How to be Research Based And still have fun!

14 years sp ed resource room teacher 3 years intervention specialist, inclusion 12 years teacher trainer for co- teaching, inclusion strategies 21 years high school math teacher 23 years district administrator 1 ½ years as educational consultant Nearly 75 years! Bonny Buffington

Baggage Claim On an index card, LEGIBLY write your response to these questions: What do students need in order to learn? What can teachers do to facilitate student learning?

When I say “GO,” find a partner to share what you have written. Explain your responses to your partner, and then give your index card to that person. He/she will explain his/her responses to you and then give his/her index card to you. Repeat after 60 seconds when I say “GO” again

Research says! Dr. Henrietta Leiner and Dr. Alan Leiner of Stanford University (1993) Research links physical movement with thinking process. Dr. Peter Strick of Veteran Affairs Medical Center of Syracuse, NY (1995) The part of the brain that processes movement is the same part that processes learning.

“It's like a math co-processor. It's not essential for any activity... but it makes any activity better. Anything we can think of as higher thought, mathematics, music, philosophy, decision-making, social skill, draws upon the cerebellum....” Dr. Jay Giedd, National Institute of Mental Health The Cerebellum

So what? Integrate movement activities into everyday learning Provide manipulatives Offer novel activities, learning locations, choices that require moving Eric Jensen, Brain-Based Learning (2000) p 169

Resources The Strategy Ring Glossary of Instructional Strategies html Summarization in Any Subject, Rick Wormeli, ASCD

Science Question The chemical symbol for oxygen is O; hydrogen is H; nitrogen is N. Name the chemical symbol for the element: Sodium

Numbered Heads Together In groups of 4, number each person 1, 2, 3, and 4 Name the chemical symbol for the element: potassium

Research says! Dr. Joseph LeDoux, Center for Natural Science, NYU (1996) Emotions “contribute significantly to attention, perception, memory, and problem solving” Dr. Paul MacLean, neurologist (1978, 1990), Laboratory of Brain Evolution and Behaviour Supports critical role of emotions in learning

So what? Establish a safe learning environment Ensure resources necessary for success are available to every learner Provide personally meaningful projects and more individual choice Use self-assessment tools for non- threatening feedback Celebrate student success Incorporate assignments that require sharing personal opinions and feelings

Resources Spinners and other goodies eacherTools2.html All kinds of web sites with helpful stuff eacher/index.html

Vocab Pictionary Use your vocabulary words to play “Pictionary” with a partner When you guess the word, you must also say the definition

Vocab words: Strategy Cerebellum Facilitate Legible Curriculum Research Movement Multi-sensory Response Non-threatening Assessment Perception

Research Says! Dr. Daniel Schacter, Harvard University professor of psychology (1996) Different learning tasks require different ways to store and recall information Dr. Richard M. Restak, president of the American Neuropsychiatric Association (1994) Research supports the fact that using different learning styles enhances learning

So what? Use as many modalities and/or intelligences as possible when you teach. Students learn differently and so teachers should teach differently. Differentiate instruction!

Learning Style Resources Several inventories resources.htm Research and articles (Project Zero research)

Questions for the consultant: Bonny Buffington Knox County ESC 308 Martinsburg Rd. Mount Vernon, OH