AHISA PASTORAL CARE CONFERENCE, 2006

1. AHISA PASTORAL CARE CONFERENCE, 2006 Adapting the findings of brain research to the senior section of a girls’ school

2. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part A • The brain weighs about 1.25 kg and its weight does not significantly change throughout life • It contains about 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) which are responsible for all our mental activity. These make up the grey matter of the brain

3. NEURON STRUCTURE A Typical Nerve Cell

4. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part A cont. • The number of neurons does not change markedly throughout life, although the growth of axons and dendrites does change through life, and so does, therefore, the number of synapses.

5. INTERCONNECTING NEURONS

6. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part A cont. • Pruning of the dendrites and increasing the myelination are changes that happen in adolescence. Blakemore, 2005

7. MYELIN SHEATH A Typical Nerve Cell

8. IMPROVING BRAIN FUNCTION • However, it is possible to improve brain function • The more you stimulate the brain the more connections that can be made, and the easier they work and the better they work. Greenfield, 2004

9. IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM Need for exposure to a range of learning experiences in the early years of schooling, right up to adolescence (end of Year 10) • Offer a range of electives with more flexibility for change • More coherent language learning in primary years • Excursions, excursions, excursions • Out-of-school lessons in areas such as music, sport, art, photography etc

10. IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM cont. Need for more time for deeper learning to activate different neurons • Longer lessons • Homework now matches lessons of that day

11. CURRICULUMYEARS 7 - 10

13. (s) semesterised

14. IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM cont. Need for different teaching and learning styles to activate different neurons • Learning styles are identified (courtesy of Dr Julia Atkin) • Some syllabuses are written according to different learning styles

15. IMPLICATIONS FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT Need to develop other skills at a young age • Lessons on public speaking, conflict resolution, chairing a meeting, writing an agenda etc. - Hawkes, T. (2005), Learning Leadership, Books 1 – 4, the Kings School: Parramatta

16. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part B The frontal lobe of the cortex (and the cerebrum to a lesser extent) does not fully mature until a person reaches approximately 30 years of age.

17. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part B

18. IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE Need to state and restate the obvious to keep the student safe and focussed

19. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CURRICULUM cont. Cannot assume that adolescents can make subject choices for too far into the distance - See new curriculum

20. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part C Strengthening the corpus callosum seems to coordinate the two halves of the brain more effectively

21. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part C

22. IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM Need for more physical activity in the daily routine of the students • See new curriculum for sport • Compulsory sport for two terms, Year 7

23. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part D The high activity level of the amydala in the brain, especially in girls

24. BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part D

25. IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE Need to understand the effect of the student-teacher relationship on girls’ learning • Academic care training for staff • More pastoral care • Better access to counsellors and Health Care Centre (electronic roll)

26. EMOTIONS • Scientific research shows that the heart plays an important tole in reducing emotional stress, developing higher-order thinking skills, improving academic performance, and regulating social and emotional behaviour. • There is a direct link between a student’s ability to self-manage emotions and academic performance. Killen, 2006.

27. IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE cont. Need for sleep • Address to parents Parent program

28. CONTRADICTIONS IN THINKING • “Use it or lose it” vs “sensitive periods” when the brain is ready to respond to certain stimuli • Supreme importance of first three years of life vs plasticity of brain • Gendered brain vs non-gendered brain • Deak 2003/2004 and Hall 2005/2006

29. WARNING We are not ready for “brain-based” education. We need a cautious and incremental approach which acknowledges that our current state of knowledge is incomplete and may be, in some aspects, inaccurate. (Hall, 2005, p.57) Therefore, the changes made at Pymble are an attempt to be scientific, but there is no claim that it is complete or even coherent.

30. REFERENCES • Blakemore, S.J. (2005) The Adolescent Brain. Address given at Education and Brain Research:j/ Neuroscience, Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Cambridge. • Fuller, A., Bellhouse, B. & Johnston, G. (2001) The Heart Masters: A program for the promotion of resilience and emotional intelligence in the middle to senior years of primary school, Inyahead Press, Melbourne • Greenfield, S. (2004) Address given as part of Adelaide’s Thinkers in Residence program. www.thinkers.sa.gov.au/future_baron.html • Hall, J. (2005) “Neuroscience and Education” in Teacher, ACER, Victoria, May, 2006 • Hawkes, T. (2005) Learning Leadership, Books 1 – 4, The Kings School: Parramatta • Killen, D. (2006) “At the Heart of Education”, EQ Australia, Curriculum Corporation, Victoria, Spring 2006