brain based learning and teaching dr. sue quillian thrasher assistant professor educational...
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Brain Based Learning and Teaching
Dr. Sue Quillian ThrasherAssistant Professor
Educational LeadershipMercer University
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Caveat
Nothing about brain-based learning is an absolute, but we are learning more and more every day about how the brain functions and how that translates to behavior - including teaching and learning.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Can the brain grow new cells?
Does what you eat and drink affect your brain?
Do colors influence emotion?
Can knowledge of “brain-based” learning
positively influence learning?
How have you already used brain-based?
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What is Brain Based Learning?
Taking what we know about the brain, about development and about learning to connect and excite students’ desire to learn.
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Building Curriculum with theLearner in Mind
“Brain research tells us that curriculum must
cultivate meaning making.
It should be organized around categories, concepts,
and governing principles…
If we wantstudents to retain, understand, and use
ideas, information, and skills, we must
give them ample opportunity to make
sense of , or “own” them…”
Carol Ann Tomlinson
The Differentiated Classroom
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How is your brain like a…?
cabbage
raisin
pillowcase
grapefruit
walnut
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Our Brains
• Are like a jungle nothing “runs” the jungle
• All parts of the brain participate with each other, while each has its own function
• There is natural pruning that occurs when parts are not used
• “Learning is a delicate, but powerful dialogue between genetics and environment…”
Robert Sylwester, A Celebration of Neurons
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Brain’s Complexity Cellular level - three pints of liquid, three
pounds of mass, tens of billions of nerve cells (or neurons), ten times more numerous glial cells that support, insulate and nourish the neurons
Brain cells - 30 thousand neurons (300,000 glial cells) fit into the
space of a pinhead.
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Parts of the Brain
Brainstem (survival )Cerebellum ( autonomic nervous
system)Limbic system (emotion)Cortex ( reason/logic)
Brainstem
Cerebellum
Cortex
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Frontal lobe - CortexCreativity - Judgment - Optimism - ContextPlanning - Problem solving - Pattern making
Upper temporal lobe - Wernicke’s AreaComprehension - Relevancy - Link to past (experience) - Hearing - Memory - Meaning
Lower frontal lobe - Cortex Speaking/language - Broca’s area
Occipital lobe - Spatial orderVisual processing - Patterns - Discovery
Parietal lobeMotor - Primary Sensory Area - Insights - Language functions
CerebellumMotor/motion- Novelty learning - cognition - balance - posture
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Broca’sarea
Parsopercularis
Motor cortex Somatosensory cortex
Sensory associativecortex
PrimaryAuditory cortex
Wernicke’sarea
Visual associativecortex
Visualcortex
Language and Thought
Grammar and word production
Movement and joint positions
Cerebellum
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Neurons
Connect to other neurons, to muscles, or glands
Send and receive chemical information (messages) for behaviors
Can be a millimeter in length or as long as a meter
Cells nucleus contains DNA (As long a meter)
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RIGHT BRAIN LEFT BRAIN LOGICLOGIC GESTALTGESTALT
Starts with the pieces firstStarts with the pieces first Sees whole picture firstSees whole picture firstParts of languageParts of language Language comprehensionLanguage comprehension
Syntax, semanticsSyntax, semantics Image, emotion, meaningImage, emotion, meaningLetters, sentencesLetters, sentences Rhythm, flow, dialectRhythm, flow, dialect
NumbersNumbersAnalysis—linearAnalysis—linear Intuition—estimatesIntuition—estimatesLooks at differencesLooks at differences Looks at similaritiesLooks at similaritiesControls feelingsControls feelings Free with feelingsFree with feelingsPlanned—structuredPlanned—structured Spontaneous—fluidSpontaneous—fluidSequential thinkingSequential thinking Simultaneous thinkingSimultaneous thinkingLanguage orientedLanguage oriented Feelings / experience orientedFeelings / experience orientedFuture-orientedFuture-oriented Now-orientedNow-orientedTechniqueTechnique Flow and movementFlow and movementSports (hand/eye/foot placement)Sports (hand/eye/foot placement) Sports (flow and rhythm)Sports (flow and rhythm)Art (media, tool use, how to)Art (media, tool use, how to) Art (image, emotion, flow)Art (image, emotion, flow)Music (notes, beat, tempo)Music (notes, beat, tempo) Music (passion, rhythm, image)Music (passion, rhythm, image)
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Neurons are cellular agents of cognition
Glial cells act as a scaffolding or insulation for impulses. The insulation increases the speed of the neural messages.
Two major types of cells
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How the Brain Determines What’s Important Emotion and attention are the PRIMARY processes of the
brainPrimary emotions - innate responsesAssemble life-saving behaviors quickly
Secondary emotions - also innate reactionsEnjoyment, pleasure
Students need to talk about their emotionsGames, cooperative learning, field trips, interactive
projects, use of humor Limit emotional stress
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No attention = No engagement = No Learning
What are the factors which influence attention?
• Time• Choice• Need (to complete a task I will need to know...)• Novelty (weird and wacky, humour)• Cognitive dissonance (puzzles, something to
solve)• Expectations (students being required to teach,
share, perform)• Intensity of the stimuli• Meaning
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There are
Twelve Principles
of Brain Based
Teaching/Learning
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1. Brain is a parallel processor
2. Learning engages the entire physiology
3. Learning is developmental
4. Each brain is unique
5. Every brain perceives and creates parts and wholes simultaneously
6. Learning always involves conscious and unconscious processes
7. The search for meaning is innate
8. Emotions are critical to learning
9. Learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat
10. The search for meaning occurs through patterning
11. We can organize memory in multiple ways
12. The brain is social
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The Brain is a Parallel Processor
Both hemispheres work together
Many functions occur simultaneously
Edelman(1994) found when more neurons in
the brain were firing at the same time,
learning, meaning, and retention were greater
for the learner.
1
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Learning Engages the Entire Physiology
Food, water, and nutrition are critical components of thinking.
We are “holistic” learners - the body and mind interact the peptides in the blood are
chains of amino acids that become the primary source of information transfer.
2
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Learning is Developmental Depending upon the topic
some students can think abstractly, while others with limited background are still thinking on a concrete level.
Building the necessary neural connections by exposure, repetition, and practice is important to the student.
3
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Each Brain is Unique
• We are products of genetics and experience
• The brain works better when facts and skills are embedded in real experiences
4
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Each Brain Perceives and Creates Parts and Wholes Simultaneously
Some think more easily inductively while others find deductive thinking more comfortable - use both
Shank (1990) Telling stories is one of the most influential techniques because you give the information, ground the meaning in structure, provide for emotion, and make the content meaningful. Our brain loves storytelling
5
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Learning Involves Conscious and Unconscious Processes
The brain and body learn physically, mentally, and affectively
Body language as well as actual language communicate
6
• How you treat students and how you permit them to treat each other makes a difference in their learning and desire to learn.
• How the physical environment is organized makes a difference.
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The Search for Meaning Is Innate
Each person seeks to make sense out of what he/she sees or hears
Capitalize on this quality!• Speculate • Question• Experiment • Hypothesize
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A common form of communication within our brain is the electrical-chemical-electrical process between neurons.
Emotions trigger the chemicals active in the axon-synapse-dendrite reaction. This permits or inhibits communication between the cells.
Learning is affected by emotions.
8
Emotions Are Critical to Learning
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Learning is Enhanced by Challenge and Inhibited by Threat
The brain’s priority is always survival - at the expense of higher order thinking
Stress should be kept to a manageable level
Provide opportunities to “grow” and to make changes
Have high, but reasonable expectations
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The Search for Meaning Comes Through Patterning
Tie learning to prior knowledge
Use Know - Want to know - Learned
cycle
Work from “big” questions to be
answered.
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Brain Organizes Memory In Multiple Ways
Retrieval often depends upon how the information was stored.
Relevancy is one key to both storage and retrieval
Connect to what students know, what they are interested in
Provide and get examples Student talk!!!
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Memory
Short-term memorCombine or “chunk”
Long-term memory Declarative - Factual Episodic - Events or experiences Semantic - Words Procedural - Step by step
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When objects and events are registered by several senses, they can be stored in several interrelated memory networks and become more accessible and powerful.
Conversation helps us link ideas/thoughts to our own related memories. Students need time for this to happen!!
Storytelling Conversations Debates Simulations Games Songs
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Techniques to Help Memory
• Define the “gist” - OVERVIEW
• Sequence events
• Use pneumonic devices
• Plot out pictorially the information
• Tell the information to others in own
words - Peer teaching/tutoring
• Amplify by giving examples
• Use multiple intelligences
• Use color effectively
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Strategies
☺ Hypothetical ThinkingWhat if this had happened?What if this had not occurred?
☺ ReversalWhat if the Nazis had won WWII?
☺ Application of Different Symbol SystemsCan I draw a picture of this?Can I represent this in musical terms?Can I act this out?
☺ AnalogyHow is this like?
☺ Completion:Tell students what happen at two piunts in time. Have them speculate about theevents which occurred in between.
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The Brain is Social
12
• The brain develops better in concert with others
Brain connections are pruned without use.
Use it or lose it!
Human beings die without contact!
Use small groups, discussions, teams, pairings, and question and answer situations.