Brain Power

Looking at learning from and internal perspective is a lot more intricate than just looking at a theory or how that theory is carried out and applied in a classroom environment. Historically, the importance of the brain and understanding of how the brain processes information itself has gone through a transformation of sorts.

Earlier in the process of mummification, the brain was removed because was little known about its core value in how a human being functions. As decades progressed so did theoretical ideologies of what the brain did, how it was designed and its functionality.

This is really more detailed that you would expect just because each decade brought more information to the forefront as relevant to human behavior and outcomes. This is was the only way that allowed some theorist to understand how the brain categorized information and manifested it into action, by looking at how people behave (B.F. Skinner and his contemporaries were intricate in looking at the brain as just a component that received information and released info).

What is so interesting, is that with each passing decade more information was available in viewing the brain as more than just a component to learning outcomes, but as a filter as a learner obtains more information and breaks it down into more relevant pieces to reflective their personal human experience. It is not just about the manifestation of a behavior, but the effect as separate pieces that work together to influence the whole learning experience. The Triune brain idea looked at the brain as being three distinct parts; reptilian, mammalian and neo-cortex. This took on a more evaluational perception that each part is effected by environment, challenge and the feelings that are going on during the learning experience or (instinct, cognitive/comprehension, thinking order).

How is this relevant? This is going back to helping us as instructors understand that in order to be effective in the classroom that there needs to be an environment that facilitates the learning process in a way that is safe, orderly and encourages emotionally stable opportunities to put into practice what is learned. This is amazing!!!! There is research being conducted that looks at the productivity of brain function in classroom environments that support emotional development and healthy (safe) environments where VARIETY of learning strategies can be practices. LINEAR LEARNING APPROACHES ARE NOT EFFECTIVE BUT HINDER THE PRODUCTION HE HEALTHY AND VIBRATE BRAIN ACTIVITY!

For multiple parents who have to deal with diagnoses of children who are labeled ADD or ADHD this is a Godsend. When there are environments were movement is not encouraged or classrooms that are stagnate in facilitating true learning in modeled, you have under performing children/adults. Exploration, experimentation and discovery is where the learner begins to take hold of the information and makes it relevant to their own lives and experiences.

I am almost in tears as I write this blog because all of our schools are modeled after rote learning approaches. This stagnates the brain's ability to development cognitively (comprehension) and operates against the brain's function in making information relevant and applicable to the overall learning process. We are paralyzing our children/adult's capacity to THINK BIG by sterilizing the environment so much that nothing will grow. In the understanding of how the brain solidifies this information into positive learning experiences, Reardon, introduces 9 compatible learning principles:

• parallel processing
• learning engages the ENTIRE physiology
• The search for meaning is innate in patterning
• emotions are critical to patterning
• every brain simultaneously perceives parts and wholes
• learning involves both by focused attention and peripheral perception (learning takes place in between breaks)
• the brain remembers best when embedded in contextual memory (in relationship to the learning and the emotional state they were in when they learned /received the information
• learning is enhanced by challenge and impeded by threats (creativity is heightened when the environment supports it. When it is threatened/ stressed, it decreases and becomes stagnated)
• EACH BRAIN IS UNIQUE. NO ONE learns the same way. Each person has a distinct way in processing information and making the information relevant to them in their learning process.

Amazing! So not being in your right mind has its benefits! LOL

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX9-5FxoNS0&feature=related