OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS

DAY 3 OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

WELCOME Creating the Optimal Learning Conditions for the Brain: Putting the Latest Research Into Practice DOE AR 178390 BrandmanUniversity EDDU 9232 OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS

SEQUENCING Is the impact that the order in which information is given to the brain impacts how the brain processes that information. Yesterday’s example was about how the word order impacted our view of the person. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Sequencing is the influence the first file we see when we turn around. If that first file is negative, we tend to pull our other files that are negative. If it is positive, we pull out positive files. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Another aspect of sequencing relates our desire and ability to pull out files related to our success with the first file. Meaning…if I turn around and find a file…have success…We’re more likely to turn around again to look for other files. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Just like much of the things we have been sharing with you…most of it is just common sense. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

What this tells us is you need to start with material that gives the student a feeling of success. You create a “mood” of confidence in the individual. That when they turn around, there is something there for them to find. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Start with things they know and can have success with and build upon that. Here is an example using the Remote Association Tests. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

I give you three words and you come up with a word that is associated with all three words. Cottage Swiss Cake OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Now… Deep Salt Level OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Now try these on your own. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Wood Liquor Luck Up Around Rear Cool House Fat Man Order Air OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Wood Liquor Luck HARD Up Around Rear END Cool House Fat CAT Man Order Air MAIL OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Those last four were presented in two different ways to participants. First with the simple examples I gave you.. Next, with a more difficult example out band nightWatch OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Those who got the easier example, were more successful than those who received the more difficult example. Reasons…. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Researchers theorize that seeing the easier ones to start off with gave the participants confidence and a willingness to try on the next group that they were present with. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

In the second group, some of the participants, seeing the difficulty of the task, shut down immediately. The sequencing created a sense of failure. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Question: Do I sequence the information to get the brain thinking in a positive or negative pattern? Modification: Put out positive information first help my students first look in those files. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Question: Do I sequence my information from easy to more difficult? Modification: Consciously put the information in a consistent order that builds confidence in my students. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

EXPOSURE EFFECT The exposure effect simply means that the more you are exposed to information, the less threatening it becomes and you are then more open to that information. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

The exposure effect is both a positive and a negative. The positive is that more you are exposed to something…words, ideas or experiences, the open you are to it. Basically the familiarity with the word, idea or experience has you let you guard down. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Interesting study at the University of Michigan. For two months, they took a small space on the front of the school newspaper and put words in Turkism in that space. No meaning of the words, just the words. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Later, they asked students to look at different words in the Turkish language and try to determine if those words were about positive or negative things… love vs. racism for example What they found was that the students associated positive thoughts with the words they had seen in the newspaper. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

And negative associations with the words they were seeing for the first time. The mere exposure to the words, changed their view of the words. They had no idea what the words really meant. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

We innately have a fear of the unknown, so the exposure effect tells us to put things in front of the students over and over again so it becomes less threatening. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

If you want to get good at interviewing, go to a lot of interviews. The more exposure you have to interviews, the less threatening they become. This true of exposure to people of other races, animals (pit bulls), driving in snow, etc. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

This is also true of speaking in front of people, the more you do it, the more comfortable you are. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

We all have a “comfort zone.” This is an area that we can move around quite easy and not have to worry. We don’t have to keep our guard up or worry about attacks of any sort. We feel confident we can do these things…that’s why they are in our comfort zone. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

FEAR SAFE OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

We move around in the white area of this circle very easily. But we avoid going out of it… Speaking in front of… Going to dinner by yourself… Going to a movie by yourself… Traveling by yourself… OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Once exposed to experiences outside of your comfort zone, your comfort zone expands. What was frightening before, is not so frightening. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Some people loved going out of their comfort zone. They seek out experiences that challenge and frighten them. That is true of some of you in here today. But not many of you. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Educators as a group are not known as big risk takers. They have chosen a fairly stable job, that won’t change that much over the years. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Sometimes the world just throws you out of your comfort zone. Interviewing for a new job…you lost your job Starting your own business…you got fired from you job Having to move to a new city…health reasons OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Forced to switch grade levels you are teaching…numbers change Having a child…an unplanned pregnancy. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

The negative aspect of the exposure effect, is that an individual believes because they have seen, heard or experience something, they think they know it or understand it. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

You all have some experience with marijuana for example. You’ve either smoked it, know someone who has smoked it or read about people smoking it. You have files related to marijuana. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

The question becomes one of how much you have in your filing cabinet related to marijuana. You could have had very little actual exposure, but feel you know a lot about it. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

It would be like me saying I know a lot about discrimination…as a white male, I have been exposed the least amount of discrimination of probably anyone in this room. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

My exposure is on an abstract level…. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Almost all of you have a cell phone with you today. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Don’t pull it out yet. I want you to write down on one of the 3x5 cards, the icons that are in the four corners of your first screen. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

What are the four icons…if you don’t have a cell phone and have a watch, cover it and describe the dial, color of the face, how many numbers, type of numbers, color of the band, hands, etc. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

We look, but we don’t see things or put them in our filing cabinets. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

As a teacher you know that just because you covered the information, it doesn’t mean they know it. This is why you have assessments. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Question: Am I exposing my students to concepts before I teach them? Modification: Talk about what you are going to cover in the future. Show pictures and give examples that help create a familiarity with the information. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Modification: One teacher created a bulletin board similar to a movie marquee announcing the upcoming material she was going to cover. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Question: How often do you talk about the information? Modification: Increase the frequency that you mention the concepts and ideas you plan to cover or are covering. OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

Question: Did I model in this lesson, me going out of my comfort zone. Modification: Share stories about you going out of your comfort zone…feeling scared, but doing it anyway. “Mister…you were scared?” OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS INCREASING RIGOR IN THE CLASSROOM

OPTIMAL LEARNING CONDITIONS