This is Your Brain. This Is How It Works.

1. This is Your Brain. This Is How It Works.

2. Why should we as teachers want to better understand how the brain works? Share your thoughts with your neighbor!

3. Parts of the brain: Keep in mind there are two distinct sides with different functions

4. The Brainstem(Pathway to the Body) • Base of brain • Unconscious work • Autonomic functions (survival)

5. The Cerebellum(Balance) • “little brain” • Large in size • 11% of brain’s weight • Center of balance

6. The brain has 4 areas called lobes • Frontal • Parietal • Temporal • Occiptal

7. The Frontal Lobes(Problem Solving) • Largest part • Move your body • Highly developed • Forms your personality

8. The Parietal Lobes(Touching) • Two major divisions • Anterior and posterior • Senses hot and cold, hard and soft, and pain. • Taste and smell • Helps integrate the senses

9. The Temporal Lobes(Hearing) • Process auditory stimuli • Subdivisions • Wernicke’s Area • Broca’s Area

10. The Occipital Lobes (Seeing) • Located at lower central back of brain • Processes visual stimuli

11. Taking sides….two sides that is! • Two sides or hemispheres of the brain: LEFT and RIGHT • We have two cerebral hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum. This is a bundle of nerves that allows each side of the brain to communicate with each other. • Each side of the brain processes things differently. • It is an outdated assumption that “artsy” type people are right-brained.

12. Left Brain Logical Sequential Rational Analytical Objective Looks at parts Right Brain Random Intuitive Holistic Synthesizing Subjective Looks at wholes Taking sides….how the two sides process information that is!

13. Left Hemisphere • processes things more in parts and sequentially • recognizes positive emotions • Identified with practicality and rationality • Understands symbols and representations • Processes rapid auditory information faster than the right (crucial for separating the sounds of speech into distinct units for comprehension) • is responsible for language development. It develops slower in boys, that is why males usually develop more language problems than females.

14. Right Hemisphere • Recognizes negative emotions • High level mathematicians, problem solvers, and chess players use • The “non-verbal” side • Responds to touch and music (sensory) • Intuitive • Responsive to color and shape • Emotional and originative

15. Left Brain Letters Numbers Words Right Brain Faces Places Objects based on Sousa (1995, p. 88) Taking sides….what information the two sides recognize!

16. Taking sides….take the test! Hemispheric Dominance Inventory Test at http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm Then learn more at: http://brain.web-us.com/brain/LRBrain.html

17. References • Bandura, A.(1994). Social learning theory. From Theory into practice database. (Kearsley, G.). Retrieved March 25, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://tip.psychology.org/bandura.html • Bloom's Taxonomy: (2003). retrieved December 2, 2003, from http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/educ_school2/docs/stai_manual/manual10.htm • Chicurel, M. (1995) The Inner Life of Neurons, retrieved on-line, http://www.med.harvard.edu/publications/On_The_Brain/Volume4/Number2/SP95In.html • Doolittle, P. (2001). Multimedia Learning: Empirical Results and Practical Applications [Online]. Available http://edpsychserver.ed.vt.edu/workshops/edtech/pdf/multimedia.pdf [2002, Aug 18]. • Gaines, B.R. & Shaw, M. (1995). Collaboration Through Concept Maps. Retrieved November 20, 2002, from: http://ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/articles/CSCL95CM/ • Sousa, D. R. (1995). How the Brain Learns. Reston, VA: NASSP

18. Any Questions?