The Brain & The Brain & LearningLearning

How Can We Help All How Can We Help All Children?Children?

The Brain & The Brain & LearningLearning

How We Can Help All How We Can Help All Children!Children!

What do you think of when What do you think of when you hear . . . ?you hear . . . ?

Nature vs. NurtureNature vs. Nurture But these kids . . .But these kids . . . ““Oh, I see!”Oh, I see!” A picture is worth a thousand words.A picture is worth a thousand words. Madeline HunterMadeline Hunter

Madeline Hunter (1982)Madeline Hunter (1982) Words and pictures Words and pictures

in concertin concert Left hemisphere for Left hemisphere for

reading & reading & understandingunderstanding

Right hemisphere Right hemisphere for seeing and for seeing and listeninglistening

Both hemispheres Both hemispheres are connected are connected (corpus callosum)(corpus callosum)

Teach to bothTeach to both (integrated brain)(integrated brain)

1.1. Say before writingSay before writing2.2. Key words-simple Key words-simple

diagramsdiagrams3.3. Position=relationsPosition=relations

hiphip4.4. Erase before new Erase before new

conceptconcept

Carol Dweck (2006)Carol Dweck (2006)MindsetsMindsets

Fixed MindsetFixed MindsetIntelligence is static Intelligence is static and a desire to look and a desire to look

smartsmart

Avoid challengesAvoid challenges Give up easilyGive up easily Effort is fruitlessEffort is fruitless Ignores useful negative Ignores useful negative

feedbackfeedback Threatened by success Threatened by success

of othersof others

Growth MindsetGrowth MindsetIntelligence can be Intelligence can be

developeddeveloped

Embrace challengesEmbrace challenges Persist in face of Persist in face of

setbackssetbacks Effort is path to Effort is path to

masterymastery Learns for criticismLearns for criticism Inspiration in success Inspiration in success

of othersof others

When do you feel smart?When do you feel smart?

When I finish something fast and it’s When I finish something fast and it’s perfect.perfect.

When something is easy for me but other When something is easy for me but other people can’t do it.people can’t do it.

When I work on something for a long time When I work on something for a long time and I start to figure it out.and I start to figure it out.

It’s when I don’t make any mistakes.It’s when I don’t make any mistakes. When it’s really hard, and I try really hard, When it’s really hard, and I try really hard,

and I can do something I couldn’t do and I can do something I couldn’t do before.before.

NeuroplasticityNeuroplasticity Dendrites are constantly Dendrites are constantly

making new connections making new connections with neurons, pruning with neurons, pruning unused dendrite unused dendrite connections, and connections, and strengthening existing strengthening existing (often used) (often used) connections.connections.

Dendrite growth occurs Dendrite growth occurs as people learn and as people learn and practice new skills. practice new skills.

The more we use a The more we use a certain dendrite certain dendrite pathway, the more pathway, the more efficient it becomes at efficient it becomes at transmitting that signal.transmitting that signal.

An Approach by Rocky Hill An Approach by Rocky Hill Middle SchoolMiddle School

In an effort to get students to “become aware” of In an effort to get students to “become aware” of how they learn, they show them these clips:how they learn, they show them these clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrSR-55xXD8&feature=relatehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrSR-55xXD8&feature=relatedd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgLYkV689s4&feature=relatehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgLYkV689s4&feature=relatedd

High Self-Esteem ≠ High High Self-Esteem ≠ High AchievementAchievement

Avoid empty praiseAvoid empty praise Easy, unearned praise interferes with Easy, unearned praise interferes with

significant learning opportunitiessignificant learning opportunities Performance increases when students Performance increases when students

believe intelligence grows and believe intelligence grows and develops as they learn new thingsdevelops as they learn new things

Use praise to encourage risk-taking Use praise to encourage risk-taking and learning from mistakesand learning from mistakes

Changing How We PraiseChanging How We Praise

Labels that judgeLabels that judge

SmartSmart FastFast CleverClever GreatGreat

Words that Words that encourageencourage

Look at that!Look at that! Show me more.Show me more. How did you do How did you do

that?that? That looks like it That looks like it

took so much work.took so much work.

““Work hard, get smart”Work hard, get smart”

Kids need to see Kids need to see ability as ability as changeablechangeable

Use targeted Use targeted feedbackfeedback

Praise vs. Praise vs. EncouragementEncouragement ““You did a great job.” You did a great job.”

vs. “Your use of a vs. “Your use of a topic sentence made topic sentence made the paragraph.”the paragraph.”

Looking for More Looking for More Information?Information?

Carol Dweck, Stanford UniversityCarol Dweck, Stanford University Judy Willis, MDJudy Willis, MD Alfie Kohn, PsychologistAlfie Kohn, Psychologist Madeline Hunter, Professor/AuthorMadeline Hunter, Professor/Author Piaget, Developmental TheoristPiaget, Developmental Theorist Daniel Coyles, AuthorDaniel Coyles, Author

Talent CodeTalent Code Malcom Gladwell, AuthorMalcom Gladwell, Author

Tipping Point, OutliersTipping Point, Outliers