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How
the Brain Learns
by David Sousa
by David Sousa
=
The
Brain as Novelty Seeker: Par=
t of
our success as a species
can
be attributed to the brain’s persistent interest in novelty.
=
Children
have become accustomed to rapid sensory and emotional
changes.
=
By
acclimating itself to these changes, the brain responds more than
ever
to the unique and the different.
=
We as
educators can either decry the changing brain and culture
or
recognize that we must adjust our schools to accommodate for
those
changes.
![](3D"slide0001_image002.jpg")
Teaching with the Brain in Mind
by Eric Jensen <= /span>
by Eric Jensen <= /span>
=
The
school age brain almost glows with energy consumption
and burns energy at 225 percent of=
adult
levels.
The
outside world is the growing brain’s real food.
Two
things are of critical importance to grow a better brain:
1.The learning is challenging –
mental challenge can be provided
by new
material, adding difficulty, or by limiting resources –
by varying
time, materials, access, expectations – novelty is
important
- change instructional strat=
egies
often
=
2.
Maximize learner feedback – the brains is designed to run on
feedback
![](3D"slide0004_image003.jpg")
Criteria for Long-Term Memory Storage
1.
Information that has survival value is quickly stored
2.
Emotional experiences will most likely be stored
=
Working
memory connects with the learner’s past experience
and
asks two questions:
1.Does this make sense? Can the lear=
ner
understand this item on
the=
basis
of past experience?
2.
Does this have meaning? Is it
relevant to the learner?
=
If
both sense and meaning are present, the likelihood of
long-term
storage is very high.
![](3D"slide0002_image005.jpg")
Retention: the process whereby long-=
term memory preserves the learning so it can be =
=
located, identified, and retrieved accurately.
Keys
for retention: student focus, length and type of rehearsal,
identification
of critical attributes, students learning style,
influence
of prior learning.
=
Rote
rehearsal – info must be remembered exactly how it entered
our
working memory.
Elaborative
rehearsal – not necessary to store info exactly how it
was learned – it is importan=
t here
to associate new learning with
past
learning and look for relationships
=
Students
are given very little time to elaborate on or explain their
thinking
– they see learning as the recall of information.
Semantic
vs Episodic memory
=
Semantic
memory – knowledge of facts, data, words – this is the
information
to retrieve
Episodic
(natural) memory – memory of events in one’s own life –
Here
learning and memory are prompted by the particular location
or circumstance
=
Episodic
memories are enhanced by curiosity, novelty, and sensory
input
such as sights, sounds, smells, taste and touch.
=
Episodic
memory has unlimited capacity, forms quickly and is
easily
updated. Here – the location triggers the content.
What
is the major drawback?
Motor Memory:
(Body Learning)
(Body Learning)
The
body and the brain are part of the same contiguous
organism,
and what happens to the body happens to the
brain.
=
A dual
brain-body stimulus creates a more detailed “map” for
the
brain to use for storage and retrieval.
=
Hands-on,
sensory stimulating experiences provide more input to the
brain
than mere cognitive activity.
A
summary of research tells us that this learning is easier to master,
<=
/div>
is
fairly well remembered, and creates lasting positive memories.
![](3D"slide0008_image007.jpg")
Practical
Suggestions:
(Jensen)
(Jensen)
=
The
single best way to grow a better brain is through challenging
problem
solving. There are many ways to solve a problem.
1.
Expose students to a wide variety of methodologies
2.
Increase richness and variety in their environment
3.
Provide choice in the learning process
4.
Increase the appropriate use of music
5.
Enrich like crazy
![](3D"slide0005_image009.jpg")