This document discusses brain anatomy and function, learning theories, and strategies for teaching based on brain science. It describes the major parts of the brain including the cerebral cortex, lobes, hippocampus, thalamus, and cerebellum. It discusses Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. The document provides tips for creating an optimal learning environment based on factors like lighting, color, movement, and priming students with relevant information. It advocates using a lecture format that engages students, allows for knowledge acquisition and processing, and incorporates settling time, rehearsal and repetition to strengthen memory pathways.

1. The Brain
Your Student
And the Big Picture
By Yvette Dodson
Adjunct Instructor of Education
College of Southern Maryland
AFACCT 22nd Annual Conference
Montgomery College-Rockville, MD
January 5, 2012
Session 3.7

2. Introduction
• Purpose
• Education in crisis or culture in crisis?
• College Readiness
• Global Production
• Brain Based Theory
• Developmental Psychology
• Teaching Strategies and techniques for lectures

3. The Brain
• Cerebral Cortex - outward shell-thickness of
an orange peel
• Occipital Lobe – (back) vision
• Frontal Lobe – (forehead) judgment, problem
solving, and creativity ,executive functioning
• Temporal Lobe - (behind ears)
hearing, memory, and language
• Parietal Lobe –higher sensory and language
functioning

4. Parts of the Brain
Different Views of the Brain

5. Parts of the Brain (cont’d)
• Hippocampus-(center) –learning and memory
functions
• Thalamus-(deep middle)-Sensory relay station
• Hypothalamus-(bottom middle)regulates
appetite, hormones, digestion
• Amygdule-(middle)-learning, memory processing,
sensory processing-fight or flight system
• Cerebellum-(bottom)-little brain-process beat
and rhythm. Processes movement and learning
• Corpus Collosum-connective fiber tissue

6. Parts of the Brain (cont’d)
Right vs. Left
Right Hemisphere Left Hemisphere
• Negative emotions • Positive emotions
• Whole to part • Part to whole
• Big picture • Details
• Controls the left side of the • Controls the right side of
body the body

7. Nutrition
• Hydration
• Glucose levels-low glucose levels negatively effect the
hippocampus (learning and memory)
• Vitamin supplements for birth-7 years old
• Protein- aids in the production of
dopamine, norepinephrine for quick reactions, thinking and
memory
• Iron, zinc, iodine, selenium-mood regulation, energy, and
concentration. Anemia-low iron-low energy levels
especially in afternoon.(blackstrap molasses is a rich source
of iron) Vitamin c aides in the body’s absorption of iron.
Caffeine inhibits absorption of iron.
• Vitamins A, B, C, and E-vision, strength, memory

8. Brain Facts
• Size of a grapefruit
• Weighs 3 pounds
• Between ages of 2 and 6 goes from 70% of its
adult weight to 90%
• Frontal lobes do not completely mature until
25-30 years of age.
• Myelination of neurons continues through age
11

9. Erickson’s Psychosocial Stages of
Development
• Basic Trust vs. Mistrust-Birth to 1 year old
• Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt - 1 to 3 years
• Initiative vs. Guilt – 3 to 6 years old
• Industry vs. Inferiority – 6 to 11 years old
• Identity vs. Role Confusion-Adolescence
• Intimacy vs. Isolation- Early Adulthood
• Generativity vs. Stagnation-middle adulthood
• Integrity vs. Despair- Late Adulthood

10. Howard Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
Visual-Spatial - think in terms of physical space, as
do architects and sailors. Very aware of their
environments. They like to draw, do jigsaw
puzzles, read maps, daydream. They can be taught
through drawings, verbal and physical imagery.
Tools include
models, graphics, charts, photographs, drawings, 3-
D
modeling, video, videoconferencing, television, mul

11. Intelligences (cont.)
from "The Distance Learning
Technology Resource Guide," by Carla
Lane
Intrapersonal - understanding one's own interests,
goals. These learners tend to shy away from others.
They're in tune with their inner feelings; they have
wisdom, intuition and motivation, as well as a
strong will, confidence and opinions. They can be
taught through independent study and
introspection. Tools include books, creative
materials, diaries, privacy and time. They are the
most independent of the learners.

12. Multiple Intelligences (cont.)
Carla Lane
Linguistic - using words effectively. These learners
have highly developed auditory skills and often
think in words. They like reading, playing word
games, making up poetry or stories. They can be
taught by encouraging them to say and see words,
read books together. Tools include computers,
games, multimedia, books, tape recorders, and
lecture.

13. Multiple Intelligences (cont)
Logical -Mathematical - reasoning, calculating.
Think conceptually, abstractly and are able to see
and explore patterns and relationships. They like to
experiment, solve puzzles, ask cosmic questions.
They can be taught through logic
games, investigations, mysteries. They need to learn
and form concepts before they can deal with

14. Multiple Intelligences (cont.)
• Bodily-kinesthetic - use the body effectively, like a dancer
or a surgeon. Keen sense of body awareness. They like
movement, making things, touching. They communicate
well through body language and be taught through physical
activity, hands-on learning, acting out, role playing. Tools
include equipment and real objects.
• Musical - show sensitivity to rhythm and sound. They love
music, but they are also sensitive to sounds in their
environments. They may study better with music in the
background. They can be taught by turning lessons into
lyrics, speaking rhythmically, tapping out time. Tools
include musical instruments, music, radio, stereo, CD-ROM,
multimedia.

15. Multiple Intelligences
• Interpersonal - understanding, interacting with others. These
students learn through interaction. They have many friends,
empathy for others, street smarts. They can be taught through
group activities, seminars, dialogues. Tools include the telephone,
audio conferencing, time and attention from the instructor, video
conferencing, writing, computer conferencing, E-mail.
• Intrapersonal - understanding one's own interests, goals. These
learners tend to shy away from others. They're in tune with their
inner feelings; they have wisdom, intuition and motivation, as well
as a strong will, confidence and opinions. They can be taught
through independent study and introspection. Tools include books,
creative materials, diaries, privacy and time. They are the most
independent of the learners.

16. Creating a Learning Environment
• Safety
– Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
• How Mood States Effect Learning
– Too much anxiety produces too much cortisol and blocks learning (fire truck at the
intersection analogy)
– A little bit of anxiety produces enough cortisol for motivation to learn and recall
– Memory is regulated by adrenaline, serotonin, and acetylcholine
• Classroom Rituals
– Drills
– reviews
• Physical Environment
– Room temp. (optimal learning between 68 and 72 degrees)
– Lighting (the more natural sunlight the better. Produces melatonin responsible for setting your
circadian rhythm and serotonin responsible for feelings of contentment.)
– Color

17. Creating A Learning Environment:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

18. What color means
(Allen,2004)
• Red-courage passion, love , excitement, danger, anger,
fire, strength-increases blood pressure
• Yellow-cowardice, deceit, sunlight, optimism, warmth,
enlightenment, communication-stimulates the brain
and makes you alert and decisive
• Orange-Cheerfulness, stimulation, sunset, excitement-
good for digestive system, positive emotion
• Blue- honesty, truth, loyalty, masculinity, formality,
tranquility, sobriety-lowers blood pressure, soothing
effect, inspires mental control and creativity.

19. What Color Means
(Allen,2004)
• Green –nature, serenity, hope, safety, peace,
passivity, security, -good for heart, creates
feeling of comfort, relaxes muscles.
• Violet-royalty, nobility, snobbery, power,
drama, dignity-alleviates symptoms of
sunburn, suppresses hunger, balances
metabolism
• White-purity, cleanliness, fresh-feelings of
peace and comfort, dispels shock and despair

20. What Color Means
(Allen,2004)
• Black-mourning sorrow, depression, mystery-
associated with silence and death
• Gray-penance, gloom, storm, intelligence, high
tech, sophisticated-self reliance, loneliness
• Brown-
earth, wood, warmth, comfort, security, suppo
rt-associated with withholding emotion and
retreating from the world

21. Creating Assignments

22. Creating assignments
• Engage learners in critical thinking skills by
connecting their experiences with the new
information prior to presenting new
information
• Ask questions that provoke students to
synthesize, analyze, evaluate, apply and create

23. Creating Assignments(cont)
• Priming (“priming the pump”) getting students ready to learn the concepts
– Introduce terms and concepts weeks prior to presenting them
– Strategically placing informational charts or lists in the room to generate discussion
– Fill in the blank prompts
– KWL chart (What do we know about the subject, What do we want to know about the subject, what did we learn as a result of
this lesson
• Social learning
– Peer quiz correction
– Peer discussion of topics
– Group presentations
• Movement/Music
– Breaks are best for settling new information as opposed to lecturing straight through.
– Get students to move and change positions instead of sitting in the same place all lecture
– 15-18 minutes of direct instruction then change the activity or lecture format
– Charade review of terms and concepts
– Cerebellum is responsible for movement and memory –movement and music help strengthen the learning path way being
created
• Critical Thinking
– Bloom’s taxonomy
– Ask questions that connect a students prior knowledge with the new knowledge to entangle the learner in the concept
– Ask questions that compare and contrast, evaluate, analyze, or syntheisis new information with practical application

24. Brain Based Teaching Lecture format
• -Prepare and create (Priming, assessing prior knowledge)
• Engage and Frame
– Connect the learner with the content
– Framing-your hook-chunk concepts and ideas in ways that your students can associate them
together
• Acquire, Elaborate and Connect
– Lecture-teacher or student presented
– Immediate correction of acquisition of terms and concepts is best so that students do not
have to unlearn incorrect thinking. It is easier for your brain to learn it right the first time
– Use of all student response like thumbs up or down, response cards, and electronic clickers
• Settle, Rehearse and Incorporate
– Settling time-take a walk, break, or snack to let info settle
– Rehearse-brain needs to be exposed to something 10 times to commit it to memory (pre-
exposure, previewing, priming ,reviewing, revision, repetition

25. Works Cited
• Allen, Phyllis A., Lynn M. Jones, & Miriam F.Stimpson. Beginnings of
Interior Elements.
• 9th ed. Up Saddle River, New Jersey. 2004
• Berk, L. E. (1999). Infants, children, and adolescents (3rd ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
• Berk, L. E. (2010). Exploring lifespan development (2.
ed., International ed.). Boston, Mass.: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.
• Jensen, E. (1998). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, Va.:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Lane, Carla The Distance Learning Technology Resource Guide
http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html
• Wilson, D. (1991). Recovering the lost tools of learning: an approach
to distinctively Christian education. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.