Karen Gazith Ph.D.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/1074.htm
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
• Work in partners
• Each partner must think of one piece of challenging information (something you can teach your partner) that you know well but your partner probably doesn’t
• In passing information to your partner use the following techniques
http://www.hcc.uce.a
c.uk/physiology/phar
macology01.htm
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
1. Visual Images
2. Connect to
life of your partner
3. Ensure they
are active –
doing
something not
just listening
4. Assess
his/her
understanding
Our Entry Point
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
1. The brain can rewire itself
2. Emotions are highly connected to learning
3. Intrinsic rewards create a dopamine effect
4. Learning is all about building neural networks
5. Specific functions in the brain are localized in specific regions
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI1BT7E58WU
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
http://psychology.about.com/od/biopsychology/ss/brainstructure_2.htm
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
• X-Rays – radiation from electromagnetic waves
• MRI – magnetic field measuring blood flow
• PET SCAN – radioactive glucose injected into the subject allowing for observation of tasks
• fMRI – why is this so exciting?
• Why all the buzz - The field of cognitive science,
neuroscience and pedagogy coming together informing teaching and learning
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
1. Is relevant, meaningful and understood
2. Recognizes that attention is in constant flux
3. Provides contextual coherence
4. Appeals to many senses
5. Produces positive/healthy emotions
6. Learning takes place only after the new information is processed (recoded)
7. Information is provided in bite sizes
8. Immediate feedback is provided
9. Learning is done through trial and error
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
1. Learning is meaningful and understood – meaning
must come first
http://atiekwin.wordpress.com
Explain it before you name
it!!
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
First the gist, then the details
Organize knowledge around core
concepts
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Don’t give it a name before you explain
what it is.
Capitalism: Explain it – then name it.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
WHY???????
Words, grammar must be put in context
We communicate for a purpose
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Not this
Hello table
Yes chair
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
This
Brain is wired for survival
Our brains have a surveillance and alerting system
Make it worth it or lose the attention
Saying pay attention is antagonistic – the brain is wired to attend to its surroundings
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/p/payi
ng_attention.asp
Emotions get our attention!!!!
Called ECS: Emotionally charged
Stimulus
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Novelty
Music
Laughter – oxygen to the brain
Movement – neurotropic factors (proteins) that act as miracle grow in the brain. Enhance the growth of new connections (neurogenesis)
Remember – the brain attends to whatever calls attention to it. It’s wired that way
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
What could you do to capture your
students’ attention?
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
The brain is a pattern seeker The more information is isolated – the
more the brain depends on the rote system of learning
Make a connection/Tell a story
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
3. Learning includes
contextual coherence
Once processed info moves to the
hippocampus, a temporary store house, which
evaluates whether it should be distributed into
short- or long-term memory (no context,
remains in short term memory).
Hippocampus
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Connect the new to the known
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
The brain seeks patterns making the multiplication tables challenging
The brain looks for patterns › 7x8 activates 48, 56, 54….
The challenge of learning the times tables - pattern seeking vs correct response
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Pattern interference causes problems
2x3=5 (student sees that is ok)
2x3=7 (we have no pattern for this)
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
The deeper the encoding, the greater the
chance that info will be recalled
What does this mean to me?
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Teacher owns it
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Student owns it
5. Appeals to many senses
(brain is a parallel processor)
Karen Gazith Ph.D. http://www.optimumlearningandhealth.com/Transaction/frmCMS.aspx?T=3&ST=1
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
6. Produces positive/healthy
emotions
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Stimuli
Thalamus Amydgala
Neo-cortex –
prefrontal lobe
Evaluates
its
emotional
content
If the amydala senses
Threat – it sends a signal to
the hypothalamus which sends the
message to the endocrine system
-increase in hormones
Heart rate and blood pressure
Muscles get ready to run
Info goes to the
amygdala 40
milliseconds before
going to the
cognitive centre of
the brain
RAS
Primitive
network of
cells
Precedence
Info most
critical for
survival
Brain
Stem
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Threats, punishment,
embarrassment
Release of cortisol and adrenaline
Puts the system on alert
• Working memory receives new information
and is capable of remembering 7 chunks.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=working+memory&espv=2&biw
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
David Hattie, Visible Learning
Practice makes
Permanent
Very effective because the brain
learns how to make good
choices based on data – what worked
and what didn’t!
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
The key points I am taking from this are
› 1.
› 2.
› 3.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Curriculum
› Teachers must design learning around student interests and make
learning contextual.
Instruction
› Teachers structure learning around real problems, encouraging students
to also learn in settings outside the classroom. Create learning
environments that fully immerse students in an educational experience.
Allow the learner to consolidate and internalize information by actively
processing it.
Assessment
› Often and immediate so bad habits don’t stick. Assess in student’s
preferred style and make it authentic – real life.
Environment
› Relaxed alertness–Trying to eliminate fear in learners, while maintaining a highly challenging environment
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
Or else
10/20 minutes
of new
information – 1
min gist – then
details
10/20 minutes of
recoding
10/20 minutes of
summary or applying
new learning
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
What do you want your students to know,
understand and be able to do by the end
of the session?
› Initial sharing prior to learning is problematic
Karen Gazith Ph.D.
New Learning Recoding Summary