Kristina Smith

The Benefits of a Brain-Compatible Education

Week 5 Final Project
EDU 417: Cognitive Studies Capstone
(DFM628DS)
Instructor: Joanna Savarese-Levine
August 8, 2016

What is Brain-Compatible Education?

Is emphasized on how the brain of a student
learns, through cognitive development and
modality sensories. Every student learn at
different pace and at different learning styles.
Brain-compatible education is the concept of
applying what is learned to real society.

The Purpose of My Presentation

My purpose for creating my presentation is to be a great
advocate for families and children to provide brain-compatible
strategies to help support and help improve student learning
in a classroom setting.
My purpose is to also provide families brain-compatible
strategies, according to their learning needs and learning
styles that would help to be beneficial to working with their
children at home, so that children can well prepared to
succeed in brain-compatible classroom setting.

Introducing Myself
My name is Kristina Smith. I live in the lone star state of Texas. I do not have
any children or am not yet married. I know that day will greatly happen for me
soon. I am just patiently waiting for the right time. The type of work that I do is
irrelevant to my upcoming career of profession. I am a customer service
representative for a credit card department for a retail store.
However, I do have exposure and experience based on the line of work that I am
pursuing my professional career in.I was a Pre-kindergarten, teachers assistant
by helping young children learn the basics of their beginning stages of education.
I am currently in my senior year, with my second to last course before
graduation. I am cognitive studies major.
I am aiming to pursue my upcoming career as a behavioral specialist. I have an
interest in servicing professional athletes with brain injuries, such as head
concussions when they become injured while playing sports. I also have an
interest in creating my own career in the athletic industry with not only helping
athletes get through their injuries, but I also want to help coach them
cognitively overcome their feelings of stress, or anxiety while playing sports.

Introducing Myself (Contd)

My general understanding of brain-compatible learning is that it is based on

various techniques and methods of how a persons brain is to learn functionally
and naturally, or normally. It also can entail lesson designs, and programs of
schooling of how students are able to cognitively learn and process information
from their brain socially, emotionally, and cognitively.
I actually do not have brain-compatible learning experience in or out of the
classroom. I am very confident that what I have learned through my entire
learning experience from cognitive studies capstone, that I will be well prepared
to help serve a community in a beneficial, dignifying way for learning, and
especially understanding the imaging of brain techniques, and how the brain
operatively functions for students to learn and process information to help them
benefit their brain-compatible learning in an educational environment.

An Overview of Brain-Compatible Learning

According to the textbook called Brain matters: Translating research into
classroom practice by author Patricia Wolfe has stated directly in her book that
"brain-compatible learning assists students in understanding information and
when and how that information is used in the real world (Wolfe, 2010).

Brain compatible learning environments can demonstrated in safe, comfortable,

and fun learning environments. According to an online article called The
Brain-compatible Classroom : Using What We Know About Learning to Improve
Teaching by author Laura Erlauer stated directly in her article that rather,
educators can learn, share, try, reflect, modify, and institutionalize new teaching
methods and classroom practices slowly and deliberately (Erlauer, 2003).

An Overview of Brain-Compatible Learning

(Contd)
Some of the initial developments that led to brain-compatible education is based
on memory and encoding because it helps for the brain to develop and to be able
to allow the brain to process information in order to make educational learning
at its most effectiveness.

Brain cells communicating in which the neurotransmitters are being released

from the brain is also initially developments that led to brain-compatible
education. If a child at birth's brain is fully developed and equipped to
successfully function this is also an initial development of brain-compatible
education starting from the time of infantry when a child is at a stage to develop
their brain.

Traditional/ Learning Activities from Brain-Compatible /

Learning Activities
Traditional/Learning Activities

Brain-Compatible/ Learning Activities

Students learn through a collective

learning style. Students are taught
the same way.

Students are taught diversely according to

their own pace, their own learning style, for
even according the need for special attention,
or special teaching.

Collaborative learning, classroom

discussions, and debates

Learn activities through visualization and

breathing techniques before completing a
challenging assignment or test

Students learning traditionally

through textbooks and overhead
projection learning and not
interactive- technology based
learning.

Students can complete daily journal writings

reflecting on new information they learned by
putting the information into their own words
and ideas.

No sense of flexible learning

Cooperative learning, music to stimulate the

brain and mnemonics devices.

The Importance of Understanding the Relationship Between

Various Factors that Impact Learning
Genetic factors and environmental conditions can definitely impact how a
child learns. For example, if a childs parents hold a high IQ level and have
succeeded to be a doctor, then genetically, probable chances may be that the
child would also carry the same genetic factors of being a doctor or being in any
profession in a professional medical field.

Another example regarding environmental conditions impacting learning can

Be if a children live in impoverished, unsafe, and unstable environments,
the chances of their academic performance may not be at a high, achieving
Standard. It may not be by choice of the student, but due to their unfortunate,
environmental conditions and background, or upbringing impacting their learning.

The Importance of Understanding the Relationship Between

Various Factors that Impact Learning ( Contd)

Another example of genetic factors and environmental conditions that

can impact a childs learning is during the time of birth when a child
is in their mothers womb and harmful drug substances are consumed
into the mothers body while an unborn child is in the womb. This can
cause a birth defect of the child to potential death, poor
nutrition,chronic illness, or a brain defect that can cause disorders,
such as potential autism, or potentially any learning disorders, or
disabilities.

The Benefit of Brain-Compatible Settings Aware of Genetic Factors

and Environmental Conditions
The benefit of brain-compatible settings that are aware of genetic
factors and environmental conditions are that brain-compatible
learning environments are environments that are created to make
students safe and feel secured at their learning due to their
environmental conditions and their genetic factors.

According to an online article called, Brain-Compatible Learning by

author Jane McGeehan stated directly in her article that for students
to construct personal meeting from the school curriculum, they must
see how it connects to their lives (McGeehan, 2001). When we
know our students, we can help them discover those connections
(McGeehan, 2001). It is great for teachers to build a connection with
students in a brain-compatible environment for them to learn more
effectively.

Learning Experiences through the Information Processing Model

The information processing model is an example of a computer that

stores short-term and long-term memory, but the memories are
stored into a humans brain. The computer, which would be the
brain in the information processing model is also used to alter
information and to retrieve information.

The learning experiences of the information processing model is also

based on memory, consciousness, and attention computed from a
human beings brain.

The Role that Plays in Emotion, Retention and Meaning

Learning Experiences

The role that plays in emotion, retention, making through learning

experiences is working memory within the brain. Amygdala relates to
the emotional states and events that is connected through regions of
the brain regarding sensory involvements. Unfortunately, working
memory can potentially negatively impact working memory due to
fear, stress, or anxiety.
For instance, students who possess a working memory of being
worried or nervous of completing a math assignment, then they
would more likely encounter challenges in a math class.

Explanation on Lesson Plan/Activity/BrainRush

The modification of the created lesson plan/activity/ brainrush was

to make brain-compatible and simplified, at a basic level according
to each students learning abilities. By doing this, objectively,
students would be able to utilize their imagination to critically think,
problem solve, by using their reasoning skills.

They would also develop a willingness to learn because the lesson

plan/activity/brainrush would also be a fun, non-traditional, learning
experience.

Explanation on Lesson Plan/Activity/Brain-Rush

( Contd)

It supports brain-compatible learning by allowing for students to learn

from activities, interactive games, and lesson plans that can be applied
and beneficial to help prepare them functionally for the real world.
Brain compatible learning can also be encouraged from teachers to
students to eat healthy and exercise can help stimulate and positively
affect the brain to produce successful, student learning.

In Summary
The objective of creating my presentation as a future behavioral
consultant is to provide students and their families the benefits of
brain-compatible education. There would be plenty of support and
plenty of room for improvement in a brain-compatible classroom
setting, or a brain-compatible school.

My presentation has also provided the reasoning as for why

brain-compatible learning would be beneficial to the needs for how
students are capable of learning. Hopefully, this presentation would
be an incredible learning experience for any individual interested in
this field to serve the community of children educationally to ensure
that they are on the right pathway academically because no child is to
be left behind.

References

Erlauer, L. (2003). The Brain-compatible classroom. [electronic resource] : using what we

know about learning to improve teaching. Alexandria, Va. : Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, c2003

McGeehan, J. (2001). Brain-compatible learning. Green Teacher, (64), 7-13. Retrieved

from http://search.proquest.com/docview/228671249?accountid=32521

Wolfe, P. (2010). Brain matters: Translating research into classroom practice. (2nd ed.).
Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development

Thank You !
Hopefully you have enjoyed the presentation
Kristina Smith
Cognitive Studies Major