Brain Research

1
Brain Research
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2
Not Linear
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• Linear processing reduces understanding
• Many paths
• Many inputs at once
• Many modalities
• Many levels of consciousness
• Massively parallel

3
Physiology
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• A million axons, working simultaneously, go to
  the brain from each eye
• The brain has 100,000,000,000 (one hundred
  billion) brain cells
• the number of connections the brain can make is
  unknown
• between one hundred trillion 10 to the 80th
  power
• More than the estimated number of atoms in the
  known universe

4
Physiology (cont.)
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• Three brain areas are interrelated
• brain stem
• mid brain
• cerebrum/neocortex
• Size of brain is unimportant
• Einstein had average brain
• Balzac, had a brain almost 40 larger
• The two sides of the brain describe how we
  process (left - sequentially, right - randomly)

5
Physiology (cont.)
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• Sex differences female brains process language
  and feelings at the same time more efficiently
  than the male brain
• The right side of the brain is more active when
  the learner feels depressed, negative, or
  stressed
• An excessive Pollyanna view of reality is
  linked to right hemispheric activity
• Under stress the brain functions differently -
  minimizes

6
Teaching Environments
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• Classrooms are organized to present things one at
  a time - for the convenience of the teacher not
  the benefit of the learner
• Linear teaching environments are inefficient and
  incompatible with the way the brain functions
• Creative positive learning rituals
• Arrival rituals
• Music Fanfare
• Positive greetings special handshakes

7
Creative positive learning rituals (cont.)
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• Organizational rituals
• Team or class names
• Cheers games
• Situational rituals
• Applause when learners contribute
• Closing and ending rituals

8
Teaching Environments (cont.)
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• Brains Mature at different rates In same age
  classrooms, the level of brain maturity may vary
  by as much as 3 years
• The role of emotions in learning (reinforcement)
• Learning must be reinforced in your dependent
  modality it must be visual, auditory or
  kinesthetic
• Frequency and duration