Educational professionals who understand the relevant aspects of brain development, alertness, attention, and memory storage and retrieval, and who use strategies derived from this research, will find their work becoming more effective and exciting and will find their students more engaged.
Nuerons Brain Cells Present at Birth
Lifelong growth of support and connectingcells that enrich communication betweenneurons (dendrites).
Point to the part of the brain for vision while saying “vision”
Point to the part of the brain for hearing while saying “hearing”
Point to the part of the brain for touching while saying “touching”
“Arms” coming from axons (body of neuron)
Increase in size and number in response to learned skills, experience, and information.
New dendrites grow as branches from frequently activated neurons
Brain’s plasticity allows it to reshape and reorganize networks of dendrite-neuron in response to increased or decreased use.
Housed in grey matter of brain.
Dendrites carry information from one neuron (brain cell) to another.
Each neuron may communicate with 50,000 other neurons by dendrites
Multiple neural pathways can help fight Alzheimer’s Disease
5:00 Video Clip
2004 report in Nature Learning to juggle
increased grey matter in occipital lobes.
Once they stop, new grey matter vanished.
Similar structural change in people who learn – and then don’t practice – a second language.
Decrease in connecting dendrites and other brain connecting cells that are not used is called “pruning.”
Just like pruning errant branches of a bush that do not connect to other branches, the brain prunes its own inactive cells.
Active cells require blood to bring nourishment and clear waste, but inactive cells don’t send messages for blood.
Reduced blood causes build-up of calcium ions, which triggers secretion of enzyme called calpain that causes cells to self-destruct.
Learning consists of increasing dendrite formation and connection
For learning to be long term, it must move into the frontal lobe – logic, reasoning, emotions
Present information in a logical multi-sensory approach that promotes reason and if possible plays on the emotions.
Use multiple methods from multiple stimulations for building memory Discussion
Use the element of surprise Where were you when… Or, Or how about… Surprise triggers higher levels of brain
activity – WE REMEMBER IS TRUE!
DO NOT TEACH TO ROTE MEMORIZATION Facts that are often of little interest or
emotional value to the student, such as a list of vocabulary words with nothing to give them context or relationships to their lives, are stored in remoter areas of the brain. With few nerve pathways, this information is difficult to retrieve.
Make cross-curricular connections
When you learned something that seemed obvious or easy, but you soon forgot.
Working memory (aka short term) involves ability to hold and manipulate information for use in the immediate future. This information is only held here for 20
minutes. If not moved into the long term memory through practice and relating material through multisensory approaches the material will be lost or stored in remote brain areas.
Simply reading textbook passages will not help students learn material Break up reading with engaging and
thought provoking questions Incorporate multimedia presentations to
engage current generation Have peer editing of students notes in class
after constructive modeling of how to do this
PET scan results of a student Silent reading, least brain activity Material made multisensory activity
increased Student asked to make connections
from story to his life, still more Then asked to listen so as to teach
someone else the story, greatest amount of brain activity We learn the most when we have to
teach someone else!!!!!!
Involve exterior activities in class Play music or associate a certain smell to allow
students to recall through their experiences and emotions
Breaking down into separate smaller chunks does not allow for deep understanding of material Focus on creating patterns so students can relate new
material to previous material and make connections Japanese math curriculum vs. American math curriculum
Multiple forms of review such as concept maps
Visualize historical event using words or pictures on a paper
Tie information to students own lives
Role-play or pantomime
The amygdala functions on emotions for fear and anxiety Becomes over-
activated when there is a threat
Over-activation blocks input from going into the memory circuits of the brain
Positive emotional states also activate and INCREASE metabolic activity Feelings of contentment,
joy, play, and a comfortable amount of challenging show better working memory and higher order executive functioning and decision-making abilities.
For complex lessons, especially lecture based, the nueral transmission across synapses will be depleted after approximately 15 minutes.
The brain physically needs breaks to rest and re-coup.
Changing your teaching method will prevent overloading and help maintain positive emotional states to promote memory storage.
Give students a “break” to get out materials or ask questions, then have them recap the lesson.
After a syn-nap, have students work on putting material into their own words
The brain files information by identifying similarities and differences Research shows that frequent use of this
instructional technique leads to the greatest increases in learning
Venn Diagrams, generate mental images and associate with previous material, create analogies and metaphors
Repetition of learned material that is reviewed on a regular basis increases efficiency of brain Professional musicians – high brain metabolic
activity initially but decreased after practice showing increased efficiency
Continuous assessment and review of prior important material Math cummulative exam Midterm exams Summation of learned material
Best remembered information is learned trough multiple and varied exposures followed by authentic use of the knowledge by processing it through the executive function centers. Student centered or open ended questions
After reading Of Mice and Men, defend or condemn George’s decision to kill Lennie?
Defend or Condemn the decision of Truman to drop the atomic bomb
Defend or Condemn the invasion of Iraq Whom is the greatest president in – war time,
or economic policy