TraceyTokuhamaEspinosa,Ph.D. tracey.tokuhama@gmail.com ... · TOKUHAMA-ESPINOSA MIND, BRAIN, and...

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Tracey  Tokuhama-­‐Espinosa,  Ph.D.  tracey.tokuhama@gmail.com  October  2015    

Background  �  Interdisciplinary  researcher  in  neuroscience,  cognitive  

psychology  and  education  (cultural  anthropology  and  linguistics).    

�  Boston  University:  BA,  BS,  magna  cum  laude  

�  Harvard  University:  Master’s  in  International  Educational  Development    

�  Capella  University:  Ph.D.  In  Professional  Studies  in  Education  (Mind,  Brain  and  Education  Science)  

�  Professor,  Harvard  University  Extension  School:  Psych  1609  “The  Neurobiology  of  Learning  and  Sustained  Change”  

�  OECD:  Member  of  the  expert  panel  on  Teachers  New  Pedagogical  Knowledge  based  on  contributions  from  Technology  and  Neuroscience  

�  Former  Director  of  the  Teaching  and  Learning  Institute  at  the  Universidad  San  Francisco  de  Quito  Ecuador  

�  Former  Dean  of  Education  at  the  Universidad  de  las  Américas,  Quito,  Ecuador  

�  Author  of  six  books  and  dozens  of  peer  review  articles  on  Mind,  Brain,  and  Education  science,  multilingualism,  sense  and  meaning  in  classroom  planning  and  design,  standards  and  learning  profiles.  

�  Teacher  at  all  levels  of  education  (K-­‐University)  with  more  than  26  years  of  experience  in  28  countries.  

M a k i n g

C l a s s r o o m s B e t t e r

L E S S O N S

from the

C O G N I T I V E

R E V O L U T I O N

that

T R A N S F O R M

our T E A C H I N G

www.educacionparatodos.com    

www.traceytokuhama.com  tracey.tokuhama@gmail.com  

Today’s  Focus  

1.  Changes  in  21st  century  educational  expectations  2.  Vocabulary:  “Competencies”  in  Education  and  their  Relationship  to  

Differentiation  3.  Quick  queries  about  21st  century  learning    4.  OECD  study  on  Teachers’  New  Pedagogical  Knowledge  (TPK)  

�  How  has  technology  changed  teaching?  �  How  has  information  about  the  brain  changed  teaching?  

5.  Quiz!  Truths  and  Myths  about  the  brain  and  learning  and  how  they  can  change  our  teaching  practice.  

6.  Making  Classrooms  Better:  50  practical  applications  of  Mind,  Brain,  and  Education  science  

Change  1:  Different  expectaAons  of  school  

Changes  in  EducaAonal  Goals    (OECD,  2014;  Tokuhama-­‐Espinosa,  2014)  

�  From  equal  access  (everyone  goes  to  school)  to  equal  quality.  

�  From  teaching  in  silos  (one  subject  separate  from  another)  to  transdisciplinarity.  

�  From  “passing  a  class”  to  life-­‐long  learning.  �  From  traditional  resources  to  technology  integration.  �  Bettering  “self”  to  enhance  collaboration,  cooperation,  communication,  cultural  awareness,  building  communities,  and  wider  contextual  application  (bettering  “the  group”).  

Change  2:  New  expectaAons  of  both  students  and  teachers  

Change  3:  Technology  and  beQer  knowledge  of  the  brain  

BeQer  knowledge  about  the  brain  and  learning  �  Improvements  in  technology  since  The  Decade  of  the  Brain  (1990s)  

have  yielded  greater  insights  about  healthy  brain  functioning.  Early  models  promoted  neuromyths.  

Refined  technology  (healthy  subjects)  

Simple  models  Replicas  of  connections  

Actual  computer  enhanced  connections  

Change  4:  BeQer  insight  as  to  what  really  influences  student  learning  

BeQer  knowledge  about  what  really  influences  teaching  and  learning  outcomes  

�  Longitudinal  studies  (age  comparative)  �  International  comparative  studies  

(independent  of  cultural  context=what  is  true  for  “all”)  

�  Methodologically  comparative  scale  

John  HaXe  (2009;  2012;  2013;  2014)  StarAng  point:  High  quality  educaAonal  research  

900  meta  analyses;  50,000  studies;  2.4  million  students  

The  enemy  of  correct  teacher  aXtudes:  UnidenAfied  prejudices  

� Teacher  prejudices  about  intelligence  influence  student  learning  (Hattie,  2009;  2012).  

The  enemy  of  correct  teacher  aXtudes:  UnidenAfied  prejudices  � Teaching  knowledge  and  skills  is  relatively  easy.  �  “If  you  can  Google  it,  don’t  take  too  much  time  teaching  it.”  

� Teaching  attitudes  is  more  time-­‐consuming.  

� Teacher  attitudes  change  learning  outcomes  (Hattie,  2009;  2012).  

Fundamental  21st  Century  Teacher  AXtudes  

“One-­‐minute  paper”  on    Key  Traits  of  Excellent  21st  century  Teachers  

�  Left  side:  Everything  you  KNOW  about  best  practice  teaching  in  the  21st  century  

� Right  side:  Everything  you  WISH  you  knew  or  that  you  need  to  know  more  about.  

Angelo, T.A., and Cross, K.P. Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2nd ed., Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1993, pp. 148-153; Bressoud: http://www.maa.org/SAUM/maanotes49/87.html

A  21st  century  teacher  professional  development  track?  

The  Who,  What,  When,  Where,  Why,  and  How    

of  21st  Century  Schools  

WHO  carries  the  burden  of  adap=ng  to  21st  

century  demands?  

Example  (HaCe,  2009)  Actors  and  seCngs  

Place  in  rank  order  of  influence  on  student  learning  outcomes:  �  School  (i.e.,  class  and  school  size)  �  Parents  (i.e.,  genes  versus  environment)  �  Home  (i.e.,  socio-­‐economic  status)  �  Teacher  (as  a  personality)  �  Student  (i.e.,  attitude)  �  Administration  (i.e.,  leadership  styles)  �  Curriculum  i.e.,  (IB  versus  national)  �  Teaching  (i.e.,  how  information  was  taught;  delivery)  

Actors  and  seCngs  �  Hattie:  Rank  order  of  influence  on  student  outcomes  1.  Student  2.  Teacher  3.  Teaching  4.  Parents  (tie)  5.  Home  (tie)  6.  School  7.  Curriculum  8.  Administration    

2009  

WHAT    (SKILLS)  

are  the  21st  century  skills  needed?  

WHAT    (TEACHING)  

are  the  teaching  methods    we  have  yet  to  adapt?  

Changes  in  teaching?  

�  What  is  more  important?  WHAT  we  teach  or  HOW  we  teach?    �  Filters  for  electing  teaching  activities  in  class:  

�  Socratic  Method  �  Essential  Questions  �  Hierarchy  of  Complexities  �  (project-­‐based  learning;  inquiry-­‐based;  problem-­‐based  

learning)  �  Interactions  

�  Differentiation  �  Evaluation  tools  

WHEN  should  we  change?    

Rip  van  Winkle  

Transporta=on  

Banks  

Government  

Supermarkets  

Schools….  

Educa=on  has  to  catch  up  with  other  aspects  of  society!  But  how?  

� Baby  steps                è Bold  measures  

Teacher Education and 21st Century Skills http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eGHAuV5yLo

WHERE  does  learning  take  place  in  the  21st  century?  

Everywhere!  (Or  nowhere?)  

� What  are  the  new  learning  spaces?  

� Ergonomics  of  classrooms  

� Online  museums,  libraries,  courses  

WHY  is  it  necessary  to  rethink  21st  c.  skills?  

HOW  should  21st  century  teachers  be  trained?  

OECD  study  (2014)  on    Teachers’  New  Pedagogical  

Knowledge    

From  “Educa=on”  to  “Learning  Sciences  

n  “Mind,  Brain,  and  Education  (MBE)  Science  is  the  new  and  improved  brain-­‐based  learning.  It  is  the  scientifically  substantiated  art  of  teaching.  It  is  the  intersection  of  neuroscience,  education,  and  psychology.  And  it  is  a  paradigm  shift  in  formal  education…”  

TO

KU

HA

MA

-ES

PIN

OS

AMIND, BRAIN,

and EDUCATION SCIENCE

Mind, Brain, and Education Science

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO

THE NEW BRAIN-BASED TEACHING

N O R T O N

Tokuhama-Espinosa (2010a, p.22).

2010

2011

2014 April

2008

2014 June

“Teachers (New) Pedagogical Knowledge”

For  more  details  on  the  birth  of  the  Mind  Brain,  and  Educa=on  field,  please  watch  the  summary  video  (1h48)  on:    h`ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-­‐emz2QM_Qk0  

�  “Designing  educational  experiences  without  an  understanding  of  the  brain  is  like  designing  a  glove  without  an  understanding  of  the  human  hand.”  

-­‐Leslie  Hart  (1983)  

“Education  is  not  the  filling  of  a  pail,  but  the  lighting  of  a  fire.”  

-­‐William  Bulter  Yeates  (1923)  

“One-­‐minute  paper”  on    The  Brain  and  Learning  

�  Left  side:  Everything  you  KNOW  about  the  brain  and  learning  

� Right  side:  Everything  you  WISH  you  knew  or  that  you  need  to  know  more  about.  

Angelo, T.A., and Cross, K.P. Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2nd ed., Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1993, pp. 148-153; Bressoud: http://www.maa.org/SAUM/maanotes49/87.html

� Do  teachers  know  enough  about  the  brain?  

“Mind,  Brain,  and  Educa.on  scien.st”:  �  In  some  instances  this  label  

will  mean  teachers  who  are  integrating  cognitive  neuroscience  and  psychological  foundations  into  their  practice.    

�  In  other  cases  it  will  mean  psychologists  who  seek  to  bridge  the  hard  and  soft  sciences.    

�  In  yet  others  it  will  mean  neuroscientists  who  dare  to  bring  laboratory  findings  into  the  classroom.    

“Mind,  Brain,  and  Educa.on  scien.st”:  �  Work  as  a  “purist”  is  not  

any  less  valuable  than  work  in  the  transdisciplinary  discipline  of  MBE  science;  it  does,  however,  acknowledge  the  need  for  new  professionals  who  speak  the  language,  walk  the  talk,  and  can  work  seamlessly  as  MBE  specialists  as  well.  

MBE:  Balance  between  learning  and  teaching  

�  "We  know  a  little  of  what  goes  on  in  the  brain  when  we  learn,  but  hardly  anything  about  what  goes  on  in  the  brain  when  we  teach,"  (Blakemore  &  Frith,  2008,  p.118).  

Why  is  MBE  needed  now  more  than  ever  before?  �  Begin  with  the  premise  that  solutions  to  problems  in  education  today  

require  the  more  sophisticated  and  complex  approach  offered  by  MBE  science.  

�  Despite  more  than  125  years  of  good  intentions  to  resolve  the  question  “How  should  we  teach  to  best  serve  student  learning?”  we  still  don’t  have  the  answer.    

�  The  brain  is  the  most  complex  organ  on  earth;  solutions  to  educational  difficulties  are  not  easy.  

Mind,  Brain,  and  Educa.on  science  combined  with  Visible  Learning  in  a  professional  development  format  

The  New  Model:  

�  The categorization of concepts (neuromyths to the well-established beliefs) agreed upon by the Delphi expert panel pointed to the main tenets and principles of Mind, Brain, and Education science.

�  Tenets are relative to each individual learner while the principles are important in the same way for all learners.

�  The tenets and principles define the instructional guidelines of the field.

Beliefs and Myths

Principles Tenets

Instructional Guidelines

The Foundations of Instructional Guidelines in the New Model

•  "Truths"  in  MBE    

Beliefs  and  Neuromyths  

•  Universals  and    •  Individualized  aspects  of  learning  

Principles  and  Tenets  

•  What  should  occur  in  the  classroom  

Instructional  Guidelines  

Categoriza.on  criteria  

In Understanding the brain: The birth of a learning science, (OECD, 2002)* the authors propose a continuum of four categories of information quality.

*OECD= 30 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxemburg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.

Criteria  used  to  categorize  concepts  Categories: A. What is well-established (i.e. plasticity, which now has hundreds of credible human studies behind it);

B. What is probably so (i.e., sensitive periods, which has hundreds of studies behind it, though not all conducted on humans);

C. What is intelligent speculation (i.e., gender differences, which has thousands of studies behind it, albeit of mixed quality and sometimes with contradictory findings); and

D. What is popular misconception or a neuromyth (i.e., "right brain" and "left brain" discussion, which has been the target of thousands of books and articles, some of which promote the term, but most of which criticize the lack of factual accuracy of the claim).

WHAT IS WELL-ESTABLISHED

Educa.onal  Concepts  in  the  Literature  (n=76)  

5 19 24 28

concepts concepts concepts concepts

Well-established Probably so Intelligent speculation Neuromyth

“universals” “individual”

Quiz!  1.  Review  questions  and  

the  evidence:  Is  the  statement  “well-­‐established”;  “probably  so”;  “intelligent  speculation”;  or  a  “neuromyth”.  

2.  Consider  how  the  answers  to  the  questions  point  to  useable  knowledge  in  the  classroom.  

   “Human  brains  are  as  unique  as  human  faces.”  

True  or  false?  

TRUE!    Human  brains  are  as  unique  as  faces  

 n While  the  basic  structure  of  all  human  brains  is  the  same,  there  are  no  two  that  are  identical.    

n While  there  are  general  patterns  of  organization  in  how  different  people  learn  and  which  brain  areas  are  involved,  each  brain  is  unique  and  uniquely  organized  (…but  why?)  

Principle

How  does  this  informa.on  impact  teaching?  �  Differentiation?  �  “Disability  learning”  (Swedish  example);    �  UDL  model  �  The  flipped  classroom  works  because  it  takes  into  

account  the  fact  that  each  brain  is  unique  and  uniquely  organized  and  thus  it  needs  differentiation.  The  structure  of  the  Flipped  Classroom  permits  the  possibility  of  meeting  each  students  needs  in  an  individual  way.    

True  or  false?  

�  “All  brains  are  equally  prepared  for  all  tasks.”    

FALSE!    Brains  are  not  equal  in  their  ability  to  solve  all  problems  

§  Brains  are  not  equal  in  their  ability  to  solve  all  problems.  Context  as  well  as  ability  influence  learning.  Context  includes  the  learning  environment,  motivation  for  the  topic  of  new  learning,  and  prior  knowledge.    

§  Different  people  are  born  with  different  abilities,  which  they  can  improve  upon  or  lose  depending  on  the  stimuli.  The  stimulus  one  receives  is  impacted  by  what  the  learner  brings  to  the  context,  including  past  experience  and  prior  knowledge.  

Principle

How  does  this  informa.on  impact  teaching?  �  Testing  requirements?  

�  In  a  related  principle,  the  flipped  classroom  addresses  the  fact  that  not  all  brains  are  equally  good  at  all  things,  and  therefore  some  will  need  more  rehearsal  on  certain  concepts,  while  others  will  need  more  attention  to  different  points.    

   “Past  information  influences  how  we  learn  something  new.”  

True  or  false?  

TRUE!    Prior  knowledge  influences  new  learning  

n  Connecting  new  information  to  prior  knowledge  facilitates  learning.    

n  We  learn  better  and  faster  when  we  relate  new  information  to  things  that  we  already  know.    

  Principle

How  does  this  informa.on  impact  teaching?  

�  Do  you  know  your  students  well  enough  to  capitalize  on  their  past  experiences  and  make  the  teaching  moment  authentic  in  their  lives?  

�  Flipping  the  classroom?  

     “The  brain  changes  constantly  with  experience.”  

True  or  false?  

TRUE!    The  brain  changes  constantly  due  to  new  experiences  

n The  brain  is  a  complex,  dynamic,  and  integrated  system  that  is  constantly  changed  by  experience,  though  most  of  this  change  is  only  evident  at  a  microscopic  level.  

n In  fact,  the  brain  often  changes  before  behavior  does.  

How  does  this  informa.on  impact  teaching?  

     “The  brain  is  highly  plastic  (flexible).”  

True  or  false?  

TRUE!    Plas?city  is  the  essence  of  learning  itself  

n Human  brains  have  a  high  degree  of  plasticity.  

 n The  brain  can  often  “fix  itself”  with  practice.    

(Neuro)  plas.city:  

� The  ability  of  the  brain  to  re-­‐wire  itself  using  non-­‐traditional  pathways  if  a  “normal”  route  is  damaged  or  blocked.    

Plas.city  We  now  know  that….  �  “we  see  with  our  brains,  not  with  our  eyes.”*  

Example:  Seeing  with  tongue  (Bach-­‐y-­‐Rita).  �  “Children  are  not  always  stuck  with  the  

mental  abilities  they  are  born  with;  that  the  damaged  brain  can  often  reorganize  itself  so  that  when  one  part  fails,  another  can  often  substitute;  that  is  brain  cells  die,  they  can  at  times  be  replaced;  that  many  ‘circuits’  and  even  basic  reflexes  that  we  think  are  hardwired  are  not.”**  

�  Michel  Merzenich;  Norman  Doidge;  Paul  Bach-­‐y-­‐Rita  

*Doidge (2007, p.14).;** Doidge (2007, p.xv).

 Neuromyth:    “Plas?city  is  due  to  good  pedagogy”  

�  This  is  a  myth  because  plasticity  is  a  natural  neural  process  and  occurs  with  or  without  good  pedagogy.  

�  Examples:  addiction,  racism.    

Are  these  five  “truths”  enough  to  improve  our  teaching?  

� Think  about  how  you  might  apply  these  five  principles  in  your  own  practice.  

� Examples?  

“Attention  +  Memory  =  Learning?”  

True  or  false?  

(Oversimplified,  but…)  TRUE!    Without  A)en,on  and  Memory  there  is  no  Learning  

� To  learn  something  new  means  you  have  to  pay  attention  to  it  as  well  as  remember  it.    

             “Sleep  is  important  for  learning  (why?).”      

True  or  false?  

TRUE!    Your  brain  works  while  you  are  asleep.  Both  Sleep  as  well  as  Dreaming  impact  learning  n  Sleep:  Sleep  deprivation  also  has  a  negative  impact  on  

attention  spans.    n  Dreaming:  Memory  consolidation  depends  on  REM  sleep  

(dreaming)  

Why only “probably so”? Do you need the same amount of sleep as your neighbor? Not yet well-established because there are only a few studies available on school-age populations. Carskadon

How  does  this  informaAon  impact  teaching?  

� Are  students  and  parents  aware  of  this  information?  Do  schools  (teachers)  work  close  enough  with  the  home  (parents)  to  encourage  good  sleep  habits?  

� Are  course  offerings  made  at  chrono-­‐biologically  appropriate  times  for  all  students?    

       “Making  decisions  with  ‘a  cool  head’  and  without  emotions  helps  you  think  better.”  

True  or  false?  

FALSE!    It  is  impossible  to  separate  emo,ons  and  reasoning  in  the  brain  

�  Emotions  are  critical  in  decision-­‐making.    

�  Even  though  emotions  and  reasoning  seem  like  opposites,  they  are  actually  complimentary  processes.    

�  There  are  no  decisions  without  emotions.  

Tenet: True for all but with significant individual variances

How  does  this  informaAon  impact  teaching?  

� Are  you  creating  the  appropriate  learning  environment  in  class  to  ensure  that  positive  emotions  rein  and  that  negative  ones  are  reduced  to  a  minimum?  

“People  judge  each  other’s  faces  and  tones  of  voice  immediately  and  almost  unconsciously.”  

True  or  false?  

TRUE!  Faces  and  Voices  

�  The human brain judges others’ faces and tones of voices for threat levels in a rapid and often unconscious way, influencing the way information from these sources is perceived (i.e., valid, invalid, trustworthy, untrustworthy, etc.)

�  Students determine the level of teacher self-efficacy (and their confidence in their abilities) in part through their facial expressions and their voices.

�  According to researchers, when a student feels that her teacher doesn’t believe in her abilities to learn—because the teacher “looked at her funny” or his voice seemed condescending—then the student’s actual performance is impaired.

�  Even if the student misinterprets facial expressions, what students think their teacher thinks about her influences her performance.

Tenet: While proven in psychology, not yet well-established because documentation in school contexts is sparse.

How  does  this  informaAon  impact  teaching?  � Are  teachers  explicitly  taught  how  to  manage  their  body  and  voices?  Should  they  be?  

Human  brains  seek  out  novelty  as  well  as  patterns.  A.  True.  B.  False.  C.  I  don’t  know.  D.  It  doesn’t  matter.  

True  or  false?  

True:  Novelty  

�  “Human  brains  seek  and  often  quickly  detect  novelty,  (which  is  individually  defined).”  

�  We  are  quick  to  notice  things  that  are  out  of  place  or  different,  and  we  actually  unconsciously  look  for  things  that  don’t  belong.  

(e.g.,  “2+3=5”  and  “5-­‐3=2”)    Not  yet  well-­‐established  because  the  

individual  nature  of  “novelty”  makes  it  hard  to  study.  

True:  Pa)ern  recogni,on  �  B2.  “Human  brains  seek  patterns  upon  which  they  

predict  outcomes,  and  neural  systems  form  responses  to  repeated  patterns  of  activation  (patterns  being  individually  defined).”  

�  We  categorize  our  world  in  ways  that  help  us  understand  information.  Part  of  how  we  do  this  relates  to  designing  patterns  for  the  things  we  find.  These  patterns  are  like  a  road  map  that  tells  us  where  to  go  next.  This  road  map  is  the  neural  system  for  that  group  of  like  experiences.  

(e.g.,  math,  writing  genres,  social  interactions,  etc.)  

While  proven  in  neuroscience  and  psychology,  not  yet  well-­‐established  because  of  the  limited  number  of  classroom  studies.  

“Nutrition  impacts  learning.”  

True  or  false?  

TRUE!  Approximately  twenty  percent  (20%)  of  the  body’s  energy  is  used  by  the  brain  

n Nutrition  impacts  learning.  n Good  eating  habits  contribute  to  learning  and  poor  eating  habits  detract  from  the  brain’s  ability  to  maximize  its  learning  potential.  

n The  body  and  the  brain  impact  each  other.  

n Not  all  calories  are  created  equal.    

“Stress  impacts  learning.”  

True  or  false?  

TRUE:    Stress  impacts  learning  both  posi,vely  and  nega,vely  �  Stress impacts learning: ‘good’ stress (eustress)

heightens attention and helps learning, while ‘bad’ stress detracts from learning potential.

�  When students feel negative stress, parts of their brain actually block the uptake of new information and new learning. However, a certain level of stress is needed to help focus and pay attention.

�  This is equivalent to the sprinter at the starting line who needs a certain level of stress (adrenaline) to start on time; too much stress, however, and he will either jump the gun or waste his energy.

�  Eustress involves keeping students “on their toes” without creating panic.

While proven in education, neuroscience and psychology, not yet well-established because documentation in school contexts is missing.

How  does  this  informaAon  impact  teaching?  

� Are  teachers  taught  how  to  create  the  “good”  stress”  and  avoid  the  “bad”  (or  do  we  presume  they  will  “pick  it  up  with  experience”?)  

�  Is  the  classroom  environment  conducive  to  the  right  kind  of  stress  level  for  optimal  learning?  

“Humans  only  use  about  10%  of  their  brain  potential.”  

True  or  false?  

UNKNOWN,  however…  

�  No  exact  percentage  can  be  assigned  to  brain  usage;  the  more  we  learn  about  the  brain,  the  less  it  appears  we  are  using!    

�  However,  it  is  now  known  that  not  all  areas  of  the  brain  are  meant  to  be  linked  to  one  another  in  the  first  place;  so  suggesting  that  lack  of  use  is  a  reflection  of  potential  is  unreasonable.    

�  This  percentage  is  based  on  the  estimated  number  of  synapses  in  the  brain  and  instances  of  brain  imaging  during  a  specific  activity.  

�  “Some  people  are  more  right-­‐brained  and  others  more  left-­‐brained.”  

�  “Brain  parts  work  in  isolation.”  

True  or  false?  

FALSE!    Brain  areas  do  NOT  act  in  isola1on  

� Most  brain  functions  involve  complicated  systems  that  involve  both  right  and  left  hemispheres.    

�  (against  localizationism)  

NEUROMYTH    “Language  is  located  in  the  ‘le8  brain’  and  spa1al  abili1es  are  in  the  ‘right  brain.’”

�  Broca’s  and  Wernicke’s  areas  tend  to  be  located  in  the  left  hemisphere  of  the  brain.    

�  However,  five  percent  of  right-­‐handed  people  and  thirty  percent  of  left-­‐handed  people  either  have  these  two  language  systems  in  the  right  hemisphere,  or  language  is  divided  amongst  the  hemispheres.    

�  To  complicate  matters,  some  aspects  of  language,  such  as  comprehension  of  metaphors,  analogies,  some  aspects  of  humor  and  some  aspects  of  intonation  are  typically  found  in  the  right  hemisphere.  

�  The  “language  system”  in  the  brain  is  in  both  hemispheres.  

“Students  can  pay  attention  for  a  full  class  period  (40-­‐90  minutes).”  

True  or  false?  

FALSE!    The  human  a?en1on  span  is  limited  

Attention  spans  

�  Recognize  that  students  have  an  average  10-­‐20  minute  maximum  attention  span.  

In  prac1ce:  

�  This  means  that  teachers  need  to  change  the  person,  place  or  activity  every  10-­‐20  minutes  to  maintain  a  high  level  of  attention.  

“Primacy-­‐Recency”  

The  Primacy-­‐Recency  Effect  

� People  remember  best  what  happens  first,  second  best  what  happens  last,  and  least  what  happens  in  the  middle.  

In  prac1ce:  

�  This  means  that  moments  in  the  “middle”  should  be  dedicated  to  student-­‐centered  practice.  

In  prac1ce:  

�  The  last  part  of  the  class  should  be  dedicated  to  summarizing  important  concepts  and  bridging  to  next  class.    

Challenges  to  Teachers:  

� Much  of  what  we  hold  to  be  “truths”  in  our  practices  is  without  scientific  foundation.    

� Examples…(neuromyths)  

Summary  informaMon:  Neuromyths  

Challenge:  3-­‐2-­‐1  

�  3  things  that  impacted  you  today  �  2  two  things  so  interesting  you  will  share  them  with  someone  else  

�  1  thing  you  will  change  about  your  practice  based  on  the  information  shared  today  

In  summary…  1.  We  reviewed  recent  new  discoveries  about  the  brain  thanks  to  

Technology  

2.  Considered  most  recent  educational  research  

3.  Asked  you  to  consider  the  move  from  “Education”  to  “Learning  Sciences”  

4.  Reviewed  the  new  model  of  teaching:  “Visible  Learning”  (Hattie)  +  Mind,  Brain,  and  Education  Science  (Tokuhama-­‐Espinosa)  

5.  Considered  50  Best  Classroom  Practices  (Tokuhama-­‐Espinosa,  2014)