COURSE TITLE:
ERIC JENSENʼS TEACHING WITH THE BRAIN IN MIND
NO OF CREDITS:
2 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 1.33 credits]
WA CLOCK HRS:
OREGON PDUs:
INSTRUCTOR:
MARY ANN JOHNSON, M.ED ADM.
maryajohnson-advisor@comcast.net
206/367-8058
20
20
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:
This course requires assignment responses to be posted in a password-secured ONLINE website hosted
by The Heritage Institute.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This book is invaluable for saving you and your students from wasted motion and unproductive and
meaningless strategies that are counterproductive to effective learning experiences. Instead, based on
research into brain-based learning, you will be guided through one fascinating insight after another, in the
Introduction and twelve chapters of this latest edition of teaching how-toʼs, based on our ever-growing
awareness of how people really are motivated, do problem-solving and remember.
It is advised that you read and respond as you go, rather than reading the whole book and then
addressing some of the engaging questions Eric Jensen has created for you in the Study Guide. The
questions are worth considering, and the author has invited his readers to make the information a
personal journey to successful integration into oneʼs own style, repertoire, and, hopefully, oneʼs own
school culture.
Eric Jensen is considered among the foremost interpreters of neurological theory into the practical world
of the classroom teacher. His books are encouraging, engagingly written, and inspiring.
Additional cost for required textbook is approximately $22-$28 depending on purchase source.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completion of this course, participants will:
1. Have a review of information needed to define and apply brain-compatible and brain-based
teaching and learning
2. Have a focus on the best physical environment for learning in the classroom
3. Have a focus on both critical thinking skills and ways to manage the social brain
4. Have away of understanding what are the “rules” and beliefs we hold that may affect our use of
brain research
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Participants will complete assignments and post responses online to specific questions outlined for each
assignment. Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The
Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.
HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns
participantʼs their choice of 20 Washington State Clock Hours or 20 Oregon PDUs. The Heritage Institute
is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours and Oregon PDUs.
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UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires
75% or better for credit at the 400 level (Upper Division) and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level
(Post-Baccalaureate). These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.
1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments
30%
2. Completion of Learning Application assignments
40%
3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment
30%
CREDIT/NO CREDIT
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education (CE) Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No
Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to
a “C” or better, 500 level credit is equal to a “B” or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.
AUS CE quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering determine
with your district personnel, department head or state education office the acceptability of these credits.
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION
COURSE MATERIAL and/or TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
You will need high-speed (DSL) Internet access in order to view online resources. Some of the reading
materials may be provided in the online environment as PDF documents, a format readable by with
Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download a free copy of Acrobat Reader from our website.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
nd
• Teaching with the Brain in Mind, 2 Ed, by Eric Jensen; 187-page, ISBN 1-4166-0030-2. ASCD,
2005. Available from Amazon for about $28.
• For additional reading access an annotated Master Bibliography for this course that enhances any
teacherʼs toolbox. The Bibliography can be downloaded where you got this syllabus on www.hol.edu.
GETTING STARTED:
• After registering for the course, you will be sent an email with the website address, password and
course key you need to access your online course, along with log in instructions.
• Access each assignment listed here in the online course environment and enter your responses.
• Write your responses in a WORD document and then ʻcopy/pasteʼ them into the Responses box.
• When all assignments are completed, CLICK the 'ALL ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETED'. The instructor
will be notified that you have completed all assignments.
• After the instructor reviews your work and enters his responses you will be notified by email. You will
be instructed to log in and view those responses. SAVE a copy of assignments and responses.
NOTES TO ALL PARTICIPANTS:
• You are not required to be present (i.e. online) specific days or times. You will work at your own pace.
• All responses will be posted online. Large documents, files, photographs or PowerPoint presentations
may be attached as part of your response by using the “Share A File” option.
• You may work collaboratively and submit similar responses on all assignments except the Integration
Paper, which must be individually authored.
• To maintain privacy, please do not refer to students in your papers by their actual names, but rather
use an alias or designation such as “Student A.”
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ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
A.
INFORMATION ACQUISITION
Assignment #1:
(a) First, briefly introduce yourself and explain your interest in this topic.
From the “Introduction:”
(b) Do any of the presented criticisms of brain-based learning resonate with you? If so, which ones?
Assignment #2:
From Chapter 1: “Meet Your Amazing Brain”
After reading Chapter 1, in what ways has your understanding of studentsʼ brains changed or shifted?
What understandings of yours have been reinforced?
Assignment #3:
From Chapter 2: “Preparing the Brain for School”
What school-readiness practices or theories of your own did this chapter confirm or challenge? Which of
the preparatory measures do you think are the most important to success in school and success in life?
Assignment #4:
From Chapter 3: “Rules We Live By”
All teachers follow rules about teaching and learning. For example, some teachers believe that behavior
that is reinforced is more likely to reoccur. What are some rules about learning and the brain that you
have followed?
Assignment #5:
From Chapter 3: Some might argue that teachers do not have time to incorporate all the rules of
learning. For example, using repetition takes time, and so does trial-and-error learning. A
counterargument would be that following both these rules will actually save time in the long run, as
teachers will need to spend less time re-teaching. What are your thoughts on this issue?
Assignment #6:
From Chapter 4: “Movement and Learning”
List five or six primary brain-based arguments for increasing the amount of movement in the classroom.
Which would you say is the single best argument? What would be the possible pros and cons of
increasing the amount of movement in your classroom?
Assignment #7:
From Chapter 5: “Emotional States”
Do observations of emotions factor into your classroom management strategies? Your instructional
decisions? If so, how?
Assignment #8:
From Chapter 5: Would you say that fostering a love of learning is a legitimate goal for a teacher? What
kinds of things could a teacher do to encourage studentsʼ emotional response to learning?
Assignment #9:
From Chapter 6: “Physical Environments for Learning”
Think about how issues related to seating and mobility affect student learning. Describe the physical
environment in your ideal school and cite brain-based arguments to justify its various components.
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Assignment #10:
From Chapter 7: “Managing the Social Brain”
What is the evidence connecting social activity and cognition?
Assignment #11:
From Chapter 7: Consider how our brains respond with some hesitation to people who are different us.
What are the implications for school environments? How might educators guide studentsʼ brain-based
ʻcliqueʼ tendencies and alliances so to encourage learning and promote desirable social behaviors?
Assignment #12:
From Chapter 8: “Motivation and Engagement”
List the three key ideas in this chapter. Are they things that you can apply in your classroom?
Assignment #13:
From Chapter 8: What are some of the common sources of de-motivation? Do you see these in your
own classes? How do you address them?
Assignment #14:
From Chapter 9: “Critical Thinking Skills”
Which classroom skills must be taught to develop the problem-solving brain? To develop the adaptive
brain? And to build student self-monitoring of their emotional state?
Assignment #15:
From Chapter 10: “Memory and Recall”
Describe the various types of memory. What limits the ability to memorize, and how do emotions have
anything to do with what we remember?
Assignment #16:
From Chapter 10: Define priming and how might you use this strategy to strengthen your studentsʼ
memory and recall. How might familiarity with the information in this chapter be useful for a teacher?
Assignment #17:
From Chapter 11: “Brain-Based Teaching”
The author recommends a teaching model with a 10-80-10 profile: 10% of any learning activity
previewing/priming; 80% on the material itself; final 10% on review and revision. Is the introductory 10%
on priming and the concluding 10% for review and revision are adequate for your students?
Assignment #18:
From Chapter 12: “Schools with the Brain in Mind”
What are some of the essentials in creating a positive climate for teachers? What additional suggestions
would you make? Consider your schoolʼs staff development activities. What are some ways they might
be more brain-based? How does your school/district rate on creating a good climate for teachers?
Assignment #19:
From Chapter 12: Think about the suggestions for more brain-based assessment. Do you agree or
disagree with these suggestions?
Assignment #20:
From Chapter 12: Based on the information in this book, what changes are you thinking about using in
your own instruction? If you have already made changes, what results have you seen?
This completes the assignments required for Hours.
Continue to the next section for additional assignments required for University Quarter Credit.
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ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOT UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
B.
LEARNING APPLICATION
(Required for 400 and 500 Level)
In this section you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most
participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you are not teaching in a classroom,
please contact the instructor for course modifications. If you are a classroom teacher and start or need to
complete this course during the summer, please try to apply your ideas when possible with youth from
your neighborhood, at a local public library or parks department facility, (they will often be glad to sponsor
community-based learning), or with students in another teacherʼs summer classroom in session.
Assignment #21:
Option A) Create at least one lesson plan that you could use based on an idea you learned from the book
used for this course. Describe the idea or essential question(s) you are employing, the grade level and
subject for which the lesson is intended, specifics for introducing the lesson, steps of the content, student
work requested, and expectation for gauging effectiveness.
OR
Option B) Reflect on the results of use of a strategy from this book, either one you have tried or hope to
try. Start by describing the strategy you employed (or hope to employ) and analyze the outcomes (real or
possible) with specifics.
OR
Option C) Analyze what reservations you think a teacher, administrator, parent and/or student might have
about using a strategy or issue advocated in this book. Describe why you think there is a reservation(s).
Create a response which acknowledges the reservation and presents information you have found in this
book or in additional reading you have done on this subject. (If you also have reservations, describe both
sides of the issue.)
500 LEVEL ASSIGNMENT
Assignment #22:
(500 Level Only)
In addition to the 400 level assignments, complete one of the following:
Option A) Create a presentation that could be given for a group of colleagues, based on your reading. It
can be in the form of a Power Point, or a “lesson plan.” The presentation should include a copy of any
handout(s) you will use. (If you ask for feedback, follow the “Peer Response as Part of Assignment
Response” directions in Choice #3.)
OR
Option B) Compare and contrast the material in this book with information you find in another book or
online research of articles. For online research, quote any important URL, write a summary of information
you found, and then compare/contrast with information in the book for this course.
OR
Option C) Do first hand interviews, including peer responses, of teachers/administrators in the district or
parent(s), student(s), or some other appropriate individual(s), and determine things like policy issues,
personal points of view, other important sources of information, and what does or doesnʼt work currently
in the area involved. Each interview event or individual response is rated as equivalent to three-four hours
of your work. How to do peer or interview response(s): -- use the following format:
a) Describe your interview questionnaire or topic you are presenting for peer review, and then
b) Post peer or interview response(s) to that assignment in the same response box. Use the
following format.
PEER RESPONSE or INTERVIEW RESPONSE
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Respondent(s) Name:
Relationship to you:
Date of response:
Comments of respondent (or summary of group response):
OR
Option D) Create an annotated bibliography of five or more books or articles related to the subject of your
course. The annotation should include Title, Author, Publisher (or URL), length of the book or article and
your review of information contained. Add your opinion of the value or your criticism of the contents of
each book or article, and rate the importance of the material in contrast to the subject of your course.
C.
INTEGRATION PAPER
(Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Assignment #23:
Complete the requirements for university quarter credit by submitting a final Integration paper (1-2 pages).
A heading is required; please use the following format.
Your Name:
Date:
Course Name:
Course Number:
Number of Credits:
Level: (400 or 500)
Advisorʼs Name:
Respond online to each of the 5 questions below. (First list the question and then write your answer)
1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:
Be sure to mark the “All Assignments Completed” section in the online course environment to
notify the instructor that you have completed the course.
Upon receiving notification of your completion of all course assignments, your instructor will provide final
written comments in the HOL online environment.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:
Mary Ann Johnson, M.Ed Adm. has worked with students of all levels, from alternative high school to
gifted classes. She has also been a junior high vice principal and is now working with teachers for
continuing education in classes, distance learning and building leadership groups.
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