Transcript Brain-Based - STARSconferenceVTSSW

Brain-Based Learning:
Improving Student Achievement
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
Discuss brain research and review
how the brain processes information
Discuss how the learning process
takes place.
Discuss how we can use this
research to improve student
achievement.
What is brain-based
learning?
What it is!
Attempt to match
the research on how
the brain processes
information with the
strategies and
processes we utilize
when working with
individuals
Practical Example:
Memory Test
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Sharp
Thread
Pin
Syringe
Haystack
Eye
Button
8. Knitting
9. Injections
10. Points
11. Hurt
12. Thimble
13. Pain
14. Sewing
Mechanics should understand cars.
Attorneys should understand the law.
Generals should understand the art of war.
Professionals should understand the brain.
Brain Fact:
Composition of the brain
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Weighs 3 pounds
Is 2.5% of weight
Uses 20% energy
Uses oxygen 10 X faster
Uses glucose 10 X faster
Made of 78% water
Has 100 billion neurons
Brain Fact:
Adaption has been outpaced
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Adaption was slow
Time allowed change
20th Century change
Survival is key
Safety is impacted
Food is an issue
Reading for all
Life expectancy is lowered
Brain Fact:
Brain is designed for survival
1. Survival is primary
Brain will sacrifice all, including
higher order thinking skills, to
survive.
2. Limited attention span
3. Uses unconscious input
a. Priority control
b. Automatic systems
c. Nonverbal clues
d. Smell
Practical Example:
Brain makes connections
1. What is the color of
the igloo?
2. What do cows
drink?
Brain Fact:
Healthy prenatal care is critical
1. 15 million neurons per hour
a. 250,000 neurons per minute
b. 4,166 neurons per second
2. Neuron growth
a. 8 months 1,000 trillion synapses
b. 10 years 500 trillion synapses
3. 17th week of pregnancy
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
a. One billion neurons
b. More than adult
Premature 13%
Fourth week – folic acid
Child’s brain 225% more active
First year 60% of nutrition
Establishing neural pathways
Brain Fact:
Early Childhood – Prime Time
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cell migration/elaboration
Apoptosis
Plasticity
Windows of opportunity
a. 3 months language
b. 8 months vision
5. Nature of neurons
a. Programmed for specifics
b. Dependent on environment
Brain Fact:
Humans need social interaction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Reduces stress by 8%
Isolation/smoking
Isolation/physical pain
Need 12 positive comments
Laugher creates T cells
Talking - oxygen/blood
Designed to live 120 years
Impacts body weight
Brain needs purpose
a. Retirement
b. Loss of spouse
Brain Fact:
Stress damages the brain
1. Telomeres
a. 1,700 at birth
b. 300 at age 70
c. Lost 9 – 17 years
2. Control is important
3. Hippocampus/danger
4. Electrical/rat experiment
5. Reduces immune system
6. Reduces T cells
7. Hardens arteries
8. Morality is compromised
9. Inactive kids have stress
10. Tunnel Vision
Stress Process
a. Designed for action (heart attacks)
b. Increases blood sugar
c. Activates immune system
d. Activates clotting (platelets sticky)
e. Attention becomes tunnel vision (no multi-tasking)
f. Creates “flashbulb” memory (pathological)
g. Creates a “gas and brake” situation with body
h. Activates hypothalamus (no sense of morality/ethics)
i. Stress is self-imposed
Brain Fact:
Need to stay healthy
1. Stress in school
a. 20% green
b. 60% red
c. Allosteric load
2. Continual Stress
a. Trauma
b. 1/2 neurons hippocampus
3. Survey of workforce
a. 28 % Scream
b. 14% Hurt someone
c. 27% no personal friend
6:00
12:00
6:00
Brain Fact:
Mirror neurons impact our actions
1. We respond to experiences
a. Consciously
b. Subconsciously
c. All senses impact this
2. Examples of Mirror Neurons
a. Yawning
b. Charismatic
c. Talking softly
d. Moving slowly
3. Physically experience
a. Experience motor reaction
b. Emotional experiences
Brain Fact:
Children need movement
1. Fine/gross motor skills
a. Must have movement
b. Reticular Activation System
c. 60 hours per week confined
2. Cognitive processes
a. Dependent on survival
b. Motor needs take priority
3. Sensory motor deprivation
a. Inhibitory control impaired
b. Need for over-stimulus
4. Impact of policies
a. Safety equipment
b. Recess /Physical education
Brain Fact:
Brain unconsciously learns
1. Subconscious learning
a. Key to survival
b. Unimportance of verbals
c. Safety is key to all learning
2. Facial expressions
a. Anger/Sarcasms 33 ms
3. Peptides
4. Power of the individual
a. Affective communication
b. Super collider experiment
5. Neurological search warrants
Brain Fact:
Substance abuse impacts brain
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
More harmful to youth
Less awareness of impact
Impact basic brain development
Invades membrane of brain
Causes irreversible damage
Impairs neurotransmitters
Concrete principle
Frontal Lobe: Prefrontal
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Controls thought
Planning
Decision making
Emotions
Rational thinking
Creativity
Makes us human
Brain Areas: Cerebellum
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Key to balance
Posture
Coordination
Movement
Procedural memories
Age 2 – adult size
Automated responses
Brain Areas: Amygdala
a. Controls alarm system
b. Controls emotions
c. Evaluates danger
d. Unconscious emotions
e. Damaged amygdala
* afraid of everything
* afraid of nothing
Neurons: Key to Learning
Neurotransmitters:
Histamine
Activates allergic reaction, runny nose & watery eyes
Cortisol
Stress, muscles tense, clotting & thought stops
Glutamate
Memory/learning, calm, focused, & control
Acetylcholine
Alertness, memory, appetite control, & growth hormones
Phenylalanine
Bliss, infatuation, happy, & love,
Phenylethylamine Attention, low in ADD, autistic, & schizophrenia
Serotonin
Mood enhancer, connections, love, appetite & self-esteem
Oxcytocin
Bonding, attachment & feelings of belonging
Angiotensin
Thirst, kidney conserves water & makes you feel thirsty
Brain Facts:
There are gender differences
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Tendencies/not absolute
Mature differently
Different chemicals
Use different areas
Designed for purposes
Structural differences (100)
Have different visual perceptions
Gender Differences
Brain
Difference
Impact
Entire Brain
Female brain more active
Utilizes brain more effectively
Entire brain
Designed to protect/fight
Builds muscle/need to rest
Amygdala
Larger in males
More aggression
Language Areas
Compartmentalize
Rely on simple directions
Temporal Lobe
12% smaller
Give short and clear directions
Motor Cortex
More active in males
Need to move/physical space
Cerebral Cortex
More active in females
Multitask more effectively
Corpus Callosum
Females 20% larger
Multitask/use both hemispheres
Occipital Lobe
Greater vision for females
Can see more items/solutions
Impact of Educational Practices?
Boys in Crisis?
a. 70% of D’s and F’s
b. 66% of LD diagnoses
c. 76% of ED diagnoses
d. 90% discipline referrals
e. 80% of the drop-outs
f. 71% of suspensions
g. 77% of Expulsions
h. 38% earn master
Boys in Crisis?
a. Lowest literacy rate in
35 nations
b. Female GPA 3.07
c. Male GPA 2.92
d. Females 57% College
e. Males 43% College
f. Males - educationally
fragile brain
Things to do to Help Males
a. Add more competition
b. Add more spatial
activities
c. Include more male
teachers
d. Include more gross/fine
motor skills
e. Simple directions
f. Clear limits and
consequences
Teenage Brain Development:
Health Paradox
Biological Impact
a. Physical zenith
b. Morbidity/Mortality
* 200/300% increase
* Accidents/Suicides
c. 12 % (age 18-20) are
alcohol dependent
d. Age 15 - increase in
marijuana use
Teenage Brain Development:
Prefrontal Cortex is developing
Biological Impact
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Regulation of words/ideas
Body language & jokes
Makes bad social inferences
Limited social conscious
Uses little common sense
Can’t read social emotions
Last area to mylienate
h. Phineas Gage example
Teenage Brain Development:
Amygdala is fully developed
Biological Impact
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Acts on emotion more than
rational thought
Amygdala is impacted by
dopamine
Conflict and stress is
processed by amygdala
Reduces influence of the
prefrontal cortex
Automated verbal response
Teenage Brain Development:
Bonding instinct is strong
Biological Impact
a.
b.
c.
d.
Oxytocin
(bonding)
Serotonin
(attachment)
Testosterone (competition)
Strong need to bond or
mate with one person
e. Neurotransmitters impact
perception
f. Neurotransmitters
* males
testosterone
vasopressin
* females oxytocin
serotonin
Teenage Brain Development:
Puberty is occurring earlier
Biological Impact
a. 1860 – Age 16 – 17
b. 2007 – Age 13
* Energy Balance
* Electricity
* Stress
c. Maturation Gap
* 1800’s 2 years
* 2000’s 7 years
d. Post-puberty startles
more quickly
Teenage Brain Development:
Engage in at-risk behaviors
Biological Impact
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Brain discovers dopamine
Necessary in animals to
move out of nest
Consistently seeks
dopamine or pleasure
Pleasure reinforces at-risk
behavior
Eliminates common sense
approach
Dopamine rush must be
increased to impact
Teenage Brain Development:
Rapid growth and changes
Biological Impact
a.
b.
c.
d.
Sudden changes in
maturity level
Brain becomes tired, needs
sleep, poor sleep patterns
– increases cortisol & poor
memory
Teens are unsure of who
they are
Corpus Callosum develops
and things come together
Teenage Brain Development:
Vulnerable to substance abuse
Biological Impact
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Drugs act like
neurotransmitters
Decreased sensation of
drug impact
Substance abuse reduces
dopamine (need more
drugs to replace dopamine)
Alcohol reduces glutamate
(hippocampus)
Drugs alter brain formation
Teenage Brain Development:
Sleep patterns are interrupted
Biological Impact
a. Second growth spurt
b. Need 8-9 hours
c. High school Students
* Get less than 7 hours
* Sleep 11:30/Wake at 6:15
d. Lost of sleep cause
*
*
*
*
memory/attention loss
violence/irritability
cognitive loss
Sleep may be tipping point
Teenage Male Brain Scenario:
Exposure to Confrontation
a. Receives sensory input
b. Processed in thamlus
c. Sent to amygdala
d. Testosterone confuses
response
e. Connection to motor
cortex causes physical
activity
Teenage Brain Development:
Time for igniting passions
Biological Impact
a. Romantic
adventures
b. Social
consciousness
c. Permanent values
d. Opportunity
Power of a Life Well Lived
Isn’t it great that we
live in a world in
which you do not
have to wait a single
moment to make the
world a better place.
Ann Frank
God didn’t give anybody everything but he gave everybody something.
Contact
Jeff Perry
PO Box 8179
Wise VA 24293
276-328-8017
[email protected]