Transcript Document
Empower Yourself to Learn! QuickTime™ and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Empower Yourself to Learn Intelligence is a developmental process, not something that is fixed at birth or by socioeconomic or cultural factors. "Smart is not something you are. Smart is something you get." Messages Students Sometimes Say to Themselves I’m not very smart I’m not good at … (math, science, reading, etc.) I’ll never be smart You have the power to change the message you tell yourself You have the power to “GET SMART”! The Secret to Raising Smart Kids Hint: Don't tell your students that they are smart. More than three decades of research shows that a focus on effort— not on intelligence or ability—is key to success in school and in life Research has shown that when students understand they can “get smarter”; they understand the decision to “be smart” is up to them. Let’s learn about how the brain is wired This is a neuron (a brain cell) Interesting facts about neurons: A human brain has 100 billion neurons At birth, the number of synapses per neuron is 2,500 but by age two or three, it’s about 15,000 synapses per neuron. This is like going from 100 to 600 friends on Facebook, and each of those friends in turn, is connected to 600 more people! There are 1,000 to 15,000 synapses per neuron How are neural connections made? Neuroscientist Dr. Kenneth Wesson says this about learning: There are more neurons in your brain than there are stars in the galaxy Learning = creating linkages between neurons (brain cells) There is a correlation between density of neural connections and acquired knowledge and skills WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THE MORE YOU USE YOUR BRAIN, THE MORE CONNECTIONS YOUR BRAIN MAKES ! THE LESS YOU USE YOUR BRAIN, THE FASTER YOUR NEURAL CONNECTIONS WILL FADE! So don’t quit and say that you can’t learn. Everyone can get smarter. DR. MARK ROSENZWEIG SAYS: “It’s a fortunate person whose brain, Is trained early again and again, And who continues to use it, To be sure not to lose it, Thus, the brain in old age may not wane.” ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION: DO YOU WANT TO BE A PERSON WHO CHOOSES TO “GROW” THEIR BRAIN OVER THE COURSE OF A LIFETIME, OR DO YOU WANT TO BE A PERSON WHO LOSES NEURAL CONNECTIONS OVER A LIFETIME? YOU HAVE A CHOICE! And another good reason to exercise your brain… Research shows that the more you “use your brain”, the less likely it is that you will develop Alzheimer’s disease later on! Use it or lose it! Why Learn? You will “wire” your brain &… To get a … JOB! A job! It is more important to get a … LIFE! What does “getting a life” mean? Being the best that you can be! Why? When you are the “best that you can be”, you will have something to offer others AND consequently you will give yourself a gift. Let me explain… You will have something to offer your … Peers (friends) You can be a friend who positively influences others and who models kindness, respect and hard work. You will have something to offer your… School A collection of positive, hard working students creates a school climate of positive, hard working students. You will have something to offer your… Family You CAN be a leader in your family simply from leading by example. You will have something to offer your… Self! Knowledge is power. You will be less susceptible in situations requiring information processing. (bank, doctor, etc.) With the skill set you will gain from getting an education securing a meaningful and high paying job will be possible. Remember, the more you use your brain, the more neural connections you will make! You will have something to offer… A future family The more skills you have to offer your future family, the more likely they will be successful in their future. You can’t share knowledge that you don’t have. You will have something to offer… Your community Martin Luther King was influential because he was intelligent and articulate. Set a goal to make your world a better place. Without knowledge of political issues, you cannot effectively vote. Without knowledge, you cannot be a fully productive world citizen. Civic Responsibility Don’t go to school to “get a job”, go to school to “get a life”! During this presentation, your brain has changed! Famous people with dyslexia … Edison Goldberg Da vinci Picasso Einstein What is an Advanced Placement class? •A college level class offered in a high school classroom. *A required formal national exam is taken in the spring. *If a student has a high score on this exam, they are exempt from taking that class in college. Why take an A.P. course? * You will develop foundational knowledge in that subject area! * Your brain will form some “serious connections!” * You will gain confidence in that subject area! * It’s a WIN WIN situation!