The Brain
The Black Hole in Education
Pat Phillips
Andy Simmons
Some Exterior Parts of the Brain
The Roles of Exterior Portions
Frontal Lobes
Planning and thinking
 Rational control center
 Monitor higher order thinking
 Regulating the excesses of the
emotional system.
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The Roles of Exterior Portions
Temporal Lobes
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Deals with sound and music.
Face and object recognition.
Long term memory.
Houses speech centers.
The Roles of Exterior Portions
Occipital Lobes
Visual processing
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Parietal Lobes
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Spatial Orientation
Calculation
Types of recognition
The Triune Brain Theory
Neocortex
Limbic System
Reptilian Complex
The Triune Brain Theory
• The Reptilian Complex
– Consists of the Cerebellum and Brain Stem
– The Cerebellum is responsible for movement
– The Brain Stem controls “Fight or Flight”,
digestion, respiration, reproduction, circulation,
breathing
The Triune Brain Theory
• The Limbic System
– The limbic system was the second brain to evolve
– It houses primary emotions
– It houses the Amygdala which ties events to
emotions
– It houses the Hippocampus which converts
information into long term memory and memory
recall
The Triune Brain Theory
• The Neocortex
– It is the outer shell of our brain and takes up 5/6
of the volume
– It makes language, speech and writing possible
– It performs logical and operational thinking
– It allows us to see ahead and plan for the future
Fluid vs. Crystalline Intelligence
Fluid Intelligence
The hardware of the brain that determines
sheer speed and accuracy of information
processing
 Reaction time, Concentration, Working
Memory, Attention
Decreases with age
Is independent of socio-economic status
Crystalline Intelligence
The software of the brain that includes our
knowledge base and mastery of emotional
and social skills
Can increase with age
Is dependent on socio-economic status
Test Time
http://viscog.beckman.illinois.edu/flashmovie/15.php
Inattentional Blindness
• It allows us to perform higher order thinking
• We still process small inputs but on a
subconscious level
• ADHD students have difficulty with processing
out data
What it means for instruction
• Let the students know what the ultimate goal
or big picture is in the lesson
• Minimize inputs that aren’t part of the big
picture or goal of the lesson
Motivating the Unmotivated
Hypothalamus
Motivating the Unmotivated in
the classroom
•Tap into students seeking circuit
•Plan lessons that hold anticipation
•Provide curiosity
•Tap into student interests
Climate in the Classroom
Super Genius: Genetic or Made?
How to become a Super Genius
• Practice
• Practice
• Practice
Memory Superstars
• Used mnemonic strategy of memorization
• fMRI showed that superstars used the spatial
memory portion of their brain
• There was no structural difference in the
brains, the only difference was the areas they
used
• A 2007 study of master chess players showed
that IQ had no effect on ability, only time
spent playing and studying moves
Types of Memory
• Short Term Memory
– Immediate
– Working
• Long Term Memory
The Importance of Working
Memory
• Time Limits
• Capacity
• Meaning and Sense Making
– Emotion
– Past Experience
Long Term Memory and Storage
• Encoding
Retention
• Practice
• Guided Practice
• Rehearsal
Aha! Moments
• The left hemisphere does our everyday verbalreasoning processes
• The right hemisphere is our creative side
• fMRI studies show that when problem solving
a sudden spark of activity occurs in the right
hemisphere of the brain that activates novel
circuits in the left side of the brain
Training the Aha Process
Four Steps to Increase Creativity
• Focus on the problem for as long as you need
to understand it.
• Mentally put into words your implicit
assumptions. Write a summary of your
understanding.
• Make certain you understand what you must
do to reach a solution.
• What other ways can I envision this problem?
Connect each of the dots with four straight lines.
Lesson Planning and Organization
• Primary – Recency
Effect
• Concept Planning
• Short is Better
Primary – Recency Effect
Time Management
Things to Keep in Mind
• Fueling the Brain
• The Power of Sleep
• Exercise and movement
The Power of Sleep
Final Thoughts