Monday, November 4, 2019

Module 1, Discussion 1

The human brain, “Everything we do, every thought we've ever had, is produced by the human brain. But exactly how it operates remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries, and it seems the more we probe its secrets, the more surprises we find. Neil deGrasse Tyson”

            Research on the brain and how it works and learns has been a study in education that continues today.  In Orey under a Cognition, we learn that the brain is responsible for cognition.  The brain is responsible for memory and learning.  Instruction needs to be directed to how the brain works, this also requires differentiation in how we teach so that students can learn in the best way possible.  Science and educational research have proved that not everyone learns the same. 
            An article on Edutopia.org talks about the Neuroscience of Motivation.  Motivation is a desire to learn and learning is a product or facilitated by the brain.  This article discusses what motivation is possible, such as intrinsic motivation that is promoted by the release of dopamine in the brain.  My query is this, why does the brain have a need to learn?
            There are a lot of technology apps and hardware items with software available now.  There is so much learning being done on a screen that it has rewired our brains and how we learn.  It is disturbing to me as to how much we put our small children in front of a screen to learn.  On a personal note, there needs to be a balance.  Children learn differently but the screen is not the only way to teach.  In my high school classroom students have the option of a physical textbook or the online text.  I encourage them to find the one that works best for them.
            Something that I wonder about is what many call muscle memories.  From all the things that I have learned in my life, why do memories and actions come easily?  Why am I not conscience of accessing the memories from learned experiences to help me do things like, read, type, drive?  Brain science and how the brain learns is very intriguing to me.
            Through technology (old or new) the brain learns.  As the brain learns it gets curious about how to learn more.  As the brain learns more it keeps creating new technological tools for humans to use.  It reminds me of what came first, the chicken or the egg.  Without the brain, we could not learn, but without learning new things the brain does not develop. 
            When I work with a student one on one, or even in groups, I must remind myself that they do not learn the same way I do.  I am so aware of this because I have a grown son on the Autism Spectrum, where my daughter is not on the Spectrum.  The brain is a magical thing and it intrigues me to know more.  Personally, I want to find that balance between technologies so that all my students learn.

References

Orey, M. (2010). Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Zurich, Switzerland: The Global Text Project .
Willis, J. (2019, September 30). BRAIN-BASED LEARNING. Retrieved from Edutopia.org: https://www.edutopia.org/article/maintaining-students-motivation-learning-year-goes




 #6771 #EDUC6771

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