Edutopia: How the Brain Learns Best (Activity 3)

I found this video and reading very interesting. There were various ideas that struck me as important in the video as well as in the reading. I learnt more about the vital importance of one of our Dimensions of Learning one strategies, which is to make students feel safe and secure within the classroom. The first thing children do when they wake up is identify what is stressful or dangerous in their surroundings and and then what is new or different. Once a child is stress free and feels safe within their environment the information that is being taught is able to go through the RAS more easily. The RAS is the part of the brain that information goes through first. Once the information has gone through this part it is important to then begin creating excitement about learning. When learning is made to be interesting and stimulating for children their brains easily absorb the information. Appropriate strategies were given within the video for teachers to use to help encourage excitement in lessons. I learnt that if you want to teach a lesson that might be boring for the children create an advertisement of what will be taught. This creates curiosity and indicates to them that this is something new. The Amygdala is in the prefrontal cortex of the brain and this is where information goes to after it has passed through the RAS. However information will only be passed to that area if the information is interesting and if students are engaged.

It is often a concern for most teachers when there is a student in the class who plays up due to various reasons. Often teachers do not know how to handle these students who they might think are oppositional-defiant, ADHD, anxious, have seizures or OCD. It is suggested that in the absence of an engaging lesson it is more likely that these students will play up. If lessons are not stimulating, not pleasurable or not relevant these students immediately become stressed. The stress students are exposed to will result in whether their brain is in the flight or fight mode. However if they are less stressed this will result in better memory retention. Within the classroom there are various causes of stress that teachers need be aware of. These causes include, fear of being wrong, embarrassed to read aloud, test-taking anxiety, physical and language differences and cliques and bullying. The most commonly found causes are frustration with difficult material and boredom from lack of stimulation.

These new ideas that I have learnt have encouraged me to consider the implications for my future classroom. I will most certainly avoid the old chalk and talk method and use personalised strategies with my children. These strategies would involve me getting to know each individual within my classroom and what they like and do not like. I will ensure I know what creates stress so that these issues can be avoided. I will ensure that I know what promotes their learning and ensure this is incorporated within lessons. Feedback within my classroom will be a daily occurrence, ensuring that this is an individual process and students are never made to feel embarrassed. I will make sure there is differentiation to encourage higher order thinking for those students who are ahead. I will reassure those who don’t get a particular concept that they will have more time and there will be an opportunity to work with me at another stage. This will be done in order to make students feel able and safe which therefore will decrease any possible feelings of stress. For those students who are in the middle and on task there will also be strategies in place for them such as pairing and sharing or the option to do further questions to promote higher order thinking. I have learnt that if students appear to be too stressed or frustrated to not force them into doing anything that appears stressful for them. This is important because by forcing them will not change the state that the brain is in. Allow these students to have some time to themselves and relax. 

I strongly feel that the use of ICT's within classrooms engage, enhance and extend learning for students of the 21st century. ICT's create a visual for children and it is mentioned in the reading that when visualising something as a physical thing will assist in storing this in children's memories.

It is important to lead students into subjects using their particular strengths and interests, but once the child is engaged and has grasped the concept to then challenge them to use a different or weaker skill set to help develop those other parts of the brain also.