The pre-frontal cortex doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25 yrs.

1. The pre-frontal cortex doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25 yrs.

2. A TOUR OF THE BRAINA very quick fly by . . .

3. A Tour of the Brain: Cerebrum largest, most highly developed portion of the brain The cerebrum is made up of billions of nerve cells. It is responsible for higher order thinking and decision-making functions.

4. A Tour of the Brain: Cerebrum Divided into two hemispheres Left hemisphere = analytical work: math, speaking, writing, reading Right hemisphere = abstract thinking; visual processing, intuitive thinking, imagination, daydreaming The Corpus Callosum links left & right hemispheres

5. A Tour of the Brain: The Brain’s Four Lobes • Occipital: responsible for vision • Frontal: judgment, creativity, problem-solving, planning • Parietal: processing higher sensory & language functions • Temporal: hearing, memory, meaning, language There is some overlap in the functions between lobes

6. A Tour of the Brain: Mid-Brain or Limbic System • Responsible for emotions, sleep, attention, body regulation, hormones, sexuality, smell, production of most of the brain’s chemicals • A lot of teen impulsiveness & anger is the result of limbic fireworks.

7. A Tour of the Brain: Structures of the Limbic System • Amygdala (Greek for almond) is the almond-shaped structure & is the seat of fear and anger and a main player in the adolescent brain. • Hippocampus (Greek for “seahorse”) encodes new memories • Hypothalamus is the master control center for the body’s endocrine / hormone system. • Thalamus: A large ovoid mass of gray matter situated in the posterior part of the forebrain that relays sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.

8. A Tour of the Brain: Mid-Brain / Cingulate & Basal Ganglia

9. A Tour of the Brain: Cortex • Latin for “tree bark” • It appears as folds or wrinkles & has the thickness of an orange peel. • Would be about the size of an unfolded sheet of newspaper if stretched out • Contains 70% of the nervous system

10. A Tour of the Brain: Cerebellum • Latin for “little brain” • Responsible for some aspects of balance, posture, motor movement & cognition

11. A Tour of the Brain: Brain Facts • The human brain weighs about 3 pounds & is about the size of a grapefruit. • The brain, essentially, is an electrical system. • Its neurons are specifically suited to conduct electrical signals. • At any time your brain is generating the equivalent of about 25 watts of electricity - enough to power a light bulb.

12. A Tour of the Brain: Brain Facts • There are two kinds of brain cells: neurons and glia. • 90% of brain cells are glia cells, also called interneurons. • 10% of brain cells are neurons. • Neurons are essential for performing the brain’s work.

13. A Tour of the Brain: Glial Cells • For every one neuron there are about 10 glial cells. • Neurons wouldn’t work properly without the support of glial cells which play three important roles: • 1. Transport needed nutrients to the neurons • 2. Dispose of dead neurons • 3. Provide raw materials for the myelin (insulation) of the neurons

14. A Tour of the Brain: Neurons • Neurons are responsible for information processing & converting chemical & electrical signals back & forth. • All neurons share a common structure. • Each has a cell body with a long cable or axon extending from it. • Electrical impulses travel down the axons to branches or dendrites. • The impulses jump across a tiny gap and enter the branches of neighboring neurons.

15. A Tour of the Brain: Neuron

16. A Tour of the Brain: Neuron Facts • A single cubic millimeter of brain tissue has more than 1 million neurons. • A baby arrives in the world with about 100 billion neurons, each of which has an average of 10,000 branches. • One hundred billion neurons with 10,000 branches each make the possible number of connections about one quadrillion.

17. It is impossible to calculate the number of different ways to configure a quadrillion connections. • We cannot even calculate how many possible songs could be composed by arranging in different combinations & different sequences the 88 keys on a piano keyboard. • Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of DNA, thinks that the possible number of neural configurations in just one brain exceeds the number of atoms in the known universe.

20. Neurotransmitters • Serotonin: mood, sleep, appetite • Tryptophan found in eggs, bananas, meat, yogurt, cheese, milk • Norepinephrine: attentiveness, learning, emotions • Tyrosine found in milk, meat, fish & legumes

21. Learning Insights • Learning physically changes the brain. • Every new experience we encounter actually alters our electrochemical wiring. • The more novel & challenging the stimuli (up to a point), the more likely it will be to activate a new pathway.

22. Injury • Even a seemingly trivial incident like a bump on the head can have a lifelong impact on learning. • If the fragile temporal lobes (or other key brain areas) are injured, a child may experience emotional, processing, and/or memory function problems.

23. Prolonged Distress • Prolonged distress is another factor that negatively impacts brain function. • Our body releases stress hormones (glucocorticoids) in response to danger. • This is what generates the “fight or flight” rush of adrenaline that supports our survival when faced with endangerment.

24. Negative Effects • When our body releases glucocorticoids frequently in response to chronic stress and worry, the mechanism meant to save our lives becomes overused & leaves us in a state of heightened alert. • Over time, the result is a toxic effect on neurons & impaired memory.

25. Emotions are Key • Enjoyable experiences stimulate the release of chemicals (neurotransmitters) which have been shown to enhance the learning experience.

26. Different LearnersThe readiness of students to learn can be all over the map the very first day they show up to our class.

27. In the beginning . . . • A newborn only has about 17% of his neurons linked. • In weeks, months, years & decades that follow, all the rest of those billions of neurons get wired together.

28. Group Sharing • Ask your neighbor . . . “What is your first memory?”

29. Nature vs. Nurture • Two forces drive the wiring of the brain: genetics & experience. • Nature & nurture affect the brain’s ability to interact with and respond to the environment. • Neuroscientists say: “The neurons that fire together wire together.” • This creates a stronger connection.

30. Home environment Siblings Extended family Playmates Genes Trauma Stress Injuries Violence Cultural rituals Expectations Enrichment opportunities Primary attachments Diet Lifestyle Learning FactorsBy pre-school age, a learner’s brain has already been shaped by a multitude of influences including:

31. Five Important Brain Processes • 1. Use It or Lose It • 2. Blossoming & Pruning • 3. Window of Opportunity • 4. Window of Sensitivity • 5. Myelination(insulation of nerve cells)

32. Five Important Brain Processes • 1. Use It or Lose It • Neurons that fire most frequently become wired into the brain’s networks. The ones that don’t get used wither away. • 1950-1970 Nobel Prize in Medicine • David Hubel & Torsten Wiesel

33. Five Important Brain Processes • 2. Blossoming & Pruning • This accounts for the brain’s growth spurts. • Overproduction of dendrites • Branches that don’t fire, shrink, whither & disappear

34. Five Important Brain Processes • 3. Window of Opportunity • Like fruit ripening, too long, it will spoil • Example of the kittens • When a window in the brain closes, you lose that opportunity • Child’s reading; first 3 years of life; caregiver interactions

35. Five Important Brain Processes • 4. Window of Sensitivity • Ear infections example • Heavy rainstorm example • Heavy alcohol use can be very damaging to the adolescent brain; brain is under construction

36. Five Important Brain Processes • 5. Myelination(insulation of nerve cells) Often referred to as white matter White fatty substance that covers the main cable of the neuron, the axon Purpose=electrical signals Loss of balance & motor coordination result from disintegration of the myelin Little babies; flail limbs

37. Five Important Brain Processes • 5. Myelination(insulation of nerve cells) Electrical charge travels one hundred times faster on a myelinated neuron than on one without myelination protection. The myelination process in certain parts of the brain actually increases by 100% from the beginning of adolescence to the end!

38. Five Important Brain Processes • 5. Myelination(insulation of nerve cells) One of the circuits involved with emotional regulation is still being myelinated during adolescence.

39. Five Important Brain Processes • 5. Myelination(insulation of nerve cells) Adolescents’ developmental windows relate to the wiring of impulse control, relationships & communication. That’s why we need to pay attention to how teens spend their time. Instead of time with violent video games - Encourage them to get involved with service projects, volunteer opportunities while major brain circuits related to social relationships are blossoming and pruning.

40. The pre-frontal cortex doesn’t fully develop until the age of 25 yrs.

42. Summary • Take care of your neurons. • Eat nutritionally. • Sleep to learn. • Make good choices. • What you do now is wiring your neurons for your future.

43. Phineas Gage

44. Eight Neurodevelopmental Systemsby Dr. Mel Levine Attention Control System Social Thinking System Memory System Higher Thinking System Language System Eight Neurodevelopmental Systems Motor System Spatial Ordering System Sequential OrderingSystem

45. Sample Profile Attention Control System Social Thinking System Memory System Higher Thinking System Language System Eight Neurodevelopmental Systems Motor System Spatial Ordering System Sequential OrderingSystem

46. Resources • A Mind at a Time by Mel Levine, M.D. • Brain-Based Learning by Eric Jensen • Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen • Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Daniel Amen, MD • Why Do They Act That Way? By David Walsh, Ph.D. • Learning to Learn by Gloria Frender