Brain Information Compiled by Peggy Wilber, M.Ed. March 1, 2011

1. http://nature-post.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html Brain Information Compiled by Peggy Wilber, M.Ed. March 1, 2011

2. Brain Information – size • Put your fists together – that is the size of your brain! • You brain weighs about 3 pounds and is the consistency of warm butter or soft yoghurt. • It has 100 billion cells and 100 trillion connections! http://zenpundit.com/?p=3395 http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobooknerv.html 2

3. "Teaching is not just an art anymore, it's a science." -David Sousa During the last twenty years, researchers have become able to “peek” inside of active brains. Using fMRI and other types of modern technology, researchers gather information while children's brains are busy performing cognitive and reading activities. http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/departments/csd/research/developmental_cognitive_neuroscience/participate/fmri.php fMRI—watching a brain at work 3

4. Brain Information – Activity Myth—You use only 10% of your brain at a given time. FACT—Your brain is busy! It is helping you to sit upright, digesting lunch, and reading this sentence. Some scientists believe that your brain activates at over 90% capacity all the time! Brain Scan of Brain Activity http://hubpages.com/hub/Brain-Facts 4

5. Brain Information – Connections Myth—Left-brained (dominant) people are more linear and right-brained (dominant) people are more creative. FACT—Brain scans show that learning tasks activate numerous areas in both hemispheres at the same time. 40% of the brain is made up of grey matter, and 60% is made up of white matter – axons that carry messages to neurons located elsewhere in the brain. http://subrealism.blogspot.com/2010/01/human-connectome-project.html Human Connectome Project – showing brain connections 5

6. Brain Information – New Cells Myth—You are born with all the neurons you will ever have. Fact—In 1999, scientists proved that human brains grow thousands of new brain cells every day, throughout life! Brains create new cells in the hippocampus – a brain area important for the formation of memory. These cells migrate to other parts of the brain. http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2008/06/neurogenesis_drug_clinical_trial_antidepressant.php Neurogenesis – new cells grow in human brains 6

7. Brain Information - Plasticity Research shows that brain cells physically change during learning activities. -Brain cells respond to the demands placed on them by the environment (such as school). -Nerves that “fire together,” during practice activities, “wire together.” Practice and review makes our students’ brain pathways get faster and more efficient. http://neurosynthesisarchives.wordpress.com/page/4/ Brain cells respond to environment 7

8. Brain Information - Intelligence FACT—Your students’ I.Q. are not static. They can change due to a number of factors. Research shows that the more years that your students stay in school, the better their I.Q. scores are. (Is that a surprise?) Also, I.Q. scores have been rising during the last 100 years. http://wilderdom.com/personality/L4-1IntelligenceNatureVsNurture.html Flynn Effect – I.Q. rates have been rising 8

9. Brain Information - Complexity http://magdalenanordh.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/motion-learning-and-performance-chapter-i-brain/ Our students’ brains are complex and wonderful! 9

10. Join our Round table discussion, on April 22, to explore more about these topics and how to best teach our students’ brains! http://www.interfaces.com/blog/ 10