How to Implement Brain-Based Education

1. How to Implement Brain-Based Education Eric Jenseneric@jlcbrain.com

3. Goal Deepen our understanding about the implementation of brain-based research on our students’ lives.

4. Overview Buy-in Tie-in Foundation Connections Action Sets

7. Overview Buy-in(to believe it, care about it, and get vested in the process, “reason to believe”) Tie-in(to existing structures or processes already in place, “behavioral relevancy”) Foundation(understand the brain-based principles, “competency”) Connections(connect principles with classroom strategies, “practicality”) Action Sets(teams, accountability, feedback and celebrations, “actionable”)

8. What Is “Buy-in?” The brain is relevant to any discussion about education. The brain can change. I can do it. It’s worth doing it. I’m willing NOW.

9. Potential “Buy-in” Approach The field of neuroscience is redefining our new understanding of the human brain. All aboard!

10. Neuroscience Is Exploding! • We’ve learned more about the brain in the last 10 years than in the previous 100 years! • More than 255 brain journals are now being published! • 37,000 scientists from 62 countries produce countless studies daily. • Have you noticed the news?

14. Potential “Buy-in” Approach Administrators are more successful when they use Brain-Based Education. Listen to their comments. All aboard!

15. “Brain-based” changed the way I approached our staff learning this year, and wow, what a difference. I do not have the same tired staff that I did last year, and we have accomplished great things with our own learning that has positively impacted our work with kids in the classroom.” —Cathy M., Principal “It really helps me clarify the elements of effective educational practice that my staff need to understand and use as a basis for all of their teaching. I can't thank you enough for all that you are doing for me, for parents, teachers and most of all for kids.” —John H., Principal

16. Potential “Buy-in” Approach The field of Brain-Based Education is so solid that Harvard University is behind it. All aboard!

17. Further Resources • The official journal of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society provides scholarly articles which often have of practical significance. Locate at:http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117982931/home • Harvard University offers advanced degree programs in mind, brain and education. For information go to: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/academics/masters/mbe/ • For a critic’s response, you’ll find a journal article at: http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v89/k0802jen.htm NOTE: The posting of these resources does not imply any type of endorsement.

18. Potential “Buy-in” Approach Keep it simple. Keep reinforcing the 3 qualities and connecting them to practice. All aboard!

19. What Is Brain-Based Teaching? It’sE-S-P! It’s the Purposeful Engagement of effective Strategies derived from Principlesof neuroscience

20. Potential “Buy-in” Approach Classroom teachers are succeeding dramatically by using Brain-Based Education. All aboard!

21. “It's nice to be able to practice and put some strategies together before I start back to school for the coming year. I have totally adopted so much of ‘brain-based’ and my confidence has increased dramatically. My class has been much more fun, and I really feel they are getting so much more out of it, though I am still a novice.” —Bruce F., high school teacher “The impact . . . is in many positive ways. I have successful classes and high achieving students. As a result, 89–96% of my students passed the state test in over the last 3 years in a high-poverty school. All my students make learning gains. I had one student begin my class at a kindergarten level and leave at a second-grade level. After only being at this school one year, I was the Teacher of the Year and one of five finalists for County Teacher of the Year.” —Dani O., 1st-grade teacher

22. For Some, “Buy-in” Consists of: A “before” and “after” classroom, school, or region (reason to believe) The neuroscience behind the field A government mandate (keep the job) Media (positive story on the topic) Testimonials (staff, admin, outsiders) Desperation (will try anything) Choice (it was perceived as a staff choice) Idea was tried and it worked (a success!)

23. The Best, Most Effective, Buy-in Strategy is . . . ?Make a guess!_____________________

24. HINT:Buy-in never ends. It’s all about altering values and beliefs for the long haul.

25. Overview Buy-in (to believe it, care about it, and get vested in the process, “reason to believe”) Tie-in (to existing structures or processes already in place, “behavioral relevancy”) Foundation (understand the brain-based principles, “competency”) Connections (connect principles with classroom strategies, “practicality”) Action Sets (teams, accountability, feedback, and celebrations, “actionable”)

26. Examples of Tie-ins: “We’re already implementing a PLC program. Here’s how this ties in . . .” “Our school-wide discipline program can be far more effective. Here’s how we can enhance it with this new information . . .” “Differentiation is going to be around for a long time. This brain research ties in to what we are already doing . . .”

27. Here’s a Rule to Follow: If what you are doing is not working (student absences, inattention, lack of engagement, discipline issues or low achievement): You have got a mismatch! The mismatch is between your policies and strategies and how our brain works!

28. Example of a “Mismatch”: Let’s say you use a school-wide or district-wide discipline policy. And let’s say that the students are more “in line” with fewer incidents. But . . . Let’s also say that student classroom engagement is as bad or worse than before. It’s possible that your discipline policy uses fear and threat as a coercive strategy when, in fact, savvy, brain-based teachers use relationships, affiliation, and management of student status to discipline, not threaten.

29. Opportunities for “Tie-ins” Curriculum: Is it developmentally appropriate and behaviorally relevant? Lunch: Is it nutritional for cognition and the body? Does it support good behaviors? Discipline policies: Do they support attendance, love of learning, and better academic achievement? Or are they designed to punish without regard for consequences? Instruction: Do students lose attention, forget what was taught, and fail to engage?

30. Overview Buy-in (to believe it, care about it, and get vested in the process, “reason to believe”) Tie-in (to existing structures or processes already in place, “behavioral relevancy”) Foundation (understand the brain-based principles, “competency”) Connections (connect principles with classroom strategies, “practicality”) Action Sets (teams, accountability, feedback, and celebrations, “actionable”)

31. These 12 Principles Form the FOUNDATION for Teaching Each principle is well supported by peer-reviewed studies. It is up to educators to discover and test the actual strategies that arise from these principles.

32. Example of Connection with Brain-Based Learning

33. Brain-Based Principles 1-6 Uniqueness Is the Rule Emotional Dependency Susceptibility & Opportunity 4. Attentional & InputLimitations 5. Adaptive & Changing 6. Rough Drafts

34. Brain-Based Principles 1-6 Uniqueness Is the Rule. Students share 99.5% of the same DNA, but we have unique brains because of unique life experiences.

37. Every Brain is Unique!

38. Brain-Based Principles 1-6 2. Emotional Dependency Emotions are not part of our life. They run it. In most struggles between our feelings and logic, we usually (not always) do what wefeel like doing.

42. Brain-Based Principles 1-6 3. Susceptibility & Opportunity Our brain has sensitive periods with enhanced chances for risk and gain. These periods are from ages 0–5 and 12–17.

43. Ages 0–5: The Risks and Rewards GOOD NEWS: The infant downloads culture without any question. BAD NEWS: The infant downloads culture without any question.

44. Brain-Based Principles 1-6 4. Attentional & Input Limitations Our brain is designed to limit the quantity of new input per minute, hour, and day.

46. Processes That Limit Our Input

47. Brain-Based Principles 1-6 5. Adaptive & Changing Our brains are not static or fixed. They are constantly changing in more than a dozen ways.

48. Old (Outdated) Paradigm “Our brains stay mostly the same; we just get older and slower.” (This is old and mostly wrong.)

50. Evidence That Teaching Solid Reading Skills Changes the Brain Aylward, et al. (2003).  Instructional treatment associated with changes in brain activation in children with dyslexia.  Neurology 61, 212-219.   Pre (left) and Post (right, 12 wks. later)