Bodybrain Partnership - Emotion and Movement

The two aspects of the bodybrain partnership - they are critical to classroom!

Emotion

Drives attention - which drives learning - which correlate with memorization and problem solving.

Research?

Dr. Maclean was the first to make clear emotions affect brain functions such as memory and behavior.

But, he was wrong to think we operated mostly from the cerebral cortex.

NOW, we know that emotions are a function go the entire bodybrain partnership.

Emotions filter input!

Gender Differences with Emotions

Emotions - both positive and negative are processed differently depending on the gender.

Boys and emotion:

Don't share girls motivation for wanting to please and complete tasks such as homework.

Stress improves their learning.

Enhances growth of neural connections.

Openly mean to one another.

The part of the brain where emotions are is not well connected to verbal processing.

Girls and emotion:

More likely to do homework, eager to please, more likely to understand adults perspective.

Stress inhibits their learning and has a negative affect on their test scores.

Will have silent fights that are smooth.

The part of the brain where emotions are connected to verbal processing are well connected.

How does this affect learning?

Different parts of the brain work together to solve situations, find long-term memories, coordinate brain functions, ect.

Long-term learning cannot take place if there is ever a sense of threat around because we are too focused on flight or fight responses.

Emotions in the classroom!

To have full sensory input from being there, allow students to take in sensory data from multiple sources.

Important to not have a sensory overload.

DO: Greet students at door for emotional temperature.

DO: Tap into power of emotion with collaborative learning, music, arts, ect.

Having more systems are engaged equates to memorable learning.

Do: Help anxious students by practicing breaking exercises.

Helps them refocus

DO NOT: Give new information in small discrete parts that do not allow students to see patterns.

Information Substances: What we Know!

What people attend to determines what we practice, therefore:

Less than 2% os neurological communication occur at the synapse... What does the rest go?

Most information is taken by the receptors at cell's surface.

How do these tie into learning?

Information substances allow body and brain to speak together, giving and taking information as needed.

The information substance peptides carry information that tell the brain what is worth attending to as well as the attitude with which one comes with.

Peptides also filer input of experiences, which will alternate perception of reality.

Emotions and bodily sensations are intertwined with one another.

Movement to enhance learning.

How has the body been seen in the past in regards to learning?

Seen as a vehicle that carries the brain to where it needs to go.

What does the research say?

Movement is fundamental for existence of the brain.

Movement is crucial to all brain function such as: memory, language abilities, emotions.

Exercise will kick start brain chemicals for forming new memories and learning new long-term memories.

Hindering half of the body brain relationship will affect the other side as well.

Moving around directly influences the ability to learn AND remember.

Movement with gender differences:

Girls and movement:

Focus more on concrete examples of things instead of movement.

Would rather focus on the question, "what is it?"

Boys and movement:

Boys on movement:

Their retinas work as a motion deterctor and focus more on movement of things. Boys usually ask the question, "Where is it going?"