SOME RESEARCH ABOUT

How our brains function

Robert Marzano specializes in long

term school reform efforts with K - 12 public and private school districts and individual schools for the purpose of enhancing student academic achievement.

Marzano conceptualizes the brain as consisting of three systems

• The Cognitive System

• The Metacognitive System

• The Self System

The Self System

• Determines whether or not the learner will engage in a task

• Chooses what the learner will attend to

Considerations of the Self-System:

• Self Attributes; Perception of Self

• Purpose

• Nature of the World

• Self-Efficacy

Although these are all critical when it comes to creating the environment in our classroom that will allow our students to be successful, there are two more considerations that directly effect our lesson planning.

This “decision maker” in the brain also considers

• Sense of self and others– The teacher must create inclusive classrooms

where the student has a feeling of belonging

• The conditions of learning– The student is engaged because he believes

that he has the potential to succeed because the teacher created the necessary learning conditions

Robert Marzano says

“If the brain organizes itself to a significant extent on the basis of experience, the school and classroom experiences created by caring and respectful adults can play a major role in overcoming old habits and creating new options for students.”

10 - 2

Turn to those around you and discuss what implications this research has for your classroom environment

• Making connections and tapping prior knowledge

Brain Research

So, how do we engage our students? What works for you?

1. In your table groups, discuss activities that you have used that have successfully engaged students

2. Record each on a separate post-it note

3. Choose the three most successful to share out with the whole group

Think about where your activity would fit

• Let’s share out• Then post you ideas

in the appropriate chart

• What implications does this have your future lesson planning?

Engaging Strategies• Brainstorming

• Graphic organizers

• Cooperative groups

• Think alouds

How does learning relate to the world

of the student? Make it relevant

Every day on-line auctioneers lose money because of misspellings in their advertisements

Now, let’s put this into action