Brain Rules Reflection
The following artifact is a reflection paper written for Professor Jill Haunold's Introduction to Developmental Psychology course, taken at the College of Idaho in the fall of 2011. As part of the course students were required to read John Medina's book, Brain Rules. Medina's book translates scientific findings of the brain into 12 rules, and he then applies these rules to real life situations at home, work, and school. After reading the book, Professor Haunold's students were prompted to reflect upon the 12 rules and apply them to their own lives.
In my paper I discuss how I am using these rules in my own life, as well as how I want to use these rules when I become a teacher. I thoughtfully reflected on how I might improve my teaching skills by applying brain science to education. Therefore I believe this artifact demonstrates my role as a reflective practitioner, using both experience and research to continuously improve my practice. This represents the Reflecting on Teaching (4a) aspect of Domain #4: Professional Responsibilities.
In my paper I discuss how I am using these rules in my own life, as well as how I want to use these rules when I become a teacher. I thoughtfully reflected on how I might improve my teaching skills by applying brain science to education. Therefore I believe this artifact demonstrates my role as a reflective practitioner, using both experience and research to continuously improve my practice. This represents the Reflecting on Teaching (4a) aspect of Domain #4: Professional Responsibilities.
Jenette Noe
Professor Jill Haunold
Introduction to Developmental Psychology
November 1, 2011
Applied Learning: Putting the Twelve Brain Rules to Work
1. Exercise boosts brain power.
According to John Medina’s Brain Rule #1, we think better when we’re in motion. One way I incorporate this rule into my life is through the use of study-exercise. Whenever possible, if I have large quantities of text to read, I do so while walking on a treadmill. Another option is to read while pedaling an aerobic bike. This not only reduces boredom and keeps me from falling asleep, but it also improves my brain’s ability to process the content.
2. The human brain evolved, too.
I tend to interpret the “evolution” Brain Rule as the rule of cooperation. Medina says we evolved to understand each other and form relationships. I plan to become a teacher, so I need to incorporate cooperative relationships into my work. In Literacy in the Content Area I’ve been learning about team-teaching. When I become a teacher I would like to form partnerships with other teachers to develop improved curriculum. Working solitary doesn’t make sense, according to Brain Rule #2, so a cooperative teaching style is in accordance with brain science.
3. Every brain is wired differently.
Brain Rule #3 says that every brain is different. In the teaching profession, we’re encouraged to remember that no two students are alike. Dewey’s principle of experiential continuity dictates that each person has a lifeline of individual experiences, and this impacts their learning. I interpret Medina’s assertion of different brain wirings similarly to Dewey’s teachings. As I teacher I want to accommodate differences in student learning, and I should adjust my teaching styles to reflect this. If no two brains are alike, then I can’t expect to teach one way and expect all the students to get it. I need to differentiate and adjust to variations.
4. We don’t pay attention to boring things.
Medina used the example of the stressed, multi-tasking office worker to illustrate his point about attention: multitasking makes it impossible to focus and destroys the brain’s ability to process information. Since reading about Brain Rule #4 a couple of years ago, I have tried to decrease multi-tasking and increase brain efficiency. As tempting as it may be to keep several computer windows open while studying, I try to close them until it’s just my music and the document I’m working on. When focus is especially crucial, I leave distractions behind and go to a quiet place like the library, where the professional atmosphere reminds me not to open a Facebook tab. By trying to focus on one task at a time, instead of jumping from window to window, I should be decreasing the time it takes to complete my work.
5. Repeat to remember…
6. …Remember to repeat.
Brain Rule #5, repeat to remember, is focused primarily on short-term memory. Names are one of the most-challenging short term things for me to remember. Whenever meeting a new person I try to repeat their name a few times in the conversation to help cement it into memory. Otherwise someone can tell me their name and twenty seconds later I’ll have forgotten it. So in the teaching field, when learning a lot of names in a short period of time is very important, I need to brush up on my repeat-to-remember skills. We not only need to remember student names for the short term, but we also need to transfer them into long-term memory (Brain Rule #6). One way I hope to incorporate these rules into my classroom is with a name game at the beginning of the year. Each person chooses an alliteration “trigger word” to go with their name. For example, Joyous Jenette. Each person has to say their name phrase and then repeat all the names that have gone before them, until everyone in the class has gone. The challenge is to remember everybody’s name with minimum prompting. This game works well for learning names because everyone’s name gets repeated many times, and this helps preserve the information in short-term memory, with the concept that it will eventually become long-term memory.
7. Sleep well, think well.
When I learned about the brain rules my freshman year, the one that stood out to me the most was Brain Rule #7, sleep. It led me to realize that I am a night person, and I should not be ashamed to be tired until my peak hours after six o’clock. It also helped me realize that whenever possible, I should not fight the nap zone, but instead embrace siesta. Now I try as much as possible to nap at least once a day. Instead of struggling for hours to work through boring homework as I fight my tiredness, I can take a brief nap and wake up ready to work more productively. I especially appreciate the power of naps because with my busy college schedule I don’t always get a healthy amount of sleep each night, and napping helps to rejuvenate me.
8. Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.
In Medina’s video clip about Brain Rule #8, he mentions learned helplessness. It reminded me of the importance of control in education. Students need to be able to exhibit some control over their success. In my education classes we’ve been discussing the value of instructional purpose. Students need to be told what is expected of them and how to succeed, so that they feel they have some control over their performance. If I incorporate instructional purpose into my lessons I will help decrease student stress and improve their learning experience.
9. Stimulate more of the senses.
Brain Rule #9 is about sensory integration. I would like activate the senses to stimulate memory in my classroom. One of the ways I plan to do this is through sense of smell. Medina claims in his book that smells can help memory recall, so if I turn on a Scentsy (electronic wickless scented candle) at strategic times, I might be able to activate different parts of the brain. Another sense I hope to activate is that of hearing. I want to play classical music in my art classroom with the idea that sound, too, may help students access memories.
10. Vision trumps all other senses.
If vision overpowers all senses, what better way to work with brain psychology than to incorporate visuals into teaching? Lots and lots of visuals. Art, in particular, is reliant upon visuals, so I plan to incorporate lots of pictures into my lessons. I can work with Brain Rule #10 by always including pictures in PowerPoints or having picture slides to accompany my instruction. It keeps students interested and gives them something visual to apply to what they’re learning.
11. Male and female brains are different.
According to this brain rule, males’ and females’ brains work differently, so they should be taught differently. Gender learning differences should be incorporated into the classroom, and they should be considered when planning instruction. I know that males and females learn better in different conditions, including temperature, lighting, and tone of voice. Although it is unlikely that I will have a gender-segregated classroom, I hope that my awareness of gender brain differences will improve my instruction and classroom environment.
12. We are powerful and natural explorers.
This summer I read a book about teaching art with student directed learning. This method puts a great deal of accountability on students with the understanding that their natural desire to explore will lead them to responsible learning choices. When I teach art I would like to design a few units that encourage experimentation with different media. Giving students freedom to choose their own subject matter in certain lessons is also a way to embrace Brain Rule #12.
Professor Jill Haunold
Introduction to Developmental Psychology
November 1, 2011
Applied Learning: Putting the Twelve Brain Rules to Work
1. Exercise boosts brain power.
According to John Medina’s Brain Rule #1, we think better when we’re in motion. One way I incorporate this rule into my life is through the use of study-exercise. Whenever possible, if I have large quantities of text to read, I do so while walking on a treadmill. Another option is to read while pedaling an aerobic bike. This not only reduces boredom and keeps me from falling asleep, but it also improves my brain’s ability to process the content.
2. The human brain evolved, too.
I tend to interpret the “evolution” Brain Rule as the rule of cooperation. Medina says we evolved to understand each other and form relationships. I plan to become a teacher, so I need to incorporate cooperative relationships into my work. In Literacy in the Content Area I’ve been learning about team-teaching. When I become a teacher I would like to form partnerships with other teachers to develop improved curriculum. Working solitary doesn’t make sense, according to Brain Rule #2, so a cooperative teaching style is in accordance with brain science.
3. Every brain is wired differently.
Brain Rule #3 says that every brain is different. In the teaching profession, we’re encouraged to remember that no two students are alike. Dewey’s principle of experiential continuity dictates that each person has a lifeline of individual experiences, and this impacts their learning. I interpret Medina’s assertion of different brain wirings similarly to Dewey’s teachings. As I teacher I want to accommodate differences in student learning, and I should adjust my teaching styles to reflect this. If no two brains are alike, then I can’t expect to teach one way and expect all the students to get it. I need to differentiate and adjust to variations.
4. We don’t pay attention to boring things.
Medina used the example of the stressed, multi-tasking office worker to illustrate his point about attention: multitasking makes it impossible to focus and destroys the brain’s ability to process information. Since reading about Brain Rule #4 a couple of years ago, I have tried to decrease multi-tasking and increase brain efficiency. As tempting as it may be to keep several computer windows open while studying, I try to close them until it’s just my music and the document I’m working on. When focus is especially crucial, I leave distractions behind and go to a quiet place like the library, where the professional atmosphere reminds me not to open a Facebook tab. By trying to focus on one task at a time, instead of jumping from window to window, I should be decreasing the time it takes to complete my work.
5. Repeat to remember…
6. …Remember to repeat.
Brain Rule #5, repeat to remember, is focused primarily on short-term memory. Names are one of the most-challenging short term things for me to remember. Whenever meeting a new person I try to repeat their name a few times in the conversation to help cement it into memory. Otherwise someone can tell me their name and twenty seconds later I’ll have forgotten it. So in the teaching field, when learning a lot of names in a short period of time is very important, I need to brush up on my repeat-to-remember skills. We not only need to remember student names for the short term, but we also need to transfer them into long-term memory (Brain Rule #6). One way I hope to incorporate these rules into my classroom is with a name game at the beginning of the year. Each person chooses an alliteration “trigger word” to go with their name. For example, Joyous Jenette. Each person has to say their name phrase and then repeat all the names that have gone before them, until everyone in the class has gone. The challenge is to remember everybody’s name with minimum prompting. This game works well for learning names because everyone’s name gets repeated many times, and this helps preserve the information in short-term memory, with the concept that it will eventually become long-term memory.
7. Sleep well, think well.
When I learned about the brain rules my freshman year, the one that stood out to me the most was Brain Rule #7, sleep. It led me to realize that I am a night person, and I should not be ashamed to be tired until my peak hours after six o’clock. It also helped me realize that whenever possible, I should not fight the nap zone, but instead embrace siesta. Now I try as much as possible to nap at least once a day. Instead of struggling for hours to work through boring homework as I fight my tiredness, I can take a brief nap and wake up ready to work more productively. I especially appreciate the power of naps because with my busy college schedule I don’t always get a healthy amount of sleep each night, and napping helps to rejuvenate me.
8. Stressed brains don’t learn the same way.
In Medina’s video clip about Brain Rule #8, he mentions learned helplessness. It reminded me of the importance of control in education. Students need to be able to exhibit some control over their success. In my education classes we’ve been discussing the value of instructional purpose. Students need to be told what is expected of them and how to succeed, so that they feel they have some control over their performance. If I incorporate instructional purpose into my lessons I will help decrease student stress and improve their learning experience.
9. Stimulate more of the senses.
Brain Rule #9 is about sensory integration. I would like activate the senses to stimulate memory in my classroom. One of the ways I plan to do this is through sense of smell. Medina claims in his book that smells can help memory recall, so if I turn on a Scentsy (electronic wickless scented candle) at strategic times, I might be able to activate different parts of the brain. Another sense I hope to activate is that of hearing. I want to play classical music in my art classroom with the idea that sound, too, may help students access memories.
10. Vision trumps all other senses.
If vision overpowers all senses, what better way to work with brain psychology than to incorporate visuals into teaching? Lots and lots of visuals. Art, in particular, is reliant upon visuals, so I plan to incorporate lots of pictures into my lessons. I can work with Brain Rule #10 by always including pictures in PowerPoints or having picture slides to accompany my instruction. It keeps students interested and gives them something visual to apply to what they’re learning.
11. Male and female brains are different.
According to this brain rule, males’ and females’ brains work differently, so they should be taught differently. Gender learning differences should be incorporated into the classroom, and they should be considered when planning instruction. I know that males and females learn better in different conditions, including temperature, lighting, and tone of voice. Although it is unlikely that I will have a gender-segregated classroom, I hope that my awareness of gender brain differences will improve my instruction and classroom environment.
12. We are powerful and natural explorers.
This summer I read a book about teaching art with student directed learning. This method puts a great deal of accountability on students with the understanding that their natural desire to explore will lead them to responsible learning choices. When I teach art I would like to design a few units that encourage experimentation with different media. Giving students freedom to choose their own subject matter in certain lessons is also a way to embrace Brain Rule #12.