The Super Highway

Nicole Miles
Edu 417
Professor Joanna Savarese-Levine
June 8, 2015

What is so important?
There are many reasons learning about the brain, the
superhighway, are important.
The brain has been severely overlooked and
underappreciated for years.
This major organ needs to be acknowledged and
respected for all the places it allows us to go.
We need to give our children the best opportunity to
make it through their school life and beyond.
With all that being said, the brain is just a really cool
part of all of us!

Let me introduce myself

What is brain-compatible learning?

The basic origin of the concept is the knowledge that people use their brains all the time
while doing anything and that is the reason why it is necessary to know everything about
its functioning (Mcajov, 2013)
Brain-compatible learning is taking the whole brain into account. So often we just think
of the brain that is something that is filling our skull and helps us learn and think but
there are so many more wonderful aspects to it. So with brain-based learning we look at
the:
Anatomy of the brain
What happens when we think and feel and how things around us affect us
What happens to the information we are taking in when we look at things around us or hear the
outside world

Traditional vs Brain-compatible
Lecturing
Having the teacher stand at the
front of the classroom and speak
at the children.

Interact
Having the children interact with
you and other students. Also
interact with the subject.

Paper tests only

Teacher hands out paper tests and the
students answer and turn back in for a
grade.

Add in some projects

Teachers need to have paper tests yet
incorporate some other forms of
testing. Try oral or projects, group
projects, have the students teach the
class,..

Sitting down for extended periods

When children enter your classroom the
only time they get up is to use the
restroom or change classrooms.

Incorporate movement
Allow the children to stretch about
every 20-30 minutes. Cross lateral
stretches will help activate and
reawaken the brain. Secreting new
chemicals and refreshing pathways.

Sterile environment
Nothing on the walls, windows closed.

Welcoming environment
Bring the outside in! Bring the

And the chart goes on.

SILENCE
The only thing a person hears in
the room is the teachers voice.

Life!
When you walk into this classroom
you may hear quiet, you may hear
soft music, you may hear
collaboration. You may hear!

Stuck
Staying the course no matter what.

Go with the flow

Watch the children, if they just arent
understanding or in to the new
information be willing to change and
come back later.

Everything is the same

Never allowing for students to be
challenged

First place, second place

Children seek and the learning is
enticed by challenge, so let there be a
first place. That is how life is.

Cookie cutter
Everyone is the same and they all learn
the same.

All the colors in the rainbow

Everyone is not the same and they do
not learn the same. Get to know the
little people that sit before you!

Hippocamp
Hippocamp
us
us
Deep
Deep within
within
brain,
brain,
processes
processes
new
new
memories
memories

Motor
Motor Cortex
Cortex
Fine
Fine skills
skills and
and
expressions.
expressions.
Refined
Refined physical
physical
human
human skills
skills

Hypothalam
Hypothalam
us
us
Regulates
Regulates the
the
body,
body, blood
blood
pressure,
pressure,
temperature
temperature
Amygdala
Amygdala
In
In limbic
limbic
system,
system,
visceral
visceral
function,
function, sex
sex
and
and emotion
emotion

Thalamus
Thalamus
Communicatio
Communicatio
nn tunnel,
tunnel, to
to
and
and from
from
spinal
spinal cord
cord

Basal
Basal Ganglia
Ganglia
Modulates
Modulates
activity
activity of
of
motor
motor cortex
cortex
Somatosensory
Somatosensory
Cortex
Cortex
Pain/pleasure
Pain/pleasure
sensor,
sensor, identifies
identifies
temperature
temperature and
and
touch
touch

The Brain Basics

Here are some basics about our brains.

About three weeks into gestation the brain begins to
develop and with it approx. 250,000 new cells per minute.
Interesting fact is that in a childs brain contains
approximately 15,000 dendrites, versus 6,000-10,000 in
an adult brain (Wolfe, 2010)
Major lobes of the brain are the frontal, parietal, occipital
and temporal.
The amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex are
brain structures that support memory (Kail, 2013).

What effects that beautiful brain?

We can all these wonderful things for our children's
brains but there are things that we must take into
account that do effect the brain. There are two major
areas that effect the brain. They are genetic factors
such as the chemical levels in the brain and
environmental.
In the next few slides we will discuss these two factors
and what they entail and how to help.

Genetic makeup
There are several substances that effect the brain, they
are dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine.
DOPAMINE: is a neurotransmitter that plays several
roles in brain functioning, but two of its major roles are
to control conscious motor activity and to enhance
pleasurable feelings in the brains reward system
(Wolfe, 2010).
These substance travels along neural pathways and
heads to the frontal lobes and hypothalamus.
Production comes from within the brainstem and cells
from the middle of the brain called ventral tegmental
area.

More substances.
SEROTONIN: is a mood enhancer neurotransmitter. This one,
however, is known to enhance the brain by calming not
stimulating the brain.
Serotonin is involved with the regulation of our body
temperature, our appetite and memory. It also affects our sleep.
This chemical is also produced in the brainstem and also in the
intestinal walls and in blood vessels. From the brainstem,
serotonin follows pathways to the cortex, hippocampus and the
hypothalamus.
NOREPINEPHRINE: is a neurotransmitter involved in the flight or
fight part of us and because of this it helps dilate our pupils,
speed up the heartbeat and brings more energy to muscles by
telling the liver to release more glucose to them.
It too is made in the brainstem and its pathways go to the
hypothalamus, cerebellum, and frontal lobes.

More effects
ACETYLCHOLINE: is too a neurotransmitter but does not
come for an amino acid.
It helps with REM ( rapid eye movement) sleep and in
our memory circuits.
Produced in a structure just above the brainstem and
travels to the cells of the motor cortex and to the
sympathetic nervous system.
NOW ON TO THE OUTSIDE.

Movement
Sleep
Nutrition
Stress

Outside Effects..
Movement helps in three major ways. One is that it
increases the flow of oxygen to the bloodstream. Two it
stimulates neural growth which helps is learning by
triggering chemical releases and three it has the
potential to impact neurogenesis, which is the process
of generating new nerve cells
Cross-lateral movements can be the perfect, simple
antidotes for engaging both sides of the brain to full
advantage, and they are particularly effective for
students who are sleepy, overwhelmed, frustrated, or
experiencing a learning block ( Jensen, 2008).

Conclusion of effects..
SLEEP- a time when our brains are relieved from processing the
continual input of information that occurs while we are awake- seems
to be when neural connections are strengthened (Wolfe, 2010).
Lack of sleep leads to alterations in the brain which leads to poor
academic performance and negative performances during daily
activities.
NURTITION provides the proper building blocks for the brain to create
and maintain connections, which is critical for improved cognition and
academic performance (Meeusen, 2014)
The neurotransmitters within our brains are made up of amino acids
and we get those acids by eating foods that are rich in them.
STRESS- Excessive stress or severe negative experiences early in life
are known to alter the brain architecture in children in ways that
increase the risk for mental illnesses and major anxiety and depressive
disorders (Groak, 2014)

Information Processing Model

An information processing (IP) model assumes that several mental
operations, called processing stages, occur between the onset of a
stimulus and the persons responses (Anshel, 1990).
This model takes the brains thinking process and compares it,
basically, to a computer. How we intake the information, where the
information goes and what the brain does with it then. The information
enters through the childs eye and ears. The information sits in the
frontal lobes until the brain knows where it belongs. It searches other
areas to see if the new information matches with some of the old items
and either keeps the new information or discards it.
Teachers should know this so they can teach accordingly. Ensure the
child is hearing and seeing the new information. Allow the child time
to process the information so that the brain does not just discard it and
ensure the information makes it into long term memory. Repetition is a
great way to teach and check.

Information Processing Model

Because the brain is checking to see if this new
information matches any old information or if this new
information is relevant, make sure to check in with the
student. Ask them to repeat what you said or reteach
the information to you. Ask the child if they can see a
way that this new information could help them in their
own lives.
Watch out for signs of stress. Again this effect could be
triggered if new information matches with old painful
information that the teacher is unaware of. Know the
children sitting in front of you so you can see when
stress is blocking understanding. Help them over the
road block or get them help if needed.
KNOW YOUR CHILDREN.

A Lesson Plan

GRADE LEVEL: Pre K-K, 1-2

LESSON OBJECTIVE: Students will:
Observe and describe similarities and differences in the
appearance and behavior of plants
Identify major structures of plants (seeds, roots, stem
leaves)
Observe, classify and compare structure of plants
Understand the life cycle of plants and trees and what
they need to grow
Discover that plants provide resources for clothing,
food, and oxygen

 MATERIALS: Planters (cups), seeds, paper, pencil,

crayons,
LESSON: Lesson plans for this unit, 3:
Seed sensation: Exploring and sorting seeds
Getting to the Root of it: Plant dissection and root
systems
Youre wearing your plants: Teaching about plant-based
products
MODIFICATION/ACCOMOATION FOR CHILDREN
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: Generally none but use
discretion.
This is a great brain-based lesson plan because it allows
the students to get their hands dirty, so to speak. They
get to actively see and watch as the plants grow and all

SUMMARY
As you can see being a brain-based classroom and having a
brain based life is very important. We need to start learning
more about this beautiful organ and helping it. We need to
stop taking the brains capabilities for granted and respect it.
Learn from it and learn how to care for it.
We need to look at EACH child and not lump them all into one.
Help them find the best way the learn and teach them that
way. Help them love their differences and respect others.
Provide an environment that is safe and inviting. A place that
each child wants to come to each day and is sad when it
comes to an end. A room where everyone has a place and
know it. A place where these children know someone cares
for them and will help them become the best person they can
be.

REFERENCES
Anshel, M.H. (1990). An information processing approach to teaching
motor skills. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 61(5),70.
Groak, C.J., McCarthy, S.K. & Kirk, A.R. (2014). Early Child Development:
From Theory to Practice. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Ed, Inc.
Jensen, E. (2008). Brain-based Learning: The New Paradigm of Teaching.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Kail, R.V. & Cavanaugh, J.C. (2013). Human Development: A Life span
View. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning
Mcajov, M. (2013). NEUROPEDAGOGY AND BRAIN COMPATIBLE
LEARNING-IDEAS FOR EDUCATION IN THE 21 ST CENTURY. Technologia
Vzdelavania, 21(3), 1-9
Meeusen, R. (2014). Exercise, Nutrition and the Brain. Sports Medicine.
44, 547-56
Wolfe, P. ( 2010). Brain Matters: Translating Research into Classroom
Practice. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD