1. The Adolescent Brain David H. Vawter (vawterd@winthrop.edu)

2. Dave Vawter, B.S., M.Ed., Ph.D, D.A.D “ This too shall pass”

3. Brainy Facts: What do we know about the brain?
Adult = 3 pounds
2% of our body weight but consumes 20% of our calories
70% water, it consumes 30% of the water we drink

5. The brain develops from the back towards the front
The brain develops from the back towards the front. Beginning at the Cerebellum, then the Amygdala, the Basal Ganglia, the Corpus Callosum and then last the Prefrontal Cortex.

7. Dr. Jay Giedd, Neuroscientist
Used MRI to scan the brains of nearly 1000 healthy children ages 3-18.
Between ages of birth-2 and 9-10= tremendous growth of neurons
Ages 2-3 and 11+= massive pruning

8. During adolescence… use it or lose it
Fewer but faster connections
The grey matter continues to thicken,
Used connections will flourish, unused will die.

10. Brain Break
Rally Robin

11. Frontal Lobe Problem solving Judgment Planning Organization
Self-monitoring
Emotions
Attention
Concentration
Awareness of abilities
Self-control
“do the right thing”

12. The CEO of the Brain
The frontal lobes: executive decisions and moral/ethical control
Development continues from back to front through early 20’s
“It’s sort of unfair to expect teens to have adult levels of organizational skills or decision-making before their brains are finished being built.”- Dr. Giedd

13. Misread signals

14. Everything is not as it seems to them…..
Teens relied on the amygdala, associated with emotion and gut reactions
Teens see anger when it was not intended

16. But what if the student is very smart?
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17. Catching ZZZZZZs They need 9 ¼ hrs… They get…6-7….!
The biological clock shifts in the teen years
Sleep deprivation can have a major negative effect on learning and memory!
Turn off backlit devices an hour before bed

18. “Teen Brain” or ADD/ADHD?

19. ADD/ADHD? Does the teen have…… Ability to "hyperfocus"
Above average intelligence or higher
Creative thinking
The inability to focus causing problems with grades, relationships, safety, self-esteem
Famous people: Albert Einstein, Will Smith, Walt Disney, Ben Franklin, Whoopie Goldberg

20. What is ADD/ADHD? Caused by weak dopamine signals in the brain.
Drugs of abuse (nicotine, cocaine, etc) temporarily increase brain dopamine activity. They may have a greater risk of drug abuse.
Find treatment: medication, biofeedback

21. How do you help the ADD/ADHD student?
Remove clutter even from walls
Allow movement, sit in the back or side
Do not get angry at their behavior; that will never fix the problem
Give extra time if noticeably distracted
Keep a stash of their materials in your room; help them with organization

22. During adolescence… period of high risk
Drugs and alcohol can alter normal development of the brain
Teens who drink are exposing their brains to the toxic effects of alcohol at a critical time of brain development
Image from Susan Tapert, PhD, University of California, San Diego.

23. What about students from poverty?
TEACHERS
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!

26. Neurogenesis-the birth of new neurons
Evident in the hippocampus and perhaps in the cerebral cortex.
New neurons develop from neural stem cells that remain in our brains throughout life.
Continual turnover of neurons - old ones die and new ones are born - and these new neurons can participate in circuits that underlie learning.

27. Common Factors in the Lives of Low SES Kids!
Neurogenesis is the raw material for learning! 27

28. Chronic Stress … 1. Creates emotional problems (Burgess et al. 1995)
2. Lowers IQ, reading scores (Delaney-Black, et al. 2002)
3. Causes Memory loss (Lupien, et al. 2001)
4. Shortens dendrites
(Cook and Wellman, 2004), (Brown, et al. 2005)
5. Causes neuron death
(De Bellis, et al. 2001)
6. Fosters inappropriate attachments Schore, A. 2002) 28

30. Under High Stress, Brains Engage in Bottom-Up Decision-Making for a More Reflexive Strategy
“What were you thinking?”
Arnsten AF. (2010) Stress signaling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function

31. Teachers who criticize, hold negative attitudes and use sarcasm as classroom discipline will activate the fear and stress areas of the student’s brain.
This activation alters
the student’s ability
to think
and learn.

34. What does this mean for EDUCATORS?
Crucial time in brain development
Willful pigheadedness?
Making mistakes
Providing structure, helping them get organized, making our content relevant, getting them involved in learning

36. SUMMARY: Brains Can Change for the Better
Brains physically change every day
Targeted classroom teaching can make dramatic changes in days
DNA is not your destiny
Teachers are the strongest change agent in student’s lives

37. The Adolescent Brain -Part Two: Strategies for the Classroom
Brain Break
The Adolescent Brain -Part Two: Strategies for the Classroom

38. Which of these faces walks out of your room?

39. Relevance Movement Organization Novelty Choice Feedback Relationships
Communication
Relevance
Choice
Feedback
Relationships

40. Use ART, DRAMA, MUSIC!

41. MOVEMENT, ENGAGEMENT, FEEDBACK, COMMUNICATION
STATIONS

42. Work in Groups! Plan Select with partial choice
Let them use GoogleDocs to create presentations
They create the assessment

43. Novelty
Dress Up
Change the room around
Go outside!!!

44. Speed Teaching! The Six R’s
Reflexes
Reflection
Review
Reteaching
Relevancy
Ready for what is next

45. Reflexes
TPR
Hand Checks
Movement

46. Reflection
Long term retention

47. Review
Not how many times…..

48. Reteaching
Differentiation

49. Relevancy
Two Kinds
To their lives
Why

50. Ready
Cognitive Dissonance
Anticipation

51. When they get to be about 25, they’ll realize their parents and teachers were pretty smart people.