Brain Research andBrain Research and

Education: TheEducation: The

Vital ConnectionVital Connection

Presented by Pat Wolfe, Presented by Pat Wolfe, Ed.D.Ed.D.

Project GLADProject GLAD

September 27, 2007September 27, 2007

Traditional EducationTraditional Education

• The emphasis has been on the The emphasis has been on the acquisition and manipulation of acquisition and manipulation of content.content.

• Students are asked to memorize Students are asked to memorize facts, figures, names, dates, places facts, figures, names, dates, places and events.and events.

• Subjects are studied in isolation from Subjects are studied in isolation from one another seldom within the one another seldom within the context in which they will be used.context in which they will be used.

A False AssumptionA False Assumption

• We have assumed that if students We have assumed that if students concentrate on mastering content, concentrate on mastering content, they will retain substantive they will retain substantive information about the subject and information about the subject and will be able to apply this informationwill be able to apply this information

• Yet Howard Gardner states that the Yet Howard Gardner states that the majority of our best students cannot majority of our best students cannot apply what they’ve learned when apply what they’ve learned when faced with new unanticipated faced with new unanticipated situations.situations.

Why Should Educators Become Why Should Educators Become Informed About Brain Research?Informed About Brain Research?

• We’ve been working with brains that We’ve been working with brains that we’ve not understood.we’ve not understood.

• Our theoretical base has been the Our theoretical base has been the behavioral sciences.behavioral sciences.

• We’ve operated intuitively and have We’ve operated intuitively and have not been able to articulate our craft not been able to articulate our craft to others.to others.

We Need to Move from Being a We Need to Move from Being a “Folklore Profession”“Folklore Profession”

• If we accept that we need to more If we accept that we need to more effectively prepare students for the effectively prepare students for the skills they are going to need in the skills they are going to need in the future...future...

• We need to become a scientific We need to become a scientific profession that understands the profession that understands the structure and functioning of the structure and functioning of the human brain.human brain.

How the Brain WorksHow the Brain Works

The brain, our 3-The brain, our 3-pound universe!pound universe!

Vascular System of the BrainVascular System of the Brain

Brain imaging techniques allow us to see which areas of the brain control

various functions.

Two Brains Playing aTwo Brains Playing aComputer GameComputer Game

The brain is composed of over 100 billion brain cells (neurons) which communicate at junctures called

synapses.

What is Learning & Memory?What is Learning & Memory?

• Learning is the act of making Learning is the act of making (and strengthening) (and strengthening) connections between thousand connections between thousand of neurons forming neural of neurons forming neural networks or mapsnetworks or maps

• Memory is the ability to Memory is the ability to reconstruct or reactivate the reconstruct or reactivate the previously-made connectionspreviously-made connections

• Neurons that fire together, wire Neurons that fire together, wire togethertogether!!

What have we learned from current

brain research?

There are four major findings that have application to the

classroom.

1. Experience sculpts the brain.1. Experience sculpts the brain.

• Between the second month in utero Between the second month in utero and the age of two, each neuron in and the age of two, each neuron in the cortex forms an average of 1.8 the cortex forms an average of 1.8 synapses per second.synapses per second.

• Which synapses remain, and which Which synapses remain, and which are pruned, depends on whether or are pruned, depends on whether or not they carry any traffic. If not not they carry any traffic. If not used, then like bus routes that used, then like bus routes that attract no customers, attract no customers,

they go out of business.they go out of business.

Language & PlasticityLanguage & Plasticity

• When children are born, they can When children are born, they can hear the sounds of 6000 languages. hear the sounds of 6000 languages. However, by 6 months, the neural However, by 6 months, the neural connections representing the connections representing the sounds that have been reinforced sounds that have been reinforced remain and the others wither away.remain and the others wither away.

• Plasticity is a feature of the brain Plasticity is a feature of the brain throughout an individual’s lifetime, throughout an individual’s lifetime, however, young brains are much however, young brains are much more plastic than adult brains.more plastic than adult brains.

2. The brain seeks meaningful 2. The brain seeks meaningful patterns.patterns.

• Our species has not survived by Our species has not survived by taking in meaningless taking in meaningless information!information!

• Every encounter with something Every encounter with something new requires the brain to fit the new requires the brain to fit the new information into an existing new information into an existing category or network of neurons.category or network of neurons.

• If it can’t find a connection, the If it can’t find a connection, the information is dropped.information is dropped.

What do You See?What do You See?

What do You See?What do You See?

Making MeaningMaking Meaning

If we want to make information If we want to make information meaningful to students, we meaningful to students, we

have two options:have two options:

1.1. Find the experience they’ve Find the experience they’ve had and hook the new had and hook the new information to itinformation to it

oror

2. Create the experience with 2. Create the experience with them.them.

The Montil lation of Tr axol ine

I t is very important that you learn abouttraxoline. Traxoline is a new form ofzionter. I t is montilled in Ceristanna. The Ceristannians gristeriate largeamounts of f evon and then bracter it toquasel traxoline. Traxoline may well beone of our most lukized snezlaus in thefuture because of our zionter lescelidge.

4. Emotions are a primary 4. Emotions are a primary catalyst in the learning process.catalyst in the learning process.

• Emotion can play either a negative or a Emotion can play either a negative or a positive role in the learning process.positive role in the learning process.

• If a student perceives a situation to be If a student perceives a situation to be threatening, the thinking part of the threatening, the thinking part of the brain shuts down and learning is brain shuts down and learning is impeded.impeded.

• However, if the emotion generated by However, if the emotion generated by a learning experience is pleasant, a learning experience is pleasant, learning is enhanced.learning is enhanced.

3. There are two distinct types of 3. There are two distinct types of memory.memory.

• Procedural MemoryProcedural MemorySkills and habits that have been Skills and habits that have been practiced to the point where they are practiced to the point where they are automatic and unconscious.automatic and unconscious.

• Declarative MemoryDeclarative MemoryOur general knowledge and our life Our general knowledge and our life experiences that we can declare or experiences that we can declare or

recall consciously.recall consciously.

Rehearsal Strategies to Match Rehearsal Strategies to Match the Two Types of Memorythe Two Types of Memory

• Rote RehearsalRote Rehearsal worksworks best for best for Procedural MemoryProcedural Memory– Much repetition is neededMuch repetition is needed

• Elaborative rehearsalElaborative rehearsal works best for works best for Declarative MemoryDeclarative Memory– Reciprocal or peer teachingReciprocal or peer teaching– Metaphor and analogyMetaphor and analogy– Problem-based learningProblem-based learning– Visuals and graphicsVisuals and graphics– SimulationsSimulations– Hands-on activitiesHands-on activities– Rhythm, rhyme and rapRhythm, rhyme and rap

The better we

understand the brain,

the better we’ll be

able to teach it.