Neuroscience for the Classroom

Researchers from the University of Minnesota have put together some concepts borne out of the flood of amazing information from neuroscience that can be helpful for the classroom.  The researchers believe that these concepts have the potential to help teachers teach students how they think about their own learning.

BRAIN U LINK

Drawing on a 2008 paper on neuroscience concepts, Dubinsky, Varma, and Roehrig
suggest that the following points are most helpful for K-12 teachers:
- The brain is the body’s most complex organ; it has more than 100 billion neurons and
well over a trillion synapses. The brain’s wiring is remarkably similar among all
humans, with individuality coming from variations at the synaptic level.
- The brain’s neurons use both electrical and chemical signals as they respond to stimuli
from the five senses. All perceptions, thoughts, behaviors, and memories result from
combinations of signals among neurons.
- Life experiences – a teacher’s lesson, a movie, dancing, talking to a friend, texting,
feeling stressed, using a drug – change the brain, growing new synapses and circuits
and turning on nervous-system genes.
- Early-childhood experiences – behaviors, thoughts, and memories – shape different sets
of associated synapses and neural pathways, which continue to change throughout life
in response to every interaction.
- Synaptic pathways are loosely grouped into sensory, motor, emotive, homeostatic,
attentional, and decision-making systems (among others) in the central nervous system.
- The brain is the foundation of the mind; intelligence arises as the brain reasons, plans,
and solves problems. Intelligence is the accumulated history of synaptic activation
among the myriad brain pathways.
- Using language to communicate with others enhances communication skills by
exercising neural pathways.
- The brain is naturally curious as it tries to make sense of all incoming sensory
information. It recognizes conflicts, makes predictions, and guides behavior.
- The salience of experiences determines how well they are retained; only experiences
with an emotional stamp are committed to long-term memory.
- Communication among neurons is strengthened or weakened by patterns of use – the
more stimuli, the more learning; the fewer stimuli, the less learning. The act of
remembering something strengthens that specific memory.
- Learning strengthens a set of electrical and chemical imprints distributed throughout the
brain. Mastery comes from repetition, rehearsal, application, and self-evaluation.
- Our physiological state – nutritional, hormonal, emotional, level of stress, adequacy of
sleep, oxygen intake – will influence how well we learn, remember, and make
decisions.
- Structured learning environments – schools, for example – provide opportunities to
build our mental capacity and capabilities.