FOUNDATIONS: Early Childhood as a Building Block for Later Learning Professional Learning Camp – P.J. Presentation Sept. 2011

Connecting…

“That’s Me!” Statement If/when a statement pertains to you, jump up and yell, “That’s me!” Right to pass Source: Tribes Program

Quick Elbow Partner Chat… 1. Did this energizer help you feel more or less comfortable in the room? 2. How might you be able to use this activity with Primary or Junior students? 3. Why do you think connection or reconnection activities are important?

Today… We’re going to begin with early brain development, and then move to how this impacts the teaching and learning of Primary & Junior students

Brain Research Is Meeting Education at a Rapid Pace

The Physiology of the Brain

The Cerebellum

The Brainstem The “Old” or “Reptilian” Brain

The Cerebrum - The “New” Brain

The Temporal Lobe

The Parietal Lobe

The Occipital Lobe

The Frontal Lobe

Quick Elbow Partner Chat… Knowing about the late maturity of the pre-frontal cortex, what implications does this have for our expectations regarding the behaviour of Primary and Junior students?

Implications… Limbic system (old brain) matures before pre-frontal cortex Primary and Junior students exhibit… Poor judgment Impulsivity Emotional outbursts Need for structure, routine and guidance

The Developing Brain… The Genetic Factor

The Developing Brain… The Environmental Factor Experience- expectant learning Experience- dependant learning

The Importance of Brain Plasticity and Cortical Complexity Plasticity: brain’s capacity to change Cortical complexity: number of synapses (neuron connections)

Understanding Neurons and Neural Pathways … use it or lose it!

Temporal lobes Brain stems Healthy Child Neglected Child

Other Periods of Significant Brain Development Ages 6 through puberty Most growth in temporal & parietal lobes but some in pre-frontal cortex too Language, spatial relations Optimal period for development of integrative & executive functioning – increased myelination

Two Important Areas in Regard to Language Skill Development: Left Hemisphere

The Development of Oral Language Skills is Critical Students enter school with varied oral language skills - different neural pathways between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area TV and video gaming should be limited

To recap… 1. Basic brain structure 2. Brain development – genetics and environment 3. Importance of neural complexity But, how does the brain learn a new concept or skill?

The Cerebrum

The Brain’s Hemispheres

Learning to Ride a Bike…

Quick Small Group Chat… Given what we have learned this morning, let’s imagine this is the first day of school and you are standing in front of your Grade 3/4 class. You have never met any of these students before. What do you already know about these learners? What will you need to consider in your teaching?

Learners Arrive in Our Classrooms with Different Brains Genetic factors Environmental factors We have no control over who walks through our doors Children are not all starting at the same developmental point regardless of age/grade Assessment is critical

Considerations For Teaching Students need safe learning environments Learning moves from the big picture to the details Learning requires repetition

Considerations For Teaching Primary & Junior students need hands on experiences with new concepts Need large blocks of time to be working at and exploring activities & ideas Teachers need to be intentional about the play and hands on experiences they plan for their classrooms

Questions/Comments/Reflections

Good Luck This Year!