Throughout the course of history many people in time had no idea that many creatures of life had brains. With remarkable breakthroughs in technology and through human ability to take pictures of the human brain through head scans, scientists have discovered and mapped out the human brain. As neuroscientists understand how the brain works, discovery of brain-based learning has been a growing field ever since. Education is extremely important for human beings because the more educated we are as a society the better we contribute to society. Knowledge is extremely powerful and as a future educator, understanding how the brain works and developing lesson plans surrounding the inner workings of the brain will allow learning to manifest in the classroom.
In Eric Jensen’s Brain-Based Learning (2008) several prominent parts divide numerous chapters with the intent to explore educators in understanding key principles in learning. Three parts in the text discuss the physiological effects, sensory contributions, and neuroscientific perspective of the human brain. The final part discusses the brain-compatibility in the classroom. The three concepts in Jensen’s text that I will use in my classroom come from the three parts discussed of the human brain and these are the impact of physical movement on the brain, incorporating all the senses in the classroom, and making meaning for students.
Physical movement is extremely important in the classroom. I am a tactile learner so through movement I am able to learn better. For example, when given directions to a new place, the movement of the car and myself enables me to remember how to get to that destination again at a later time. “An active body enhances an active mind. Learners who are activ...
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...s theory of Zone of Proximal Development, and utilize the classroom from top to bottom.
Our brains are highly developed as humans and in today’s world we need to provide students with learning that is meaningful that provides critical thinking skills, creative thinking, ingenuity, and talent. Brain-based learning with a mixture of constructivism is what my classroom will look like. By combining these two theories I believe that the psychology and physiology of an individual will be able to shine brightly through their ability to learn. “Instead of putting most of the emphasis on memorization and recall, it may be smarter and more efficient to place more emphasis on the context in which something is learned” (Jensen, 2008, p. 165).
Works Cited
Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-based learning: the new paradigm of teaching (2nd ed.).
Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Corwin Press.
Wolfe, P. (2010). Brain matters: Translating research into classroom practice (2nd Edition). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
She is able to do very well in math but has trouble in reading due to English being her second language. It is possible that the student grasp math, by being taught from her culture, or family. The zone of proximal development allows her to learn from things independently, which the teacher tries to do during her lessons, to allow children read and understand a story individually. Student A can also accomplish learning by interacting with the teacher, which helps her learn and sound out
In The article “Brainology” “Carol S Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, differentiates between having a fixed and growth mindset in addition how these mindsets have a deep effect on a student’s desire to learn. Individuals who have a fixed mindset believe they are smart without putting in effort and are afraid of obstacles, lack motivation, and their focus is to appear smart.. In contrast, students with a growth mindset learn by facing obstacles and are motivated to learn. Dwecks argues that students should develop a growth mindset.
Griss, Susan. Minds in Motion: A Kinesthetic Approach to Teaching Elementary Curriculum. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998.
A classroom of thirty is filled with a diverse group of students that think in all different ways. Each child’s brain processes informat...
Medina provides insightful knowledge and great understanding of how brain development can be incorporated in leadership styles (why we do what we do in our daily lives) and how to incorporate how the brain works in-group settings of learning and teaching. The Brain Rules book focuses on twelve rules throughout the text which are exercise, human brain evolving, human brain wired differently, we do not pay attention to boring things, repeat to remember, remember to repeat, sleep, stress, stimulate senses, vision, gender, and exploration. I believe
My love for neuroscience began long before my passion for neuroscience research. My favorite aspect of psychology since my initial encounter in Advanced Placement Psychology in high school is the nervous system and brain function in relation to behavior. It is fascinating how something so small serves such an extremely important and vital role in our body and behavior. The intriguing details of the brain fuel my desire to learn more about its functions. After completing the Biological Basis of Behavior and Neural System Courses at the University of Maryland, my knowledge as well as curiosity for the brain heightened.
Constructivism represents a paradigm shift form education based on cognitive theories. This concept assumes that learners construct their own knowledge on the basis of interaction with their environment. (Gagnon & Collay, 200?) The role of the teacher as a constructor of the learning experience to ensure authentic curriculum and assessment which is responsive to the skills, needs and experiences of the learner, within established curriculum framework and with the reference to the achievement of literacy, numeracy, retention and attainment of outcomes. Krause, Bochner and Duchesne (p.157) comment that “as learners interact with their environment, they link information learned through experience to previous knowledge, and so construct new understandings and knowledge.” Constructivism then inturn encourages Teachers and Learning Managers to recognise the value of prior knowledge and experiences that each child brings with them into the classroom, and help them (the students) build on their understandings of the world by providing appropriate learning experience plans.
Movement is one of the most highly debated topics among teachers today, as every individual has his/her own opinions in their teaching philosophy. Teachers must get around barriers caused by the high priorities of standardized testing and low effort to include movement in their classroom; therefore, it puts too much stress on the general education teachers. There are insufficient amounts of space to complete activities requiring movement when in a classroom; therefore, the teachers are incapable of safely navigating students around the room. Some students will refuse to participate in different physical activities, causing frustration when teachers are trying to plan full class activities, and this takes away from academic instruction. It is often that educators exclude these physical activities from the classroom due to stress that is put on the schools to perform higher academically; however, studies show exercise may be a large factor in the student’s performance. There are so many ways to incorporate movement into the lessons that increase the students’ academic achievements while motivating them. As space is limited in the classroom, during the warmer months, teachers can use the outdoors as an engaging experience to refresh the students’ minds and prepare them for new lessons. Physical activities can also be used to reinforce information that was previously taught during lessons to increase the student’s knowledge of the topic. Opinions vary from one person to another, but there is only one way to find the effects that exercise has on the student’s abilities. Physical activity should be incorporated into the classroom because it promotes cognition and academic achievement, improves student behavior and attitud...
Powell, Katherine C, Kalina, Cody J “Cognitive and social constructivism: Developing tools for an effective classroom” Education, Winter2009, Vol. 130 Issue 2, p241-250, 10p
A. Behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism are relatively common theories used in the classroom as ways to approach student learning. Behaviorism focuses on observable behavior, such as students answering questions correctly, or being able to follow directions to complete a task as instructed. Characteristics of a classroom that uses behaviorism might be memorization of facts, writing vocabulary words, or a token reward system to inspire the desired behavior and decrease undesired behaviors. Constructivism, as indicated by the root word “construct,” focuses on the construction of new ideas, or expanding on what is already known. Students in a classroom using constructivism as a means for learning might seem more actively engaged in the learning process; they often learn something new through applying what they already know about the content area, and exploring new matter to further their understanding. This type of classroom often uses hands on manipulatives to allow students to actually build, create, or experiment with what they are learning. A cognitivism approach to learning might be explained by the minds capacity to process information – such as how a learner might remember something, retrieve information, or store new concepts. Learning through this method often depends on how the student processes what the teacher is presenting. Classrooms using this approach might incorporate learning strategies that help students categorize and sequence information to assist with processing. Like constructivism, it can be an active style of learning.
A child must have physical development before motor development can occur (Charlesworth, 2000). According to Piaget infants acquire knowledge from their environment. Through sight, smell, hearing, and touch this is accomplished. Adults are responsible for seeing that the children have a chance to explore to acquire the knowledge. A child must be physically able to do the work that is required to keep up with the other students. Many chil...
In a social constructivist view on learning the brain is a complex, flexible, ever changing organism that reshapes itself in response to challenge (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). Constructivism view is that knowledge is obtained and understood through a student’s mental framework (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). Learning is not a passive process but it is a deliberate and progressive process that deepens meaning (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). The student does not only reply on a teachers lectures but also on their interactions with the environment around them (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). In this view it is important that the teacher sees the student as the centre of teaching endeavours, by assisting them to obtain information they can integrate into their already known knowledge. There are many ways that a teacher can assist their students, one example is Scaffolding. Scaffolding is where a teacher provides students with just enough help in order to complete the tasks themselves, then over time decreasing the amount of help so that a student can master this themselves.
In fact, it is important to understand that: "The brain continues to be a new frontier. Our old way of schooling is fading fast as our understanding of the brain increases. Everything you do uses your brain, and everything at school involves students' brains.
Lutz, S., & Huitt, W. (2004). Connecting cognitive development and constructivism: Implications from theory for instruction and assessment. Constructivism in the Human Sciences, 9(1), 67-90. Retreived from: http://www.teach.valdosta.edu/whuitt/brilstar/chapters/cogdev.doc