Hand-in-Hand:
Differentiatteed Instruction
& t he B r a i n
Western Carolina University
July 30, 2012
Hand-in-Haand: Differen
ntiated Instru
uction and th
he Brain__________________________________________
2
Hand-in-Haand: Differen
ntiated Instru
uction and th
he Brain__________________________________________
The Brain and Learning
3
Hand-in-Haand: Differen
ntiated Instru
uction and th
he Brain__________________________________________
Safety, Safety,
S
S
Safety
(Jensen, Eric. Environments forr Learning, 22003)
(Joseph,
(
Joh
hn. Learning
g in the Emootional Room
ms, 2002)
(Rogers, Spence. Mo
otivation andd Learning, 22003)
From
m the momen
nt a child geets out of beed in the moorning until…
safely tuckeed in at nigh
ht, there’s oone central m
mission:
the av
voidance off humiliation
n at all costts.
We hav
ve to be so ca
areful not to
o subject th
hem to publiic humiliatiion.”
Not surprisingly, the braain devotes much
m
of its resources
r
to ensuring ouur survival. O
Our brain is always
tracking ourr feelings, en
nvironmental feelings, an
nd our sensee of touch. E
Each second, some 30 m
million
bits of information are processed
p
no
on-conscioussly in our tacctile sensoryy areas. As hhumans, we are
exquisitely designed
d
to be
b sensitive to our envirronment. Thherefore, therre can be a hhuge differennce in
the classroom by realizing the importance of thee physical annd emotionaal climate witth careful pllanning
and a heighttened awaren
ness of the im
mportance of
o student coomfort and saafety.
Witho
out a doubt, threat is thee number onne block to leearning (Jenssen
2000)). One of thee main probllems with thhreat is that iit triggers thee
amygdala (the braain’s fear andd emotional response ceenter) to release an
overab
bundance off cortisol in tthe brain. Inn moderate aamounts, corrtisol is
not haarmful. Wheen producedd in excess, ffor long perioods of time,
howev
ver, cortisol becomes soo toxic that itt damages brrain cells byy the
billion
ns. Cortisol damages brrain cells by inhibiting thheir intake of
glucose, the primaary source oof fuel that prrovides the bbrain with thhe
energy it requires to perform all its functiions. The hipppocampus, the
seman
ntic memory
y manager, iss the primaryy target. Staarved of fuell, brain
cells atrophy
a
and eventually ddie.
Threat is diifferent from
m challenge. While challlenge, in thee form of coomplex and ddifficult taskks, often
produces some forms off threat, it rarrely subjectss the brain too
h
levels off cortisol. For learners, feeling threaatened
prolonged high
usually relattes to consistently poor treatment
t
by
y others or too
unrealistic expectations
e
and the possibility of saanctions thatt tend
to accompan
ny failure.
IMPORTA
ANT: It is a given that th
he learning environment
e
t
needs to be such that thee students feeel safe from
m any physicaal
danger. How
wever, that’s not enough
h. In additio
on, the studeents
must feel sa
afe from fea
ar of significcant embarrrassment.
Can your sttudents answer the folllowing quesstions as
absolutely true?
t
 I don’t worry
w
about feeling stupid or incapab
ble in this cllass.
 Nothing
g about my frriends, my faamily, or my
yself will be
divulged
d that I migh
ht find embarrrassing.
 I’m not labeled or ju
udged in fron
nt of others.
y.
 I know I won’t be haarmed or hurrt in any way
“…studentts must feel ssafe
from fearr of significant
embarrrassment.”
-Spen
nce Rogers
Motivation
n and Learnin
ng
4
Hand-in-Hand: Differentiated Instruction and the Brain______________________________________
Checklist: Safety and Motivation in the Classroom
(adapted from: Motivation and Learning, Rogers, Ludington, and Graham, 1999)
The following statements were adapted from an inventory used during NC Teacher Academy training
with Spence Rogers, director of PEAK Learning. It is actually an inventory of feelings and thoughts
students might use to rate the safety and motivational standards of their class. Rate the accuracy of
safety and motivation in your classroom based on the following scale:
(4)
(3)
(2)
(1)
(0)
Yes! This is absolutely true.
This is really close.
This isn’t quite right.
This is some hint of this.
This is absolutely not accurate.
I feel safe because…
_____ I don’t worry about feeling stupid or incapable in this class.
_____ Nothing about my friends, family, or myself will be divulged that I may find embarrassing.
_____ I am not labeled or judged in front of others.
_____ What happens in this class is not displayed or used elsewhere to control my behavior or me.
_____ I know I won’t be hurt or harmed in any way.
I value and feel successful about what we’re learning because…
_____ I believe what I am learning is worthwhile and will help me later.
_____ It’s fun and/or interesting to me.
_____ What I am learning and what I am doing is challenging.
_____ I know my teacher has confidence in my abilities.
_____ I am expected to achieve at the highest levels, and I am supported until I do.
_____ I get regular evidence of my progress or mastery.
I feel involved because …
____ I get to make choices and decisions.
____ I have many opportunities to engage and respond.
____ I am encouraged to be innovative and creative.
____ I am meaningfully included in establishing goals, procedures, and standards.
____ I draw on knowledge and resources from outside school.
I think this is a caring place to be because…
____ I feel valued.
____ I enjoy being here – it feels good, people care about my needs and me.
____ People listen sincerely and supportively to my ideas.
____ I feel like I am part of the group.
____ Praise and recognition are sincere, adequate, and done in ways that are comfortable to me.
It is easy for me to learn because…
____ The instructional practices match my learning style, are effective, and are varied in interesting.
____ I have a clear understanding of what is expected of me.
____ I can see what I am learning fits into what I already know.
____ I get the help and resources I need to be successful.
____ I receive adequate, specific, and non-judgmental feedback that is helpful and inspiring.
5
Hand-in-Haand: Differen
ntiated Instru
uction and th
he Brain__________________________________________
Emotion
E
n and Leaarning
Things become real to
o the brain w
when we feell them.
I. The Physsiology and Nature of Emotions
E
 Emo
otion drives attention.
a
Attention
A
is a precursor foor learning aand memory.
 Thin
ngs become real
r to the brrain when we
w feel them.
 Emo
otions are at least two tim
mes as fast as rationale thhought.
 Pracctice and emo
otion are thee two things that cause chhanges to takke place in tthe brain whhen we
learn
n. .
 It is biologically
y impossible to learn som
mething to w
which the braain has not paaid attentionn.
 Emo
otions are no
ow known to be a primarry catalyst inn the learningg process.”
II. The Roles of Emotion in Learn
ning
Emotion
 direccts attention..
 creattes meaning.
 motiivates us.
 influ
uences our prriorities and goals.
 helps us focus ou
ur reason an
nd logic.
 drivees our creativity.
 affeccts our memory.
 affeccts alertness..
 speeeds up thinking and decission-making
g.
 affeccts problem--solving ability.
 influ
uences behav
vior.
 is cru
ucial to surv
vival.
 consstitutes our personalities.
p
.
ng Positive Emotions
E
an
nd Boosting the Emotioonal Conten
nt of What Y
You’re Teacching
III. Elicitin
 Use material thaat has a high emotional content.
c
y characters’’ motivationns
 Disccuss people’ss and literary
 Set realistic,
r
but high, expecctations.
 Smille; incorporaate humor, pleasure, and
d celebrationss.
 Offeer personal attention, actss of caring, and
a recognittion.
 Invo
olve studentss in cooperattive learning activities; fo
foster friendsships.
 Creaate an atmosp
phere of safeety, security
y, and belongging.
 Use music.
pportunities to
t stretch an
nd move.
 Givee students op
 Use games, frien
ndly competiition, and oth
her enjoyablle activities.
 Inco
orporate story
ytelling, mytths, legends,, parables, annd metaphorrs.
 Try role-playing
r
g, skits, and debates.
d
 Intro
oduce noveltty and high contrast.
c
 Inco
orporate susp
pense, cliffhaangers, and things
t
left oppen-ended annd unresolveed.
 Creaate positive stress.
s
 Struccture approp
priate challen
nges and pro
oblems to sollve.
 Givee students the locus of co
ontrol; when
never possiblle, offer them
m a choice.
6
Hand-in-Haand: Differen
ntiated Instru
uction and th
he Brain__________________________________________





Poin
nt out to stud
dents the releevance of wh
hat they are llearning.
Havee them practtice in real-liife situationss and contexxts.
Prov
vide instructiion via multiiple pathway
ys.
Inclu
ude rubrics for
f self-assesssment, such
h as computeer-assisted innstruction, thhat provide nnonpuniitive feedbacck.
Avoid sarcasm and
a put-down
ns, threats an
nd humiliatiion, unrealisttic deadliness, compellinng
d
competition th
hat’s not frienndly and goood-natured, withdrawal of
rewaards, unfair demands,
atten
ntion, disruptive student behavior thaat stresses otther studentss.
IV. The Tea
acher’s Emotional Statte
 Teacchers are eveery bit as em
motional bein
ngs as studennts are.
 Your emotional state will eitther enhancee or hurt whaat happens inn class each time.
 Your attitude and state of miind are as im
mportant as thhe material yyou present..
b
you go
g to class.
 Centter yourself before
 Teacchers who sm
mile, have a sense of hum
mor, a joyfull attitude, annd take
genu
uine pleasuree in their wo
ork generally
y have higherr performingg students.
 Plan
n carefully fo
or class.
 Takee care of you
urself physiccally, mentallly, and emottionally.
 If the learner is confident,
c
leearning increeases.
 If the learner bellieves in the teacher, learrning increaases.
 If the learner thin
nks the subject is importtant and valuuable, learniing increasess.
 If the learner bellieves it willl be fun, learrning increasses.
 All of
o these involve emotion, and as the teacher,
t
youu have enorm
mous controll
overr them. This is what it meeans to win students’ heearts and minnds. It’s our
task to do both.

hat …we usee 42 facial muscles
m
to exxpress emotioons; there arre about 10,0000
Did you know th
hum
man facial exp
pressions; an
nd more than
n 600 words in English aare used to ddescribe emootions?
“E
Emotion is a primary catalyst
c
in th
he learning process.”
Pat Wolffe, Ed.D., ed
ducator, conssultant, & auuthor
dingprof.com
m/papers/Em
motion%20an
nd%20Learnning/1_Emottion%20andd%20Learninng.pdf
http://read
7
Hand-in-Haand: Differen
ntiated Instru
uction and th
he Brain__________________________________________
Quick
k Tips to Increasee Emotion
nal Safetty, Motivvation, an
nd Learn
ning
(sources in
nclude Jenseen, Rogers, W
Wolfe, and S
Sousa)
1. Feed the brain: Th
he brain need
ds food and oxygen
o
that is provided primarily thhrough bloodd
pumped straight to the
t brain. Although the brain
b
is onlyy about 2% oof the body’ss adult weight, it
consumees almost 25
5% of the body’s energy.. Movementt increases ooxygen to thee brain.
2. Keep hy
ydrated: Th
he brain is ap
pproximately
y 80% waterr. Students bbecome resttless and havve
scattered
d attention when
w
they aree mildly deh
hydrated...sloow and lethaargic when sseverely dehyydrated.
Drinking
g plenty of water
w
improv
ves brain fun
nction.
3. Take tim
me to process: Receivin
ng constant input is like pouring moore water intoo a cup that is full.
It is not as effective as receiving
g input puncttuated by breeaks for proccessing. Reflection timee
reinforcees the neurall connection
ns that are creeated througgh learning. Give studennts frequent bbreaks
during reading, videeos, lectures,, etc. to process what theey have learnned.
4. Colors: Use blue to
o signify imp
portant inforrmation. It iss the easiest color to seee. Use the coool
colors (b
blue, purple,, brown, blacck, green, an
nd brown) wh
when studentss have to reaad material aat a
distancee.
5. Colors: Avoid usin
ng the fire co
olors (red, orrange, yellow
w) except to highlight, ciircle, or undderline
but NEV
VER TO WR
RITE. Not only
o
do they tend to raisee anxiety, theey are hard tto read at a ddistance.
6. Review:: For every 10 minutes of
o content, have
h
2 minuttes of appliccation or reviiew.
7. Mark: what is corrrect instead of
o what is inccorrect on sttudent paperrs...using thee cool colors.
8. Display: learners’ work
w
below waist level...emotions.
9. Reduce praise: from your feed
dback...ratherr give encouuragement..... “You’re onn the right traack...”
10. Schedulle: more glo
obal, less speecific, detailed activitiess in the afternnoon when tthe brain’s aattention
molecules are lowerr.
11. At test time:
t
allow students to move their chairs
c
away from other sstudents...to let their eyees
wander...eye movem
ments!
12. Increasee feedback: to learners up to every 15 – 30 minnutes to insuure understannding and
accountaability (thro
ough peer teaaching, mind
d maps, etc.)).
13. Use the 28-over-3 rule:
r
rather that testing at
a the end off the unit, exxpose studennts to the conncepts at
least 28 times over the
t next 3 weeeks through
h extra practtice and/or exxtension of cconcept.
14. Have students stan
nd: or move at least the major
m
musclles every 20 – 30 minutees….trying ffor
0 – 12 minuttes.
every 10
15. Post a High-Five
H
ha
and: at the door…and have
h
studentts give themsselves a highh-5 for whatt they’ve
learned at the end off class.
16. 10-2 Ru
ule: Brain ressearch confirms that a sttudent’s attenntion span iss about one m
minute for eevery
year of age.
a
Take th
he average ag
ge of your sttudents. Thaat number, pplus or minuus two, is thee
appropriiate number of minutes you
y can exp
pect them to focus. Agee +/- 2 = m
minutes of focus.
8