BRAINLANDING
…edited by Pina Fico, Palma Caiazza primary school teachers, and prof. Paolo Manzelli Director of the Educational Research Laboratory
of the University of Florence (Italy) Coord. Prog. Qualità dott..Angela Orabona Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per la Campania
HEADMASTER
Mr. ERNESTO SALERNO
PRIMARY SCHOOL in GRUMO NEVANO (a little Town near NEAPLES, ITALY)
You are all invited to visit <<BRAINLANDING>>
an ideal place for a TOUR of EXPERIENCES...
http://www.circolodidattico-grumonevano.it
BRAINLANDING
aims to underline the cognitive strategies to learn in a creative way,
filtering stimuli and method of rote-learning, that influence the brain plasticity.
PROJECT “BRAINLANDING”:
OBJECTIVES”BRAINLANDING is a Project of a Primary school
in Grumo Nevano (Neaples). It works for improving creativeness in the primary school system,
favouring interest in living sciences and trying to retain a spirit of discovery. It aims to open the pupil’s minds to a
divergent thinking beyond the limited mechanical principles of science
understanding and the habitual persectives of traditional science instruction on problem solving.
Pupils learn how to use at the best their convergent skills (Left Brain)
and also about the “Mirror Neurons” interactivity, in order to put such
brain abilities into concrete solutions.
Creativeness is indeed focused on understanding: before the “problem solving”
you have to recognize the “problem posing” so that the utilization of all brain functions can help
the growth of the pupils’ intelligence, and also the adults’ one since they learn about the Life Sciences, including Neurology
advanced knowledge, through a childlike curiosity.
COGNITIVE RELEVANCE
of the “BRAINLANDING”
Project
Free will can be an illusion, because human freedom need a very high level of consciousness. If a man/woman
will have more freedom in his/her mind, he/she will be responsible for proper actions.
The real freedom of the proper thought can be easily achieved through the knowledge of the brain functioning.
At this point it will be useful to remember that the scientist Gordon Shaw (http://www.mindinstitute.net/MIND3/research/research.php )
from the fNMR Brain Imagin techniques demonstrated that the Left Brain Hemisphere (LBS) is more functional to rhythm’s time analysis, while the Right Brain Hemisphere (RBS) is more perceptive to the harmonic space
integration.On the light of such brain discoveries it is possible to see how the school
traditional teaching process places an overwhelming
emphasis on the convergent analytical brain functioning through a method of problem solving, while
the brain creativeness needs to see at the same time how to overcome
the problems and how to solve them. Therefore pupils need to exercise with a proper balance both
the brain functioning, i.e. of the Convergent (LBH) and Divergent (RBH) functional types.
The traditional school attentionat the problem solving can indeed generate an inhibition
of the complemented functioning of the brain right hemisphere.
Today the continuous society changes need a better understanding
of brain’s complemented functioning, so that unconventional teaching methods need to be open to a conscious knowledge of brain potentiality. That’s the essence of BRAINLANDING, a
project realized in an integrated e-learning cooperation between
the LRE/EGOCREANET of the University of Florence and the Primary School of Grumo Nevano (Neaples) in Italy.
COME IN, BRAIN! The BRAIN really works
through LEARNING.
The entire process cannot be shown, but the routes are well structured
to make the claim to memories easier, and if they are repetitive they cause a
conditioningin everyone’s mind.
The cultural identity of a person is a generator
of comparisons and sharing.
1-The Big Brains track 2-The Big Brains’ Map 3-Brain and Music 4-The fantastic world of Brainlanding 5-Photographilandia in the world of Brainlanding 6-The Brain’s time 7-Information and Brain 8-Mother Brain and her two little Brains9-The yearbook of 5^B (teachers: Vergara-Maisto)10-Brainlandingrap (ins.Mg.Cristiano)
Prof. PAOLO MANZELLI from his scientific-technological laboratory held over our children with his enthusiasm.
TIME IS AN INFORMATION GOING TOWARDS THE FUTURE
This project has already developed:
He always says to us :
A tour of experience in the world of BRAINLANDING
Prof. PAOLO MANZELLI LRE ego-CreaNET University of Florence
(Italy)
Ins.Pina Fico
In the house of BIG BRAIN
lives the ATTENTION, that
causes a great curiosity.
The little tourists are visiting the centre Of Neuro-biotic ATTENTION
Children … follow then
the right track and
above all try to understand
straightaway!
It’s the Brain to manipulate
everything… even the attention
process.It works indeed on its system of REACTION-ACTION Let’s find out
how…
It’s really necessary to know
this world in detail !
In the house of ATTENTION
Management of the Big Brain
Information start the ATTENTION but they are immediately caught
by the brain. Let’s see how…
Information data go on a path called Down-Top.
The Basal Ganglia, made of grey matter, deal with physical information . They convey everything to the ATTENTION through a bundle of nerves .
On a trip to…Down-Top
The ATTENTION has
got its supplemented centre in the area where the eyes meet with the nose.
From the outside…
From the inside of the skull…
The ATTENTION is between the upper cerebral hemispheres, where reasoning and
emotions work.
Data, after reaching the centre of the ATTENTION, are under the sensory and emotional control of the THALAMUS.
Now there are two tracks :
1. The track to INFORMATION going towards the upper cerebral hemispheres
2. The track to ATTENTION that restrains itself .
From the world of INFORMATION
In this case, the stalked pontine core of the Tegmanto, put as a
roof on the basal Ganglia, turns off the stimulus and
there is the all clear signal.
When information
does not need any more reflection there is
no creativeness.
If the circuit of ATTENTION is used in an inappropriate way you get a
short circuit: all our
thinking system is blocked
REASONING runs out
In the area of the upper cerebral
hemispheres creativeness
does not develop
the school has to support creativeness
At school• if the attention is blocked and restrained,
• if you get on only with rote-learning
the reflection system collapses
Habit phenomenon
In a class working with an open circuit of the ATTENTION SYSTEM, REASONING will not crash, on the contrary, Big Brain will be empowered.
There is so a change in our reality …it’s the
EUROPEAN SOCIETY of ECONOMY of the KNOWDLEDGE
The trip is over and the INFORMATION you received are
sweet SOUVENIRS from the ATTENTION WORKSHOP
GOODBYE!!! We are the Band of BIG BRAINS
The Big Brains track
We live happily In a tiny school
Come with us to discover its marvels!
School is a very special place …if
It goes round the world of
BRAINLANDING
For Primary School Classes 1^2^3^ Circolo didattico Pascoli Grumo Nevano (NA)
Ins..PINA FICO
Here it is a loving PROJECT
from a school aiming to be perfect
On tiptoes we get in,On tiptoes we sit down.
This is the world we are loking for,it’s the kingdom of the little computers,
The dream of every children.
Among classrooms, yards and flowerbeds
there is a great laboratory:It is the control room,
It is the big brains room…
BRAIN is mysterious
but… it can organize your life
Because it adapts itself to the world changes
You are different from a long time ago child and do you know why??????
Prof. Manzelli from the University of Florence says that the brain structure has changed ,
it’s always running behind its own time .
When it cannot answer to all your questions
It makes you look for the MECHANICAL LITTLE BRAIN.
EHI YOU do you want to become a BIG BRAIN?!?
FOLLOW THE NEW TRACK…
The history of
MECHANICAL LITTLE BRAIN
Once upon a time, in a special kingdom called <<NEW TECHNOLOGIES>>, there was a pile of irons.
In the laboratory there were many operators, technicians, scientists…
One looked, one thought, another one touched
One spoke, one wrote, another one formulated…
They put all the pieces together
Assembled everything perfectly
until a click of joy!!!!!! shook all the experts
It was born! LITTLE BRAIN was born
In the nursery of the baby-computers!
CERVELLINO
This is the history of PERFECT BRAIN and of MECHANICAL LITTLE BRAIN
LET’S GO TOWARDS TECHNOLOGICAL FUTURE
They meet in a particular moment in the multimedia hall.
HELLO!- BRAIN saysCLICK!!!- LITTLE BRAIN answersOnly a second and…here it is!It is nice to communicate,So many information to get and give,spending some time together …To click, to print, to play…
They never get tired to be together!
They hold hands,a tender FRIENDSHIP was born.
One is necessary to the other one.Nobody can keep them apart .
Days go by, months fly away, the year slides quickly… and the magic box of the
PERFECT BRAIN fills up more and more.By the end of June it is filled with the letters
of the alphabet, whimsical words,coloured thoughts, numbers full of value,
delicious lectures, astonishing images…
yet Only one has got a
HEART…
In the school of BRAINLANDING
they tell a story to make us realize that life is beautiful!
The brain can cry and sleep ,
It can laugh and be happy, can think and act.
OUR BRAIN at the beginning is a tiny little
thing , it’s empty, it’s not ready yet but. . .
as a big box it fills up more and more everyday .
Then it begins to explore… until nothing else can
stop it.
Its memory is a store-room filling with many wonders. There is a bit of everything!.
You can even find the first memory: A place, a perfume, a noise,An image, a flower.
OUR BRAIN OUR BRAIN is a very specialis a very special engine engine it has got your eyes to it has got your eyes to look at, your ears to listen to,look at, your ears to listen to,
your little nose to smell, your your little nose to smell, your tongue to taste,tongue to taste,
Your hands to touch…Your hands to touch…
But But OUR BRAINOUR BRAIN
Wants only and Wants only and always to think!always to think!
OPEN THE MEMORIES’ BOX AND YOU’LL FIND OUT…
They are all here!!!
•FARAWAY MEMORIES
•RECENT MEMORIES
•MEMORIES OF LITTLE EVENTS
A LONG TIME AGO
A SHORT TIME AGO
PARTICULAR MOMENTS
This is the memory that helps the brain to remember.
Magic formulas click… you can live those moments again, you can jump in the TIME…
!oh wat a wonder!
IT’S MY LIFE!
This box is precious!
SENSES switch on
The PAST IMAGES can be seen again
EMOTIONS can be lived again, JOYS and FEARS…
CLOSE YOUR EYES so you can
see it ALL again!
It looks like a MAGIC… but it’s only the work of a PERFECT MACHINE!
In the world of BRAINLANDING there is a workshop of PHOTOGRAPHILANDIA .
In every moment of the day you can take PICTURES.
In the BIG BRAIN’S house special lights turn on to activate the world of INFORMATION in order to get news
BRAIN is always very hungry : it eats INFORMATION
coming from the outside world
The poor thing is bombarded with so many news and nobody understands it!
It’s often full up, it has
got a swollen belly, and … at school
sometimesdoes not win.
What a pity !!!
TOO MANY INFORMATION= LITTLE
KNOWLEDGE
The child going to school before you had a book, a dictionary, an encyclopedia not always up to date. His brain WENT on his own, with nobody’s help… always touring the world.
Nowadays you are a special pupil: the world gets to you with a click! And …here it is! Uuhhhh …how many information, how many news and what nonsense! Oh! What a confusion! Someone has to do something ,your head can explode. red light goes off on the
trackstop! It’s time to go to school!
School puts everything in its own place.
Teachers say to everyone :
-stop with the bore! Stop with the yawnings!
It’s time to discover the children’s world!
The new QUESTIONS, the new THEORIES , the new CERTAINTIES come from prof. PAOLO MANZELLI, that from his laboratory EGOCREANET started our curiosity and pulled out of our bodily box an extraordinary THINKING BRAIN!
THE MAIN CHARACTERS OF A NEVER ENDING STORY
Ci presentiamo siamo i due Cervellini e viviamo nel grembo
della mamma... How do you do? I’m Mummy Brain
that isthe Intelligence of the Nature
Manzelli’s thought: It is well known that man, the speaking being above all
others, developed a prominence of the left brain hemisphere. Nevertheless his two brain HEMISPHERES have to work
together, in order to express also the intuitive capacities of the right
hemisphere. The closed and limited logic is over.And here it comes Brain-landing.
In my womb live the twins Blue little Brain
and Pink Little Brain looking for a new knowledge.
Here they are my Little Brains! They are the same for
genetics but very different indeed and their brain activities
are different too.
Kids learn very quickly, the young have more creative capacities,
the adults experience, instead, a fall in their capacities.
On the grounds of science, the potential of the children’s brain
is definitely superior than that of the adults’, and a superficial factual knowledge learning
causes a passive taking on and a conditioning of the cognitive development.
Teachers,through the learning,
recognize the young intellectual capacities and set them off, because they know that a conscious learning helps the
forming of their character.
All the connections with the world have to deepen
to better understand the meaning of existence and
of becoming aMAN in the UNIVERSE.
SCHOOL NEWSCreated in order to filter the information
coming from the MASS MEDIA
Our SCHOOL NEWS allow our pupils to manage the outside world in a creative
way.
Mass media can greatly condition our minds, we can loose our critical ability;
the school task is to improve the dialogue, the comparison and the sharing of interactive knowledge.
YOUNG REPORTERS on a special mission
SPECIAL EDITION <<BRAINLANDING in the world...>>
On the schedule there are interviews to prof.MANZELLI and all pedagogistionline
NOBEL
IN COOPERATION WITH UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE
PRIMARY SCHOOL GRUMO NEVANO
D.S. prof. ERNESTO SALERNO
School Year
2004-05/
In collaboration with
PROF. Paolo Manzelli
CLASS Pupil’s name …………………………………………………………………....
Award for merit
Project BRAINLANDING
Coord.Prog.Qualità dott.Angela Orabona
Ufficio Scolastico Regionale
per la Campania
PRIZE