Notes from Brain-Based Learning session at NCTM 2010

Yvonne.randall@tun.touro.edu

Link to learning – sensory cortex – new learning takes place – emotional hook

You need to get their ATTENTION

What factors influence attention
Need, novelty, cognitive dissonance, expectations, intensity of stimuli, emotional

There is no comprehension w/o picturing

Bilateral Accessory naviculars??? Navicular  is a bone in the foot – w/o a  visual representation makes comprehension very difficult

MEANING    
Connections help establish meaning

What must we do if we want to make info meaningful to students – find experiences they have had and “hook” new info to it OR  make concrete meaning

ACTIVITY concepts obtained from
Burns,  M. (2000). About teaching mathematics: A K-8 resource (2nd ed. ). Math Solutions Publications, Sausalito, CA.

Students learned regardless of age, based on activities – taking that conrete and working to whatever level they are at

ACTIVITY - Blue paper – tear it in half – we have 2 pieces  - tear it again in half – now how many do we have? – 4 (division of fractions in this activity – smaller but more)

MATH journaling to write down their thoughts     

Students are trained to think that if they are asked a question about their math problem such as “are you sure” that they are wrong – work on that

What are the Classroom Implications of the Cocktail Party Effect – we only pay attention to one thing at a time

K – can process 2 things at a time
Adults = can process 7 things at a time efficiently

Bombardment is not the answer
Chunking is the answer “the difference between novices and experts in a field appears to be that experts tend… because of a great deal of experience in a field... to organize information into much larger chunks, whiles novices work with isolated bits of information.  – Benjamin Bloom

Rehearsal is the PRACTICE – More PRACTICE more memory

PROCEUDRAL memory The “how” does not involve conscious thought
Processes that have been practiced or repeated to the extent that they have become automatic. Examples?

Driving a car, writing, decoding, typing, throwing a pass in football, walking, etc. Very difficult to access these habits and skills in any way  except doing them.


Declarative Memory The What involve conscious thought  - Semantic (our general knowledge), Episodic


SENSES FOCUS ON INFORMATION
Info meaningful with emotional hook you pay attention – sensory memory

Repeated activation synapses strengthened messages sent effectively – working memory

Stimulation of cell neurotransmitters produced – long-term memory

The more we use these networks, the stronger they become

No matter how well planned, how interesting, stimulation colorful or relevant the lesson, if the teaher does all the interacting with the material, the teacher’s… not the students’… brain will grow new connections.


BIG BRAIN IDEAS…
There is no comprehension w/o picturing
Students make meaning by connecting to existing schema.
The person DOING is the person leaning.