2. BRAIN
HOW YOUR
BRAIN WORKS
HOW IT HELPS
YOU IN YOUR
STUDY
A.HOW THE
BRAIN
FUNCTIONS
B. HOW THE
MEMORY WORKS
IN LEARNING
A. HOW THE BRAIN
WORKS AND
HOW STUDENTS
CAN RESPOND
41 TERMS EVERY
TEACHER
SHOULD KNOW
B. THE
NEUROSCIENCE
OF LEARNING
Overview
5. Functions of lobes :
1.Controls goal directed
voluntary movements,
manipulation of
objects and the
integration of
different senses
2.Main functions :
-Cognition,pain and
touch sensation,visual
attention and face
recognition
1. Play an important
role in organizing
and combining
what we see
and hear,language
and speech
production as
well as memory
association and
formation
1. Involved visuos patial
processing, as well as
perception of
movement and colour
such as depth
perception and motion
detection
2. Damage : problem
with vision,difficulty
with reading and
writing,visual illusions
and hallucinations
1. Involved in
movement,decision
making,problem
solving and planning.
2. Damage:
Becoming
impulsive,irritable,ag
gressive,passive or
depression.
CEREBRAL CORTEX
6. 1.VISION
-Generated by photoreceptors in the retina, a layer of
cells at the back of the eye.
-Visual images are inverted as they pass through the
lens.
- In your right eye, the nasal retina sees the right half of
the world, while the temporal retina sees the left half
of the world.
2.HEARING
-Located on the surface of the temporal lobes, the primary
auditory cortex of each hemisphere processes input from
the opposite ear.
-Cranial nerves, however, communicate with both
hemispheres.
-For example, if a lesion affected only the left auditory
cortex, the right ear would not become entirely deaf.
-
3.SMELL
-The signals generated by our smell sensation are carried
by two cranial nerves (olfactory and trigeminal) to the
various cortical regions involved in the processing of
olfactory information as it passes to the brain.
- Much of the sensation we consider to be taste is actually
olfactory, which is why our experience of smell and taste
are closely linked. Head trauma, such as frontal skull
fracture,occipital injury, or nasal fracture can cause smell
deficiencies.
4.TASTE
-Three nerves carry taste signals to the brain stem: the
chorda tympani nerve (from the front of the tongue), the
glossopharyngeal nerve (from the back of the tongue) and
the vagus nerve (from the throat area and palate).
-The trigeminal nerve carries signals from the touch /
temperature / pain system. Taste signals combine in the
brain stem areas involved in arousal (i.e. from sleep) then
with smell signals in the brain to produce the sensation of
flavour.
5.SOMATIC SENSES
-As sensory receptors in our skin, muscles, bones, joints and organs are triggered
by a specific stimulus, this signal passes to the somatosensory region in the brain
which is uniquely attributed to that area on the body.
-Produces sensations such as touch, temperature, pain or body position and allows
us to feel the processed stimulus at the correct location.
7. • Teachers are the caretakers of the development of students’ highest brain during the years of its most extensive changes. Ideally there would be additional opportunities for
future teachers to pursue further inquiry into the science of how the brain learns, retrieves, and applies information.
B. HOW THE MEMORY WORKS IN LEARNING
HOW THE
MEMORY WORKS
IN LEARNING?
1. High stress Restricts Brain Processing to
the Survival State
-The prefrontal cortex,the higher thinking
processes of executive functions
(judgement,critical analysis,priotizing) is
also the CEO that can manage and control
our emotions
2. Teaching Grows Brain Cells
-These physical changes of brain
self-reconstruction in response to
experience including sensory
input,emotions,conscious and
unconscious thoughts are so
responseive that human potential
for increased knowledge,physical
skils and "talent" in the arts is
essentially limitless
3. Memory is sustained by Use
-Retention is further promoted when new
memories are connected to other stored
memories based on commonalities such as
similarities differences,especially where
students use graphic organizers and derive
their own connections
4. Memory is constructed and stored
by patterning
-Teachers can help students
increase working memory
efficiency through a variety of
interventions correlated with
neuroimaging responses
- Example: Make prediction, receive
timely feedback, and relfect on
those experiences.
8. OUR CHANGING MEMORY
SYSTEMS
1. Memory Capicity
-When students are
learning something
new,they process it in a
temporary memory called
working memory.
-Brain-imaging studies
show that most of working
memory's activity occurs
in the frontal lobe,although
other parts of the brain
are often called into action
(Sousa,2006;Sweeney,2009
)
2. Working memory
retention
-Learners can hold items in
working memory longer
than previous though-up to
several weeks.
-They then discard them
when they serve no further
purpose-like after they take
the test
(Lewandosky&Oberauer;200
9)
3. Meaning
-When processing new
information,the brain
seeks to determine
whether the information
has meaning.
4. Movement
-Research shows
that the brain is
more active and
effective when
learners are
moving around .
-Brings additional
fuel-carrying blood
to the brain
(Ratey,2008)
5.Sleep
-Researchers have
found that during
sleep the brain is
incrediblely
active,carrying out
process that help the
brain to learn,make
connections, remember,
and clear out clutter.
-Studies show that sleep-
deprived students are more
likely to get poorer grades
than students who slept
longer, and they are more
likely to get depressed.
(Wolfson,Spaulding,Dandrow,
& Baroni,2007)
9.
10. MEMORY SYSTEMS IN THE BRAIN. (MODIFIED FROM
SQUIRE AND KNOWLTON, 1994)
11. HOW it helps in your study
A. HOW THE BRAIN WORKS AND HOW STUDENT CAN RESPOND
HOW THE BRAIN WORKS
1. THE THINKINGBRAIN AND THE REACTIVE BRAIN
-Once sensory information enters the brain it's routed to one of two areas 1) The prefrontal cortex 2) The lower-automatic
brain
-The prefrontal cortex is only 17% of your brain,the rest makes up the reactive brain
2.RAS (RETICULAR ACTIVATING SYSTEM) : THE GATEKEEPER
-Receives input from sensory nerves that come from nerve endings in your eyes,ears,mouth,face,skin,muscles and internal
organs and meet at the top of your spinal cord
- These sensory messages must pass through the RAS to gain entry to your higher, thinking brain
- Action : Keep yourself physically healthy and well rested and to develop awareness of and some control over your
emotions
3.DOPAMINE : FEELING GOOD HELPS YOU LEARN
-One of the brain’s most important neurotransmitters
-Chemical neurotransmitters like dopamine carry electrical messages across the gap from one neuron to another to process
new information
-Action : Interacting with friends,laughing,physical activity,listening to someone read to you and acting kindly increased
dopamine levels
12. 4. THE LIMBICSYSTEM : YOUR EMOTIONAL CORE
-Data must first pass through your brain’s emotional core,the limbic system,where your amygdala and hippocampus evaluate wheter this information is useful because it will help you
physically survive or bring you pleasure
• Its a system for routing information based on your emotional state
• Action: Slow down and take a moment to reflect instead of react
when you take a test at school or face conflicts with friends
• Brain links new sensory input to both memories of your
past and knowledge already stored in your long-term
memory to make newrelational memories
• Reviewing and pratising something you'ved learned helps
13. 5 Surprising Facts About How Our Brains Work
BRAIN
1. Your brain
does creative
work better
when you’re
tired
2. Stress can
change the size
of your brain
(and make it
smaller)
3. It is literally
impossible for
our brains to
multi-task
4. Meditation
can rewire
your brain for
the better
5. Exercise can
reorganize the
brain and
boost your
willpower
14. HOW STUDENTS CAN RESPOND
STUDENT ATTENTION
FORMULA : MEMORY + ATTENTION = LEARNING
THE BRAIN WILL REMEMBER LITTLE UNLESS IT DEVOTES ATTENTION TO IT
1.SYSTEM
RESPONSIBLE FOR
ATTENTION
2.ENVIRONMENTAL
DEMANDS
3.PERIPHERAL
PERCEPTION
-The cerebral systems that allow us to focus our attention seem to be
a lot more complicated that we once thought (Styles,2006)
-Implication : Maintaining focus in a classroom where nothing is novel
will require considerable mental effort
-Gadgets such as smartphones,personal digital assistant (PDAs)
iPods,and DVD players,along with social networks such as Facebook
and Twitter
-Implications : Educators have a challenge on their hands, keeping
students’ brains engaged
-Way : Brain compatible curriculum include performances,
simulations,scenarios,projects and service options.
-Divides the brain’s attention
-Stimuli in students’ surroundings can enhance or limit learning and
memory
-Peripheal interruptions such as a neighbouring student talking off
task about yesterday’s football game
-Implication: Teachers should consider both focused and peripheral
attention demands when planning instructional activities
15. 1.Learning involves far more than thinking: it involves the whole personality - senses, feelings, intuition, beliefs, values and will.
2.Learning occurs when we are able to :-
LEARNING
1.Gain a mental or
physical grasp of
the subject
2.Make a sense of a subject by interpreting it into our
own words or actions
3.Use our newly acquired ability or knowledge in conjunction with skills and
understanding we are already process
4.Do something with the new knowledge or skill and take ownership of it
16. 3.Key principle of learning :
1.People learn
best when they
are treated with
respect
2.Learning
activities or
delivery need to
be varied
3.Interaction with
a facilitator is vital
4.Instant reward
help
5. Self-evaluation
and reflective
practice is
important
19. EXAMPLE OF TERMS :
1. BRAIN MAPPING
2.FUNCTIONAL BRAIN
IMAGING
(NEUROIMAGING)
3. FUNCTIONAL
MAGNETIC RESONANCE
IMAGING (MRI)
4.GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS 5.PATTERNING 6.VENN DIAGRAM
7. ROTE MEMORY
20. RESPONSE: THE BEST WAYS TO
ENGAGE STUDENTS IN LEARNING
RESPOND
FROM
JULIA
THOMPSON
1.Create activities
and assignments
that are challenging
but attainable
2. Be positive with
your student
3. Offer as many
choices and
optional
assignments as is
reasonably possible
4.Help students
stay on the track by
providing
opportunities for
frequent self check
21. Neuroscience Fundamentals
NEUROSCIENCE
FUNDAMENTALS
1.Changing the brain
-Change in response to stimuli
(neuroplasticity) and able to
produce new neurons
(neurogenesis)
2.Moderate stress
-Stimulation to learn requires a
moderate amount of stress
3.Adequate sleep,good nutrition and
regular exercise
-promote neuroplasticity and
neurogenesis
-keep cortisol and dopamine (stress
and happiness hormones) at
appropriate levels
4.Active learning
-Cognitive functions associated
with Bloom's Taxanomy
22. Interacts with cognitive processing and the impact this interaction has on retention of learning
1.Feeling Physically Safe and Emotionally
Secure
-When educators understand the biology of
emotions,especially stress,they recognize
that students cannot focus on the
curriculum unless they feel physically safe
from threats and feel emotionally secure
(they perceive that teachers respect them
& actually care about their success)
-Implication: Administrators & teachers
should work together to provide a school
and classrooms that harbor a positive
learning environment
2.Connecting Emotions to Content
-Emotions affect how receptive
students are to new learning.How
they feel about a learning experience
is often more important than the
content being taught.
-Implication: Instructionals strategies
should include ways to get students
emotionally involved with the lesson
content.
