brain and cognitive development is a dynamic and lifelong process. Early experiences set the foundation, but the brain's ability to adapt and learn continues throughout life. Understanding the factors that influence this development is crucial for optimizing cognitive abilities and promoting well-rounded learning and growth in individuals of all ages.

1. The Brain and Cognitive
Development
By:
Soraya Hakimi

2. The Cerebrum
FUNCTIONS:
 Controls intelligence &
conscious thought,
reasoning, judgment
 Interprets senses
 Controls complex muscle
patterns
 Memory storage/retrieval

3. Regions of the Cerebrum

4. 1. Frontal
☆ Primary motor area
☆ Frontal association area =
judgment & reason
☆ Taste area
2. Parietal
☆ Primary sensory area =
touch, pressure & pain

5. 3. Temporal
☆ Auditory & Olfactory
area
4. Occipital
☆ Visual

6. THE DIENCEPHALON

7. Thalamus
☆ All sensory info (except
smell) is relayed
through & then sent to
appropriate areas of
brain for response.

8. Hypothalamus
☆ Regulates moods, thirst,
appetite, waking & sleep
☆ Regulates body temp & water
balance

9. Cerebellum
☆ Coordinates soft skeletal
muscle – maintains
balance & posture
Ex: playing violin

10. • The limbic system is a group of brain structures
including the amygdale, hippocampus, and
hypothalamus that are involved in processing
and regulating emotions, memory, and sexual
arousal.
The limbic system

11. The limbic system
 ☆ A functional system–
parts of cerebrum,
hypothalamus & brain
stem
 ☆ Emotion centers,
memory, links conscious
thoughts to unconscious
functions

13. lateralization

14. THE CEREBRUM: Right vs Left
LEFT:
 Speech /language
 Reading/writing
 Analytical tasks – math!
 Logic/reason
RIGHT:
 Musical/Artistic
 Emotional expression
 Visual – pictures
 Pattern recognition

15.  The term brain lateralization refers to the
fact that the two halves of the human brain
are not exactly alike. Each hemisphere
has functional specializations: some function
whose neural mechanisms are localized
primarily in one half of the brain.
Lateralization

16.  The hemispheric lateralization of certain faculties in
the human brain has long been held to be beneficial
for functioning. However, quantitative relationships
between the degree of lateralization in particular
brain regions and the level of functioning have yet to
be established (Gotts, 2013).
Lateralization

17.  FMRI shows how blood flows within the brain when
children or adults do different cognitive tasks.
 ERP assess electrical activity of the brain through the
scull as people perform activities such as learning
new words.
Advances in Brain Imaging Techniques

18. The Developing Brain: Neurons

19. Neuron cells : AXONS, DENDRTES and cell body

20.  30,000 neurons could fit on the head of a pin
(Sprenger, 2010).
 Processing power of 3-pound human brain:
greater than all the computers in the world
(Anderson, 2010).
 Neurons share information by releasing
chemicals that jump across the Synapse.

21. SYNAPSE SPACE

22. What is learning?
 the structure & actions
of neurons change, so
they hold information
in Long term memory
in Temporal & Parietal
Lobes of the cortex.

23.  By age 2-3, each neuron has around 15,000 synapses.
 Once in place, synapses are overproduced
somewhat haphazardly.
 1 year old has 150% more synapses than adult.
 These are pruned (diminish) during development.
 It has been found that some developmental
disabilities are associated with a gene defect that
interferes with pruning (Cook & Cook, 2009).
Neural development: Synaptogensis

24. Increase in complexity of neural connections
 Like a growing
forest

26. Two Types of Experience in Brain Development
 Experience expectant  Experience dependent

27.  How Early experiences provide essential
catalysts for normal brain development.
 During the first month of life, synapses are
overproduced in certain part of brain, expecting
stimulation.
 The developing brain “expects” and requires
these typical human experiences, and relies on
them as a component of its growth. Ex: Early
visual stimulation, hearing, exposure to
language, coordinating vision and movement.
Experience-expectant

28. children who are born completely deaf, receive
no auditory stimulation.
So:
Auditory processing area Visual
information (Nelson, 2001; Neville, 2007).
Example 1

29.  Losing the ability of distinction in
pronunciation between R and L in
Japanese adults (Hinton, Miyamoto, &
Della-Chiesa, 2008).
Example 2

30.  How individual experience fosters new brain growth
and refines existing brain structures
 When the individual is not successful in processing
information, new synapses are formed.
 Can be unique to an individual
 Mastering in Singing, music
Experience-dependent

31. Supporting Brain Development
 Stimulating
environments and
meaningful
interactions with
parents and
teachers support
better brain
development.

32.  Stimulating environments may help in the
pruning process in early life (experience_
expectant period) and also may support
increased synapse development in adulthood
(experience _ dependent period) (Cook &
Cook, 2009).

33. SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
 Modify the brain’s genes
activity (some genes are
turned on, some are
turned off). Learning and
stress are actually
examples of genetic
effects– or more precisely
“epigenetic effects”.

34.  Recent advances in the cognitive neuroscience of motivation and
learning have demonstrated a critical role for midbrain
Dopamine and its targets in reward prediction.
 Converging evidence suggests that midbrain dopamine neurons
signal a reward prediction error, allowing an organism to
predict, and to act to increase, the probability of reward in the
future. This view has been highly successful in accounting for a
wide range of reinforcement learning phenomena in animals
and humans (Daw, Shoamy, 2008).
The Cognitive Neuroscience of Motivation and
Learning

35.  The abilities are not fully developed until early 20s.
 Adolescents: “high horse power, poor steering”.
(OECD, 2007).
 They have trouble in avoiding risks and controlling
impulses (Casey, Getz, & Galvan, 2008).
Adolescent Development and the Brain
Prefrontal
lobe:
judgment and
decision
making
Limbic
system: risk
taking
behavior

36.  Connections to family, school, community, and
positive belief systems help adolescents “put the
brakes” on reckless and dangerous behaviors
(McAnarney, 2008).

37. Neuroscience, Learning and Teaching
 Teaching can change the
organization and structure
of the brain.
 Example: individuals who
are deaf and use sign
language have different
patterns of electrical activity
in their brains than people
who do not (Varma,
McCandliss, & Schwartz,
2008).

38. Kurt Fischer
 Based on neuroscience research, knowing is actively
understandings and actions. Knowledge is based in
our activities (2009).
 When we actively control our experience, that
experience sculpts the way our brains work,
changing neurons, synapses, and brain activity.
How the Brain Works

39.  learning about neuroscience also can help
educators maintain patience, optimism and
professionalism with their students, increase
their credibility with colleagues and parents,
and renew their sense of professional purpose
(Hook, Farah, 2013).

40.  Differences in brain activity associated with
instruction ( Bransford, Brown, & Cooking, 2000).
 Nico-----------removed right hemisphere
Brooke --------removed left hemisphere
Instruction and brain development

41.  Reading is not innate or automatic. Every
brain has to be taught to read (Frey &
Fischer, 2010).
 Reading is a complex integration of the
systems in the brain that recognize sounds,
written symbols, meanings, and sequences
(Wolf et al., 2009).
The Brain and Learning to Read

42.  The brain has been shaped by evolution to adapt and
readapt to an everchanging world (Cozolino,
Sprokay, 2006).
 Neuroplasticity, refer to the ability of the brain to
reorganize neural pathways according to new
experiences. It is the capacity to change through
learning experiences, and learning means acquiring
new knowledge and new skills, benefiting from
instructions or experience (Joja, 2013).
Plasticity and Learning

43. Plasticity networks the brain, gives it cognition and
memory, as well as fluidity and adaptability.

44.  Anxiety interferes with learning, whereas challenge,
interest, and curiosity can support learning.
 If students feel unsafe and anxious, they are not be
able to focus attention on academics (Sylvester,
2003).
emotions, Learning, and the Brain

45. Create a Safe Climate for Learning
 WHEN STUDENTS ARE
FEELING ANXIOUS or
fearful, they aren’t in the
mood to learn. That’s because:
one part of the brain that
processes emotions—the
Amygdala—responds to
perceived threats by blocking
information flow to the learning
centers of the brain.

46. Effective Learning
 educators help to minimize
stress and fear at school,
teach students emotional
regulation strategies, and
provide a positive learning
environment that is
motivating to students
(Hinton, Miyamoto, &
Della_Chiesa, 2008).

47. Emphasize Feedback
feedback is a cornerstone of
brain_based learning.
“Great teachers know that
moments of evaluation can
and should always become
moments of teaching.”
When teachers give
feedback, the Dopamine
reward system actives.

48.  Teacher’s supportive caring, encouragement feedbacks, and
enthusiasm balanced with an appropriate level of challenge in
student, so learning is enhanced through dopamine, serotonin,
norepinephrine, and endogenous, endorphin production
(Kilgard & Merzenich, 1998; Kirkwood and others, 1999;
Barad, 2000; Kang and Schuman, 1995; Huang and others,
1999; Tang and others, 1999).
 In this way, the teacher’s interpersonal attunement creates a
biological state in the brain that makes it better able to
incorporate new information.

49.  1. there are multiple ways to teach and learn a skill.
 2. using a range of modalities for instruction and
activities and assessment.
 3. enriched, active environment and flexible
instructional strategies support cognitive
development.
Lessons for teachers

50.  4. neurological testing may assist in diagnosing and
treating the learning disorders.
 5. brain can change, so teachers should be consistent,
patient and compassionate in teaching an reteaching
in different ways.
 6. teaching from real life problems and concrete
experiences.

51.  7. teacher should tie new information to what students
already understand and help them to form a new
connections.
 8. numerous visits in different contexts over time (not
all at once) help to form strong, multiple connections.
 9. large, general concepts should be emphasized over
small specific facts.
 10. stories should be used in teaching.

52. As a result, using brain _ based learning
approach, significantly, would improve
academic achievement (AKYÜREK, 2013).

53. while cognitive neuroscience is in its infancy
as a field, theories of learning will need to
incorporate and account for this growing body
of empirical data (Kelly, 2011).
Finally…

54. For Your Attention.