Brain & Biology

StrengthQuest

Session 3

Questions to ponder

•     What is behind learning and physiological changes in brain?

•     Are changes in the brain due to actual learning or to variations in aggregate levels of neural activity?

What learning does to the brain

•     Learning changes the physical structure of the brain by adding synapses to the neurons!

–    When learning takes place

–    This does not happen with other activities that may increase the blood flow

•     Different kinds of experience condition the brain in different ways 

•     Learning imposes new organizational and reorganizational patterns in brain

What hinders neurological growth?

•     Organic brain dysfunction

•     Acquired brain injury

•     Traumatic Brain injury

•     Chemical damage from substances

•     Heredity and Poor Nutrition

•     Environmental Deprivation

•     Lack of communication

Brain Development

•     Brain development and psychological development result from continuous interactions between a child and the external environment.

•     The more interactive experiences a child has, the more potential there is for optimal brain development.

Making Synaptic Connections

•     The first method of synaptic formation happens initially when synapses are overproduced and then lost during early periods of development

•     The second method of synapse formation is through the addition of new synaptic addition which operates throughout life – driven by experience

Miles of Neuron Fiber

•   Each cubic inch of the human cerebral cortex contains about 10,000 miles of nerve fibers which connect cells together!

The Connectionist Model of Memory

•      Explains how the brain is able to process information rapidly

•     Explains why some information gets lost on its way to permanent storage

•     Explains why some information gets “pruned” after disuse

•     Information is stored in processing elements called units (Hamar, 2004)

Defining Units

•     May represent individual items of information

–    Names of people, places, things

•     Units may be thought of as neurons

•     When neurons are excited by a stimulus, the path between the neurons is strengthened, producing a memory (Hamar, 2004)

Making a Memory

•     Depends on how long the neuron is stimulated

•     Depends on how often the pathway is used

•     Memory made, maintained and lost by both of the above (Hamar, 2004).

How the Connectionistic theory works

•     When one single unit is excited, it may in turn excite or connect to many other units

•     Makes it possible to process a myriad of information from a variety of sources at any given moment (Hamar, 2004).

•      

Synapse elimination

•     Occurs slowly in cerebral cortical regions of brain

•     Learning continues to affect the structure of the brain long after synapse overproduction and loss are completed in the early periods of development

Dendrite Stimulation

•     The brain is able to find alternate pathways to overcome the loss of synapse stimulation by making new connections

•     Research shows that brain injury may serve as a stimulus for dendritic growth along with the growth of new synapses or synaptogenisis.

Head Trauma or Stroke Victims and Learning

•     Students suffering loss of academic ability as a result of head trauma show promising progress of new synaptic connections being made as a result of being in the learning environment and challenging themselves to recover lost skills (Hamar, 2004).

Examples?

Consideration of Diet and Brain Biology

•     Glucose is the only fuel normally used by brain

–    A lack of fuel affects the ability to think and remember."

•     Too much sugar deprives brains ability to focus, concentrate and learn

•      Low blood glucose levels can lead to a significant deterioration in attention abilities,

•      “Eating carbohydrate foods can improve memory within an hour after ingestion in healthy elderly people with relatively poor memories" (The Franklin Institute, 2007).

•       

•      http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html

Health and Mental Decline

•      Mental concentration actually drains glucose from a key part of the brain associated with memory and learning

•      Diabetes affects mental sharpness

•      Hypertension (High blood pressure) increases risk of mental deterioration later in life

•      High glucose levels are strokes

•      Choose diet wisely for optimal brain performance now & later in life (The Franklin Institute, 2007).

Conclusion

•     The functional organization of the brain depends on experience

•     Development is an active process that derives essential information from experiences

•     There is still a question about critical periods of development and learning

•     Diet can effect your learning & memory experiences

StrengthQuest Overview

•     Discussion

•     Signature Themes in Common Similar and Dissimilar Experiences

•     Understanding and Respecting Differences in Talent

•     Complete the “Learning Center” activity for each of your top themes

New Insights?

•     What new insights did you gain over the weekend about your Signature Themes?

•     Do you notice any difference in the way that you are thinking about yourself, previous experiences or ways that you are thinking about other people?

Greatest Successes?

•     Now that you know your strengths, which of your Signature Themes caused both your greatest success and your most fulfilling experience?

Response to Reading

•     What is your response to the chapter titled, “Seeing Through Strength Colored Glasses?”

Themes In Common

•     We have different talents as a result of the influence of our other themes

•     Talents do not act in isolation

•     Talents in each theme influence and interact with talents in other themes

•     Family, culture and society may influence experience of talents

Exercise:

•     Find someone with whom you have a Signature Theme in common

•     Use worksheet “Signature Themes In Common- Similar and Dissimilar Experiences”

•     Note name, similar experience, how talents in other themes influence them, and how society, culture and family have encouraged or discouraged talents in this theme.

•     Repeat exercise 2 or 3 times with other students

Feedback

•     What did you learn about your Signature Themes and how you and others experience or express your talents in them?

•     We should learn from this experience to have compassion on people who have had their talents put down or devalued, or have been made to feel that their talents are weaknesses.

Understanding and Respecting Differences in Talent

•     We fail to understand people because their talent is different than ours

•     As professionals, we need to view people more clearly

•     Part of seeing people more clearly involves understanding talents within others that are very different than our own

Exercise

•     Using Worksheet “Understanding and Respecting Talent Differences,” find a person who has a least one strength that is not among your top five.

•     Answer the two questions

•     Talk to at least 3 students using this worksheet

Discussion

•     What did you discover about your Signature Themes and other people?

•     What new understanding are you gaining about people as you learn about talents that are different than your own?

Discussion

•     In what ways are you coming to respect others as you view them through “strength colored glasses?”

•     In what ways are you seeing yourself more clearly as you understand more about the talents of others?

Insights?

•     Who are the people that you most frequently misunderstand or have a conflict with?

•     Are these misunderstandings a result of talent differences?

Reflection Paper #3

•     See homework handout

References

•     The Franklin Institute, Reseources for Science learning (2007).The human brain retrieved from http://www.fi.edu/learn/ brain/carbs.html 12/10/07

•     Hamar, D. (2004). The connectionistic theory of memory. Paper. Capella Univ