Raising Attainment Brain Compatible Learning

1
Raising Attainment Brain Compatible Learning

• Jane Mott
• Lecturer in Inclusive Studies
• Contemporary Issues in Home Economics
• 8 May 2004

2
The Same Old Problem

• If you are doing something that doesnt work,
  the more you do it or the harder you try to do
  it, the more it doesnt work.
• Richard Bandler cited in Hook and Vass 2000

3
A New Solution

• Over 80 of what we know about how the brain
  functions has been discovered in the past 15
  years.
• Much of what happens in classrooms throughout the
  country conflicts with what is now known about
  the brain and its design.
• Smith A. 1996 Accelerated Learning in the
  Classroom Network Educational Press Ltd
  Stafford

4
The Brain in Learning

• The brain is designed for SURVIVAL not for
  learning.
• The learning experience should be
• Multi-sensory and holistic.
• Personalised, attuned to the self-interest of
  the learner.
• According to the developmental stage of the
  brain.

5
Shaw S. and Hawes T. 1998 Effective Teaching
and Learning in the Primary Classroom - a
practical guide to brain compatible learning. The
Services Ltd Leicester
6
Buzan T. 2000 The Mind Map Book BBC
WorldwideLondon
7
Increasing neural pathways

• Provide stimulating environment - both physically
  and mentally
• Repeated stimulation results in more permanent
  connections and faster connections -
  over-learning, enrichment, elaboration,
  multi-sensory
• Always relate to pupil experience- build on what
  the pupil knows

8
Effective Teaching

• Is stimulating and relevant
• Connects to previous knowledge skills and
  understanding
• Uses on-going formative assessment to ascertain a
  pupils current position in order to build on it
• Employs differentiation to ensure each individual
  is taught at the appropriate level
• Encourages the development of higher order
  thinking skills appropriately

9
(No Transcript)
10
The Reptilian Brain

• Survival - fight or flight responses, lashing
  out, screams, flocking
• Monitoring body functions - breathing, balance,
  instinctive responses
• Territoriality - defensiveness about
  possessions,friendships, personal space
• Mating rituals - showing off, attention-seeking
• Hierarchies - the need to be, or be associated
  with, the gang leader
• Rote behaviours - behaviours which are
  repetitive, predictable and rarely constructive

11
Acknowledging the Reptilian Brain

• Allocate territorial space e.G. Peg, drawer
• Ensure physical comfort - warmth, light, absence
  of hunger and thirst
• Foster sense of belonging - rituals/team-building
  to confirm identity e.G. Allocated job, opening
  and closing rituals
• Promote atmosphere of physical and emotional
  safety - this reduces anxiety and promotes
  learning
• Relaxation techniques - breathing, music,
  classroom management

12
Ways of Reducing Anxiety

• Have clear expectations - about what you expect
  from the and vice versa
• Praise - at least 5 times more than you criticise
• Criticise behaviour not the child
• Be fair and consistent
• Avoid sarcasm and derogatory remarks
• Acknowledge feelings - talk about them and how to
  manage them
• Teach skills in conflict resolution
• Listen

13
The Limbic System or Mid-brain

• Controls emotions via the amygdala
• Governs sexuality, eating/sleeping patterns,
  immune system
• Site of long-term memory via the hippocampus
• Filters information in and out
• Governs concepts of value and truth
• Validates knowledge and understanding
• Actuates our sense of self

14
Acknowledging the Mid-brain

• Encourage a sense of identity in the learner - he
  is not just a face, meta-cognition
• Make the learning worthwhile and relevant to them
  personally - whats in it for me? WiiFM
• The learner themselves should set strong personal
  learning goals
• Connect in to their values - what do they
  consider interesting and important? CITV
• Value everyones contribution to raise self-esteem

15
Neo-cortex

• Divided in to right and left hemispheres
• Connected via the corpus callosum
• Cognitive and problem-solving functions
• Discerns relationships and patterns of meaning
• Creates personal metaphors or models of
  understanding

16
Functions of the Neo-cortex

• Seek out patterns and relationships
• Searches for novelty
• Looks for relevance for self/value in learning
• Works on many levels simultaneously
  multi-processing
• Works in peaks and plateaux, not on one level
• Works in short spurts of concentration
• Operates on conscious and unconscious level
• Needs plenty of stimulation
• Accesses all the senses
• Requires feedback
• Everyone creates their own map or model of the
  world

17
How the Neo-cortex Learns Best

• Connect todays learning with yesterdays.
• Use novel or unusual approaches or material.
• Remember WiiFM.
• Provide input for all the senses.
• Build in choices and decision-making.
• Use open-ended tasks learning is not a linear
  process.
• Concentration should be in short bursts!!!
• Make use of unconscious learning e.G. Role play,
  visualisations, using music etc.
• Build in feedback peer evaluation,
  self-checking.

18
Shaw S. and Hawes T. 1998 Effective Teaching
and Learning in the Primary Classroom - a
practical guide to brain compatible learning.
The Services Ltd Leicester
19
Left-brain Dominant Learners

• Structured sequential tasks
• Moving from parts to the whole
• Explicit instructions
• Written information
• Working in a linear way, checking work

20
Right-brain Dominant Learners

• Open-ended tasks
• Going from the big picture to the parts
• Self-selected tasks
• Working from intuition, guesses, hunches

21
The Male Brain

• Greater compartmentalisation
• Larger area for visual/spatial processing
• Higher level of testosterone
• Lower level of seratonin
• Lower level of dopamine

22
The Female Brain

• Greater networking capacity
• Larger area for linguistic processing
• Lower level of testosterone
• Higher level of seratonin
• Higher level of dopamine

23
Brain Waves

• Beta waves characteristic of the conscious
  mind, logical thought, analysis
• Alpha waves relaxation and meditation for fast
  absorption of facts and processing data
• Theta waves deep meditation and reverie for
  creativity and inspiration
• Delta waves deep sleep

24
Reviewing for Effective Recall

• Present information in short bursts
• Review regularly
• Engage the emotions
• Construct meaning
• Multi-sensory
• In context
• Engages both hemispheres
• Important and relevant to the individual
• Connects to prior knowledge
• Employs memory strategies

25
9 Principles for Brain-based Learning

• High sensory stimulation and challenge
• High challenge low threat
• Feedback
• Relative lateralisation
• Diverse teaching strategies
• Recognising the importance of the affective
• Music aids learning
• Types of memory
• Expectations shape outcomes

26
Conclusion

• Teachers affect eternity no-one knows where
  their influence stops.
• Anon