Go Noodle

Tech Integration Presentation

By Cristin Smith
Benefits of Brain Breaks in
Elementary Classrooms
For students to learn at their highest potential, their brain needs to send
signals from the sensory receptors to the memory storage regions of the
brain
Information passes through the amygdala and then to the prefrontal cortex
Stress and overload are distractions to traffic along these information
pathways
Brief brain breaks throughout the day help children learn and be more
attentive in class
Periods of short exercise aim to improve the physical health, mental
awareness and educational success of children.
Brain Breaks can be planned to restore the emotional state needed for
optimal information flow
10-15 minutes of concentrated study in elementary schools calls for a three-
to five minute break
Information gathered from https://www.edutopia.org/article/brain-breaks-restore-student-focus-judy-willis
Different types of Brain Breaks

Calming activity after recess or before a test. These can be stretching,

breathing or yoga related
Uplifting and energizing breaks increases energy and oxygen which makes
brain perform better. These are a way to alleviate stress, improve physical
fitness, and develop fine motor and gross motor skills.
Mental activity breaks may be used to increase focus and/or improve fine
motor skills

Information gathered from

http://research.avondale.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=teachcollection
GoNoodle

Launched in August 2013

Uses Freemium model anyone can sign up for free or pay $10/month for
Plus version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcsMXsUgFqQ
Offers brain break activities to get kids back in ready to learn mindset
Used in 65,000 Us classrooms and throughout the world
Different categories include curricular, mindfulness, sensory motor skills,
school life, and movement type
Learning extension worksheets
Variety of short brain breaks on Youtube
User friendlly
Mindful calming brain breaks

Deep breathing and visualization in the classroom maintain focus and

increase student well being.
Often coupled with stretching to relieve stress and relax students
The following is a calming break to help with anxiety, stress, or transitioning
students to a calm mindset
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcZm2oJ7DKE&t=48s
Uplifting and Energizing brain breaks

Designed to get student up and moving to facilitate oxygenation of he

brain and release tense muscles
Invest in three to five minutes for our kids to move in the classroom, we are
actually going to optimize the next 45 minutes for learning. That small
investment in time has such a big yield for teachers
Positive effect in student enjoyment during learning
Can be done next to desk or in a slightly larger space
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMxtwzroMTQ
Mental activity breaks

Take the form of games or activities that can relate to the lesson being
taught
Can be used for spelling, math fluency and
ELAhttps://app.gonoodle.com/channels/moose-tube/peanut-butter-in-a-
cup?s=category&t=Reading Practice