Activate

Grades K-2

Activate

• Comes to us from Yale University

• Based on the work of Dr. Wexler

• Underwritten by a grant from NIH

• Based on neuroscience research

• One of five schools in FCPS piloting program

• Is used across the US and in China

• Focused on the development of 8 cognitive skills (executive functioning):

• Self regulation• Response to inhibition• Cognitive flexibility• Multiple simultaneous

attention• Pattern recognition• Processing speed• Working memory• Sustained attention

Sustained AttentionThe basic ability to look at, listen to and think about classroom tasks over a period of time. All teaching and learning depends on it..Without attention, new learning simply does not happen, and issues of understanding and memory are of no relevance.

Working MemoryThe ability to remember instructions or keep information in the mind long enough to perform tasks. We use simple working memory when we look at a phone number and keep it in mind while we dial it.

Response InhibitionThe ability to inhibit one's own response to distractions. Imagine two children paying close attention to a lesson, when there is a sudden noise in the hall way. One loses her attention while the other does not. The child who maintains attention has better response inhibition.

Cognitive FlexibilityThe ability to change what you are thinking about, how you are thinking about it and even what you think about it - in other words, the ability to change your mind.

Pattern Recognition

The special ability of the human brain to not only find patterns, but figure out in a logical way what those patterns suggest about what will happen next.

Category Formation

The ability to organize information, concepts and skills into categories, and forms the cognitive basis for higher-level abilities like applying, analyzing, and evaluating those concepts and skills.Categories are the basis of language and organization of the world.

Processing Speed

How quickly a learner can process incoming information.Some scientists consider speed of information processing a central aspect of IQ.

Multiple Simultaneous AttentionThe ability to multi-task with success. It is the ability to move attention and effort back and forth between two or more activities when engaged in them at the same time.

Benefits• The 8 cognitive skills can all be

developed• Development of any skill requires

repetition and increasing rigor and complexity

• The skills identified are the ones students need to be successful at learning and in school/life

• The computer exercises are married with physical exercises that reinforce the skills and provide cross training

• Attention skills are prefrontal cortex skills

Interesting

• 100 Billion neurons• Each connected to

thousands• Want to develop as many

connections as possible• Neural pathways can be

created and strengthened• Brain is plastic- especially so

in young kids• Activate provides targeted

stimulation to prefrontal cortex

• Physical exercises engage the same neurocognitive systems as computer exercises but in the context of whole body movement and social interaction

• Coaching can be provided to help students improve as they work through the levels

• NIH designed assessments- preliminary at session 6, next at 100 mins.,Midterm at 500 mins., Comprehensive at 1000 mins.

Teacher Training

• Face to Face training with Yale representative

• Ongoing webinars through teacher portal

• Collaboration with other pilot schools

• FCPS support personnel and special projects administrator

Specifics• Three to four times per week for

20 minutes for web based exercises-minimum of 1000 minutes

• We have ordered computers, been given donations, upgraded systems and have laptop carts and a lab set up

• Schedule has been developed with initiation starting next week

• PE activities have been embedded in skill set by the FCPS PE curriculum specialists

• It will be scheduled as a whole class but each child will proceed independently

• Cognitive demands and complexity increases as the games progress.

• Three main game types but hundreds of levels and speeds