
TRANSLATING BRAIN RESEARCH
TO
CLASSROOM PRACTICE

PRESENTED BY:
DR. PATRICIA BUCCI
WELCOME!!!

pat.bucci@ycdsb.ca
3/23/2016
Ode to the Brain! by Symphony
of Science
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB7jSFeV
z1U
3/23/2016
Introducing…
“The Cathedral
of Complexity”
(Coveney & Highfields, 1995)
About 3 pounds
 78% water, 10%
fat, 8% protein
 Less than 2.5%
of body’s weight
 Uses 20-25% of
body’s energy

3/23/2016
The Revolution Has Begun!
3/23/2016
TEACHING IS SHIFTING
FROM BEING AN ART TO
A COMBINATION OF
ART
&
SCIENCE
3/23/2016
My brain is like ...
A doll
house
A solar system
An ecosystem
A hockey game
3/23/2016
A movie
A symphony of
music
Lego
Our Brains




Are like a “jungle”
All parts of the brain participate
with each other, while each has
its own function
There is natural pruning or neural
pruning that occurs when parts are not used
“LEARNING IS A DELICATE, BUT IS A
POWERFUL DIALOGUE BETWEEN GENETICS
AND THE ENVIRONMENT…”
Robert Sylwester, A Celebration of Neurons
Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imagery
(fMRI)
3/23/2016
90’s: The
Decade of the
Brain
SEEING WORDS
HEARING WORDS
SPEAKING WORDS
GENERATING WORDS
William, Calvin, & Ojemann.
(1994). Conversations with
Neil's Brain.
3/23/2016
3/23/2016
Smarter in the Morning
than the Night Before!
• 99% of our brain growth / maintenance happens during sleep
• protein markers formed during the day are wired during sleep
• life span of 18-20 hours
3/23/2016
Or Not…..
• Neurotrophins: group of proteins which are responsible for the
growth and development of dendrites
• Calpain: enzyme which causes the protein marker to self –
destruct.
3/23/2016
From whence it all started….
• From conception to approx. 5 months, production of
brain cells 200 thousand per minute.
• Brain cells (neurons) vs. other cells
• migration
 Cellular level - tens of billions of neurons, ten times
more numerous glial cells that support, insulate and
nourish the neurons
 30 thousand neurons (300,000 glial cells) fit into the
space of a pinhead.
3/23/2016
Shore, R. 1997

Waves of intense branching and
connecting (Synaptogenesis)
 Before birth through 3-years-old
 Again at 11- or 12-years-old
followed by Selective reduction of
neurons and connections among
neurons (Pruning)
 Solidifying circuitry
 Used synaptic connections
strengthened

3/23/2016
Your brain will absorb only what
your
will endure.
Find your 1st appointment and share 3 interesting facts that you will
remember.
3/23/2016
Prefrontal cortex
The CEO of the brain is
the last part of the brain
to mature. Thousands
of new connections are
formed during the
preteen years (F 11
M12.5)and then shrinks
as neural connections
are pruned and
strengthened during
adolescence.
3/23/2016
Amygdala
The emotional center of the brain,
home to such primal feelings as
fear and rage. When processing
emotional information, teens rely
more heavily on the amygdala.
Adults depend more on the rational
prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain
that is underdeveloped in teens.
3/23/2016
Mammalian
Brain
emotions
3/23/2016
Needs of the Primitive Brain…




its own territory
physical comfort- warmth, absence of hunger
to belong and enjoys rituals which confirm
identity-routines, clear procedures, etc.
to feel safe: physically and emotionally-
Responsible for…



Fight or Flight and flocking behaviours
Monitoring motor functions
Rote behaviours
3/23/2016
3/23/2016
Key Components of the Limbic
Hypothalamus
 controls most primitive
emotions: Fear, Anger,
Aggression
 Fully functioning at
birth
 1st voice you hear in
your head
3/23/2016
Amygdala System
 Controls the more
sophisticated emotions:
love, jealousy,
attraction, kindness
 2nd voice you hear
 Healthy development
through modeling,
parenting & other
environmental cues
The two stay in communication with each other via pathways
along the hippocampus (responsible also for forming new
memories*)
THE THINKING BRAIN (Neocortex)
Divided into left and right hemispheres.
 Connected via corpus callosum.
 Discerns relationships and patterns of
meaning.
 Creates personal metaphors or models for
learning.
 Searches for novelty.
 Looks for relevance in learning.
 Needs plenty of stimulation.
 Requires feedback.
 Operates on conscious and unconscious level.
 Works in short bursts of concentration.
3/23/2016

THALAMUS
“Chamber, inner room ” – The
Gateway to the Cortex
•located in the centre of the brain
•strategic position to act as a
relay station: to direct the flow of
information
•Once received, information is sent
either to:
cortex
hypothalamus
danger or threat
activate
hormonal system
The psychological
Amygdala:
sentinel
of the brain
The psychological
sentinel of the
3/23/2016
brain
creating physical changes
to the body
Brain CEO: Forebrain or Prefrontal Area
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
3/23/2016
Planning
Attention
Judgment
Reflection
Prioritizing
Self control
Strategizing
Sequencing
Anticipation
Organization
Impulse control
Second thought
Working memory
Modulating mood
Response flexibility
Goal-directed behavior
Foresee consequences