This is Your Brain. This Is How It Works.

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Why should we as teachers want to better understand how the brain

works?

Share your thoughts with your neighbor!

Parts of the brain: Keep in mind there are two distinct sides with different functions

The Brainstem(Pathway to the Body)

• Base of brain• Unconscious work• Autonomic functions (survival)

The Cerebellum(Balance)

• “little brain”• Large in size• 11% of brain’s

weight• Center of balance

The brain has 4 areas called lobes

• Frontal

• Parietal

• Temporal

• Occiptal

The Frontal Lobes(Problem Solving)

• Largest part• Move your body• Highly developed• Forms your

personality

The Parietal Lobes(Touching)

• Two major divisions• Anterior and

posterior• Senses hot and

cold, hard and soft, and pain.

• Taste and smell• Helps integrate the

senses

The Temporal Lobes(Hearing)

• Process auditory stimuli

• Subdivisions• Wernicke’s Area• Broca’s Area

The Occipital Lobes (Seeing)

• Located at lower central back of brain

• Processes visual stimuli

Taking sides….two sides that is!

• Two sides or hemispheres of the brain: LEFT and RIGHT

• We have two cerebral hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum. This is a bundle of nerves that allows each side of the brain to communicate with each other.

• Each side of the brain processes things differently.

• It is an outdated assumption that “artsy” type people are right-brained.

Taking sides….how the two sides process information that is!

Left Brain

• Logical• Sequential• Rational• Analytical• Objective• Looks at parts

Right Brain

• Random• Intuitive• Holistic• Synthesizing• Subjective• Looks at wholes

Left Hemisphere• processes things more in parts and sequentially • recognizes positive emotions• Identified with practicality and rationality• Understands symbols and representations• Processes rapid auditory information faster than

the right (crucial for separating the sounds of speech into distinct units for comprehension)

• is responsible for language development. It develops slower in boys, that is why males usually develop more language problems than females.

Right Hemisphere• Recognizes negative emotions

• High level mathematicians, problem solvers, and chess players use

• The “non-verbal” side

• Responds to touch and music (sensory)

• Intuitive

• Responsive to color and shape

• Emotional and originative

Taking sides….what information the two sides recognize!

Left Brain

• Letters

• Numbers

• Words

Right Brain

• Faces

• Places

• Objectsbased on Sousa (1995, p. 88)

Taking sides….take the test!

Hemispheric Dominance Inventory Test

athttp://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm

Then learn more at:http://brain.web-us.com/brain/LRBrain.html

References• Bandura, A.(1994). Social learning theory. From Theory into practice database. (Kearsley, G.).

Retrieved March 25, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://tip.psychology.org/bandura.html

• Bloom's Taxonomy: (2003). retrieved December 2, 2003, from http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/educ_school2/docs/stai_manual/manual10.htm

• Chicurel, M. (1995) The Inner Life of Neurons, retrieved on-line, http://www.med.harvard.edu/publications/On_The_Brain/Volume4/Number2/SP95In.html

• Doolittle, P. (2001). Multimedia Learning: Empirical Results and Practical Applications [Online]. Available http://edpsychserver.ed.vt.edu/workshops/edtech/pdf/multimedia.pdf [2002, Aug 18].

• Gaines, B.R. & Shaw, M. (1995). Collaboration Through Concept Maps. Retrieved November 20, 2002, from: http://ksi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/articles/CSCL95CM/

• Sousa, D. R. (1995). How the Brain Learns. Reston, VA: NASSP

Any Questions?