Gain
More Brain Power (Seven Strategies)
NCETC
November, 2005
Presenter: Donna Sawyer
dsawyer@dpi.state.nc.us
Want to sharpen your memory,
be more creative and improve your concentration? Try these
seven simple strategies for yourself, and then use them in
class to boost your students’ learning
potential.
Take advantage of the wealth of new research
on topics such as classroom
management and the hypothalamus, action-based
movement strategies, de-stressors, hilarious
ice-breakers,
proven memory
tips, foods
and supplements that sharpen the
mind, and the power of tapping into a child’s passion.
How much forgetfulness is TOO much?
An occasional memory lapse, like forgetting where you put the
keys or losing the car in the parking lot, are not signs of
early Alzheimer’s. However, it is time to see a
doctor when loved ones notice that you have developed a pattern
of blanking on important responsibilities or events. Dr.
Barry Gordon of the Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic explains, "Miss
an exit on the highway once, that happens. Miss it five times
and that’s another story.
- Cross Lateral Moves
- Cross the midlines (vertical: imaginary line from top
of head to center of body on floor, horizontal: imaginary
line cuts the body in half leaving a top and a bottom half)
- Activates both brain hemispheres simultaneously
- Stimulates alertness
- Activates the same neural connections the brain uses
to read, write, and compute math
- Exercise
- ONLY thing that activates the release of BDNF, a neurotropic
growth factor that enhances cognition
- Motor memory has unlimited storage
- 98% of learning is through the body and requires minimal
review
- Reduces stress and levels emotions
- Improves memory
- Feeds the brain glucose and oxygen
- Stimulates electrical impulses in the brain
- Strengthens particular areas of the brain
- Increases oxygen intake which builds greater connections
between neurons
- Doubled neurons in brains of rats
- The facts are in: poor nutrition and lack of physical activity
lead to lower academic achievement. Numerous studies prove
what educators have long believed to be true: when children’s
basic nutritional and fitness needs are met, they have the
cognitive energy to learn and achieve.
- (Core Study on Childhood Obesity) Between 1995 and 2004,
the prevalence of overweight increased
- 19.8 percent in 12 to 18 year olds,
- 62.2 percent in 5 to 11 year olds, and
- 65.3 percent in 2 to 4 year olds.
- Across the nation, physical education programs are on the
decline.
- Resources
- ENERGIZERS, NCPE4ME! (Grades K-5): Energizers are classroom
based physical activities that integrate physical activity
with academic concepts. These are short (about 10 minute)
activities that classroom teachers can use to provide activity
for students.
- Hannaford, Carla. Smart Moves: Why Learning Is
Not all in Your Head. Arlington: Great Ocean Publishers, 1995.
- Noland, Donna and Becky Ross. Awaken Your Brain. Hickory: Brain
Boosters, 2003.
- Blaydes-Madigan,
Jean. Action-Based Learning. Web
site.
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- Omega-3 Fatty Acids affect mental speed, learning, and body metabolism.
It plays a significant role in mood and emotions. People who eat
oily fish or take supplements score 13% higher on IQ tests and
are less likely to show early signs of Alzheimers. Breast-fed babies
are smarter than bottle-fed due to DHA (fatty acids) present in
human breast milk. See full study at www.nichd.nih.gov.
- Salmon (The coloring added to farm-raised salmon is toxic.
Farm raised salmon should be gray in color.)
- Fish oils
- Flax seed (ground) 2 tablespoons a day for depression
- Sardines
- Bluefish
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Tuna
- Olive Oil is packed with essential fatty acids.
- Water (A mere 2% drop in body water causes fuzzy short-term
memory and difficulty focusing.)
- Promotes efficient thinking and focused attention (Irving,
1995)
- Boosts metabolism
- Fights against daytime fatigue
- B Vitamins – A deficiency results in impaired memory,
higher levels of anxiety, irritability and depression.
- Foods high in B vitamins
- Brewers or nutritional yeast
- Nuts and seeds
- Legumes
- Wheat germ
- Dairy products
- Lean meat and poultry
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Whole grains
- Spinach and leafy greens
- Carrots
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- 800 mcg. folate - associated with working
memory and verbal fluency (Purchase the pharmaceutical brand.
Don’t get folic
acid.)
- Gingko combats free radicals and promotes
circulation to the tiny capillaries of the brain. (Decreased
blood flow to the brain is usually age-related.)
- Recommended dose for adults: 60 mg. twice daily (standardized
to contain 24 percent ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6 percent
terpene lactones)
- The aging process causes the brain to somewhat lose its ability
to protect itself from the abuse we give it every day, particularly
oxidation and inflammation. Oxidation and inflammation allow
free radicals to attach themselves to cells.
- Free radicals are highly active molecules that damage cells.
- Antioxidants protect against free radicals
and give fruits and vegetables their bright colors. Fruits and
vegetables high in antioxidants
- Slow the oxidation process
- Act as anti-inflammatory agents,
- Improve the communication between neurons, and
- Allow the brain to regenerate.
- Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are high in antioxidants, with wild blueberries containing more brain-saving bioflavonoids than the domestic ones do.
- 2001 Journal of Neuroscience: curcumin, a spice used in India,
is known for its anti-inflammatory effects and may prevent
memory loss. A clinical trial is now underway at UCLA to determine
an effective dose. Curcumin gives yellow curry its bright color.
- Dark-skinned fruits (like nectarines and red apples) The skin
contains the bioflavonoids.
- Fruits & Vegetables High in Antioxidants
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Cranberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Plums
- Avocados
- Oranges
- Red grapes
- Cherries
- Red apples
- Kale
- Spinach
- Brussels sprouts
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Broccoli
- Beets
- Red bell peppers
- Onions
- Black, green, and orange pekoe teas contain bioflavonoids called
catechins. Green tea contains the most antioxidant that is
effective at preventing degenerative brain diseases. No one ever
notices when you throw in 3 or 4 green tea bags to steep along
with your regular Lipton tea bags. Red wine is also another source
of flavonols.
- Green, leafy vegetables (such as spinach and kale)
- Wheat Germ is loaded with vitamin E. Doctors found that those
who consumed the most vitamin E (from foods) were almost 70
percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who
consumed the least. (Journal of the American Medical Association)
- Nuts are full of vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, fiber and
arginine, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels and eases
blood flow. Several LARGE studies have shown a 30-50% lower risk
of sudden cardiac death and cardiovascular disease in those who
ate nuts several times a week.
- Fruits high in vitamin C help ward off the effects of cumulative
stress. (Stress kills brain cells.)
- Dark chocolate (at least 60% or more) has flavonols, which
are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The Sweet Science of Chocolate (Exploratorium) http://www.exploratorium.edu/chocolate/
- Clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and author of "Making
A Good Brain Great: The Amen Clinic Program For Achieving And
Sustaining Optimal Mental Performance, Dr. Daniel Amen, has found
that eliminating all simple carbohydrates at lunch (sugar, white
bread or other products made from white flour such as bagels
and white pasta, potatoes, and rice) makes a dramatic difference
in energy and focus in the afternoon.
- CAFFEINE
- Neurons (Image from www.SurgeonGeneral.gov )
- Chemical Communication: sacs of chemicals, neurotransmitters,
are released to move across the synapse, bump into the
next neuron, and cause it to fire its own electrical impulse
- Neurotransmitters either speed up or slow down the communication
process (Agonist speeds up and an antagonist slows down)
- Good days (surplus of one of the agonists) or bad days
(too many antagonist transmitters)
- Caffeine (enters nervous system and acts like agonistic
transmitter making messages move quicker between neurons)
- Homeostasis: biological drive for sameness, seeks to restore
balance
- My neurons are saying, “Why bother making this stuff? She’ll
dump a pot of coffee in every morning and we’ll be off and
running!” (They cease making their own supply or decrease
production.)
- First fully grown population raised on chronic use of artificial
neurotransmitters (soft drink industry)
- Limited to United States – one of the few countries
to allow the soft drink industry to add caffeine
- Canada’s Mt. Dew does not have caffeine.
- Resources
- Dr. Kathie
Nunley’s FREE Articles for use in school
newsletters (caffeine, brain biology, stress and memory,
giftedness, brains on drugs, sleep deprivation, and more)
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- A time for cells to repair
- A time when brain maintenance is in full swing
- A time when nerve cells branch, cementing the day’s learning
- Middle and high school: biological tendency to stay up late
and get up late
- “The average high schooler needs 8.5 hours of sleep. A middle
schooler needs 10 hours. Children in elementary grades first through
fourth should be getting 10.5 and preschoolers, 11 hours of sleep.” Huffman
(1994). Psychology, 3rd Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. on www.brains.org
- Sleep deprivation = irritability, decreased attention span, slower
response time, memory gaps, impaired judgment, and fatigue
- “It appears that different types of learning may be facilitated
within the different types of sleep… REM sleep is important
to procedural memory formation of tasks such as typing and playing
the piano.”
- REM sleep makes it possible to transfer new learning to long-term
memory.
- Resources
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- Stress kills brain cells! Long-term and chronic stress can actually
shrink the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. Learners
in a state of fear or threat have a difficult time learning.
- Chronic childhood stress can create permanent changes in the
brain’s
neurotransmitter levels.
- It is cruel to add additional stress or threats to the classroom
environment. Relaxed alertness = Optimum Learning
- In severe cases of trauma, it takes dozens of successful opportunities
to rewire the brain for new, more positive ways of thinking.
- Resources
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- Neuroplasticity: teaching an old brain new tricks
- “You can create your brain from the input you get.” (Paula
Tallal, co-director of the Center for Molecular and Behavioral
Neuroscience at Rutgers)
- Certain regions of the cortex are in peak development during
various ages. There is a great opportunity throughout these time
periods to shape the brain. These windows of opportunity do not
close completely; they are critical time periods where parents
and educators can have a great influence on development.
- Learning a second language: before age 10 (simply hearing
the second language, like playing tapes, lays down the pathways
for later learning)
- Math and logical reasoning: birth to age 4 (music helps
stimulate the same region)
- Gross motor development: birth to age 6 (needs lots of
opportunities to move.)
- Vocabulary: birth to age 3 (children in households rich
in vocabulary and conversation before age 3 dedicate a large
portion of the cortex to vocabulary and tend to be more successful
readers.)
- The brain never stops changing and adjusting to the environment.
- Variety is the spice of life!
- Add new music, new activities, new ways of doing daily
chores!
- Add novelty!
- Shake yourself out of rut!
- Take a course on something you have always dreamed of doing.
- Hold the toothbrush in your non-dominant hand.
- Working Memory (print vs. cursive)
- Memory
and Reading Comprehension: How short-term, active, and
long-term memory impact reading comprehension
- Resources
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- Daily, automatic, negative thought patterns can lie!
- When you repeat something, myelination occurs and neural pathways
become more efficient. Myelination is a fatty covering for
neurons. Myelinated neurons transmit electricity up to ten times
faster than non-myelinated neurons. Link myelination to
- Dr. Daniel Amen shows us how to stomp out Automatic Negative Thoughts
(ANTS). Here are four species identified by Dr. Amen:
- Mind reading --- predicting that you know what the other person
is thinking and it’s negative
- Fortune telling -- predicting a bad outcome to a situation
before it takes place “Your mind makes happen what it sees.”
- Always or never thinking -- you routinely think or use the
words always, never, every time, or everyone. These are overgeneralizations
that alter our behavior.
- Guilt beatings – constantly saying and thinking, "I
should have... I'm bad because…. I must do better at… I
have to….” Guilt has the tremendous power to make
us feel bad.
- ANTs can infest your brain, especially if you believe them
to be true! Hunt down and shoot down the negative thoughts running
through your brain!
- Choose joy. Life is short. Eat dessert first.
- Resources
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- “Connections from the emotional systems to the cognitive
systems are stronger than connections from the cognitive systems
to the emotional systems.” Bea McGarvey’s ASCD Presentation,
LeDoux, Maslow)
- If we consider a task to be irrelevant, uninteresting or unimportant,
how long will we stick with it? When was the last time you
had to work on something that you felt was not meaningful? How
much effort did you put into it?
- 12th Graders - Perceptions of High School (United States. Dept.
of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. “The
Condition of Education 2002.” June 2002. 11 Aug. 2003)
- Strengths: In helping children overcome weaknesses, we tend
to neglect to cultivate their strengths. Every child has strengths.
They simply await discovery. Strengths keep kids afloat when
they are struggling to overcome the effects of their weaknesses. “The
rod of the shepherd is not to beat the sheep.” (Source
unknown)
- “When a child has learning difficulties, the pursuit of
a strength can go far to alleviate and prevent low self-esteem
due to academic underachievement.” (Schools Attuned)
- Affinities: areas of knowledge toward which a child feels strong
attachment
- It is critical that every child develop at least one area of
intellectual passion that they sustain over time.
- Affinities should evolve into domains of expertise.
- Mastery in the area of an affinity allows the child to experience
the intense satisfaction that comes with being a true scholar.
- Strengths and affinities do not come forth and grow automatically.
The adult world must work with children to help them find and
sustain their strengths and affinities.
- Students can set big lifetime goals with Kaleidoscope’s
DreamBuilder.
- Why build expertise? (Slaven)
Achievement =
25% ____ + 25% _____ + 50%____
View Answer |
- 970 B.C. - The Hebrew translation of “train up a child in
the way he should go” = “according to his individual
gift or natural bent.”
- Mark (Dr. Mel Levine, One Mind at a Time)
- He was incarcerated twice by the age of 17.
- He was sent to juvenile detention center for drug dealing
and other antisocial offenses.
- He suffered serious delays in reading, written output,
spelling and math.
- The very thought of writing elicited rage.
- He appeared not the least bit inclined to succeed at anything
(What
would happen to this student in your school system?)
- Dr. Levine’s Attuning Process ( www.allkindsofminds.org )
“For some children your love may be the only love they receive
that day. Your smile may be the only genuine, caring and comforting
smile they receive. The meals served in school may be the only
nutritious meals they will receive that day. What happens in your
classroom may be the only hope that your students have for a brighter
tomorrow.”
(Building Dreams – Elementary School Edition,
by Michael Wynn and Dee Blassie)
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