THE WAY THE BRAIN LEARNS BEST 1.The Brain shapes itself in response to the outside world. Five senses generate nerve impulses that cause brain cells to connect, forming circuits and networks. Therefore: connect academic material to concrete, sensory experiences: Sing, measure, talk, listen, write, build, draw, jump, run. Engage all the senses to learn academic material.
2. The brain searches for meaning. Many teaching methods help the brain discover meaning. Link lessons with concrete, real things that engage the senses. Draw on things students already know, or create new experiences. Ask students to organize material into patterns that hold meaning: webs, charts, diagrams, sequences, cause-effect connections, chunking, and outlining. Engage in projects, problem-solving, service learning, discovery learning, and performances. Question, make choices, accept responsibility
3. Rotating the memory helps us acquire skills and make them automatic Practice, review, repeat Chunk information Rearrange Outline Summarize Use physical movement Make things meaning full!
4. Emotions are always with us We pay 3 to 5 times more attention to negative comments than to positive ones. The brain that is exposed constantly to negative feedback develops abnormal circuits. The frightened brain forces out reason. Therefore: Make your classroom a place where students feel valued, worthy, appreciated, and connected with peers who respect them. “I am accepted, part of the class, full of potential. I can succeed.”
5. Memory decays rapidly. New experiences affect existing memories. To keep a memory intact, review and refresh it. Use visual aids, graphics, songs, rhymes, and simulations to refresh the memory.
6. The brain is a social organ. It demands that we live together harmoniously and cooperatively. Our biology demands positive relationships. Teach students to co-exist harmoniously. Invite them to collaborate, listen deeply to how others feel, and contribute to the well- being of others.
Everyone is intelligent in several ways. Everyone has brain circuits dedicated to at least nine kinds of intelligence. Verbal/linguistic Logical/mathematical Spatial, space thinking Kinesthetic (Motor coordination) Musical Naturalist Interpersonal, Intrapersonal Existentialist (Spiritual Quotient: SQ) 7. Intelligence can be raised or lowered. It is not single, but multiple. It is not fixed, but malleable, learnable.
New scientific claims: We all have these intelligences, they make us human, cognitively speaking! No two people, not even identical twins, have exactly the same profile of intelligences. We are all unique and interconnected with everything around us. The differences in theories between Newton, Einstein and Darwin.
Three trust/facts: 1.Globalization, the easy move of human beings, money, fashion and globalize thinking is a fact. The whole world in coming is nearby. 2.The biological revolution, like this knowledge about how brains are working. 3.The digital revolution, virtual, fast and virtual realities. Its all to bee seen on the screen!
The five Minds for the Future 1.The disciplined mind 2.The synthesizing mind, system thinking in school systems 3.The creating mind. 4.The respectful mind 5.Ethical mind
The disciplined mind Working steady and improving yourself! Good is the enemy of excellent! Develop your own passion, talk in the school what is relevant, offer students the change to discover the meaning behind discipline. Going for being an expert in what you want to be/do, your profession. You have to work for it, discipline for the quality you aim for. Even a garbage man has his quality and can aim for discipline!
The synthesizing of mind Every two of three years the information we can get is doubled, especially which is coming from the internet. Evaluate the information and give it a meaning full place, make students disciplined to structure this information. The good, bad and meaning full synthesis of all information. What if students read less books and don’t understand the meaning of what the interconnection between information is? System thinking in schools, the natural learning process.
The creating mind Going beyond the known-thinking outside the box. Creative encourage, right or wrong. If you can see the whole pathway in front of you, you are probably going the wrong way! Good questions, new questions. Creativity on individual- and team level! Fostering creativity in the school instead of discipline. That is hard to believe, but new learning is connected with creativity of students in discipline to them self! The creating mind of a five year old kid is the highest level a human brain can reach!
The respectful mind Diversity as a fact of live. At home, in school at your work! Don’t judge all the time the things which are not according to your mental model! Emotional and interpersonal intelligence Not just students- teachers- or parents alone. It is about inter connection/ synthesis between these all! Respect is not only a person you made the choice for!
The ethical mind What will/can I add to develop others. What does it mean to be partner in the community I am living in? Teach students how they can add something to the society we are all living in. Enlarge their time and place horizon. Make learning sustainable and train people for the tomorrow job! Awareness of that is for all teachers very important The ethical person is worried about his or her responsibilities. The role of formal and informal learning in developing these five minds for the future!