Nuts and BoltsUnderstanding the Blue Print of

the Brain

Dr. Jean Strait

What do you want to know?

• Turn to you neighbors and come up with three questions you want answered—

• Jean will collect these

Why do teachers need to know the brain?

We are teaching digital natives while we are digital immigrants

Students today have almost 80% more screen time than students just one generation ago.

Human interaction is vital for brain development

The Framework…

• The Brain

• Gray matter-neurons• White matter-glia

• What’s the deal with brain scans?

In a nutshell…

• Plasticity…

The brain’s ability to adapt and restructure

“when two areas of the brain interact, they influence each other and form a new whole” (Doige, 2009)

The Teacher Tool Box

• Physical activity• Novel Activities• Coherent complexity• Managed stress levels• Social support• Good nutrition• Sufficient rest time

The Nuts…

• Attention• Perception• Memory

The Bolts…

• Movement/Exercise• Meditation• Nutrition• Humor

Student Behaviors

• Aggression

• Taking risks

• Pain and injury

The Instructional Design…

• Increase Physical movement• Make things visual/sounds• Talk less• Give choices• Increase social interaction• Teach the other 3 R’s(reasoning, resilience, and

responsibility)

Want to know more?

Dr. Jean Strait

jstrait02@hamline.edu

Hamline University

651-523-2981