Brain-Based Learning and Teaching Strategies

 

Take Home Message:

Learning experiences are student-centered, active, engaged, and varied

 

Episodic:

·       Based on location

·       Replicating the situation helps jog memory (even clothing the teacher was wearing)

·       Placement in groups

·       Bulletin boards

·       Change arrangement of desks periodically

·       Movement; field trips

·       Classroom environment

·       Make the learning unique

 

Procedural:

·       Repeated movements to do something (dance, lab, lifting weights)

·       Lab procedures

·       Movement, debate, role playing, song

·       Hands-on manipulatives

 

Automatic:

·       Memories triggered by association

·       Responsible for storing alphabet, multiplication tables, decoding words

·       Songs repetition

·       e.g. Pythagorean Theorem to “Pop Goes the Weasel”

·       Review—structured through written work or group work with product

 

Emotional:

·       Most powerful

·       Be enthusiastic about content

·       Make learning “joyful”

·       Teach the “So what?”

·       Recreate the scene

·       Play devil’s advocate

·       Find contradictory material and hold a debate

·       Role-playing, plays, skits

·       Music

·       Celebrations

·       Give students choices, independent work, ownership, sense of control

·       Give students break

·       Group work; social experiences

·       Create a warm, supportive class community of students who respect and value each other

 

Semantic:

·       Handouts

·       Graphic organizers

·       Text

·       Notes

·       Direct instruction

·       Tell them what to write down (prioritize)

 

Other (Multiple Memory Lanes):

·       Create cognitive dissonance (element of surprise engages the brain more)

·       Discrepant Events

·       Devil’s advocate

·       Debate

·       Controversial issues

·       Surprising results

·       Give students ownership/sense of control

·       Choices

·       Independent work

·       Teach students about their brains (memory and processing skills)

·       Guide them to discover their unique learning style

·       Teach life skills

·       Group work

·       Hands-on projects; Art

·       Creating a song, dance, skit, play, movie

·       Games

·       Oral presentations

·       Class discussions