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Hello Neuro-sculpters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch3kbXBah5Y&feature=related. You Were Born With…. Every ‘neurological unit’ comes into the world with some hard wiring …. This wiring can be changed somewhat because the brain in malleable throughout life.
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Hello Neuro-sculpters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch3kbXBah5Y&feature=related
You Were Born With… Every ‘neurological unit’ comes into the world with some hard wiring…. This wiring can be changed somewhat because the brain in malleable throughout life. But… there are ‘windows of neuro-opportunity’
Neuro-opportunity… The brain is malleable throughout life, but the best time for brain shaping falls within the MAGIC DECADE (Age: Birth – 10 years) This means that everyone in this room is truly a “neuro-sculptor”
Education is a key component of a child’s development. The relationships that teachers have with their students and the experiences they provide for them directly shape the neural circuitry of the next generation. Teachers really do shape the future…. The same can be said for parents…..
Gradually, the Average Brain Forms over 100 Trillion Connections • Neurons grow in length and diameter with age [readiness]. • They sprout connections when used [use it or lose it]. • Gradually many neurons combine to make neuronal networks [e.g. sensory information slowly combines to make sense, a thought…].
Connections… • These networks become more and more connected and complex crossing the corpus callosum for complicated thinking. • Ultimately they stream to the prefrontal cortex, and are held and juggled and organized and prioritized into very high levels of judgment. You have now reached the age of 40ish.
HOWEVER… in the beginning…Those ‘given’ number of neurons are distributed differently in EVERY individual brain
What Does this Mean? Areas of the brain that have more neurons and/or are more dense and/or make better connections… Lead to easier aptitude or talent (NATURE) ENTER RUBBERBANDS !
Rubber Band Activity Personality Language Athletics Math The Arts
Brain Basics • No brain has the same size rubber bands in all sectors. • You don’t get to choose your rubber bands… • The bigger the rubber band the easier…aptitude… • When you ask a ‘neurologic unit’ to use a big rubber band, the emotional part of the brain tends to feel a positive emotion…the obverse is true… • Rubber bands or neurons grow, with use, until you die, but earlier is better…. Plasticity.
Implications? Every student needs to understand s/he can change her/his brain, especially NOW! AND, people (friends, enemies, teachers, coaches, etc..) can have a long term impact on the brains of others… for better…or for worse….
The Brain Can Change… how? Natural growth and development & Learning
Neurons GROW with Age First two decades: periods of massive growth
Neurons start out short, skinny and naked. Gradually, they grow in length and diameter with age [ROBUST].The magic glial cells cover the robust neuron with myelin [READINESS].
What are the windows of opportunity for each area? Cortex Pre-Frontal Cortex Amygdala (Limbic system)
The Cortex The first five years of life are critical for development of ALL of the SENSORIUM (input) Visual Auditory Tactile Motor Kinesthetic
What does this mean for the child that watches a TON of TV, Iphone, Ipads, etc…? The ‘visual’ rubber band gets stretched a lot more than the other bands…. Visual Auditory Motor Tactile
The Pre-Frontal Cortex The Pre-Frontal Cortex Another critical earl childhood window… sympathy, empathy, understanding others
Combine all three parts…. Use the big rubber bands for learning, passion Use the small rubber bands enough to insure a lifetime of facile use…. Know which to do when!
When a student is ‘not good’ at math…When a student ‘doesn’t like’ science…When a student is not coordinated and ‘doesn’t do well’ on the baseball team…Practice makes perfect… and mistakes are welcome here!
Parts of the brain work together when learning something new… The amygdalamakes her want to learn to play the piano. The cerebrum helps her decide to practice The cerebellum calls up the memory of the piano lesson or teacher’s instruction. The cerebellum sends messages through neurons to your hands, wrists and fingers
Brain research adapted from JoAnnDeak, Ph.D When does it rain brains? During a Brainstorm!