This document discusses findings from brain research and how modern classrooms may not align well with how the brain naturally functions. It notes that educators may be unaware of new brain research and questions how future educators will judge current practices. The document suggests the brain evolved to solve survival problems outdoors in motion, and asks how teachers can convince students that writing essays is vital to their survival. It also discusses the brain's preference for emotional content, prior knowledge, and structure.

1. They Were Wrong
School on the Brain

2. Ready for a
quick math
problem?

3. Multiply

4. 8,388,628 by 2

5. How about a
kid who can tell
you the exact
time of day?

6. Or a girl who can
correctly
determine the
exact size of
an object from
20 feet away?

8. >50 IQ

9. We really don’t
know!

10. “If you wanted to
create an educational
environment that was
directly opposed to
what the brain is good at
doing . . .

11. “. . . you would
probably design
something like a
modern
classroom.”
John Medina
Brain Rules

13. Birth of the present system?

14. They were wrong

15. “We need to care about the research
and the evidence of what works. Not
knowing this constitutes educational
malpractice.”
James Stronge
2004 What Works in Schools

16. How will
educators of 2108
judge us?

17. Many teachers
may be unaware
of new brain
research

18. What is
learning?

19. Learning is the building &
strengthening of connections
between brain neurons

20. Pat Wolfe 2007

21. So what’s
memory?

22. Ability to activate previously
constructed connections

23. “The brain developed to solve
problems relating to surviving in an
unstable, outdoor environment and to
do so in near constant motion.”

24. Can I eat it?

25. Can it eat
me?

26. Can I have sex with it?

27. What then . . . is
your job?

28. Convince a 13 year
old that writing a five
paragraph essay is
vital for her survival

29. How we do that?

30. Brain keeps
only 1%

31. What does
it keep?

32. Does new content connect to
something I already know?

33. Does new
content connect
to a strong emotion?

34. Prior knowledge

35. The brain needs structure

36. How does your brain work?

38. You’ve got 20 seconds

40. Write the following number from
memory

41. 17766024365911

42. You’ve got 20 seconds

43. How’d ya do?

44. Declaration of Independence

45. Minutes, hours &
days

47. • Declaration of Independence
• Minutes, hours & days
• Emergency number

48. 1776
60-24-365
911

49. Need something more specific?

50. Candy Dessert
Sour Flavor
Sugar Snack
Tooth Eat
Taste Syrup

53. Content to self
Content to content
Content to world

54. Ready Set Go Whoa
What do I know? What do I think I What new information What questions
will learn? do I have? do I still have
about the topic?

55. Visual Discrepant Event Inquiry

56. When? Where? What?

61. Whadda got?

62. Emotion

63. Can be good or bad

64. Flight or Fight

65. This happens before “thinking”
occurs

66. This happens before “thinking”
occurs

67. “Bad” emotion
always beats cognition

69. Survival isn’t always about
physical threats

70. If you’re a kid, what are some
examples of non-physical
threats?

71. • Reading aloud
• Test
• Tornado, fire, intruder drills
• Teacher behaviors
• Negative social interactions (bullies,
middle school girls)
• Presentations

72. • Pop quizzes
• Family crisis
• Falling in love
• Group work
• PE locker room
• Not knowing the hidden curriculum
and rules

73. What does it look like
when emotion is used in
a good way?

74. Civil War images

75. Video games

76. Whadda got?

78. “One reason why habits are so difficult
to dislodge is that we literally have
to rewire . . . the brain. It is much
more than just changing our minds.”
Geoffrey Caine

79. Read more
Talk more
Plan purposefully

80. German Coast Guard and
brain research?