Neuro Facts: Brain Based Learning

It is beneficial for teachers to understand how the brain works in order to assist learners in several ways. We all educators can help our students focus on their attention that will help increasing their retention and comprehension. This could be possible with brain-based learning that draws insights from the fields of psychology, technology, and neurology. Once an educator comprehends the concept of brain-based learning, she or he can help students to keep diverse learners engaged by creating an enriched learning environment as well as providing valuable feedback and addressing students’ needs both socially and emotionally.

Brain-based learning consists of following six main steps below;

• ·         Making a safe learning environment
• ·         Starting early
• ·         Encouraging growth
• ·         Getting both brains and bodies in gear
• ·         Embracing the potential of novelty
• ·         Requesting feedback

There are some strategies that we can use in brain-based learning, for instance, activating prior knowledge helps learners build on what they already know by strengthening the connections in the brain. In addition, graphic organizers rhymes, and songs are used as a primary strategy in order to assist learners to represent their thinking kinesthetically, visually and phonetically.

There are tons of information coming to our sensory memory but we cannot possibly process all of it. Socially interacting with the environment, learning through imitation and responding the behaviors can be called workout of brain. Learners find meaning in experiences through communication with others, and educators can prepare some activities that allow students to speak and interact each other by discussing what they are learning in fact.

 The term “Neural Plasticity” was first used by a Polish neuroscientist named Jerzy Konorski in 1980s. It is based on brain’s ability to change as a result of an experience and an individual’s brain undergoes a physiological change and acquires new information. This physiological change also include small strands called dendrites that crease stronger structures called synapses. As we listen, talk and practice something, dendrites grow out of our neurons and then learning is built. When learning is built, the dendrites are built and sprouted out from existing dendrites, this means that we are building a new knowledge on the things that we have already known. Furthermore, these small strands get together and combine a strong structure that is called synapses. Synapses are like the ways having different intersections. This also refer to a neural pathway that is activated we learn something new. Recapping, repeating and revising a topic in a lesson can even make the meaning stronger in our neural pathway and the learning activity becomes physical with its mental impact in our brain.

 In another words, students can learn better if we all teachers give them opportunity to combine this mental and physical activity together. That’s the reason, the teachers sometimes complain about their students’ loss of concentration or less participation in class activities but make nothing of their needs in active learning. However, practice does not make perfect unless we allow students to internalize the information. To make learning active, there should be interest in a topic and then a learner needs to comprehend it. By doing this, the innate desire for learning occurs. It is indispensable that human beings have emotional response and every decision we made are connected to our patterns through learning experiences. All in all, it would be fruitful if the teachers build a positive learning environment in order to uncover one’s complex of billions of nerve cells in brain.

References

Driscoll, M. P., (2005). Constructivism (pp.385-402).

Anonymous. (2019). Science of Learning., (2005, 9,11). retrived from https://www.envisionexperience.com/blog/the-science-of-learning-how-the-brain-learns#:~:targetText=You%20are%20born%20with%20at,dendrites%20sprouting%20from%20existing%20dendrites.