week4

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WELCOME TO WEEK 4

Week 4 (Feb 4 - Feb 10, 2013) - WE ARE ALL WIRED DIFFERENTLY

During this week, participants will

learn that all brains are wired differently and explore the implications of this concept to learning
watch and discuss about a movie segment that exemplifies the concept that brains are wired differently
experience themselves how schemas can shape how we learn
learn about the importance of triggering existing neuronal networks in the EFL classroom
share their findings with their peers

Week 3 Wrap-Up & Week 4 Welcome Message

Week 4 Tasks

Week 4 (Feb 4 - Feb 10, 2013) - WE ARE ALL WIRED DIFFERENTLY
Task 1 - Dr. Medina's Video
Task 2 - The Present Perfect
Task 3 - Temple Grandin
Task 4 - Learn about Cheryl's Experience
Task 5 - Portfolio Entry
Extra Resources
Help Desk
Completion Checklist
1. Our Session Online Spaces

One basic principle about the brain is that brains are wired differently.

Every brain is different partly because our experiences wire our brains differently.

What we do and learn in life physically changes what our brain looks like—it literally rewires it.

The various regions of the brain develop at different rates in different people.

No two people’s brains store the same information in the same way in the same place.

The single most important factor in learning is the existing networks of neurons in the learner’s brain.

What do we call the existing neuronal networks? PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.

Prior knowledge is physical. It builds as brains physically change and it is held in place by physical connections.

We know that prior knowledge is the starting point for the formation of new knowledge, that is, no new knowledge is built from scratch.

Prior knowledge is the beginning of new knowledge.

From a brain perspective, this means that the existing neuronal networks are very important for new learning to take place.

Task 1 - Dr. Medina's Video

a. Watch this video by John Medina about schemas and experience yourself the importance of Prior Knowledge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzbRpMlEHzM

Task 2 - The Present Perfect

In some languages (e.g. Portuguese) there is no such verb tense as the Present Perfect.

Speculate, from a brain perspective, how easy or difficult for a Portuguese or Spanish adult learning English as a foreign language it might be to become fluent in the use of the Present Perfect and how you'd introduce the grammar point to the students, considering their lack of prior knowledge.

>>> Add your thoughts to our Edmodo Group at http://www.edmodo.com/post/107286392

Task 3 - Temple Grandin

Have you ever heard about Dr. Temple Grandin? Temple is autistic. She thinks in pictures and connects them.

a. Find out about her here: http://autism.about.com/od/whoswhoinautism/f/TempleGrandin.htm

b. Read further: Temple Grandin on a New Approach for Thinking About Thinking:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Temple-Grandin-on-a-New-Approach-for-Thinking-About-Thinking.html

c. Now watch this video segment made with selected scenes from the HBO movie Temple Grandin:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ww3bs7byotm16rt/TempleGrandin_Final.wmv

Learning about Temple Grandin’s life history helps us to understand that

>>> There’s not a single kind of intelligence. There are multiple intelligences;
>>> There’s not one single kind of creativity. We can be creative in a number of ways;

>>> Being handicap in some areas may allow the plasticity of the brain to emerge and to give us new capabilities that we might otherwise not have.

Task 4 - Learn about Cheryl's Experience

Finally, what you have been waiting for!!!

This is a little late coming to this wonderful party, however, life is busy. This past week I traveled from Maine to Florida and back to Maine in 72 hours. It was all so that my colleague and I could present at ATIA, an Assistive Technology Conference in Orlando, FL, USA. So, please excuse how late these additions are. As much as I prepare for this online experience, I am always surprised, happily surprised, with the amount of learning that I take away from this experience! We are all teachers and learners. We need to settle our brains and listen to our teachers and mentors, but more than this, we need to settle and listen to our student for they provide the key to their understanding.

When I was preparing to ask students about their experiences with learning in school, I thought I knew what they would say. (I did not!) Like I said, I am always happily surprised. I decided to make an unconventional interview video. I used sock puppets, the app. They were non-threatening, engaging and most of all informative. While I was unable to upload these videos into Youtube.com, (I will keep trying) I am able to share them at Facebook. I am adding the verbal captions of the audio in order to help understanding the puppet speaker.

I hope you can follow these links to Facebook and enjoy the student interviews. I added the captions in a comment. My take-away from this, is make sure "I am listening to my students, they know best!" Enjoy. Cheryl

Link 1 How do you learn best?

Link 2 What makes it easy for your brain to learn?

Link 3 Choice in Projects

Link 4 Studying for tests

Link 5 What makes it hard for your brain to learn in school?

The videos are now loaded at YouTube.com

Task 5 - Portfolio Entry

a. Add your personal views of what you've learned this week in your portfolio, and post them to http://www.edmodo.com/post/107576320

Portfolio Entry

>>Make a video, write a poem, create an infographic, tell a story that expresses what you've learned about the importance of knowing that all brains are wired differently. Add your creation to your portfolio.

Write a comment on, at least, two participants' reactions on the topic.

Some Digital Tools that you might be interested in exploring for your blog entry: