1. Engaging the Brain High Aims 2018 Lori Wegman
Instructional Specialist
Fairfield City Schools
All presentation files are found in the High Aims app
My address:

2. Reflection – Your Current Practices
Compare/Contrast
Summarizing/Note-taking
Praise and recognition
Homework and Practice
Objectives/Goals
Generating/testing hypotheses
Cues and Leading Questions
Metaphors and Analogies
Feedback
Student Choice/Voice
Writing
Story-telling
Mnemonics
Visuals
Movement
Role play
Visualization
Vocabulary
Cooperative groups
Music
Graphic organizers
Drawing
Humor
Discussion
Games
Project-based
Field trips
Manipulatives
Technology
Work-study

3. Did you know???? Multitasking does not exist.
3 times is the MINIMUM something needs to be taught. Some research indicates up to 17 times.
21 days until something becomes a habit.
Practice/homework should be intentional, have a specific goal/outcome, and in smaller chunks.
Mirror neurons (primate specific):  fire when you act and when you observe that action in others (modeling is important!)
There is a connection between writing (over typing) info and memory/recall

4. 6 Principles of Brain-Friendly Teaching (Kagan)
Attention
Social Interaction
Nourishment
Safety
Stimuli/Info Processing
Emotion

5. Attention
Novel stimuli + orienting response = increased alertness + better retention
Example: Quiet Signal

6. Safety
In the presence of a threat, the Amygdala is activated – Fight or Flight.
Inhibits the pre-frontal cortex (planning, problem solving, cognition)
Student signals: slow down, over my head, etc.
Choice
Sharing in pairs first, then fours. Build up to “hot seat”.
Class building and team building activities
Brain breaks/fun
Coping skills

7. Emotion
Emotion produces retrograde memory enhancement (anything followed by emotion is better remembered).
Positive emotions = deeper thinking and creativity
Praise/appreciation
Greetings
Parting/saying goodbye
Celebrating
Hand shakes
Humor
No put downs

8. Social Interaction
The brain is a social organ. It is at maximum engagement when socializing.
Soft skills: cooperation/collaboration, empathy, communication, problem solving.

9. Nourishment Increase O2 and glucose levels Novelty Intelligence shift
Releases dopamine, endorphins
Movement
Kinesthetic learning
Brain breaks
Hands-on

10. Stimuli/Information Processing
Brains have:  
Multiple intelligences
Multiple memory systems

11. N P N P P N Chaos = anxiety Brains seek a balance between: Balance =
Novelty (anti-boredom-attention)
Predictability (safety) N P N P P N
Monotony = bored
Balance = 
relaxed alertness
(body)      (mind)
Chaos = anxiety

12. Q & A
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

13. Articles of Interest Research and Rational for Cooperative Learning
Resources on Engaging Student Voices
Help your students speak up and speak out in the classroom, online, and wherever they go.
#JokeoftheDay
Build community and prime students for critical thinking by starting class with laughs.
Burn Your Podium (and other Hacks)
Put an end to sleeping in your classroom.  When students are at the center of the learning experience, engagnment will come naturally
“I wonder”:  Harnessing the Power of Inquiry
Letting student curiosity inform your teaching naturally increases the relevance and student buy-in of your content.

14. Books/Authors of Interest
Mirroring People by M. Iacoboni
Memory and Emotion by James L. McGaugh
Mapping the Mind by Rita Carter
Blink by M. Gladwell
Spark by J. Ratey
Robert Marzano
Eric Jensen
Marcia Tate
Spencer and Laurie Kagan
Rick Wormeli

15. Videos of Interest Kagan Videos Brain Based Learning-Edutopia
Jensen Learning
Dr. Marcia Tate
Wormeli-Teaching with a Growth Mindset

19. Thank you for joining me!
Please complete my exit ticket at:
Engaging the Brain
High Aims
2018
Lori Wegman