Care and Feeding Instructions for the Millennial Brain

Edward C. Taylor, Ph.D.Child and Adolescent Psychologist

Millennials at Play

Boomers at Play

The Millennial Experience

The Millennial Environment

Socially and Cognitively, Neither Here Nor There

High Volume of Data Presented Rapidly

Rapid Shifts in Topic or PlaceCompressed SpeechEnvironmentally Directed AwarenessDigital and Visual DataMulti-Tasking

Brain Plasticity

Every experienced event modifies the brain’s structure and processing style

The brain is plastic into old ageAll behavior comes from the brain

Teachers and Performers

Musicians who became music teachers engaged in solitary, intense, reflective music practice 9 hours per week or 4000 hours total by age 20.

Musicians who became expert performers practiced 24 hours per week or 10,000 hours total by age 20.

The brain becomes expert by practice, practice, practice and by trying to improve in each practice session, until automaticity is achieved, by storing information and patterns in long-term memory and constantly reflecting upon one’s performance.

How Might the Millennial Environment Affect Learning ?

Divided controlled attentionHeightened reactive attentionHeightened arousalFrequent shifts from one topic to

anotherHigh volume of data Inadequate time to reflect and

evaluateExternal rather than internal

directionMultisensory experienceLimited physical activity

Environment Directed Awareness

Reacting, Not Planning or ReflectingSomeone else is making decisions

about what, where, how, how long, and how much.

Executive Skills

Control over emotions Impulse resistancePlanningPlan executionExecution monitoring and self-

evaluationTask persistence

The Statue Test 1940 vs 2001

1940

3 year olds 0 minutes

5 year olds 3 minutes

7 year olds a long time

2001

3 year olds 0 minutes

5 year olds 0 minutes

7 year olds 3 minutes

Imaginative Play and the Executive Skills

PLAY IN FIRST HALF OF 20TH CENTURY

Unsupervised Child directed In groups Imaginative Activity focused Improvisation Symbolic toys Kids made the rules At home and at school

PLAY IN SECOND HALF OF 20TH CENTURY

Adult organized and directed

Toy or object focused Real toys with a

specific purpose or theme

Rules are given TV, video games, or

lessons Schools focus on

cognitive skills development to pass the test

The Play Connection

Imaginative play promotes self-regulatory self-talk

Self- regulatory self-talk promotes Control over emotions Impulse resistance Planning Plan execution Execution monitoring and self-evaluation Task persistence

Volume and Speed

The Rule of 7 Divided attention Superficial engagement Continuous partial attention leads to

staying busy without truly focusing on anything

Limited opportunity for reflecting and planning

Continually in the “on” position; stimulus seeking; increased cortisol production

Are we producing an ADD style of living ?

A Mile Wide and Two Inches Deep

Mathematics and Science Literacy Average scores of 15-year-olds, PISACountry 2000 2003

Japan 557(1st) 534(4th)

Korea 547(2nd) 542(2nd)

China - 550(1st)

United States 493(18th) 483(24th)

International Average 500(32 Countries)

500(39 countries)

What is the Rank of U.S at the TIMSS?

Country 1995 1999 2003

Singapore 609(1st) 604(1st) 605(1st)

Korea 581(2nd) 587(2nd) 589(2nd)

China 569(4rd) 582(4th) 586(3rd)

Japan 581(2nd) 579(5th) 570(5th)

U.S 492(18th) 502(19th) 504(12th)

International Average

519(23 Nations)

487(38 Nations)

466(45 Nations)

Neither Here Nor There

“Technology… The knack of so arranging the world that we don’t have to experience it.” Max Frisch, architect and author

Decreased capacity for social perception

Decreased tolerance for social interchange over a period of time

Lower scores on memory testingMore ADD-like in relationshipsDerivatives traders

What Do I Do ?

Pilot induced oscillationHeal thyself first

Multitasking Solutions

List your priorities Allocate your time accordingly Schedule your time Power naps Alternate tasks Pause, reflect, summarize, plan before

moving on Set limits Watch your speedometer Slowly build multi-tasking ability

Managing Attention

Mind you mindConsciously engage your mind Increase the interest value of the

taskMinimize distractionsManipulate the environmentBe a noisy learnerFrequent breaksPower napsNo phones at the dinner table, etc.

Strategies To Facilitate Executive Skills Development

Simon Says Thinking Impulse inhibition

Complex Imaginative Play Sustained for 30+ minutes Of the 1940’s style

Strategies To Facilitate Executive Skills Development

Activities requiring planning Games with directions and goal seeking Construction activities Pattern recognition activities Cooking

Joint Storybook Reading Process the characters self-regulatory

behavior promoted modeling Mastery models not Expert models

Strategies To Facilitate Executive Skills Development

Model self-talkEncourage self-talk Internalize, do not externalize, the

conflict

Strategies For Teaching Executive Skills

Classroom routinesClassroom rulesClassroom organizational systemsLearning strategy trainingClassroom process meetingsManaging developmental angstWatch your language

Teaching Learning Skills

Explicit instruction in learning processes

Modeling Post-mortems to discuss why the

patient lived or diedPost-mortems to define the “next

level’ and how to get there. Then, go do it.

Practice, practice, practice with a focus on attaining a specific level of proficiency or grade

References

iBrain, Gary Small, MD and Gigi Virgan

The New Brain, Richard Restak, MDThe Overflowing Brain, Torkel

Klingberg, MDLearning and the Brain

Conference, November 2009, Boston, MA