The Focal Point
January 2013
Neuroscience in Schools
Recent advances in neuroscience—from detailed scans of the brain to ongoing research on
teaching methods that increase cognitive development—have ushered in a new era of “brainbased” education. A new understanding of the brain is increasingly being linked to increases in
student achievement in the elementary grades. Researchers and educators alike have
discovered that the human brain is not simply hard-wired from early childhood. Kurt Fischer, a
neuroscience researcher at the Harvard Education School, points to one of the most important
discoveries. “There’s been a big change in our understanding of the brain: It is more plastic
than anybody realized,” “We’ve made great gains in the last 15 years, and they’re
accelerating. We now have the ability to improve kids’ capacity to learn.” One of the hottest
research areas for early learners in cognitive science is focused on the development of
executive function skills, or those skills that enable us to control impulses, make plans and stay
focused and accomplish our goals.”
From: Neuroscience in Schools, Improving learning capacity for young students.
By: Ron Schachter, District Administration, Dec 2012
January Calendar
January 5 – County Science Fair Registration ENDS
January 8 - General Principals’ Meeting, Board Room, 9 a.m.
January 10 - Enriched Math 4th & 5th grade Team Meeting, Tomahawk, Library, 4:30 p.m.
January 12 – National Board Certification Meeting, HHS Library, 9:00 a.m.
January 15 – Read 180 PLC at South Middle School, 3:15 p.m.
January 16 – School Data Teams, First Two Hours of the School Day at each School Building
January 18 & 19 – County Science Fair, Martinsburg High
January 22 – Primary Parent Teacher Conferences
January 23 – Intermediate Parent Teacher Conferences
January 24 – Middle School Parent Teacher Conferences
January 29 – Elementary Math Field Day, Musselman High School
January 30 – Middle School Math Field Day, Musselman High School
January 31 – High School Math Field Day, Musselman High School
Page Two
January
Teaching Tips
Brain-based Strategies
Training teachers in brain-based education include understanding that the brain is social
and develops better in concert with other brains; that the search for meaning comes through
patterning; and that learning engages the whole body. Much of learning “does not happen
unless you are active, not by passively watching television or listening to a teacher lecture.”
That activity—which can range from doing a puzzle to manipulating objects in the surrounding
environment to physically moving the body—engages the neo-cortex, the outer layer of the
brain responsible for such functions as cognition, problem solving, and abstraction. A lesson
may cover a reading passage, a science exercise, or a way of doing math problems, but being
able to mentally organize and then verbalize that what is learned makes a big difference in the
students’ learning. “The more parts of the brain they engage, the better their chance of
remembering the lesson.” Teachers should take a multi-sensory approach, the better to
activate the brain by: presenting content in various colors, playing music in the classrooms
and having young students sing the alphabet song or even adding a kinesthetic dimension by
having students write the letters of the alphabet in shaving cream. Teachers can then focus on
moving student brain activity from the limbic region (the seat of those angry or unhappy
feelings) to the pre-cortex, with its abilities to solve problems and retain learning.
From: http://www.districtadministration.com/article/neuroscience-schools
Instructional Updates
The Solution Site is home to hundreds of problem based, thematic K-12 units for 21st
century classrooms. It is found on the WVDE website under educator and then lesson plans.
The site contains K-12 lesson plans that give students active involvement in their learning. This
site is unique in the fact that all lesson plans are solely created by teachers who know the best
way to integrate technology in classroom.
Find solutions and resources that bring learning
and 21st century skills to life. The Solution Site was developed by The EdVenture Group, a
501©(3) organization and it's partners. It was made possible through the WV TurnKey
Solution, a U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant.
http://www.thesolutionsite.com/
Kudos Corner
Kudos to those principals who were in the spotlight for the December Meetings: Trent
Sherman, Martinsburg High, and Todd Cutlip, Burke St. Elementary School. Kudos to the
December Spotlighted Teachers: David DeStefano, Martinsburg High, Macy Alwin, Hedgesville Middle
School, Michelle Mullinax, Orchard View Intermediate, Julian Pfund and Gina Pratt, Back Creek Valley
Elementary. Thank you for your willingness to share your “best practices” with your colleagues!
Kudos to the December ACE: Amy Fultineer, fifth grade teacher at Orchard View Intermediate.