Warmup

 If you need 3.5 pounds of apples to make a quart of applesauce, how many quarts of applesauce will you make from a bushel (48 pounds) of apples?

Warmup

 If there are 3 apples in a pound and 48 pounds of apples are in a bushel, how many apples are there in a bushel

Cool Math Stuff At Getty Villa

 As you read this column, I am in Los Angeles area going to a weekend full of educational things.  As part of the offerings, we could pay a bit extra and enjoy a tour of the Getty Villa.  I'd never been there but I found so much math stuff there that it was great. I've chosen some wonderful pictures showing certain mathematical concepts or principles.

As you enter, there is a great garden area that is symmetrical.  The symmetry runs down the middle of the water area so the left and right sides are the same.  If there is a grape vine covered walkway on the left, there is another one on the right.  So very nice. The photo is taken from the end and side so you can see both.

Every garden that was built around the  villa is totally symmetrical.  They usually have one line of symmetry running the long way as if you could fold it in half.

Then along the walkways running along the edge of the garden at the beginning are several wonderful patterned squares with so many nice geometric  patterns. There are four different squares that repeat at least twice in the walk way on each side of the garden.

If students every wonder when they will have to read Roman numerals?  I found some at the entrance and exit of every room.  The rooms are numbered with roman numerals so it was really cool.

I found some really cool floor patterns that were made of repeated patterns such as this cool one which uses a bunch of Isosceles triangles repeated to form a circular pattern.  Following them are other interesting patterns I found throughout the villa.

I spent so much time oohing and awing over the symmetry, patterns, and Roman numerals I saw throughout the whole building.  Have a great weekend.  

What Are Some Of The Benefits Of Using Technology To Teach Math

 

I love using technology in my classroom and I am always able to provide reasons for using it to the administration should they ask.  Yes, I've had one or two administrators ask why I used it because they didn't see the advantages of technology.

First of all, there are so many videos, animations, movies, and other multimedia presentations available to use in the classroom.  These types or presentations allow students to review sections as many times as needed to develop understanding and skills.  They are also great for students who are absent or traveling and need to keep up with class.

Furthermore, students are often more engaged and excited when viewing multimedia presentations because they might involve raps, music, puppets, cartoons, etc which tend to be the type of videos students like watching.  When they find these presentations capture their attention, they are more likely to go back and review the material as needed and they are willing to watch new ones as they come up.

Many presentations are interactive, allowing students to explore topics to help learn.  Research indicates it is important to student learning to make mathematics visual because visual pathways in the brain are involved when working with symbolic number calculations. If possible, it is important to provide visual representation for all mathematical concepts either through multimedia games, apps, simulations or other digital tools.  For middle and high school students, Desmos or Geogebra provide some wonderful visualizations and activities. Desmos has so many activities designed to let students explore concepts, share and collaborate.  

If you want to provide more individualize instruction, technology allows this to be done.  Students can be assigned tutorials, videos, screencasts, and other instructional media to their digital device so they can work through the material at their own pace.  It is easy to assign addition support material to a student who is having trouble with the concept while extensions can be given to the more advanced student.  There are several sites that provide instruction, quizzes, work, and reinforcements so each student can have their needs met.

It is much easier to find real life examples to connect math to the real world.  It can be done by recording things on your phone and having students watch the video and have a question to answer. For instance, if you are looking at rates per unit, you might record something in the cheese department of the grocery store showing several different brands and asking students which one is the best price.

Technology also allows teachers to set up zoom or google meets with architects, bank managers, construction workers and others so the guest can discuss how they use math and the type of math they actually use in their jobs.  Students are hearing from real people who use math in real life situations while being able to interact by asking questions.  Talking to people is much better than reading general articles on the internet because articles don't interact with the student.

So these are some reasons one should use technology in the math classroom.  I realize that some places have limited internet bandwidth and you might not be able to do everything you want but you do as much as you can.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Want Deeper Learning, Think About Interleaving.

 

Unfortunately, too many times, we have students learn one skill or concept at a time.  Due to the demands of the administration and others, we don't always have time to provide the time to practice the skills in such a way as to help them use them all.  What is better is to have students practice related ideas and concepts in various combinations.  This is referred to as interleaving.

When students practice the information via interleaving, they are more likely to store the topics and concepts more deeply, while asking them to figure out patterns, and form connections.

When students learn the material through interleaving, research indicates better retention, longer term skill development, and it promotes the ability to transfer learning to other contexts.  The transference is extremely important for students to move past the mindset that every problem is different and unique.  

In addition, students are forced to remember prior learning as they work through a mix of related concepts while selecting the proper strategy needed to solve each problem.  This method helps secure the learning in long term memory, improves problem solving skills, and improve mastery.  It does not replace the blocked practice where students practice lots of practice when first learning a skill.

When integrating interleaving into classroom instruction there are a few things that can be used to make it more effective.  First, when using interleaving, it is best to assign fewer problems because lots of the same type of problems are actually used when students learn the original skill such as when they learn addition, they will practice a ton of addition problems. When students have learned how to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, then interleaving occurs when all four types of problems are assigned, the teacher might assign 20 problems instead of 30.  When students work mixed problems, they have to slow down, think about how to solve each problem, and make connections between the problems.  It is important to have fewer mixed problems to avoid mindless repetition.

Another way to integrate interleaving is by using rotating stations. This allows students to work through different related concepts in small groups with teacher lead instruction to scaffold as needed, online or collaborative activities. It is suggested that the first stations introduce students to related concepts at the introductory levels and later stations have students working more complex problems. For instance, if students are studying volume of three dimensional shapes, the first stations will have students explore the formulas for the simpler shapes. They would then move to the more complex formulas before applying the formulas to a mix of shapes.  They might have to calculate the volume of a cube, a cylinder, a different sized cube, a triangular prism, etc.  This helps students develop a longterm proficiency in this topic.

When you plan the next unit, think about incorporating activities which have students work with both the new and previous materials. This helps students understand connections of related ideas, refresh knowledge, and it extends their learning. Finally when wrapping up a unit, do not just move on.  Make sure to include a few problems from previous learning every day so as to regularly trigger previous learning.   This can be done in the warm-up or as an exit ticket.  

It is important to include mixed problems so students are encouraged to practice a type of productive struggle resulting in better learning.  Although students will make mistakes and will struggle, it will result in better pathways being created in the brain.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great week.

Warmup

 If this is the net for a six sided dice or cube, what would the net look like for a four sided dice or a triangular prism?

Warmup

Estimate the number of cubes in the picture and explain how you came up with your estimation.

Paradoxes In Teaching

The other day, I stumbled across an article that addressed the issue of what is good teaching designed to raise scores versus good teaching designed to engage students and they are not the same.  Many people thing the best teachers are the ones who have students whose achievement scores go up every year, while others think a good teacher is able to fully engage their student but are either ones really the best?

To address the issue two researchers addressed the issue by examining 53 teachers in fourth and fifth grade classrooms across four districts along the East Coast. They looked at student achievement scores in math and compared them with the results of surveys filled out by the students. 

Students were asked to fill out a survey which asked them how satisfied they were with the class much like consumers do when they fill out surveys on their satisfaction. Students indicated if they enjoyed the class, found it a place that made them fill sad or angry, whether they enjoyed the teacher or the math class.  In other words how satisfied they were with the class itself.

Researchers discovered there was an interesting dichotomy with the results.  The teachers who helped students raise their achievement scores received lower student evaluations while the teachers who received high student evaluations were not able to raise student achievement scores.  So basically, the teaching methods that raise student scores are not the same ones used to engage students in the classroom.

No one is sure why this is. The people who studied this question, watched hours of videotaped lessons of these elementary teachers.  What they discovered is that the teachers who prepared and delivered lessons that were more cognitively demanding had students who had better results.  These cognitively demand lessons pushed students beyond processes into complex understanding results in higher achievement scores.  Unfortunately, many feel that the more cognitively demanding lessons often results in students who are not as engaged in learning.

Learning is hard work because students don't always like making mistakes and trying to figure out where they made the mistake. They are frustrated at the times when they are doing the most learning.  Few of the 53 teachers who participated in the study were able to combine cognitively demanding lessons with high student engagement.  These teachers had certain things in common.  They incorporated a lot of hands on activities with students often working together in collaborative groups of two or four. They also had students use tactile objects to help solve problems or play games.

In addition, their classrooms were filled with routines.  They set clear cut rules of behavior and expectations at the beginning of class, while using routines to maintain efficiency and order. Most of the time teachers did spend on misbehavior involved simple redirections which did not interrupt the flow of learning. Furthermore, they were able to pace the lesson while understanding the attention span of their students. 

This experiment took place in 2012 but they tracked students afterwards to see how they did in upper grades.  The students who had teachers who were able to engage them while raising achievement scores  did well much later in their educational career with fewer absences.  Those who had teachers who were less engaging but helped raise their scores also did well in the upper grades but the long term benefits faded more. 

I found this article really interesting because I've always wondered how to teach the way I want while engaging students and this article gave me some solid suggestions.  Let me know what you think and I hope you have a great weekend.

QR codes

 

I love using QR codes in class because they can be used for so many things and the majority of my students have a phone. The QR codes is a great way to share information between student and teacher, direct students to a specific web page, or share answers.  In addition, the only thing a student or teacher needs beside the digital device such as a phone, is the appropriate QR reader.

One of the ways I love using QR codes is when I have to send work home, I include a QR code in the corner.  The QR codes provides the answers so students can check their work.  If I want to provide a bit more, I put a second QR code that sends students to a website containing videos that show how to do the problems.

If I am absent, I love using QR codes to send students to the site where I've placed the videos they are expected to watch.  Sometimes I make the video, sometimes it is one that is made for someone else.  Either way, I can create the QR code and place it on a wall or in the classroom site online.  Furthermore, I can send the QR code home to parents so parents know where to send their children for additional explanations or tutorials.  

QR codes can be used to make word walls more interactive.  The QR code can provide definitions, links to videos or websites that provide more information on the word, or either teachers or students can create content via Adobe Voice or other program and the video is then attached to something like Aurasma so when scanned with a QR code it pops off the poster.  Furthermore, QR codes can be used to share student work with others to show their understanding.  A program such as QRStuff allows people to make QR codes with links to videos, websites, pdf files, and so many other types of content.  It is also free.

QR codes can also be used to create calendars so students know due dates, assignments, extra help, links, and so much more.  If you have assigned a project, you can use a QR code to direct students to examples of A, B, C, and D work so they know what they need to do if they want a certain grade.  In addition, the QR code can be used to link students to the appropriate rubric so students don't have to worry about losing their copy.

If you do stations, you can use QR codes for each activity or station.  The QR code contains the instructions for the activity and information on the activity itself.  The QR code can also provide links to the worksheet, video, website, or instructions for the activity.  Furthermore, QR codes can be used for warmups or exit tickets.  If you link the question to multiple choice answers, students choose one answer or they can create a QR code with their answer.

QR codes can also direct students to quizzes, forms, or polls that can be used as part of the class.  If you set up several QR codes around the room, students have the opportunity to get up and walk around so they get movement.  In addition, if you have students who have difficulty starting their discussion, use the QR codes to provide sentence stems that can be used to begin the conversation.

Make the gallery walk a bit more interactive by setting up papers around the classroom.  Each paper should have a QR code that leads to a question about say a graph.  Students read the question about the graph and they answer it on the answer sheet they have.  Or you could set QR codes around the room, each code has a different problem.  Students work the problems out on an answer sheet before moving on to the next problem.

Finally, use QR codes on a choice board so each QR code has information on what they need to do.  If you are wondering, you can use QR codes to help students carry out group discussions, collaborative activities, and so much more.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day. 

Still In Transit

 

Still traveling home. Back on Wednesday with ways to use QR codes,

Warm-up

 If one coconut produces 10 ounces of dried coconut, how many coconuts do you need to produce 25 pounds of dried coconut?

Warm-up

If you have 23 coconut trees on your property and each tree produces 34 coconuts, how many can you harvest in a year. 

Overcoming Summer Learning Loss

In a month or two, students will be returning to school and it is well known, at least to most teachers, that students lose some of what they've learned over the summer.  It has been observed that a student starts the new year at a lower achievement level than at the end of the previous year. This is often referred to as summer learning loss, summer setback, or summer slide and this is not a new phenomena. It was first noticed as far back as 1906.  

Research indicates that students lose up to a month's worth of learning during summer holidays but the scores declined more for math than reading, and students lost more in the upper grades of school. Furthermore, it appears the amount of loss in reading is more in the lower socioeconomic groups than say in the middle class but there is no difference for math.

One theory on why students in the lower socioeconomic groups suffer higher losses has to do with the resources available.  In school, everyone has access to books, the internet, and information but once summer arrives, many of those same students lose their access to books, etc and their parents are unable to provide the financial and Human Resources that students from higher income families have access to and thus they lose less information.

Historically, school leaders, educators, and policy makers have used traditional summer school programs to help reduce the amount of summer loss however it was concluded that it worked well for middle income students but not as well for lower income students but they aren't sure whether it's because the programs found used by the middle income students were of higher quality or if the interaction between school and home worked better together for this group versus the lower income students.

For reading programs used over the summer, the programs which benefitted students most are the programs whose instructional strategies are identified as best practices by a group such as the National Reading Panel which caused the most growth in reading. Furthermore, research also suggests that students  who have the most gain are the ones who attend consistently, and spend time on the academic tasks.  It was also found that when schools sent texts and messages home to parents, students did better.  The messages included information on resources available to students, activities to do with the children, and information on learning activities being done at school.

Although they may not have looked at math programs, it seems that the came criteria of instructional strategies being classified as best practices combined with consistent attendance, and students who spend time on academic tasks could easily be applied to summer math programs since summer learning loss occurs with both reading and math.

It is important for school districts to address summer learning loss, especially since students have had to struggle with interruptions in learning due to COVID. This is so that the gaps in learning are not as great, and students don't lose what they accomplished over the previous year.  When creating a program, use an evidence based program, include hands on based or recreational activities in addition to the academic content, make sure the program chosen includes enough time to work on each task and encourages consistent attendance, while hiring effective teachers.  

For most districts, summer school is probably done and over with but the information can be used for next summer.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.  Have a good weekend.

Using Flow Charts To Solve Problems In Math.

Over the years I've been teaching, I realized that some students are unable to follow written directions that are listed in the step by step manner. You know the ones where you write step 1, step 2, etc.  So I've thought about using flow charts but up until recently, I'd been unable to figure that out.  

I first ran into flow charts in when I took some computer classes in college. We used flow charts to figure out how to set the program up from start to finish.  It allowed us to identify when we needed to do this or that depending.  It was quite helpful. 

In math, flowcharts provide a visual framework for students so they can follow the steps in a process. Flowcharts are designed to provide guidance and information just by looking at the shape of the cell.  Ovals represent the start and finish of the process and contain associated information.  Rectangles are for processes or actions such as operations or calculations. Diamonds are reserved for yes or no questions such as "Is there a fraction?". The yes sends you one way, the no sends you another way.  All shapes are connected by arrows which guide the students directionally through the chart.

Each step in the chart represents a step in the problem or something one must look at to decide where to do next.  For instance, if you are adding fractions, you might start with checking to see if the fractions have the same denominators, if yes, then go on to the next step, if no, you would go the the part that helps them find and set common denominators.  Each step would guide students through the process of adding fractions.

When you start using flow charts in math, you will have to teach the students how to use them.  It is suggested you take a problem and write out all the steps on the board, next to a flow chart showing the same problem with all the decisions that are needed but not usually shown in the steps.  This is so students can see how the two relate and how the flow chart works.

Once you've shown them how to use the flow charts, give them some practice problems so they can try it but make sure the first problems show how you do it step by step using the flow chart or is set up so all they have to do is fill in the numbers just like you fill in words from the word bank. Once they understand how to read a flow chart, they can use one to solve the same types of problems so they see how the chart can be used for groups of problems rather than having a flow chart for every single problem.

After they learn to use a flow chart, it is time to teach students how to create their own flow charts to use with any problem. To do this, they need to read through the problem, determine the specific steps needed to solve it, and determine any places that will require a decision. Once they have all this, they can create the flowchart to use for that type of problem.

Although we might think of using flow charts in middle or high school grades, I think they could easily be used in elementary grades to help those students who might need a different way of presenting the math.  The flow charts wouldn't be as complex for the earlier grades but the flow charts would gain in complexity as they got older.  

This is a nice way for students to learn to solve math problems with a nice clear algorithm to follow.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day. 

Ways To Do Retrieval Practice Correctly.

It is said that students need to practice the material and practice it correctly.  In the same vein, it is as important for students to carry out their retrieval practice correctly so today, I'm sharing seven ways you can integrate retrieval practice into your daily routine.  In addition, one can use these techniques for vocabulary, solving regular problems or word problems, or even prepare for the once a year high stakes practice.  

For students to learn the material so they retain it, they have have to get exposure to it.  I once hear they should be exposed to the material over time but that might be a bit before, a lot during, and some after so they do not forget it. Retrieval practice meets the this criteria especially if it is done over time.

So lets look at some ways we can incorporate different ways of retrieval practice into the daily routine.  If you only have one activity for this, students will get bored so its nice to mix things up.  So one of the easiest ways is to choose a low stakes quiz or test.  A quiz lets the students know what they know and don't know so they can help build their weak areas.  I often end up with students who freeze when they take practice quizzes, so I will sometimes give a low stakes quiz disguised as something else.  I'll create a bunch of problems and place them around the room with answers but not for that problem.  They have to search for the answer and if they find the answer, they do the problem associated with it.  If they can't find the answer, they ask for help. Sometimes, I throw a few problems in during warm-up, check the answers, and repeat the same quiz the next day so they can try again on problems they missed.  Other times, I'll give them a regular "quiz" and let them check their answers against the answers I have posted around.  I give credit for completing the quiz and making corrections.

The next retrieval activity is the brain dump.  In the brain dump, students are given a few minutes to write down everything they can think of in regard to a topic, a process, or a specific question.  This tests their knowledge because it helps generate knowledge while creating better long term retention.  The activity can take five minutes and can be done at any time during the lesson.  In fact, this makes a great activity for journaling in math. A brain dump can be done either individually or it could be done collaboratively between students.

Another possible activity is by having students use flashcards and the key word in this is to use.  In addition to having students make their own flashcards, they should pull them out and go through the information on a regular basis. They should verbalize as much information as they can remember before turning the cards over.

A technique that might be new to you is hexagonal thinking.  Hexagonal thinking combines retrieval with elaboration.  This technique uses hexagonal cards, papers, or google slides to explore how ideas or concepts are connected. Specifically, students might label hexagonal cards with words and arrange the cards next to each other that are related.  They would then attach arrows indicating the connecting spots and then students explain the connection in writing.  In math, students might be asked to look at the process of solving problems with algebraic fractions and show the connections to the rules used for solving problems with regular fractions.  I hope to cover this one in more detail later in the month.

Create concept maps on a regular basis since concept maps are a visual way for students to connect and articulate what they know about a certain concept or topic. The main topic is in the center box or circle and then connected to other topics via a line.  The connecting line might have a clarifying word on it such as type or operation, or whatever. Concept maps allow students to make rich meaningful connections.  

Of course, one can use the jigsaw method which helps students retrieve and process the information before teaching it to their peers. Begin by dividing students into small groups of four to six people.  Assign each student a small piece of the topic and give them time to look it up and research it so when they come back together, each person will teach the others their portion.  At the end of the activity, ask the group some tough questions or have the groups quiz each other.

Finally is the Think, Pair, Share Activity.  Ask students to individually list as many things as they can about a particular concept, topic, or type of problem. Once they've finished this, have them pair up and share their answers with each other. 

It is important to provide opportunities for students to practice retrieval so they move the information from short-term to long term memory.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.  

Warmup

 

If there are 3.25 cups of blueberries to a pound and you need 6 cups of blueberries for a pie, how many pounds of blueberries do you need to make 6 pies for school?

Warm-up

 If there are 3.25 cups of blueberries in one pound, how many cups will you have if you pick 22 pounds of blueberries?

Spaced And Retrieval Practice

 As a teacher, I am always looking for research based instruction so I know I am doing everything I can to help my students learn. Both spaced and retrieval practice help students learn the material while giving them a sense of what they know and what they don't know.  

It is important for students to work with the material, think about it, so they retain the material better.  They shouldn't think about it for the first time during a test or they won't be able to retrieve what they need.

Retrieval practice is exactly what it sounds like.  Students retrieve the information from their memory.  It can retrieved by using a low stakes multiple choice assessment, a group discussion,  or an open ended question or problem.  It can happen at the beginning of class, as a transitional activity, or a way to end class.  

Students can use retrieval practice to determine what they know or don't know.  If they can answer questions, they know it but if they can't, it means they need to go back, review and practice the material. This helps them determine the holes in their learning and they don't realize their areas of weakness on the day of the test. 

For retrieval practice, they should try to use their brains to answer the questions.  If they rely on their notes, textbooks, or peer to provide the answer, then they don't really know the material and they are not practicing retrieving the material from their memory.  

Combine this with spaced practice which is the opposite of cramming. Spaced practice is spreading the practicing out over days and weeks or months.  They will learn better if they spend 15 minutes a day on the material for three days, rather than trying to do the same in a 45 minute period for one day. 

One way to help students do this is to create a chart.  The chart might be vocabulary, the steps needed to solve problem, or information that confuses students.  For the first step, students fill in the chart with as much information as they can pull from their memories. When they are done, ask them to highlight the answers in yellow.  Next, ask students to pull out their notes and use the notes to check and fill in more material.  Highlight these answers in orange. 

Finally, have them talk to each other and fill out any remaining information and then highlight this in blue.  A few days later, pass out the same chart to students and follow the same process as before.  Then about a week later, ask students to fill out the chart again. What most students find with this is that each time they do the activity, the amount of yellow increases and there is less orange and blue.  The increased amount of yellow shows students that they are remembering more information and having to rely less on their notes and peers.

There are other strategies one can use for retrieval and spaced practice but these are ones you can use in class quite easily.  I'll be providing addition strategies at another time.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great weekend.

How Does Memory Work?

 

How many times have we as teachers wondered why our students couldn't remember how to do something even though we just covered it or they seemed to know then, why not now? I don't think, I've ever had any professional development on this topic and I certainly never had any classes on it. So today I am discussing how the memory works in today's column simply because it is important to us so we can improve our teaching and their retention.

When we know how memory works, we can adjust our teaching methods to incorporate the knowledge so our students learn the material better. 

The first step to remembering is sensation. They have to sense the material which means they have to see it and hear it in the classroom but this doesn't always work because students and people in general only pay attention to what is going on about 50 percent of the time.  In addition, this step is quite fleeting.  Teachers need to create an atmosphere where they can sense the information such was having all the students face forward so they are facing the material.

The second step is for students to pay attention when the material is presented. If they don't pay attention, they won't get the information.  We refer to paying attention as being engaged. It is important to keep the classroom as free of distractions as possible and this includes having cell phones out of site.  The brain does not learn as well when it is trying to follow the presentation while trying to catch up on the latest twitter videos.

When students pay attention to the material being presented, the information is more likely to be encoded into the working memory but the working memory is not the long term memory. Working memory is more like a short term memory because how long the information remains, and how its processed is quire short. Your working memory is like a funnel because only so much information can make its way in without being lost.  If the design of the lesson is too complex or not explicit enough, students may not have enough space in the working memory to process it because they are focused on the wrong information.

The important step is to transfer the information from the working memory to the long term memory because the long term memory has fewer limits on the amount of information it contains and the length of time it retains the information.  Our goal as teachers is to help students shift the information into their long term memories. Unfortunately it does not automatically happen, certain things must happen for that to occur.  

Two of the best research based methods to help this happen are retrieval practice and spaced practice. Both methods require students to access the memories, use and apply the material. When students retrieve memories, they are moving them from long term memory to the working memory where they are used and then they return to the long term memory.  The more times students recognize and recall memories, the stronger and better the memories become. Furthermore, the more students use the memories, the longer they will retain the information.  When they don't use the material, the material fades away.  

On Friday, we'll look at retrieval practice and spaced practice since these are both part of brain based learning.   Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Happy July 4th

 

Warm-up

 

If there are 3420 coffee beans in a pound of coffee and you need 70 ground up beans to make one cup of coffee, how many cups of coffee will you get from a pound of coffee?

Warm-up

 If a pound of coffee beans weighs about 454 grams and 3426 beans make up a pound, how much does each coffee bean weigh?

Brain Based Learning - First Step

Teachers are always looking for better ways to present material to students so they learn faster and more efficiently.  Learning new material is the same as building new memories.  Humans create build and create new memories through information encoding, storing information, and stimulating the pathways by accessing and using the new material/memory.

Brain based learning is based on the way the brain changes, remaps, and reorganizes itself as it learns new information. The brain physically changes as it learns new material.  

It has been found that if teachers reduce stress, utilize more efficient ways of instruction, include a certain amount of physical activity, and providing opportunities to practice can help students learn.  In fact, it appears that if teachers take a bit of time to explain how the brain works, even for elementary students and for students who believe they aren't smart and that can't be changed.  Once they know how the brain processes and filters information, they discover, they can learn.

In brain based learning,  the brain becomes better at processing the information when it gets the chance to practice math in the same manner that they become good at playing basketball, tennis, or swimming.  In brain based learning, practice is not just doing the work, there are other techniques students can do to help them learn the material better.

In fact, the brain adds new connections as it acquires new material.  In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the new connections by remembering, practicing, visualizing, or using the new information.  This means students need to be exposed to the material multiple times.  According to Dr Judy Willis who had been a neurosurgeon before she became a math teacher, it is worth taking time to talk to students about the brain and how it works.  She feels that when students understand how the brain works and grows, they are more likely to lose the idea that they can't learn.

She discovered that when she took time to show how the brain works while providing ideas to help them study more effectively, they became more confident and changed their habits to improve their studying.  She also said that once students learned more about the way the brain worked, the more likely to change from "I can't learn because I wasn't born smart, or with math brains" to the idea they could learn.

The brain has filters that control what information reaches the prefrontal cortex or what Dr Willis calls the thinking brain.  The filtering system is made up of three parts, the reticular activating system, the limbic system, and dopamine.  In addition, the state of their health, emotions, and focus or attention can effect their ability to receive the information.  If they aren't feeling well, or are emotionally down, the information will not get through. 

They need to learn techniques to help them learn to achieve a good mood so they increase their ability to learn.  One way is to teach students to intentionally picturing a time or place when they felt safe, happy, and calm.  The more they practice remembering this place or time, the easier it is for them to recall it because it has become a memory and when they return to that place or time, they make it easier for new information to make it to the brain.  In addition, when they learn to use visualization with history, vocabulary, or math, they retain the material better. Furthermore, when students are taught to take relaxing breaths before a test or starting a challenging lesson, they will be more focused and ready to learn. 

One way to show students the brain grows is to discuss how the brain grows new connections called dendrites between neurons as it learns new things by showing them brain scans and then letting them make diagrams or clay models showing the new connections out of clay.  It is important to stress that more dendrites are formed as a student learns new things but they need adequate sleep.  If you look up the website Neuroscience for Kids, you'll find some great photos there.

We know that the more a student practices, the better they learn the material but we need to share why it is important to take scheduled breaks or connecting the material with something pleasurable helps brains retain the information.  Take this a step further by having students hypothesis what taking too many short breaks, or interrupting their studying with texts  versus how creating a study schedule or turning off the television or streaming can help or hinder their learning.

Lessons on how the brain works do not have to be done all at once.  You could schedule several short sections over the first few weeks of school.  If you'd like more information on how to teach students more about the brain, check this site out. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.