This is Your Brain. This Is How It Works.

Keep in mind there are two distinct sides with different functions Parts of the brain: Keep in mind there are two distinct sides with different functions Notes Cerebellum controls your balance, body posture, and muscle functions. By age 2, it has almost reached its adult size.

The Brainstem (Pathway to the Body) Base of brain Unconscious work Autonomic functions (survival) The brainstem controls unconscious work such as breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. This area of the brain holds the key to life itself.

The Cerebellum (Balance) “little brain” Large in size 11% of brain’s weight Center of balance The cerebellum is the key to balance, maintenance of body posture, and coordination of muscle function. The cerebellum ‘remembers’ such movements learned at a young age such as walking and grabbing.

The brain has 4 areas called lobes Frontal Parietal Temporal Occiptal

The Frontal Lobes (Problem Solving) Largest part Move your body Highly developed Forms your personality The frontal lobes are responsible for allowing you to think of the past, plan for the future, focus your attention, solve problems, make decisions, and have conversation with others. This region is also responsible for thinking creatively and analytically in a problem-solving mode.

The Parietal Lobes (Touching) Two major divisions Anterior and posterior Senses hot and cold, hard and soft, and pain. Taste and smell Helps integrate the senses The brain must always know where each part of the body is located and its relation to it’s surroundings. The anterior part (front) is responsible for receiving incoming sensory stimuli. The posterior part (rear) is continuously analyzing to give a person a sense of spatial awareness.

The Temporal Lobes (Hearing) Process auditory stimuli Subdivisions Wernicke’s Area Broca’s Area Subdivisions cope with hearing, language, and some aspects to memory. Wernicke’s Area is critical for speech including reading. It allows us to comprehend or interpret speech and to words together correctly so they make sense. Broca’s area is behind the frontal lobes. This area is the center of our speech. It also relates to other language areas such as writing and reading.

The Occipital Lobes (Seeing) Located at lower central back of brain Processes visual stimuli This area gives a person the ability to see and observe.

Taking sides….two sides that is! Two sides or hemispheres of the brain: LEFT and RIGHT We have two cerebral hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum. This is a bundle of nerves that allows each side of the brain to communicate with each other. Each side of the brain processes things differently. It is an outdated assumption that “artsy” type people are right-brained.

Taking sides…. how the two sides process information that is! Left Brain Logical Sequential Rational Analytical Objective Looks at parts Right Brain Random Intuitive Holistic Synthesizing Subjective Looks at wholes

Left Hemisphere processes things more in parts and sequentially recognizes positive emotions Identified with practicality and rationality Understands symbols and representations Processes rapid auditory information faster than the right (crucial for separating the sounds of speech into distinct units for comprehension) is responsible for language development. It develops slower in boys, that is why males usually develop more language problems than females.

Right Hemisphere Recognizes negative emotions High level mathematicians, problem solvers, and chess players use The “non-verbal” side Responds to touch and music (sensory) Intuitive Responsive to color and shape Emotional and originative

Taking sides…. what information the two sides recognize! Left Brain Letters Numbers Words Right Brain Faces Places Objects based on Sousa (1995, p. 88)

Taking sides….take the test! Hemispheric Dominance Inventory Test at http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm Then learn more at: http://brain.web-us.com/brain/LRBrain.html

References Bandura, A.(1994). Social learning theory. From Theory into practice database. (Kearsley, G.). Retrieved March 25, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://tip.psychology.org/bandura.html Bloom's Taxonomy: (2003). retrieved December 2, 2003, from http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/educ_school2/docs/stai_manual/manual10.htm Chicurel, M. (1995) The Inner Life of Neurons, retrieved on-line, http://www.med.harvard.edu/publications/On_The_Brain/Volume4/Number2/SP95In.html Doolittle, P. (2001). Multimedia Learning: Empirical Results and Practical Applications [Online]. Available http://edpsychserver.ed.vt.edu/workshops/edtech/pdf/multimedia.pdf [2002, Aug 18]. Gaines, B.R. & Shaw, M. (1995). Collaboration Through Concept Maps. Retrieved November 20, 2002, from: http://ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/articles/CSCL95CM/ Sousa, D. R. (1995). How the Brain Learns. Reston, VA: NASSP

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