Allison Girouard, Monique Terracina, and Leslie Willis

The Brain We teach one organ in the body: the brain! Learn about it! You can change the brain! With the right intervention you can improve brain function, with the wrong intervention you can decrease brain function! Healthy Brain + Healthy Body = Optimal Learning Dr. Daniel Amen, M.D. Change Your Brain, Change Your Body Website:

Brain Function Tips for Students and Teachers The more teachers and students learn about the brain, the more effective the learning process will be. Brain health: diet, exercise, injury prevention Movement Offer choices to increase students’ attention and motivation for learning General awareness of your students’ brain types, optimal learning styles, and attention to their particular needs (focus / attention span)

Brain Health Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted Boost your brain to improve your weight, skin, heart, energy, and focus!

Choices for Learning Along with verbal cues, provide space, movement, objects/objects in motion, and graphics to include all brain types. Encourage drawing before writing. Allow students to write about topics that interest them without setting too many limits. Optional Brain Break

Brain Breaks / Brain Boosters Before introducing a new concept, increase blood flow to the brain. Providing movement in the classroom is critical for preparing the brain for learning. It can easily be integrated into daily routines. Brain Dance by Ann Green Gilbert Brain Gym by Paul and Gail Dennison Brain Gym : Edu – K (short for Educational Kinesiology) is an innovative approach that uses movements to enhance learning. The basic movements are called Brain Gym. The benefits of using this program include improvements in learning, vision, memory, expression, and movement abilities in teachers and students. In the classroom, teachers typically report improvements in attitude, attention, homework, behavior, and academic performance for the entire class. Movement=Increased Blood Flow

General Awareness Brain Types Boy brain Girl brain Bridge brain : 20% of the population Optimize Learning Styles See hand-out Attention to Particular Needs Scents and learning Rosemary strengthens a weak memory / restores mental alertness. Peppermint boosts energy, creativity, and learning skills. Lemon and jasmine enhance cognitive performance. Colors and learning Human Learning Response with Colors Specific colors have particular connections within the brain. Bright colors spark energy and creativity, while dark colors lower stress. Red and orange = increases IQ as much as 12 points Useful for alerting children to specific points of knowledge or new concepts Green = associated with fertility including “fertile thinking” as in creativity White & black = makes children more “dull “and lowers IQ

Interesting Tidbits Doodling increases auditory learning by 29%. When we learn with pleasure, we never forget, so MAKE LEARNING FUN and relevant! Keep the brain hydrated- water at room temperature decreases the need for bathroom breaks. I won’t = I can’t I can’t = I don’t want to Increased exposure to natural light increases test scores. Use Velcro under a desktop, pipe cleaners or sponge rollers on pens or pencils, carpet squares on desks, elastic bands on chair legs, stand-up desks, T-stools, etc. Kill the ANTs! (Automatic Negative Thoughts) Teach kids that it’s OK not to believe every ridiculous thing that they hear. They have control over what they choose to believe. Arts develop the brain! (drawing, music, performing, etc.) -- vocabulary activity, name recognition, writing topics, etc.

Brain Spects Girl Boy

Lighthouse and Ship

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