1. Executive Functioning

2. The Cookie Problem (from Richard Guare, Ph.D.)
Problem to be solved: Who wore which color?
Rachel, Linda, and Eve were friends sitting in a circle on the grass. Rachel passed 3 chocolate chip cookies to the person in blue. Who wore which color?
Eve passed 3 macaroons to the person who passed her cookies to the person wearing green.
Each person passed 3 cookies to the friend on her left.
Rachel, Linda, and Eve were dressed in red, blue, and green, but not necessarily in that order.
The person who wore green did not get a macaroon.
The person wearing red passed along 3 oatmeal cookies.

3. The Cookie Problem (from Richard Guare, Ph.D.)
Questions to consider:
What do I need to know?
What do I know now?
How can I organize the information, so it makes sense?
What is my plan?
Checking for accuracy

4. Occipital Lobe (visual)
Angular Gyrus
(Connector)
Broca’s Area
(Speech and Language)
Occipital Lobe (visual)
Wernicke’s Area
(Language Comprehension)
This is a brief explanation of the connection of the 4-part processor and the brain. Broca’s area correlates to “phonological processing,” Occipital Lobe correlates to “orthographic processor,” Wernicke’s Area correlates to “meaning and context processors.” Angular gyrus is the connection for sound symbol relationships. Do not go into this in depth. Additional information can be found through a search of Shaywitz, Guinevere Eden from Georgetown University, Sally Shaywitz (Yale University; book “Overcoming Dyslexia,” and Maryanne Wolf (“Proust and the Squid”)
MRI research reveals that students who are struggling readers are “overusing” Broca’s Area, because the other components don’t appear to be firing. For some reason the connections are not being made.
Key Point: Many parts of the brain must be engaged and working effectively for students to be successful. If the neuropathways that connect the pieces of the 4-part processor are weak, inactive or absent,  then students struggle with reading, or have to be provided opportunities through explicit instruction to develop alternate routes to make those connections.

5. Frontal Lobe Deficits are connected to:
Poor executive functions
Excessive joviality, as well as oral and manual exploration
Impulsivity
Stereotypical behavior
Perseveration
Ritualistic Behavior
ADD/ADHD
OCD
Tourette’s Syndrome
Schizophrenia
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Alzheimer’s Dementia

6. Where/How do executive functions develop?
Myelination is the process by which a fatty layer, called myelin, accumulates around nerve cells (neurons). This myelination occurs in adolescence and supports improvement of executive functions, impulse control, self-regulation…

7. Let’s Explore Executive Functioning

8. Imagine the Possibilities

9. Executive Functions give us the ability to:
Initiate Tasks
Have motivation to persevere
Organize
Plan
Make Decisions
Effectively use time
Use working memory
Attend to the task at hand
Filter out extraneous information

10. Executive Functions give us the ability to:
Socially:
Self-monitor
Theory of Mind
Self-control
Task Shift
Modify emotional response
Predict consequences

11. Smart, but Scattered: Explained
Executive functions allows for:
Forethought
Planning
Goal-directed Actions
Self-Disciplane/Self-Regulation
Persistence/Grit
T-P-S: How does this impact literacy instruction?

12. Which of these are most connected to language development?
Initiate Tasks
Have motivation to persevere
Organize
Plan
Make Decisions
Effectively use time
Use working memory
Self-monitor
Self-control
Task Shift
Modify emotional response
Predict consequences
Attend to the task at hand
Filter out extraneous information

13. Two Brain Changes During Adolescence
Pruning of the Neuropathways
Increased connectivity between brain regions
The Growth of the Brain

14. How are we going to meet the needs of most kids in the classroom?
Effective Teaching Practices High Impact Strategies Universal Design for Learning

15. Strategies for Language and Executive Function:
Limit Stress!!!
Find appropriate sources of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) to communicate
Teach the process of organization through play, modeling and communication opportunities
Repetition and structure are necessary for solidify neuropathway

16. Strategies for Language and Executive Function:
Teach and practice dialogue
Use “managed choice” for decision-making
For memory: music, rhymes, words within words, peg words
V.A.K.T. (Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile)
Sensory seekers and avoiders
Physiological needs

17. Have a PLAN
Picture
List
Assemble (hint)
Notice

18. Learner Variability

19. Quotation Mingle: Universal Design for Learning
Increased Engagement Time
Read and Wrap
Discuss Salient Points with your team
Find a person with a different number and share

20. Learner Variability
8.5

23. How to Use the Resources
Things you Learned 2 Things you want to know more about 1 Thing you are going to try tomorrow
org/aboutudl/udlguidel ines