Teenbrain

Creating Brain Compatible Learning Environments

Presented byGarfield Gini-Newman

The Critical Thinking [email protected]

Some recommended reading

Activity 1: How accurately does this cartoon capture the essence of adolescence?

Highly Somewhat Not Very Completely

Accurate Accurate Accurate Inaccurate _______________________________________________

What is meant by a Brain-Compatible Learning

Environment?

Brain Compatible versus

Brain Antagonistic

Activity 2: What does an enriched learning environment look and

sound like?Looks like… Sounds like…

Attributes of a Brain Compatible Classroom:Provides a moderate to high challenge to

studentsIs a low threat environmentEngages positive emotions to support learningAllows for multi-path inputProvides thinking strategies that support

students in using information to create products and solve meaningful problems

Includes both novelty and predictabilityAllows sufficient time for processingProvides complex, frequent feedback

Attributes of a Brain Compatible Classroom:Provides a moderate to high challenge to

studentsIs a low threat environmentEngages positive emotions to support learningAllows for multi-path inputProvides thinking strategies that support

students in using information to create products and solve meaningful problems

Includes both novelty and predictabilityAllows sufficient time for processingProvides complex, frequent feedback

How brain-compatible is

your classroom?

How brain-compatible is

your classroom?

Think of an Adolescent You Know

Reflecting on an

adolescent you know,

how many

characteristics of the

typical teenager can you

list?

How do we learn? Communicating Neurons

• Learning produces physical changes in the brain

• Plasticity of the brain means that it is continually re-wired – molded by life experiences

Neurons that fire together, wire together!

Learning is a matter of making

connections.

The Process of Long Term Potentiation When information

(stimuli) is received a trail

along a series of neurons is

blazed making it easier for

subsequent messages to fire

along the same path. The

more the path is re-fired the

more the message or new

learning becomes.

Each time an activity is repeated the bonds between neurons strengthen and expand,

leading to an entire network developing which remembers the skill or information.

The Importance of Assessment for Learning

The cornerstone of brain compatible

assessment is formative feedback. By

providing students with guidance and an

opportunity to implement suggestions,

students feel secure in taking risks, develop

confidence in their ability to meet challenges

and can set their own goals.

Activity 3: How can we provide anchors for student learning in

our classrooms?

Some anchors to consider:Some anchors to consider:Films, songs, field trips, photographs and Films, songs, field trips, photographs and

paintings, evocative experiences, using paintings, evocative experiences, using manipulative, experiments…manipulative, experiments…

Remember:Remember: • Learning is likely to occur if we move Learning is likely to occur if we move

from the concrete to the abstract from the concrete to the abstract • Inquiry-based classrooms to help Inquiry-based classrooms to help

students take ownership over their students take ownership over their learninglearning

• Genuine collaboration to respects the Genuine collaboration to respects the brain’s need for social interaction brain’s need for social interaction

• Open ended assessments to provide Open ended assessments to provide students choice and allow them to draw students choice and allow them to draw on their interests and talentson their interests and talents

Activity 4: Where does truth lie?

Sandy Danny

Activity 4: Where does truth lie?

Sandy Danny

Summer Nights [Danny]Summer loving had me a blast[Sandy]Summer loving happened so fast[Danny]I met a girl crazy for me[Sandy]Met a boy cute as can be[Both]Summer days drifting away, to oh oh the summer nights[Guys]Well-a well-a well-a huhTell me more, tell me moreDid you get very far?

Summer Nights [Danny]Summer loving had me a blast[Sandy]Summer loving happened so fast[Danny]I met a girl crazy for me[Sandy]Met a boy cute as can be[Both]Summer days drifting away, to oh oh the summer nights[Guys]Well-a well-a well-a huhTell me more, tell me moreDid you get very far?

[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreLike does he have a car?[Danny]She swam by me, she got a cramp[Sandy]He ran by me, got my suit damp[Danny]I saved her life, she nearly drowned[Sandy]He showed off, splashing around[Both]Summer sun, something's begun, but oh oh the

summer nights

[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreLike does he have a car?[Danny]She swam by me, she got a cramp[Sandy]He ran by me, got my suit damp[Danny]I saved her life, she nearly drowned[Sandy]He showed off, splashing around[Both]Summer sun, something's begun, but oh oh the

summer nights

[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreWas it love at first sight?[Guys]Tell me more, tell me moreDid she put a fight?[Danny]Took her bowling in the arcade[Sandy]We went strolling, drank lemonade[Danny]We made out under the dock[Sandy]We stayed out 'till ten o'clock[Both]Summer fling, don't mean a thing, but oh oh the summer nights

[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreWas it love at first sight?[Guys]Tell me more, tell me moreDid she put a fight?[Danny]Took her bowling in the arcade[Sandy]We went strolling, drank lemonade[Danny]We made out under the dock[Sandy]We stayed out 'till ten o'clock[Both]Summer fling, don't mean a thing, but oh oh the summer nights

[Guys]Tell me more, tell me moreBut you don't have to bragg[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreCause he sounds like a drag[Sandy]He got friendly, holding my hand[Danny]She got friendly down in the sand[Sandy]He was sweet just turned eighteen[Danny]Well she was good you know what I mean[Both]Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but oh oh the summer nights

[Guys]Tell me more, tell me moreBut you don't have to bragg[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreCause he sounds like a drag[Sandy]He got friendly, holding my hand[Danny]She got friendly down in the sand[Sandy]He was sweet just turned eighteen[Danny]Well she was good you know what I mean[Both]Summer heat, boy and girl meet, but oh oh the summer nights

[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreHow much dough did he spend?[Guys]Tell me more, tell me moreCould she get me a friend?[Sandy]It turned colder - that's where it ends[Danny]So I told her we'd still be friends[Sandy]Then we made our true love vow[Danny]Wonder what she's doing now[Both]Summer dreams ripped at the seams, but oh those summer

nights

[Gals]Tell me more, tell me moreHow much dough did he spend?[Guys]Tell me more, tell me moreCould she get me a friend?[Sandy]It turned colder - that's where it ends[Danny]So I told her we'd still be friends[Sandy]Then we made our true love vow[Danny]Wonder what she's doing now[Both]Summer dreams ripped at the seams, but oh those summer

nights

Neural Pruning

...how and why is the behaviour

of an adolescent similar to that of

a 2 year old?

At both stages, the brain is responding to...

...a massive build up of connections and pruning away excess connections allowing for a more refined and efficient brain.

Brain Sculpting

Imagine you have set out to capture

the essence of who you are in a marble

sculpture. Reflect back to what life was

like at age 11 or 12. Walk yourself

through the defining experiences of your

adolescence. While doing so, imagine

yourself chipping away the excess

marble to allow for the emergence of

your adult self.

Like sculptor......the brain sculpts itself through its experience with the world.Teenagers need to realize that the brain is the only organ in the body that is sculpted through experience. What they are doing with their brain now is going to determine

what their brain is going to become as an adult.

Also, remember that...

“...if teens are doing music and sports and academics, that’s how brains will be hardwired. If they are doing video games and MTV and lying on the couch, that will be how they are hardwired.” Jay Giedd

How effectively will the direction of new curricula in Alberta prepare students to meet the demands of the 21st century?Fortune 500 reports that students entering the workforce in the21st century will be expected to demonstrate mastery of thefollowing skills: Teamwork/interpersonal skills Problem solving/decision making Oral/written communication creative thinking goal setting/motivation math problem solving organizational effectiveness

Success in all of these depend on frontallobe activity.

How should we How should we respond?respond?How should we How should we respond?respond?

Remember...Remember...No matter how well planned, how interesting, No matter how well planned, how interesting,

stimulating, colourful or relevant the lesson, if stimulating, colourful or relevant the lesson, if

the teacher does all the interacting with the the teacher does all the interacting with the

material the teachermaterial the teacher’’s - not the students - not the student’’s - brains - brain

will grow new connections.will grow new connections.

Activity 5:How Activity 5:How would your would your

students respond students respond to the following to the following

task?task?

Activity 5:How Activity 5:How would your would your

students respond students respond to the following to the following

task?task?Which lifestyle would you have preferred - Which lifestyle would you have preferred - that of the habitants, priests or nuns, or the that of the habitants, priests or nuns, or the coureurs des bois? coureurs des bois?

From Bain, Colin M., Canadian History 7, Pearson, From Bain, Colin M., Canadian History 7, Pearson, 20072007

Who had the best life? People in New

France Pluses Minuses Interesting Rating

Habitant: • Security • Fundamental

needs • Family • Leisure

________________ -5-4-3-2-1 1 2 3 4 5

Priests and Nuns • Security • Fundamental

needs • Family • Leisure

________________ -5-4-3-2-1 1 2 3 4 5

Coureurs des bois • Security • Fundamental

needs • Family • Leisure

________________ -5-4-3-2-1 1 2 3 4 5

The Process of Myelination

Which part of a colt’s brain do Which part of a colt’s brain do you think gets myelinated you think gets myelinated

first.first.

The Role of Glial Cells:

• A fatty, waxy substance that wraps itself around the axon called myelin

• myelin insulates the electrical impulse so that it travels more efficiently

• glial cells unlike neurons regenerate (makes up 90% of the brain) in response to new connection

• the more you use your brain, the more glial cells you will have

Important to know

about myelination:• the neurons you need to

survive will myelinate first• it makes your brain get bigger• before a neuron is myelinated

it is called immature• myelination results in the

creation of a more efficient brain

Important Observations for Understanding Adolescence

The frontal lobes are the last to be myelinated occurring as late as the early 20’s.Myelinated neurons fire 150 times morequickly, making the brain more efficient. Once an area of the brain is myelinated it is much more specialized and efficient at carrying out tasks.But…It appears as neurons become myelinatedthey also become more rigid making acquisition of new skills more difficult i.e. acquiring a new language after the age 13-14

Students need to solve problems and practice decision making.

Have students apply learning to solve “real challenges”

Teach students to use decision making models

Provide a clear purpose to student learning

Have students consider purpose and audience

We need to allow students to “fail forward”

• Students need to have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes without being penalized

• Identifying errors is an important part of the learning process

Provide the necessary scaffoldingto ensure success.

• Avoid asking adolescents to multi-task until the learning has been internalized

• Use graphic organizers to assist students in gathering and organizing information i.e. Lecture road maps, mindmaps

• Integrate technology as appropriate i.e. Power Point, Mindjet

Assist students in seeing patterns and relationships.

• Venn diagrams• Concept Formation and

Concept Maps• Concept Attainment

List A List B

In South Africa, policy prohibited blacks from living in homes in areas designated as “white only” neighbourhoods.

In Canada, the First Nations People were denied access to most classy cafes.

In Germany, during World War II, Jews were required by law to have travel passes in order to move about their community.

In North America, it is not unusual to have all white juries hear a case of a non-white person.

In Canada, during World War II, legislation was passed that sent Japanese Canadians to special camps.

In some states in the U.S. if a black person killed a white person, that person was almost always found guilty. If a white killed a black, that person was almost always found innocent.

In the United States, blacks were obliged by law to sit at the back of the bus.

In Israel, a Jew was walking down the street and was shot by a terrorist.

Activity 6

Testers: Which list would each of these belong to?

1. In Malaysia, if your hair is longer than a certain length you will not be served until everyone else in the bank has been served.

2. As set out in legislation in some countries, women are not allowed to terminate a pregnancy without permission.

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Concept Attainment can be used in all subjects…

Math - prime numbers

English - parts of speech

Art - styles, movements

Science - classifying living things

Movement and cognition are closely entwined, and movement can

enhance thinking and learning.

How do/can you integrate

movement into your

classroom?

The Role of Emotion in Adolescent Learning

Emotions, the Amygdala and the Teenage Brain

• Any information received by the brain travels first to the amygdala

• The amygdala holds emotional memory - it tells you how you feel about things

• In the teenage brain, the amygdala is developing faster than the frontal lobes

• So teenagers tend to be reactive not reflective

Reading Facial Expressions

“Emotion drives attention and attention drives learning”

In her book Brain Matters, Pat Wolfe noted:

“The brain is biologically programmed to attend first to information that has a strong emotional content. It is also

programmed to remember this information longer.”

Activity 7: So, we know positive emotions enhance learning and

negative emotions inhibit learning…

How can we engage student emotions?

How can be remove unnecessary stress?

Activity 8: Rank order the 3 tweaks you could make to your classroom to further support student learning.

Criteria: Feasible, effective, inclusive

Activity 8: Rank order the 3 tweaks you could make to your classroom to further support student learning.

Criteria: Feasible, effective, inclusive

Provides a moderate to high challenge to

students

Is a low threat environment

Engages positive emotions to support learning

Allows for multi-path input

Provides thinking strategies that support

students in using information to create products

and solve meaningful problems

Includes both novelty and predictability

Allows sufficient time for processing

Provides complex, frequent feedback

Provides a moderate to high challenge to

students

Is a low threat environment

Engages positive emotions to support learning

Allows for multi-path input

Provides thinking strategies that support

students in using information to create products

and solve meaningful problems

Includes both novelty and predictability

Allows sufficient time for processing

Provides complex, frequent feedback