Hi

I found a great site for any of the few that are still skeptical of
brain-based education or brain-based teaching. It's one you can pass
along to your friends that are still undecided.

Go to brain-basedskeptic.com and you'll find a strong argument.
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> On 11/11/05, Karen wrote:
>> How to Explain Brain Based Learning to a Skeptic?
>> Question #l: What is brain-based learning and teaching?
>> Brain-based teaching is the application of a meaningful group
>> of principles that represent our understanding of how our brain
>> works in the context of education. It’s the engagement of
>> strategies derived from these principles that one would see
>> demonstrated in the classroom. Brain-based learning is not a
>> panacea or magic bullet to solve all of education’s
>> problems. Anyone who represents that to others is misleading
>> them. It is not yet a program, a model or package for schools to
>> follow. For the moment, I am hesitant to “package” brain-based
>> learning any more than it is already. Question #2: What’s an
>> example of brain-based teaching? Evidence suggests that
>> stress is a significant factor in creativity, memory, behavior
>> and learning. Teachers who purposefully down-regulate stress
>> factors in class are doing the right thing. That includes
>> stretching, recess, personal skills in handling
>> stress, emotional intelligence skills and physical education.
>> Question #3: Are there certain principles or characteristics
>> about brainbased teaching that you feel are most important?
>> Yes, but not everyone agrees on these principles. Not everyone
>> agrees on the strategies that can be inferred from the
>> principles. Here are the principles that drive
>> my own work. • Malleable memories
>> Memories are often not encoded at all, encoded poorly, often
>> changed or not retrieved. The result is that students rarely
>> remember what we think they should. Memories are
>> strengthened by frequency, intensity and practice under varying
>> conditions and contexts. • Non-conscious experience runs
>> automatic behaviors Our complexity requires we automate
>> many behaviors. The more we automate, the
>> less we are aware of them. Most of our behaviors have come
>> from either “undisputed downloads” from our environment or
>> repeated behaviors that have become automatic. This
>> suggests potential problems and opportunities in learning.
>> • Reward and addiction dependency
>> We have a natural craving for positives (including novelty, fun,
>> rewards and relationships). We try to limit pain even if it means
>> compromising our integrity. For complex learning, we need to
>> defer our gratification and develop the capability
>> to go without an immediate reward. • Attentional limitations
>> We cannot hold attention for long periods of time, except in flow
>> states. We cannot hold much in short-term memory. It’s tough
>> to maintain focus for extended periods of time. Emotions,
>> meaning making, ultradian rhythms and glucose uptake are
>> some factors. Some brain mechanisms facilitate attention by
>> processing the desired areas and others facilitate attention by
>> inhibiting unwanted inputs. Adapting the content to match the
>> learner provides better attention and motivation to learn.
>> • Brain seeks and creates understanding Our brain is a
>> meaning-maker and meaning-seeker. The more important the
>> meaning, the more attention we must pay to it in order to
>> influence the content of the meaning. • Rough drafts
>> Brains rarely get complex learning right the first time. Instead
>> we often sacrifice accuracy for simply getting something
>> “close” or a “rough draft” of the learning.
>> If, over time, the learning maintains or increases in its
>> importance and relevance, we’ll upgrade our rough drafts to
>> improve meaning and accuracy. To this end,
>> prior knowledge changes how our brain organizes new
>> information. Goal driven learning proceeds faster than random
>> learning. Learning is enhanced by brain
>> mechanisms, which contrast output with input goals.
>> • Input limitations Several physical structures and processes
>> limit our ability to take in continuous new learning. The “slow
>> down” mechanisms include our working memory, the
>> synaptic formation time for complex encoding and the
>> hippocampus. • Perception influences our experience
>> Our experiences of life are highly subjective. Many studies
>> show how we can be easily influenced to change how we
>> interpret what see, hear, feel, smell and taste.
>> This subjectivity alters our experience, which alters our
>> perception. When you change the way you perceive the world,
>> you change your experience. Remember,
>> it’s our experience that drives change in the brain.
>> • Malleability/Neural Plasticity We continue to break new
>> ground in discovering new areas of brain plasticity and
>> overall malleability. In addition to growing new brain cells, we
>> now know that our experience can drive physical changes in
>> our sensory cortex, frontal and temporal
>> lobes, amygdala and hippocampus. In addition whole systems
>> can adapt to experience such as the reward system or stress
>> response system. • Emotional-Physical State Dependency
>> Our emotional- and body-states influence our attention,
>> memory, learning, meaning and behavior. These states
>> become more stable over time and will resist
>> change. For example, the longer one is angry or depressed,
>> the more comfortable he or she becomes with that state. This
>> has profound implications for the social and
>> behavioral role of education. I appreciate that you are a curious
>> learner about the brain. Each person in this field
>> you ask will give you a different perspective. Each person you
>> ask will have a different personal history to base his or her
>> answer upon. I have had a very different background than
>> others. Each person will also have an agenda, whether
>> they admit it or not. Maybe it’s to push a certain belief like the
>> importance of cooperative learning, diversity, learning styles or
>> multiple intelligences. All you can do is form your own
>> opinions. No one in education will agree on
>> everything. There are many neuroscientists who agree with my
>> contention that you can use discoveries from neuroscience in
>> the classroom (and others that disagree).
>> This field is in the early stages, so there will never be the
>> "irrefutable proof” one might ask for. Very few educational
>> practices have such strong "proof" that it does
>> not have some exceptions. The biggest problems with
>> brain-based learning are the following:
>> • some of the best teachers already do some aspects, so there
>> is a “So what?” factor • much of it requires time and diligence
>> to understand and teachers lack time • brain-based learning is
>> focused on learning, not test scores, so it lacks the
>> popularity or necessity to the administrators
>> • many presenters have communicated it poorly to teachers,
>> and boring science turned them off • it’s not simple; there’s no
>> simple curriculum for it. Question #4: Is Brain-Based Learning
>> Actually Backed by Genuine Scientific Research or Not?
>> Have you been noticing the growing wave sweeping the
>> country? Magazines and newspapers feature headline after
>> headline related to the brain. Time, Newsweek,
>> U.S. News & World report, 20/20, Dateline, The Learning
>> Channel and Oprah have all featured stories on the brain. It’s
>> more than the "decade of the brain," it's a
>> virtual explosion in neuroscience. In the last few years,
>> maverick researchers have uncovered astonishing details
>> about the brain and learning. However, lately some
>> criticism has been made of the brain-based efforts. Read both
>> the criticism and the answers, and then you decide...
>> 1. Criticism: “There’s nothing new, it’s all old stuff, just
>> repackaged.” Response: There are dozens of specific
>> discoveries from the last 10 years. The
>> discovery that the human brain can and does grow new cells is
>> astonishing. The discovery of neural stem cells that can now
>> be cultivated to become any part of the brain is mind-boggling.
>> Stunning research has revealed the role of emotions in
>> intelligence and memory formation, the role of stress in
>> cognition and the plasticity of multiple brain areas. Just
>> because some top educators have always used strategies
>> that mimic the ones suggested by brain-based advocates, it
>> doesn’t invalidate new discoveries. If anything, it strengthens
>> their position. 2. Criticism: “It’s premature to apply brain
>> research to the classroom.” Response: One critic of
>> brain-based learning (John Bruer) said “It will at least be
>> 25 years before the benefits of brain research reach the
>> classroom.” I’ll cite just one example to show you why I
>> disagree. Let's take, for example, the common
>> activity of reading. The reading improvement product
>> FastForword, was developed by two neuroscientists,
>> Stanford’s Dr. Michael Merzenich and Dr. Paula Tallal
>> from Rutgers. That product is already in use today in
>> thousands of classrooms around the country. Many students
>> have been helped by it. It specifically uses
>> discoveries in neural plasticity to change the brain’s ability to
>> read the printed word. Is it perfect? No. But it has worked for
>> many students and it is an example of
>> a product designed directly from brain research. By the way,
>> there are many more. 3. Criticism: “Many unsubstantiated
>> claims are being made.” Response: This is true. Many
>> untrained, but enthusiastic presenters are making
>> false claims about what the research says and classroom
>> implications. That’s why you should trust your time and staff to
>> those who have strong credentials in this
>> field. In Eric Jensen’s 6-day program, you only get the insights
>> and strategies when there is relevant, substantiated research
>> to back them up. 4. Criticism: “Brain-compatible doesn’t
>> translate into higher test scores”
>> Response: False. Many schools have gone from the bottom to
>> the top in their district using these tools. However, it is not a
>> quick fix or magic bullet. If a school
>> wants only higher only test scores, they should hire a
>> consultant who specializes in
>> fast-acting test preparation skills. But, if a school or district
>> wants better people, good learners who are intrinsically
>> motivated, who develop lasting social and life
>> skills, use the brain-based approach. In time you will get
>> greater test scores. But in some cases it may take 3-7 years to
>> institutionalize the change and see the test scores jump.
>> 5. Criticism: “It’s too technical for most educators to learn.”
>> Response: It all depends who is presenting the information.
>> Educators should be professional enough to know how to read
>> studies, interpret data and draw specific
>> classroom applications from them. In short, the brain-based
>> movement is legitimate. But like in any field, the consumer
>> must be educated and learn to selective in their
>> choices. In Eric Jensen’s 6-day workshop, you get the science
>> without the drudgery. He makes the learning challenging, fun,
>> engaging and memorable. References are cited, yet the
>> learning remains highly accessible.
>> Question #5: How would you describe a brain-compatible
>> teacher? This is a teacher that understands the principles and
>> uses strategies in a purposeful
>> way. It is an educator that understands why she/he does what
>> she/he does. It is also one who stays constantly updated
>> through continuous professional development.
>> Question #6: How would you know if you’re doing brain-based
>> learning? Brain-based learning is the informed process of
>> using a group of practical strategies that are driven by sound
>> principles derived from brain research. If you
>> are doing what’s working and your students are having fun that
>> still doesn’t mean you are doing brain-based learning. If you
>> simply agree with the principles of brain-based education, or
>> attended a brain-based workshop, that doesn’t guarantee
>> you’re doing the real thing. So, how exactly would you know if
>> you were teaching in a brain-based manner?
>> 1. You would be able to articulate some essential
>> brain-principles and say which you were using and why you
>> chose the strategy you chose. Your work would be
>> purposeful (e.g. "I understand that certain emotions can
>> enhance memory. I’m going to first use suspense and then a
>> celebration with this activity.") You would
>> also know the critical "how we learn" principles that give you
>> guidelines (constraints and possibilities).
>> 2. You would know the research or where to find the research
>> on the particular strategy you used. Your work would be
>> authentic (e.g. "I know some very good work on this topic was
>> done by Dr. Larry Cahill at Univ. of Calif. at Irvine.") You
>> would also know 10 of the hottest and best websites, four of
>> the top "brain-based" universities and a half dozen of the elite,
>> premier sources for staying current with
>> the exploding new brain research. 3. You would know what
>> kind of results you could expect and if you needed a
>> change of strategies. Your work would be flexible (e.g. "I know
>> enhanced noradrenergic activity boosts long-term memory for
>> explicit learning.") Even more importantly, you’d know what the
>> variations and exceptions to the rule are and
>> how to present them. In most cases, the devil is in the details
>> and you’ll want to learn them. 4. You would be challenged by
>> the prospect of changing student brains on a daily
>> basis, yet feel up to the task. Your work would be meaningful
>> (e.g. "I know that the human brain can and does change every
>> day and I’m excited to be part of that
>> process.") Knowing THAT you change brains every day is very
>> powerful, but it’s also daunting. What you need to know are the
>> 14 specific variables that enhance
>> positive change in the brain. Knowing how and when to enrich
>> is empowering and exciting. 5. You would match the content
>> knowledge with the presenting skills. Knowing
>> about the brain is useless unless you’re a neuroscientist -
>> educators must have the tools to translate it. That means
>> you’re using top quality presenting skills. Why?
>> Most of what students learn is NOT in the lesson plan. Unless
>> your process skills, posture, tonality, gestures, directions,
>> expressions and activities are fully aligned
>> with the other content-related messages, the message is often
>> diminished or lost.
>>
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>> On 11/08/05, Dee Ann wrote:
>>> Eric Jensen's "Teaching with the Brain in Mind" and "Different
>>> Brains Different Learners" and the best of all "Brain-Based
>>> Learning" these resources work for our school and we get
>>> so much out of them. www.thebrainstore.com
>>>
>>> I wanted to share with you all....the weather is more
>>> predictable than the average teen. Suddenly, even the
>>> brightest and most cooperative students become
>>> argumentative and distracted. Recent neuroscience findings
>>> have revealed that the teenage brain is actually undergoing
>>> developmental changes that can cause extremely erratic
>>> behavior. Although you can't change these behaviors, you
>>> can learn as a teacher ways you can adapt your teaching
>>> style to effectevly reach and teach teens. This resource
>>> "Secrets of the Teenage Brain" was an amazing read for me
>>> that helped me understand my students. You'll be
>>> entertained by the accounts of real-life experiences and
>>> then enlightened by the research-based teaching strategies
>>> for managing theri everyday difficulties, conflicts and
>>> crises. This resource is great for parents as well. You can
>>> get this resource at www.thebrainstore.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 11/01/05, Anyone have books with lessons that are
>>> effective and BC. wrote:
>>>> On 10/08/04, Stacey wrote:
>>>>> Chuck
>>>>>
>>>>> Read Marcia Tate's "Worksheets do not create dendrites"
>>> I
>>>>> recently attended a workshop she conducted. Very! Very!
>>>>> useful in the classroom.
>>>>>
>>>>> Stacey
>>>>>
>>>>> On 6/26/04, Chuck wrote:
>>>>>> I just finished reading "The Brain-Compatible
>>> Classroom"
>>>>> by sturvin>
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Chuck
>>>>
>>>> I was just reading a book today on scoring high on test and
>>> it
>>>> had to do with brain campitiblity. I have been coming to t.net
>>>> for years but never came here. I can't believe I missed this,
>>>> thinking it was all excercises.
>>>>
>>>> I teach so much like the book as far as multi-sensory and
>>> long
>>>> term memory techniques.
>>>>
>>>> What books out there have lessons like this,not theory.
>>>> I have come up with many lessons but maybe I'm missing
>>> some
>>>> books that have great ideas and didn't know it on things
>>> like
>>>> elementary state standards.
>>>> MIchelle

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