging student performance.

Ex. WEB-QUEST

what is web-quest?what is web-quest?2001-2006 by The Source for Learning, Inc.2001-2006 by The Source for Learning, Inc.

*A webquest is an assignment which asks students to use the World Wide Web to learn about and/or synthesize their knowledge in a specific topic.

*A “true” webquest, requires synthesis of the new knowledge by accomplishing a “task,” often to solve a hypothetical problem or address a real-world issue.

*Simpler web activities designed for students to investigate and collect new knowledge from web-based sources can also be a more engaging and effective replacement for “read the chapter and complete the questions.”

Why bother? Why bother? (Why should you take the time to (Why should you take the time to

create a webquest?)create a webquest?)

A good webquest puts the power of the web behind your topic (students discover for themselves)

Webquests are a way to let students work at their own pace, either individually or in teams.

A webquest lets students explore selected areas in more depth, but within limits that you have selected. This makes webquests ideal for classes which combine students with different ability levels.

Webquests offer a different, more dynamic approach to teaching the value of research.

Webquests can also increase the "comfort level" of students using the Internet for learning activities. While your students are probably already computer literate, a properly designed webquest can help students become creative researchers rather than simply "surfing" from one site to another.---The Source for Learning, Inc. 2001-2006

ExamplesExamples

http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/ancientegypt.htm

http://www.teachersfirst.com/summer/webquest/autoframe.htm?http://www.rebeccagammill.com/CARPROJECT/webquest%20template/index.htm

http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=7309

Practical Application Practical Application (Handy Activities for (Handy Activities for

teachers’ use)teachers’ use)

Tools you can use!Tools you can use!

http://www.dana.org/resources/brainykids/

http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/mspot/

http://www.marcprensky.com/dgbl/Prensky%20-%20Selected%20URLs(web).htm

Final thoughtsFinal thoughts

The Importance of The The Importance of The FindingsFindings

1. The brain is a parallel processor, meaning: it can perform several activities at once, like tasting and smelling.

2. Learning engages the whole physiology.

5. Emotions are critical to patterning.

6. The brain processes wholes and parts simultaneously.

7. Learning includes both focused attention and peripheral perception.

8. Learning require both conscious and unconscious processes.

9. We have two types of memory: spatial and rote.

10. We understand best when facts are embedded in natural, spatial memory.

11. Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat.

(Kovalik, S. J., & McGeehan, J. R., 1999)

THREE INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS ESSENTIAL TO THIS LEARNING PROCESS (Jensen, 2000):

Teachers must immerse learners in complex, interactive experiences that are both rich and real. One excellent example is immersing students in a foreign culture to teach them a second language. Educators must take advantage of the brain's ability to parallel process.

Students must have a personally meaningful challenge. Such challenges stimulate a student's mind to the desired state of alertness.

In order for a student to gain insight about a problem, there must be intensive analysis of the different ways to approach it, and about learning in general. This is what's known as the "active processing of experience."

http://www.teachers.tv/video/121

Brain-Based Approach Video

A Visual conclusion

Questions!!

What do you think?Can you really use this?

ReferencesBollet, R. M., & Fallon, S. (2002). Personalizing e-learning. Education Media International, 40-44. Retrieved January 11, 2004, from http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (1990, October). Understanding a brain-based approach to learning and teaching. Retrieved September 14, 2003, from http://poncelet.math.nthu.edu.tw/chuan/note/note/brain-based

Caine, R. N., & Caine, G. (n.d.). Principles wheel. Retrieved January 22, 2004, from http://cainelearning.com/pwheel/

Cercone, K. (2006). Brain-based learning. Enhancing Learning Through Technology. (p.293-318). Idea Group Inc.

Cunningham, L. et al. (1994). Brain Research, 658, 219-231.

Dunston, P.J. (1992). A Critique of graphic organizer research. Reading Research and Instruction. 31(2), 57-65.

Ellis, E.S. & Sabornie, E.J. (1990). Strategy based adaptive instruction in content area classes: Social validity of six

Fishback, S. J. (1999). Learning and the brain. Adult learning, 10(2), 18-23.

References

Greece central school district. (2004). Backward DesignBeginning With The End in Mind to Design Multi-Genre Thematic Units. In Backward Design Overview & FAQs. Retrieved Nov. 2008, from http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/BackwardDesign/Overview.htm.

Hill, L. H. (2001). The brain and consciousness: Sources of information for understanding adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 8, 73-81.

Jenkins, L.. (Aug. 29, 2000). United States patent . In System and method of image generation and encoding using primitive reprojection . Retrieved Nov. 2008, from http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en&lr=&vid=USPAT6111582&id=rGAEAAAAEBAJ&oi=fnd&dq=Jenkins,+2000+prior+representation.

Jensen, E. (2000). Brain-based learning. San Diego, CA: The Brain Store.

Kovalik, S. J., & McGeehan, J. R. (1999). Integrated thematic instruction: From brain research to application. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional- design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory (Volume II, pp. 371-396). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Noddings, N. (1992) The Challenge to Care in Schools: an alter native approach to education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

References

North central regional educational laboratory. (1988). Learning point associates. In Graphic organizers. Retrieved Nov. 2008, from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1grorg.htm., D. (2006). How the brain learns. California: Crowin press.

Spears, A. & Wilson, L.. (2000-2001). CELT Center. In Brain-based learning. Retrieved Nov. 2008, from http://www.uwsp.edu/education/celtProject/innovations/Brain-Based%20Learning/brain-based_learning.htm.

Squire, L. & Kandel, E. (1999). Memory. Scientific American Press (p.15). New York

The Source for Learning, Inc.. (2001-2006). Webquest 101. In Putting Discovery into the Curriculum. Retrieved Nov. 2008, from http://www.teachersfirst.com/summer/webquest/quest-b.shtml.