Punahou Brain Symposium - June 2012

The theme for the Punahou Brain Symposium 2012 Conference...create a bridge between brain science and the classroom intrigured me.  I've always been interested in brain development and how it relates to education.  Overall, I enjoyed these past two days of neuroscience research immersion with the focus on how we could apply it to education and learning. 

1. Brain Rules key note session - Dr. John Medina (Part 1)
• Language verbal acqusition rates are highest between the ages of 6 months to 5 years old (research by Patricia Kuhl) and the American education system teaches foreign language in middle and high school = learning gap.
• "We are natural explorers...The human brain is designed to solve problems related to surviving in natural settings during unstable outdoor environments in constant motion."  How does that relate to how we design an learning environment?   
• Cognitive functions increase with long term aerobic exercise (minimum 3 years) - 150 minutes of moderate activity over a 7 day period. - Aerobic workout changes the brain chemistry.  Why would we cut out P.E. in education?
• Would exercising twice a day with students in gym clothes create smater, more productive students? 
• How do you push information from declarative --> immediate --> working memory --> long term memory?  "90% is gone if you don't repeat the information within the first 60-90 minutes"  How would we structure school? 
• "It takes 10 years for the brain to consolidate information...We should give kids immune booster shots in learning, giving them the information repetitively." 
• My reflective thoughts: For online learning, I wonder what type of activities could be seamlessly incorporated into the curriculum to encourage aerobic exercise to increase cognitive function?  To increase repetitive information scaffolded throughout multiple curriculum?
2. From Cradle to Graduation: Movement Makes Body/Mind Connections for Optimal Learning - Dr. Paul Zientarski 
• Direct correlation between physical fitness and academic scores (studies in CA, TX).
• "Consistent exercise, and certain typse of specific exercises, can both temporarily and permanently affect the way your brain is able to focus, its ability to deal with stress and anxiety, and its ability to learn..." - Dr. John Ratey, Harvard Brain Researcher
• Brain Delivered Neurotrophic Faceotr (BDNF) - regardless of age, aerobic workout generates new brain cells.  Brain cells need to be stressed (new learning) to increase problem solving.  High sugar, high fat diet significantly decreases BDNF.
• Google will not hold a meeting longer than 20 minutes. 
• Neuroscientists believe students learn 10% more when they are standing as opposed to sitting.
• Brain breaks: David Sladkey, Scott Miller
• My reflective thoughts: I enjoyed the "brain break" activities.  I think it would be a good idea for me to incorporate these types of activities into our team meetings, which normally lasts longer than 20 minutes. 
3. Brain Rules keynote session - Dr. John Media (Part 2)
• "People don't pay attention (arousal states) to boring things."
• Only 4 years ago, we knew why we need to sleep (not for energy restoration).  Time of day and quality of sleep impact the "whole brain" attentional state.
• During the "nap zone," (1:30 - 3:30 p.m.) you have decreased attentional state, memory and ability to problem solve.  Simply nap for 26 minutes that time to re-energize. 
• "What other management strategy will improve people's performance in just 26 minutes?" - Mark Rosekind.
• People have genetic sleep patterns (late or early productivity).  Could we have schools open 24 hours?
• Mike Posner: study indicating that the brain cannot multitask.
• It will take twice as long to complete tasks if you multitask(brain interruptions) with 50% more errors.
• Neuroplasticity: every brain is wired differently and we all learn differently based upon that wiring. 
• My reflective thoughts:  Classrooms of the future can address individual sleep and attention span needs by providing online learning opportunities for students and teachers. 
4. Sensory-Cognitive Functions for Language Processing -
• Students need to picture things before they can learn it.
• 3 sensory-cognitive functions: phonemic awareness (auditorily perceive the identity, numer and sequence of sounds within words, symbol imagery (visually image sounds in words), concept imagery (create an image as a whole from oral or written language).
• My reflective thoughts: What type of activities could we incorporate into our A'o Makua program that would increase these skills for parents to share with their keiki (children)?
5. How to Support All Learners with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - Kimble McCann
• "Technology does not make the teacher...focus on strategies, tactics & skills"
• Universal design not only benefits those with disabilities, but everyone.
• "UDL is a framework for making our curriculum more inclusive."
• Universal Design for Learning Guidelines:  Provide multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement.
• My reflective thoughts: The hands-on group activity provided me with the opportunity to immediately incorporate UDL guidelines into a product.  This session reminded me of the importance of online accessibility and ensuring we are able to design and provide learning opportunities for all.

After attending the conference, I immediately shared what I learned with my colleagues.  During our KSDL Online Instructor gathering the day after the conference, I incorporated "brain exercises" that I learned into our agenda and everyone seemed to enjoy these activities very much and were excited about how it could be applied in teaching.  I'm looking forward to attending next year's conference and also getting a hand on Dr. Medina's book, Brain Rules.