The Brain and How We Learn

Sleep - What is its importance?

You might be surprised to learn that when we are awake there's a section of the brain that wants us to sleep and when we are asleep there's a section of the brain that wants us to be awake. We understand that we learn when we are awake; however, did you know that when we sleep we are still learning.

Our brain plays reruns of what we learned during the day thousands and thousands of times during our sleeping hours. We grasp the concept that we are less effective without sleep. There is a loss of working memory, we have mood swings, our reasoning is altered, our motor skills and responses change in a negative manner. It is not determined the amount of sleep that each individual requires. Many factors such as our age and our gender need to be taken into account. Research shows that about mid-day or around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, we flat line, which is about mid point from your sleeping time and your waking time.A short nap can positively affect productivity.

Exercise

We talk about the brain and the body are two separate entities. They are not. We know that the body needs exercise. Then why do we not stop to recognize that exercise is additionally important to development and learning for the brain? Exercise diminishes the risks for dementia, it reduces stress, it will enhance problem solving skills and it promotes skills necessary for attention. Research additionally demonstrates that people who exercise out will out-perform couch potatoes every time. When exercise ceases, brain function is lessened.

Years ago we were more active physically. We have now become sedimentary. With technological improvements we sit more than ever.

What happens when we move? Why is cognition increased? The answer is really quite obvious. Exercise improves the oxygen flow to all parts of the body, including the brain, which directly leads to mental alertness. The molecular structure of the brain is impacted in a positive manner. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercises, even just two times per week increases the brains productivity much more effectively than weight lifting exercises alone. The brain additionally requires glucose.

It takes as much oxygen from food as possible. We need extra blood vessels to get more oxygen. The way that we get more blood vessels is to increase exercise. Exercise is like Miracle Grow for the brain. There are so many benefits from exercise. It reduces the risk factors for diabetes, it supports memory formation, it strengthens muscles and bones, it helps to control appetite, it aides to improve fluid intelligence, it reduces heart disease and it helps to minimize depression. As always before beginning any exercise regimen see your doctor. The brain craves exercise. So, what are you waiting for?

Why is the brain so complex?

Some scientists believe that our ancestors walked on all fours. If their theory is correct, it was through evolution that we began to walk upright in order that we could function more efficiently. While this freed up our hands, we were no longer building up as many of our muscles. Instead, we were building up our brains. The brain is centered around survival. Because we were in the great outdoors and encountering many dangers, the brain adapted and evolved over time.

As a teacher, I am often reaching out to students to help them feel a sense of pride in regards to their thinking abilities. Athletes are celebrated. Brainiacs are often squelched. Students need to become aware that it is not the strongest body that survives; it is the strongest brain which survives. Humans have never been the strongest physically among the creatures; however, they have the strongest brains. As the climate changed over time, only those with the strongest brains adapted and survived.

It is important to brain development to feel safe. As an educator I see this often. A student is stressed over a test and they do not perform to potential, which is why I work very hard to create an environment where my students feel safe. This is a focus right from the beginning of the year.

Information overload

With cell phones, emails and texting going on in vehicles, there have been an increasing amount of automobile accidents. That is because the brain is not set up for such multi-tasking. The brain has to turn away from one focus for a few seconds to perform another task. Even a fraction of second can make the difference if we need to stop suddenly. Were you aware that statistically texting and the use of cell phones has been shown to be more dangerous than driving with excessive alcohol in our systems.

Education

Unfortunately, the classroom environment has not caught up with the research. Students are still being expected to sit for long periods of time. This is true even though we are becoming increasingly aware of the need for movement. We also know now that each of us have the ability to pay attention for a mere ten minutes at a time. Beyond that the presenter must do something to get the attention of his or her audience. Yet, we often have long lectures structured in the school day. Our brains ignore boring information. It is because our experiences tell us what we should pay attention to, which is why cultural influences our decisions also. It is simply the way our brain is structured. Thus, if we expect our students to pay attention, we need to incorporate movement or music into our day every ten minutes or so.

Our brains forget 90 percent of what is learned within 45 days. It is what happens in the first few seconds that will determine whether we will remember it or not. The human brain is only able to retain seven bits of information for thirty seconds or less. The only way to remember something longer is repetition.

We have several forms of memory. We have automatic memory, which encompasses events that will be recalled even if it is not repeated. Then we have effort processing. This is something that we determine that we want to remember and we repeat it a number of times in order that we might recall it at a later time. We also have working memory. This is memory that will remain with us for a period of time while we need it. It later becomes information that is lost to us. We also have long term memory which is information that we commit to memory through repetition. This is why educators know that spiral education is important.

It makes sense then why multi-sensory classrooms have more effective learners. It is also important to note that the brain will retain more while watching a movie if the smell of lemon or other food in introduced. Just walk into a bakery. Trust me those great smells are not an accident. Also, if two senses are stimulated then mor learning occurs. Three odors are better than two and so on. Research shows that problem solving improves when two or more senses are incorporated. The sense of sight trumps all. If you only hear bits of information, you will remember it for only a short time. If you see the information, you will remember it for a longer period of time. Thus if a presenter effectively combines both the visual and the auditory senses, the brain will remember the information six times more effectively.

Males and females also differ in their brains. There is much research being done presently to understand the differences.

Babies are wonderful to study to learn more about the brain and how it develops, as they are a clean slate. They show how human beings have a natural inclination for learning. It all stems on the need for survival, which is how the human brain evolved initially.

I hope this information will help you to better understand how humans learn.