Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Brain-Friendly Learning Short List

We want the learning/teaching to be brain-friendly. I cam across this great slideshare related to topic, and have shortlisted the items so that I can remember them well as I promote learning experiences.

The most important question to learning experience planning is "How will students learn best?"

Elements to support that learning include the following:

Set the Stage for Learning

  • Class bulletin board with overview of unit, main vocabulary, and visual models.
  • Encourage good nutrition--lots of water, healthy snacks.
  • "You are there" Experience
  • Have students answer and discuss this question, "Why will learning this topic benefit you?"
  • Provide concrete learning experience related to concept, skills, knowledge.
  • Create a hook or surprise to engage learner's emotions.
Immersion
  • Concrete, relative learning experience such as case study, field trip, interview. . .
  • Provide an engaging multi-modal learning activity, preferable a team project that includes building, finding, exploring, or designing
  • Put on a skit, create a newspaper, produce a commercial
  • Provide choice to allow learners to explore the subject using their preferred learning modalities - visual, auditory, kinesthetic. . .
  • Utilize a well-designed, engaging computer program (computer game)
For Every Learning Experience
  • Connect learning to students' own experiences and interests
  • Have learners set goals, discuss goals.
  • Brain wake-ups, cross laterals
  • De-brief last lesson
  • Look for synergy of topics in math and across discipline
  • Design evaluation rubric or procedure "How will you know when you know this?"
  • Online exploration of topic
  • Use debate
  • Teach others with small groups, pairs, whole class
  • lots of choice
  • differentiation
Study
  • unguided reflection
  • write about what you learn
  • walk, talk, and review what you've learned
  • stretch, relax
  • provide a music study area
  • discuss learning with friends and family members
Review/Confirm Learning
  • Present learning to one another
  • Interview and evaluate each others' learning
  • write a news report, article, blog post about the learning
  • create/share a project that demonstrates the learning
  • Create and take a quiz that is verbal and/or written
Celebrate/Integrate
  • fun, light, joyful
  • decorate the environment
  • invite parents or other classes to share in the learning
  • have a theme party
  • incorporate the learning in future learning