Transcript THE BRAIN-Fast Facts At birth 400g Cells grow

Compiled by:
Etienne van der Walt
The Story
 The Ukwanda Story-2002
 The Neurology Connection-2006
 The Neuro-biological basis
The Ukwanda Story
 Health in Rural Western Cape
 The Burden of Need
 The dreamy concept of the ‘community brain’
 The interesting interaction between brain
function and external demands
 Comprehensive Community Building
The Neurology Connection
 The human brain and it’s function
 Brain cell development
 Cortex development and layer connectivity
 Genetics vs Stimulation (nature vs nuture)
THE BRAIN-Fast Facts
 At birth 400g
 Cells grow & connections increase
 Full size age 6 years—1400g
 100 billion neurons
 Each neuron linked to as many as 10000 neurons
 Many more supporting cells
THE BRAIN-Fast Facts
 Neurons are electrically active
 Glial cells are supportive
 Communication through neurotransmitters
 Synapses are areas of connection of neurons
 Up to 10000 synapses per neuron!!!
 Remember neurons are brain cells
THE BRAIN-Fast Facts
THE BRAIN-Fast Facts
THE BRAIN-Regional
 Brainstem
 Cerebellum
 Limbic system
 Cerebral Hemispheres
THE BRAIN-Regional
THE BRAIN-Regional
THE BRAIN-Regional
THE BRAIN-Cortex
THE CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES-Lobes
 Frontal lobe
 Occipital lobe
 Temporal lobe
 Parietal lobe
THE CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES-Lobes
BRAIN:
Functional Organization
The ‘intelligence’-concept
 Theories
 Gardner-Multiple Intelligence Theory
 The concept of genetics and stimulation
 Programmed cell death
 Back to Kayamandi-2006
LOGICAL/
MATHEMATICAL
VERBAL/
LINGUISTIC
BODILY/
KINESTHETIC
MULTIPLE
INTELLIGENCES
INTERPERSONAL
SPATIAL
INTRAPERSONAL
MUSICAL
The Neuro-Biological Basis of
AmazingBrainz
 Define Neural Substrate of Intelligence
 Design playful activities to stimulate elements of
each neural substrate
 Package programmes into frame of knowledge of
how the human brain learns optimally
Involvement of Parents and
Community
BACKGROUND
 Kayamandi-in Stellenbosch Council area-
Western Cape, South Africa
 Densely populated: 35 000 people, many AIDS
Orphans
 Poor socio-economic conditions
Description of next slide
 A view of the inside of Nolitha’s crèche
 Nolitha has 32 children in her crèche ages 1-6
 The floor space of the building is
approximately 25 square meters
WHAT IS NEEDED?
 Nutrition and Shelter-government projects running
 Learning activities for the children through a programme
 Intelligence Centres to serve all the children in various crèches
 Enhancement of the children’s capacities at age when they are
most ready for it and can lose the most if not stimulated
 Developing understanding and life skills of the value of human
life and the stability of Godly love
Description of the next slide
 The next slide shows the seven intelligences
defined by Gardner et al
 These seven intelligences form the basis of the
activities in the class rooms (activity rooms)
 In addition the child’s value-system and its
importance are added as the 8th activity
constituting two intelligences per room
LOGICAL/
MATHEMATICAL
VERBAL/
LINGUISTIC
BODILY/
KINESTHETIC
MULTIPLE
INTELLIGENCES
INTERPERSONAL
SPATIAL
INTRAPERSONAL
MUSICAL
The AmazingBrainz Intelligence Centre in
Sizamile Crèche
Sizamile Crèche-Kayamandi
 100 children
 Most suitable infrastructure for pilot
implementation
 Welfare subsidised
 Centre should have 4 rooms with central
observation room with one-directional
windows
 June 2007
The Present
 Sizamile Crèche has an active Intelligence
Centre
 All 100 children are rotating through the
Centre
 Four teachers are trained and being trained
through continuous observation
 Programmes are in place
Accreditation and
Validation
What is envisaged?
 Expansion of the AmazingBrainz model to other
crèches and nationwide
 Prospective research involvement of educational
psychology postgraduate
What is needed?
 Funding
 Expansion of the human resource structure of
AmazingBrainz at head office
 Structuring of the AmazingBrainz-’franchise’
 Media exposure
Sustainability?
 Structure/model is affordable per centre
 Incorporation into government policy
The Aim
 Enhancing and preserving the intellectual
capacities of young, normal disadvantaged children
 Creating a better future for the individual and the
whole of South Africa