Brain Compatible Teaching Strategies Patrick Barrett Ashford University

Brain Compatible Teaching Strategies Patrick Barrett Ashford University EDU 417 June 9 th, 2014 Dr. Mareen Lienau

Presentation Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to provide information to and assist parents in deciding if brain compatible learning can meet the educational needs of their children where the traditional system, they feel, has fallen short. There are many factors to consider and examine in regards to brain compatible learning. We will explore environmental aspects as well as progressive instructional methods that may prove more effective than traditional methods.

My Introduction Hello, my name is Patrick Barrett. I live in a rural setting near Buxton, North Dakota with my wife Angela and our four children. We have two boys and two girls; Alexander, Leila, Genevieve, and Vincent. They seem to do a very good job keeping us busy. As you can imagine my wife and I are always very concerned with our children's education. Furthermore, with four at different ages, we always seem to be dealing with very different levels of education. I work as a technician for a wind turbine blade manufacturer. I am responsible for our automation and robotics equipment. I spend a great deal of time programming these machines. I also spend a great deal of time designing and fabricating new tools and machinery to be used in the production process. Additionally, I am responsible for the training of technicians throughout the company which has kept me busy traveling around the globe, a great experience!

Education I originally majored in computer science years ago, and that has benefitted me in my current line of work. I have always had an interest in psychology, people in regards to the way they behave is something that I find fascinating. I plan on using this degree to enter a master’s program. I have also chosen a second major in education, which is what I am working now. I have had an interest in teaching for some time as well.

How do we learn? Expansive neural networks become generated over time through the creation of many independent neural connections.

Brain-Compatible Learning Neuroscience Psychology Education Brain-Compatible Learning Brain compatible learning can best be described as a new discipline incorporating theories and practices of psychology, neuroscience, and education in an effort provide students the most optimal learning opportunities and environments based on how the brain actually learns best.

Compare and Contrast Traditional Learning Brain Compatible Learning • Lessons typically focus of memorization of facts. • Instruction in the arts are not as prevalent. • Curriculum is standardized overlooking individual student aspects such as prior knowledge and learning style. This can also fail to provide the student with little insight into a personal relevance towards the material. • Lessons place an emphasis on the emotional connection to the memory process • The arts are very established as a sort of conduit toward developing a students creativity. • Curriculum constraints are loosened in an effort to provide the students more opportunities to experience and explore topics helping them to find personal relevance in the material.

Nutrition has a powerful influence on cognitive development. Providing a healthy diet should be seen as fundamental to the child’s learning process as textbooks and pencils. Make it routine for your child to eat breakfast every day. Iron and calcium are very important in regards to cognitive development.

Movement Physical activity can aid not only a child’s physical development, but contribute greatly to their cognitive and neural development as well.

Sleep and the Importance of Rest on the Developing Mind Sleep routines are something that should not be overlooked when considering your child’s neural development. Elementary school aged five to ten children require about twelve hours of sleep each night. Adolescent children require about nine hours of sleep each night.

Neurotransmitters Dopamine is responsible for reward mechanisms within the brain. Reward can have a great deal of influence on learning. Serotonin is responsible for the regulation of mood and emotion. It is sometimes referred to as the “feel good transmitter”. These aspects can clearly affect academic performance.

Neurotransmitters Acetylcholine Norepinephrine Bodily movement is controlled through the release of Acetylcholine Norepinephrine is responsible for bringing the nervous system to a high level of alertness

The Information Processing Model The information processing model is theory of how memories are formed within the brain. Information from the environment in the form of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste is processed by our sensory memory If this information is not moved to working memory it is immediately forgotten. If it is transferred to working memory but not properly rehearsed it will also be forgotten. Rehearsal can be thought of as a repetition of the information. Repeatedly experiencing it will case for it to be moved to our long term memory. Long term memory can be seen a the brains information storage system. This is where our acquired knowledge is kept for future retrieval as needed.

Influence of Emotion upon Memory Emotion can have a powerful influence on the formation of memories. Specifically the Amygdala. The Amygdala is what gives us what is known as our fight or flight ability, the ability to react to a stimulus within our environment without giving too much time to focus on it. It can be viewed as an evolutionary survival adaption. It helps to form and encode memories through a strong emotional attachment. Understanding how to utilize this knowledge can us to teach much more effectively by assisting in the creation of strong memories

Modified Lesson Plan Mathematics, level: Grade 5 Lesson Objectives Know, and convert among, measurement units within a given system. (Lesson Plan #4255, 2008) Recognize the equivalence of 1 liter, 1, 000 ml and 1, 000 cm 3 and include conversions among liters, milliliters, and cubic centimeters. (Lesson Plan #4255, 2008) Know the units of measure of volume: cubic centimeter, cubic inches, cubic feet, cubic yards, and use their abbreviations (cm 3, in 3, ft 3, yd 3). (Lesson Plan #4255, 2008) Compare the relative sizes of one cubic inch to one cubic foot, and one cubic centimeter to one cubic meter. (Lesson Plan #4255, 2008) Convert measurements of length, weight, area, volume, and time within a given system using easily manipulated numbers. (Lesson Plan #4255, 2008) Suggested Time Five math class periods; one week Learning Resources and Materials Pencil, Ruler, Paper, Electric skillet and food ingredients of choice Websites: http: //www. sciencemadesimple. com/ and additional online resources suggested by students. Convert. exe version 4. 10 a free measurement conversion program

Lesson We are going to begin by reviewing a history of the metric system. Next we will go into how the metric system is accepted as universal world-wide, however the United States still uses the standard system. We will expand upon this to convey the relevance of the lesson to the students’ lives. As the global community becomes more closely interconnected through technology, the metric system is becoming more prevalent. Here it should also be pointed out that many engineering field exclusively use the metric system; the standard system of measurement is really falling from favor. We will then go into how you can convert between the standard system and the metric system and you can also convert within the metric system. We will use the method of memorization with some conversions i. e. 2. 54 centimeters equal 1 inch. We will also have the students memorize the prefixes in the metric system i. e. kilo, centi, milli, etc. We will revisit the same material repeatedly over the course of the week. This should provide ample opportunity to provide for consolidation, memory retention, of the material. While the memorization of some common conversions such as this one is a great idea, the use of a conversion tool, specifically Convert 4. 10, (a free program) will be utilized. For a hands-on activity the students will be put into groups and allowed to cook some simple food requiring a recipe. Pancakes seem simple enough for example. The recipe will be given to them in standard measurements while the measuring tools will utilize the metric system. The students will have to convert the measurements accordingly.

Accommodations/Modifications We will offer cheat sheets at first but highlight the specific ones that they need to remember. We will also encourage the students to utilize the online websites offered to them. Additionally we should encourage the students to find new resources on their own. This could help to strengthen their research abilities. Assessment/Evaluation The students will be given a test on memorization of the prefixes and the standard/metric conversions that would be beneficial for them to learn. We also would give them a test where they will have to apply what they learned to real life situations. Perhaps allowing the students to brainstorm days before the test about where specifically this material could apply to them in their present and future lives. Some of these suggestions could be used as test questions allowing them to actually contribute to the lesson plan. Closure The lesson will be ended by showing that metric conversions are not just in mathematics but in all areas of the sciences. It is necessary to expand beyond math and sciences and illustrate applications found within everyday life. This will also likely help the students to find personal relevance in the lesson and material.

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