Year 11 Support Sessions Welcome

Over the forth coming weeks Between now and when you leave you will take part in 11 sessions that will support you in preparing for your exams. Each session will be run by a specifically chosen member of staff and range from revision tips through to ensuring you look after your emotional well being. Each sessions PowerPoint and resources will be placed on the schools website for you to access from home. Your parents will also be able to have a look at what is happening too.

Year 11 Support Session Session 1 – The Brain

The brain Most humans brains function in the same general way, however their learning preferences may differ. Understanding how your brain absorbs and stores new information can help you optimise your academic performance and aid your revision technique.

What do you know?

5 facts about the brain 1. Learning builds on prior knowledge 2. Practice leads to stronger connections in the brain 3. The type of practice you do directly impacts what you learn 4. Your working memory has limits 5. Sleep impacts learning and memory 1. Learning builds on prior knowledge The human brain consists of special cells called neurons, which are composed of several parts, including brain fibres known as dendrites. As you learn, these brain fibres grow. The fibres connect your brain cells to one another at contact points called synapses. The larger your brain fibres grow, and the more brain cells they connect, the more information can be stored in your brain. But brain fibres can only grow from existing brain fibres. In other words, to learn new knowledge, a person must build on information that is already stored in the brain. For this reason, having a strong understanding of the foundational content in a given subject is essential if you wish to accomplish higher-level learning. 2. Practice leads to stronger connections in the brain When it comes to creating stronger, faster connections in the brain, practicing the skill or information that you wish to fully master is essential. This is because regular practice — whether it involves reading a history textbook, listening to a science podcast or solving a calculus problem — causes your dendrites to grow thicker and to coat themselves with a fatty layer. With enough practice, these thickened brain fibres will eventually form double connections to one another. When this occurs, signals carrying information can travel faster to and from different parts of your brain. The fatty coating on brain fibres also speeds up your brain’s ability to process information. Brain fibres with double connections are very strong and enduring. Thus, continually practicing a given skill to acquire information or ability can help solidify that information or ability in your brain more permanently. 3. The type of practice you do directly impacts what you learn It is important to remember that the brain grows fibres that relate to what you are practicing. This fact is especially important to keep in mind if you are enrolled in courses that require hands-on skills, such as calculus, chemistry, physics and studio art. In such classes, it’s essential to not just listen to and watch how to perform a specific skill, but to also perform that skill yourself. This will help you truly learn it. 4. Your working memory has limits Working memory is the part of your brain that allows information to be stored and mentally manipulated for short periods of time. This is the type of memory you rely on to do mental math, such as when you’re out to dinner and must calculate a tip, or when you’re trying to memorize the five or six items you need to purchase at the grocery store. *Vitamin B12 best for maintaining good memory and concentration* Though the capacity of working memory differs from person to person, scientists believe that its general limit is five to seven items. But don’t let that limit intimidate (or frustrate) you — researchers also believe that memory can be improved by taking proper care of your brain and body. Another way to increase your working memory’s limit is by grouping items together before you try to memorize them. 5. Sleep impacts learning and memory Most college students experience sleep deprivation at least once in their educational careers. However, a routine lack of sleep can have detrimental impacts on your health. It can also wreak havoc on your ability to learn. Besides making it more difficult to focus, sleep deprivation can drastically diminish your brain’s ability to take in new information. In particular, scientists have found that it is extremely important to get a full night’s rest within the first 30 hours of learning new knowledge. Try to prioritize your rest (i.e. get seven to nine hours of sleep) each day of the week. This may mean changing your schedule, lifestyle, and habits, but it will provide you with extraordinary health and learning benefits. *Recommended 8-10 hours of sleep per night*

Learning Styles Visual learners learn through seeing. They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays – body language, facial expressions, written information, charts and diagrams, illustrations in books, and videos. Auditory learners learn from the spoken word, the teacher’s discourse and discussions. They use tone, pitch and other nuances to provide additional information. They would prefer to hear written information aloud and benefit from the use of a tape recorder. Kinaesthetic learners learn best from actively exploring the physical world around them. They often learn new skills through imitation and practice Which type are you? Over the forth coming sessions you will be able to test out which is your preferred style

What type are you? Use the three links to find out what type of learner you are. Does it come back the same each time? http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a3_aspects/pages/vak_quest.htm http://acceleratedlearning.com/method/test_flash.html http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/

Reminder Repeating things and practising things DOES help A good nights sleep is vital Regular breaks are vital Revise in chunks. 7-10 key points/ facts at a time We learn in different ways – find out which works for you Try revising in a variety of ways (these sessions will support you with this)