The definition of neuroplasticity taken from Teaching with Poverty in Mind states, “neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience.” The more I think about this the more mind boggling it is! Since I’ve been in education a long, long time; I’ve always been taught there was no way to change the brain other than through trauma. With the definition of neuroplasticity and looking at research cited, there’s no end to what we can do to help students (and ourselves) continue to learn and improve. Students always learn new information, but I never realized it was actually changing the brain. I thought it was using a portion of the brain that hadn’t been used in the past. Everyone has the ability to learn new skills, through skill acquisition and practice, student brains can actually be changed. When money gets tight and programs are cut it is often-times the less academic areas that suffer. Looking at Stewart, 2008 research regarding music and how it changes higher-order associations would, I hope, make administration rethink cutting the arts from schools.
I would have to agree with you on some levels of your comment. At first I also thought how can this be. The brain once it is damaged or genetically altered is done. However, I am always believe that anything can happen. Therefore, it can't hurt to try and change the brains lobal systems. I have also learned that music can change the brain. Research has stated that individuals with Parkinson can actually have some relief from their tremors when they receive music therapy. So who knows the brain is an amazing tool.
Jerrie, I agree that this concept is mind boggling! It is amazing that learning new skills actually changes our brains. I also completely agree that cutting the arts from schools is a bad deal. I can't really understand those kinds of decisions.
According to Wickipidia neuroplasticity refers to changes in neural pathways and synapses which are due to changes in behavior, environment and neural processes, as well as changes resulting from bodily injury.[1] Neuroplasticity has replaced the formerly-held position that the brain is a physiologically static organ, and explores how - and in which ways - the brain changes throughout life.[2] As I read the section on neuroplaciticity and how it changes the brain, I was excited to thank that new research shows that the brains structure and organization can improve. Therefore, the temporal, parietal, and frontal lobes can be receptive to certain stimuli. This type of stimuli can cause come changes neurally. Therefore, creating an environment that can be stimulate your classrooms brain can potentially create new stimulation in the brain. It is important to always think how can this activity help my student learn and is it an activity that can create new brain activity.
I agree, it's exciting and a new way of thinking....how can I provide stimulation for my student's brains in my classroom that will create new brain activity.
I think that is a great mindset to have. So often teachers get into the mindset of "this is what I have to teach because it's in the standards." If we would change the focus to the students and find ways to make the learning meaningful to them, we wouldn't have to worry about students not retaining the information. Great ideas!
I agree, creating linkages to things kids already know and teaching them "how to learn" is every bit as important as the content. This concept drives that point home.
Neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. I think this is a really important piece of information for schools. The sentence from the book "Whether they are changing for better or worse depends heavily on the quality of staff at your school". If that statement doesn't motivate teachers to do their best, I don't know what will. The idea that learning new skills can increase brain processing speed and structural size is awesome, as is the statement about learning to play music. So sad that my school has no band program. I feel like I can much more than I ever thought to help some of my students - I mean, how cool to know that I can help them actually change their brains!
I agree, it is absolutely mind blowing to think so much is available for students to learn and grow. Some things I never realized really affect the brain a great deal!
Pretty motivational - to know we do have an impact on student's learning (their BRAINS!). And to teach them a love for learning that will hopefully continue a lifetime.
The concept of neuroplasticity tells us the the brain can change as we gain experience and new learning. It tells us that the brain is plastic in that it can be molded and changed as new pathways develop and new neural connections are made. It gives us hope for the students we work with and for ourselves as we age and need to keep our minds active. It tells us that children who are impoverished for experience when they show up in preschool or kindergarten do not have to remain so. As a psychologist, I've had the advantage of seeing kids when they entered school and seeing them when they left. Some of the kids who have had the work ethic to study hard have gone from being struggling readers to going on to college where their willingness to work hard served them well. As educators, we continually need to create environments that are positive and stimulating for students. I agree with Jerrie that money cut from enrichment programs could leave behind those children who come to school from less than enriching environments and I agree with Tammi that the brain is an amazing tool, one that we are only beginning to understand.
Yes,it will be interesting to see what happens with the budget cuts. It does seem that the arts and "non-essential" programs get cut first. My question is, who said that FACS classes, shop classes as well as the arts ar nonessential? Even the Athenians in 600 BC, taught music as well as the academics!
It is ironic that those classes that seem to enhance brain growth and stimulation are the ones that are being cut first from school programs. I've always felt that those kinds of hands on classes also give students a healthy dose of self-esteem as they learn some self sufficiency skills.
Neuroplasticity is our brain's selective organizing of connections between neurons. This idea means that intelligence is not fixed for kids at birth, but has the chance to change with with right support and experiences. As stated in Eric Jensen's book, there is research to proved that students given many types of interventions when they are young, can increase their overall intelligence. With the various control groups, many children did flourish with proper attention and supports, like Head Start. As an educator, this is promising to know that within my school day, I can provide many opportunities for my students to have the chance to build their connections within the brain. Targeting students who need this support is essential and also giving many different chances for hands on learning. It is quoted that Montessori type education does wonders for helping students and the impact is lasting into middle school.
That is interesting comment about Montessori. When I was involved with early childhood I thought Montessori was just a fad. Thanks for setting me straight. Quality early childhood programs are essential in this world where both parents work. And when they both don't or there is just one, other groups like Parents as teachers need to step up.
Rae Lynn- I appreciate your quote that we can also have a negative affect on the brain connections. It is true we focus so much on the positive we are trying that we sometime forget to analyze our methods to make sure they are not having a negative affect.
Tammi- In your response to Jerry you mentioned music therapy. I have not thought about including music into my day for awhile. Thank you for reminding me that in addition to art, music is another way to really support the brain.
I was also reminded of using music in the classroom, which I do not do. I am guilty of thinking that I have to make sure I teach EVERYTHING I think they need (or that the state thinks they need) and I forget to do things that will really help because I think there is not enough time. How would you guys use music in the classroom?
It is easy to forget to utilize the arts in the classroom when you have many other subjects to instruct which are tied to state testing. I like to use songs to provide opportunities to practice speech sounds, but I have worked with a child with autism who really liked classical music. It helped calm him down. Classical music would play in the background while he had his speech therapy session. It is also good for selective attention skills and providing background noise to help with listening skills.
What a mind altering thought, neuroplasticity! The ability of the brain to grow and change. I always felt the brain is an amazing organ and the more thoughts went in, they just shoved the older memories into the background. I never realized that the actual brain will increase. What opportunities we have to build, grow and stretch the human brain as we connect with our students. Teachers can't change everything that happens in a students life, but making that impression a positive experience will be lasting. Teachers have to be able to change. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Providing soft music, commenting on how well a student complied or behaved, and an inviting classroom are all areas that teachers can control.
I keep thinking about neuroplasticity and how it affects Alzheimers! If the brain can continue to grow and develop, what happens when we get old? I usually play soft music while students are working, but it wasn't for brain stimulation. I found out if I play the radio, students would listen to it while working and they seemed to focus more on their tasks.
It is amazing what neuroplasticity can achieve. As a speech-language pathologist, I have learned how the brain can change and neurons can be redirected to access different parts of the brain when the language centers of the brain have been damaged, in strokes, for example. It is simply amazing. I considered this to have more of an affect on the older population while providing speech therapy, but it is also important to consider while working with young children.
I usually play Mozart when the kids are testing because of the studies done with his music. Also, when we used to do paper/pencil state assessments in my classroom, I would play classical music constantly, esp. Mozart, so they would possibly link those familiar tunes to the posters displayed in my room to help them remember math/reading skills.
Neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. Our parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes are all receptive to specific stimuli that cause measurable neural changes. Our school can make sure to provide experiences that will allow our students to “grow their brain”. Providing a stable learning environment and trying to make sure that our student’s basic needs of food and shelter are met is a start. Explicit instruction would definitely enhance learning. I plan to incorporate more music and the other ideas for “growing” the brain into my classroom.
Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to chane asthe result of experience, negatiively or positively. Teachers and other professionals can use this to their advantage by providing intense instruction - teaching new skills and challenging students while still providing supports. Also, early intervention is important because the brain is so elastic and is more receptive to major rewiring from birth to the age of 5. Also, incorporating music into lessons would be a great way to teach children new skills while 'growing the brain'. I like to use songs while working on kids' speech sounds or to build vocabulary skills.
Incorporating songs and patterns is a great way to teach new vocabulary and concepts! I usually see this in younger grades, but all ages of students love music, even those at the high school level.
According to "teaching With Poverty In Mind," neuroplasticity means the ability to have regionally specific changes in the brain as a result of experiences and stimuli.In the classroom this means that we as educators have the chance to repair some of the damage done to students' brains by living in poverty.
~~Jerrie-- I agree about cutting the arts in schools. It is a travesty! There is a lot of research out there about how music and art help to enhance the brains' abilities in math an organization. They also give students an outlet to express themselves which in turn, can lessen anxiety and depression in many people.
~~Rae Lynn-- I agree it is so exciting to know that we have the opportunity to change their brains for the better.
I agree that we have a great opportunity to make a positive impact on children lives; especially that ones that are living in poverty. We just need to be creative on finding the right opportunities to provide to them.
Neuroplasticity - specific, regional changes of the brain as a result of experience and stimuli. Change can be positive or negative, global or localized. Educators should be "figuring out" how each student's brain works (through what stimuli they best learn) and support that when teaching new skills. Meeting their basic needs is essential to allow neurons to grow.
You are right-figuring out how each child learns best is the key to every child's learning. If we can tap into how they learn, then we can help them be successful.
“Neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience” (p. 47). The book mentions that whether students’ brains are changing for the good or for the better is heavily dependent upon the quality of a school’s staff. I think just knowing that information can be an advantage. It provides a research-based message of hope when some of these students walk in with the most un-hopeful backgrounds and situations. Understanding that we have the ability to actually do something to help change students’ brains, their learning, outlook on life, their future, etc. is very beneficial to everyone involved.
Rae Lynn~ I’m also saddened when schools come to the decision of getting rid of their art and music programs (Our school never offered an art program, and band was cut when I was in HS). I understand that they’re trying to do the best they can with what they have, and when it comes time to make cuts, math probably seems more important than music. I wonder, though, if people in the position to make these decisions understand how beneficial/vital the skills (i.e. attention, sequencing, processing, etc.) learned/applied through art and music are to an individual’s overall functioning.
Jerrie~ In reading your comments about how neuroplasticity affects Alzheimer’s, it reminded me of an example given in one of my college courses about its effect on stroke patients. The story in our book talked about a man’s father who had suffered a massive stroke, which basically left him with little to no motor abilities, no speech, nothing (I think he could blink, but that was about it.). The man’s son had heard about neuroplasticity from a friend, so began to do a lot of research on the matter, and essentially, started training his father to acquire all of his previously lost skills. At the time that book was written, the man’s father was in his 70s and a professor teaching English courses (I THINK that was the subject, but I could be wrong) at some university.
When my dad suffered his stroke, it totally affected his left side and so I was so glad to be able to use my special education training to help him get somewhat back to normal as he would start writing on the right sides of lines or just at a random spot on a card or piece of paper and with some work, I was able to help him relearn to start writing on the left and move to the right-basically relearning a skills that had been damaged by the stroke. So, I know a brain that has been damaged can relearn something with time and patience.
It never ceases to amaze me that we as humans have such a capacity to adapt to change. The brain is truly amazing in its ability to change and reorganize in order to help us function to the best of our ability. Synapses fire whether we want them to or not.
Neuroplasticity allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. To use this to my advantage, I would be very specific about the skills and strategies that I would implement at school. Hands on, concrete learning would be one thing I would implement, as much as possible.
Neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. One of the ways I think we can use this to our advantage is in early childhood programs. With early intervention, kids can come so far so quickly, when we're careful not to make huge inferences about their futures based on where we first see them.
Neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. If we provide a stimulating environment for all children, those affects from poverty can be reversed. This gives us hope that children can learn if given the right opportunities.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to allow region-specific changes to occur as a result of experience. Teachers can change the environment of their rooms to meet the needs of the children. They can also create experiences that help the brain make those changes that students need to better their levels of attention learning and cognition.
On page 49 when it talks about IQ being able to increase and that it's not "fixed", I fully believe this. Being from a small town where basically everyone knows something about someone else's family, when I get sped kids or even just seeing kids in the classrooms, I get really mad when I hear a colleague/community member say-well they are like that because they are from so-and-so's family. In my room, all the kids are treated like they can learn and I expect them to, not caring they are from some "family" who has problems. Along the same lines, when I have a parent that says little johnny has problems because I can't learn or whatever, I usually stop them and say, little johnny isn't you and that he can learn and so we are going to set our sights on him being the best in school that he can be and that if we set our expectations high, he probably will meet and hopefully exceed them. Sometimes it seems that the parents don't want their kid to be better than them and hold them back with their attitude and that really irritates me to no end!!! I know that IQ can change also because before I was a sped teacher I really wasn't good at math and I was a good reader, but because I have to use my brain everyday to reach each kid in all these different ways, I know my IQ has changed for the better. :)
Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to change due to experience. I like the idea of being able to change my brain as well as students. We could do this through art, music, puzzles, and brain teasers. I think it is a great idea to have students do creative activities to build and change their brains.
Linda - I agree we can't limit kids because of parents expectations or limitations. You are also right in that when we practice and learn new activities we improve our IQ's
Dana - You're right the earlier we can intervene on student's behalf the better chance they have.
The definition of neuroplasticity taken from Teaching with Poverty in Mind states, “neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience.” The more I think about this the more mind boggling it is! Since I’ve been in education a long, long time; I’ve always been taught there was no way to change the brain other than through trauma. With the definition of neuroplasticity and looking at research cited, there’s no end to what we can do to help students (and ourselves) continue to learn and improve. Students always learn new information, but I never realized it was actually changing the brain. I thought it was using a portion of the brain that hadn’t been used in the past. Everyone has the ability to learn new skills, through skill acquisition and practice, student brains can actually be changed.
ReplyDeleteWhen money gets tight and programs are cut it is often-times the less academic areas that suffer. Looking at Stewart, 2008 research regarding music and how it changes higher-order associations would, I hope, make administration rethink cutting the arts from schools.
I would have to agree with you on some levels of your comment. At first I also thought how can this be. The brain once it is damaged or genetically altered is done. However, I am always believe that anything can happen. Therefore, it can't hurt to try and change the brains lobal systems. I have also learned that music can change the brain. Research has stated that individuals with Parkinson can actually have some relief from their tremors when they receive music therapy. So who knows the brain is an amazing tool.
DeleteJerrie, I agree that this concept is mind boggling! It is amazing that learning new skills actually changes our brains. I also completely agree that cutting the arts from schools is a bad deal. I can't really understand those kinds of decisions.
DeleteAccording to Wickipidia neuroplasticity refers to changes in neural pathways and synapses which are due to changes in behavior, environment and neural processes, as well as changes resulting from bodily injury.[1] Neuroplasticity has replaced the formerly-held position that the brain is a physiologically static organ, and explores how - and in which ways - the brain changes throughout life.[2]
ReplyDeleteAs I read the section on neuroplaciticity and how it changes the brain, I was excited to thank that new research shows that the brains structure and organization can improve. Therefore, the temporal, parietal, and frontal lobes can be receptive to certain stimuli. This type of stimuli can cause come changes neurally. Therefore, creating an environment that can be stimulate your classrooms brain can potentially create new stimulation in the brain. It is important to always think how can this activity help my student learn and is it an activity that can create new brain activity.
I agree, it's exciting and a new way of thinking....how can I provide stimulation for my student's brains in my classroom that will create new brain activity.
DeleteI think that is a great mindset to have. So often teachers get into the mindset of "this is what I have to teach because it's in the standards." If we would change the focus to the students and find ways to make the learning meaningful to them, we wouldn't have to worry about students not retaining the information.
DeleteGreat ideas!
I agree, creating linkages to things kids already know and teaching them "how to learn" is every bit as important as the content. This concept drives that point home.
DeleteNeuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. I think this is a really important piece of information for schools. The sentence from the book "Whether they are changing for better or worse depends heavily on the quality of staff at your school". If that statement doesn't motivate teachers to do their best, I don't know what will. The idea that learning new skills can increase brain processing speed and structural size is awesome, as is the statement about learning to play music. So sad that my school has no band program. I feel like I can much more than I ever thought to help some of my students - I mean, how cool to know that I can help them actually change their brains!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is absolutely mind blowing to think so much is available for students to learn and grow. Some things I never realized really affect the brain a great deal!
DeletePretty motivational - to know we do have an impact on student's learning (their BRAINS!). And to teach them a love for learning that will hopefully continue a lifetime.
DeleteI agree, the arts seem to be the first things to go when we have a "back to the basics" movement, when they could help with the basics.
DeleteThe concept of neuroplasticity tells us the the brain can change as we gain experience and new learning. It tells us that the brain is plastic in that it can be molded and changed as new pathways develop and new neural connections are made. It gives us hope for the students we work with and for ourselves as we age and need to keep our minds active. It tells us that children who are impoverished for experience when they show up in preschool or kindergarten do not have to remain so. As a psychologist, I've had the advantage of seeing kids when they entered school and seeing them when they left. Some of the kids who have had the work ethic to study hard have gone from being struggling readers to going on to college where their willingness to work hard served them well. As educators, we continually need to create environments that are positive and stimulating for students. I agree with Jerrie that money cut from enrichment programs could leave behind those children who come to school from less than enriching environments and I agree with Tammi that the brain is an amazing tool, one that we are only beginning to understand.
ReplyDeleteYes,it will be interesting to see what happens with the budget cuts. It does seem that the arts and "non-essential" programs get cut first. My question is, who said that FACS classes, shop classes as well as the arts ar nonessential? Even the Athenians in 600 BC, taught music as well as the academics!
DeleteIt is ironic that those classes that seem to enhance brain growth and stimulation are the ones that are being cut first from school programs. I've always felt that those kinds of hands on classes also give students a healthy dose of self-esteem as they learn some self sufficiency skills.
DeleteNeuroplasticity is our brain's selective organizing of connections between neurons. This idea means that intelligence is not fixed for kids at birth, but has the chance to change with with right support and experiences. As stated in Eric Jensen's book, there is research to proved that students given many types of interventions when they are young, can increase their overall intelligence. With the various control groups, many children did flourish with proper attention and supports, like Head Start. As an educator, this is promising to know that within my school day, I can provide many opportunities for my students to have the chance to build their connections within the brain. Targeting students who need this support is essential and also giving many different chances for hands on learning. It is quoted that Montessori type education does wonders for helping students and the impact is lasting into middle school.
ReplyDeleteThat is interesting comment about Montessori. When I was involved with early childhood I thought Montessori was just a fad. Thanks for setting me straight. Quality early childhood programs are essential in this world where both parents work. And when they both don't or there is just one, other groups like Parents as teachers need to step up.
DeleteRae Lynn- I appreciate your quote that we can also have a negative affect on the brain connections. It is true we focus so much on the positive we are trying that we sometime forget to analyze our methods to make sure they are not having a negative affect.
ReplyDeleteTammi- In your response to Jerry you mentioned music therapy. I have not thought about including music into my day for awhile. Thank you for reminding me that in addition to art, music is another way to really support the brain.
I was also reminded of using music in the classroom, which I do not do. I am guilty of thinking that I have to make sure I teach EVERYTHING I think they need (or that the state thinks they need) and I forget to do things that will really help because I think there is not enough time.
DeleteHow would you guys use music in the classroom?
It is easy to forget to utilize the arts in the classroom when you have many other subjects to instruct which are tied to state testing. I like to use songs to provide opportunities to practice speech sounds, but I have worked with a child with autism who really liked classical music. It helped calm him down. Classical music would play in the background while he had his speech therapy session. It is also good for selective attention skills and providing background noise to help with listening skills.
DeleteI have a cd called "Relaxed Alertness" that I play when my students are doing independent work. They claim not to like it, but then they ask for it!
DeleteWhat a mind altering thought, neuroplasticity! The ability of the brain to grow and change. I always felt the brain is an amazing organ and the more thoughts went in, they just shoved the older memories into the background. I never realized that the actual brain will increase. What opportunities we have to build, grow and stretch the human brain as we connect with our students. Teachers can't change everything that happens in a students life, but making that impression a positive experience will be lasting. Teachers have to be able to change. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Providing soft music, commenting on how well a student complied or behaved, and an inviting classroom are all areas that teachers can control.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking about neuroplasticity and how it affects Alzheimers! If the brain can continue to grow and develop, what happens when we get old? I usually play soft music while students are working, but it wasn't for brain stimulation. I found out if I play the radio, students would listen to it while working and they seemed to focus more on their tasks.
DeleteIt is amazing what neuroplasticity can achieve. As a speech-language pathologist, I have learned how the brain can change and neurons can be redirected to access different parts of the brain when the language centers of the brain have been damaged, in strokes, for example. It is simply amazing. I considered this to have more of an affect on the older population while providing speech therapy, but it is also important to consider while working with young children.
DeleteI usually play Mozart when the kids are testing because of the studies done with his music. Also, when we used to do paper/pencil state assessments in my classroom, I would play classical music constantly, esp. Mozart, so they would possibly link those familiar tunes to the posters displayed in my room to help them remember math/reading skills.
DeleteNeuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. Our parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes are all receptive to specific stimuli that cause measurable neural changes.
ReplyDeleteOur school can make sure to provide experiences that will allow our students to “grow their brain”. Providing a stable learning environment and trying to make sure that our student’s basic needs of food and shelter are met is a start. Explicit instruction would definitely enhance learning.
I plan to incorporate more music and the other ideas for “growing” the brain into my classroom.
Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to chane asthe result of experience, negatiively or positively. Teachers and other professionals can use this to their advantage by providing intense instruction - teaching new skills and challenging students while still providing supports. Also, early intervention is important because the brain is so elastic and is more receptive to major rewiring from birth to the age of 5. Also, incorporating music into lessons would be a great way to teach children new skills while 'growing the brain'. I like to use songs while working on kids' speech sounds or to build vocabulary skills.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment on Early Intervention - so important to find these kiddos when they are young!
DeleteIncorporating songs and patterns is a great way to teach new vocabulary and concepts! I usually see this in younger grades, but all ages of students love music, even those at the high school level.
DeleteAccording to "teaching With Poverty In Mind," neuroplasticity means the ability to have regionally specific changes in the brain as a result of experiences and stimuli.In the classroom this means that we as educators have the chance to repair some of the damage done to students' brains by living in poverty.
ReplyDelete~~Jerrie-- I agree about cutting the arts in schools. It is a travesty! There is a lot of research out there about how music and art help to enhance the brains' abilities in math an organization. They also give students an outlet to express themselves which in turn, can lessen anxiety and depression in many people.
~~Rae Lynn-- I agree it is so exciting to know that we have the opportunity to change their brains for the better.
I agree that we have a great opportunity to make a positive impact on children lives; especially that ones that are living in poverty. We just need to be creative on finding the right opportunities to provide to them.
DeleteNeuroplasticity - specific, regional changes of the brain as a result of experience and stimuli. Change can be positive or negative, global or localized.
ReplyDeleteEducators should be "figuring out" how each student's brain works (through what stimuli they best learn) and support that when teaching new skills. Meeting their basic needs is essential to allow neurons to grow.
You are right-figuring out how each child learns best is the key to every child's learning. If we can tap into how they learn, then we can help them be successful.
Delete“Neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience” (p. 47). The book mentions that whether students’ brains are changing for the good or for the better is heavily dependent upon the quality of a school’s staff. I think just knowing that information can be an advantage. It provides a research-based message of hope when some of these students walk in with the most un-hopeful backgrounds and situations. Understanding that we have the ability to actually do something to help change students’ brains, their learning, outlook on life, their future, etc. is very beneficial to everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteRae Lynn~
I’m also saddened when schools come to the decision of getting rid of their art and music programs (Our school never offered an art program, and band was cut when I was in HS). I understand that they’re trying to do the best they can with what they have, and when it comes time to make cuts, math probably seems more important than music. I wonder, though, if people in the position to make these decisions understand how beneficial/vital the skills (i.e. attention, sequencing, processing, etc.) learned/applied through art and music are to an individual’s overall functioning.
Jerrie~
In reading your comments about how neuroplasticity affects Alzheimer’s, it reminded me of an example given in one of my college courses about its effect on stroke patients. The story in our book talked about a man’s father who had suffered a massive stroke, which basically left him with little to no motor abilities, no speech, nothing (I think he could blink, but that was about it.). The man’s son had heard about neuroplasticity from a friend, so began to do a lot of research on the matter, and essentially, started training his father to acquire all of his previously lost skills. At the time that book was written, the man’s father was in his 70s and a professor teaching English courses (I THINK that was the subject, but I could be wrong) at some university.
When my dad suffered his stroke, it totally affected his left side and so I was so glad to be able to use my special education training to help him get somewhat back to normal as he would start writing on the right sides of lines or just at a random spot on a card or piece of paper and with some work, I was able to help him relearn to start writing on the left and move to the right-basically relearning a skills that had been damaged by the stroke. So, I know a brain that has been damaged can relearn something with time and patience.
DeleteIt never ceases to amaze me that we as humans have such a capacity to adapt to change. The brain is truly amazing in its ability to change and reorganize in order to help us function to the best of our ability. Synapses fire whether we want them to or not.
ReplyDeleteNeuroplasticity allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience.
ReplyDeleteTo use this to my advantage, I would be very specific about the skills and strategies that I would implement at school. Hands on, concrete learning would be one thing I would implement, as much as possible.
Neuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience. One of the ways I think we can use this to our advantage is in early childhood programs. With early intervention, kids can come so far so quickly, when we're careful not to make huge inferences about their futures based on where we first see them.
ReplyDeleteI have seen so many success stories from early intervention-just wish more people understood the importance of it.
DeleteNeuroplasticity is the quality that allows region-specific changes to occur in the brain as a result of experience.
ReplyDeleteIf we provide a stimulating environment for all children, those affects from poverty can be reversed. This gives us hope that children can learn if given the right opportunities.
I believe this gives all teachers great hope for children. I agree we need to find the right opportunities for the children.
DeleteNeuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to allow region-specific changes to occur as a result of experience. Teachers can change the environment of their rooms to meet the needs of the children. They can also create experiences that help the brain make those changes that students need to better their levels of attention learning and cognition.
ReplyDeleteOn page 49 when it talks about IQ being able to increase and that it's not "fixed", I fully believe this. Being from a small town where basically everyone knows something about someone else's family, when I get sped kids or even just seeing kids in the classrooms, I get really mad when I hear a colleague/community member say-well they are like that because they are from so-and-so's family. In my room, all the kids are treated like they can learn and I expect them to, not caring they are from some "family" who has problems. Along the same lines, when I have a parent that says little johnny has problems because I can't learn or whatever, I usually stop them and say, little johnny isn't you and that he can learn and so we are going to set our sights on him being the best in school that he can be and that if we set our expectations high, he probably will meet and hopefully exceed them. Sometimes it seems that the parents don't want their kid to be better than them and hold them back with their attitude and that really irritates me to no end!!!
ReplyDeleteI know that IQ can change also because before I was a sped teacher I really wasn't good at math and I was a good reader, but because I have to use my brain everyday to reach each kid in all these different ways, I know my IQ has changed for the better. :)
Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to change due to experience. I like the idea of being able to change my brain as well as students. We could do this through art, music, puzzles, and brain teasers. I think it is a great idea to have students do creative activities to build and change their brains.
ReplyDeleteLinda - I agree we can't limit kids because of parents expectations or limitations. You are also right in that when we practice and learn new activities we improve our IQ's
Dana - You're right the earlier we can intervene on student's behalf the better chance they have.