Triune Brain - Reptilian Brain
The TheoryLearning is biologically impossible if the reptilian
brain is unhappy.
It needs physical comfort and it’s own space. It needs to belong and enjoys rituals, which confirm identity. Reducing anxiety enhances learning. C in CHAMPS - Our Pastoral system in Sperrin is very supportive of our pupils ensuring that they are confident learners in a safe secure environment. |
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So what?
Have a routine or a set time for
different types of activities. Be clear about expectations and routines for your pupils.
Give pupils time to complete work and not under stress conditions. Match the level of difficulty of questions to the pupil’s ability in order to ensure success. Praise five times as often as you criticise. Link learning to your both department and school reward system |
Middle Brain
The Limbic or middle brain is the area which
governs our emotions. Long term memory is based here. The more powerfully
emotion is connected to any information
the more firmly it will be embedded in our memory, and the quicker and more
easily it can be recalled. ‘Feeling that something is right is the commonest
way we have of ‘knowing what we know’, or validating our learning. In
building up maps and models of the world, the middle brain seeks out patterns,
searches for novelty, looks for relevance for self and value in learning. It
works on many levels simultaneously (multi-processing), working in peaks and
plateaux, not on one level, with short bursts of concentration (attention
span equals chronological age in minutes up to 35 – 40 for adults). It needs
plenty of stimulation, accesses all senses and requires feedback.
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Positive Affirmations
S in Champs VAK ICT AFL Give time and 'Head room' Self checking Variety Relevant |
Do not let the emotion become ‘I’m bad at …………!’ Plan for success to avoid negative attitudes. A good ‘feel for the concept’ reinforces the learning process by developing a sense of righteous. Connect causes and success – discuss pupils’ responses and help pupils to identify why some methods /strategies work and others don’t.
Audio, visual and kinaesthetic inputs – provide a wide variety of activities and target different areas of the brain. Utilise the power of ICT. Provide feedback on answers and strategies. Use Rap, Rhyme, clapping games and displays. Have short, but frequent sessions focusing on fact recall. Present questions in visual and audio form as well as orally. Do not expect pupils to hold too much information or steps in their head Develop good work habits by building in techniques for checking answers. Check for ‘rightness’. Present opportunities for learning in a wide variety of ways and make it fun and enjoyable. Raise pupils self esteem and sense of purpose by making the work relevant to them as individual by relating it to targets and future work. |
Higher Order Thinking Left Right Brain
The
neo-cortex – the academic brain where higher order thinking skills takes place.
It is divided into two hemispheres – left and right. This part of the brain
oversees higher order skills such as problem solving, development of language,
pattern recognition, reflective thought, and creative expression.
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Discuss and give meaning
and reason for the concept being developed.
Encourage pupils to talk about their learning. Build in decision making and open ended tasks. Regular feedback is essential. Build in ways of providing peer or self-feedback. Appeal to the pupil’s preferred learning process i.e. quantitative or qualitatives learners. |
Left Brain
The
left brain hemisphere oversees language, logic and number concepts, working
in a very sequential way, from parts to whole.
It
prefers structured, sequential material and tasks, moving from parts to
whole, explicit instructions, written information,
working in a linear way, checking results.
This is a Quantitative Learner. This pupil will be happy working with the procedures or steps involved in a task but will need help in seeing the big picture or concept. They need to pay attention to interpreting information in pictorial or graphical form. They are in danger of relaying on taught strategies and need work on adapting prior knowledge to new or similar situations |
Right Brain
The
right brain hemisphere is non-verbal and intuitive, dealing with
visualisation, imagination, rhyme and rhythm, working from the whole to
parts. It prefers open-ended tasks, going from the ‘big picture’ to the
parts, self-selected tasks, working from intuition, guesses and hunches.
This is a Qualitative Learner This pupil will understand the concept or strategy being developed but will have difficulty in carrying out stages or instructions. They visualise concepts by manipulating materials and forming ‘pictures’ in the head. These pupils benefit from a wide variety of practical activities and resources. They need more help in remembering steps or details. |
The brain is divided into two
hemispheres joined by the corpus callosum, which allows communication between
the two sides. The most effective thinking and learning takes place when both
sides of the brain are working in harmony together.
Hemisphere dominance can become part of our own personal learning style, and influence the way we approach learning tasks. |
Be aware of your own learning styles and teach to both. Encourage activities that force both sides of the brain to work. Choose resources and materials that are both ‘qualitative’ and’ quantitative’ in nature. Provide opportunities for using concrete materials that help form the ‘picture’ in the pupil’s mind.
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