Education

Myth 1

We use only 10% of our brain. If we could use 100% of it all the time, our memory and cognitive abilities would greatly improve

Even at rest, all networks show intrinsic activity and communication. Using all networks simultaneously would not boost intelligence; it would cause dysfunction. For example, attention networks and the default mode network are anti-correlated.

Myth 2

We are either “left-brained” or “right-brained.

Artists are not “right-brained” and mathematicians are not “left-brained.” All brains rely on both left and right hemispheres. Language is in the left hemisphere for most people.

what factors influence influence children’s learning ability

subdivided into long term and short term factors

children’s brains are very

plastic

how does our brain change throughout development

decreased brain matter

plastic brains

can form new connections between neurons, strengthen/weaken existing ones, and even reassign functions to different areas in response to experiences, learning, or injuries hence children are very good at learning new things

plasicity is important for

audition, language,social

you loose plasticity as you

age

critical period

when the brain is most plastic, important for medical intervention of diseases

cat experiment

sutured right eye closed for month and record neural signals. All the neurons only responded to the left eye and not the right 

however when they open them in critical period then the neurons were responsive to both

plasticity in the cochlear implant

cochlear implants are implanted before the critical period to prevent deafness or help them to hear

if it is implanted to late then it does not work. Best at 2 years of age. As they age to six (if it was implanted then) shows less improvement of hearing

language acquistion

when english immigrate to the states before age 7 they are up to par english speakers

As they get older, the mastery of English is less because they have passed the critical period of language

why do we lose plasicity as we age

it important to master the skills that we learn hence plasicity has to reduce

adolescent vs adult brain

when you social separate mice at adolscents and adults the adults are able to interact with other mice when reintroduced by the adolescence cannot because their brain has been permanently affected in adulthood. 

different brain regions have distinctive

critical period

Sensory= earliest

motor and language= middle

higher cognition= later in life

long term

Children’s brains are highly plastic, and each brain region has its own distinct critical period. • Understanding these critical periods is essential for choosing the best timing for interventions, including medical treatments and educational support.

short term day to day

sleep, exercise, curiosity

sleep

activity of the hippocampus decreases and encoding memory takes a longer time

exercise

increase exerise lead to increase volume of the hippocampus after one group exercised for a year and the other group was sedentary for a year

boosts BDNF which helps promote neurogenesis in the hippocampus

curiosity

you learn things faster when you are curious about it

Showed increased activity nucleus accumbens and substania nigra and ventral tegmental area.

curiosity benefit learning

Recall and recognition accuracy increased when answers were things people were more curious about

stress impacts

emotion regulation, motivation, attention

emotion regulation

medial prefrontal

amygdala

motivation

medial prefrontal- ventral tegmental area

attention

lateral prefrontal and parietal

mindful mediation can

reduce stress, improve attention and improve connectivity between many parts of the brain

parts of the brain affected by meditation

anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex or precuneus, multiple prefrontal regions, medial prefrontal cortex, striatum, amygdala, and insula

short term

Taking care of daily conditions such as sleep, exercise and stress are essential for effective learning. • As educators, it's important to focus not only on the curriculum but also to adopt a more holistic approach that considers overall well-being.

students learn best

when instruction matches their “preferred learning” styles

no statistical difference within the data

Study failed to find a significant relationship between auditory or visual learning style preference and comprehension.

ASD

education comes into play to help improve learning for ASD

children with autism

with autism have decreased structural brain connectivity within sensory processing regions.

disconnect in corpus callosum and right and left lateral occipital lobes

sensory integration

exposure to sensory stimulus to reduce effect of sensory stimuli

information processing

ASD are more interested in their niches so this can be utilized in an experiment

correct= something they are interested in

incorrect= somethin they are not interested in typically a social cue

ASD kids have higher

caudate nucleus activity for things concerning themselves with reward while neurotypical kids have it with social cues

incorporating interests can help

improve learning

How can we use neuroscience for standard education?

Children's brains are plastic, with each brain region having its own distinct critical period. Understanding these critical periods is essential for choosing the best timing for interventions, including medical treatments and educational support. • Taking care of daily conditions such as sleep, exercise and stress are essential for effective learning. As educators, it's important to focus not only on the curriculum but also to adopt a more holistic approach that considers overall well-being.

How can we use neuroscience to personalize education for neurodiverse students?

Using a solid understanding of children's information processing abilities, rather than relying on their subjective preferences, is essential for supporting their learning. • Harnessing children’s individual curiosity can be a powerful way to enhance brain plasticity and benefit learning.