Blog post 2 Brain

In the video, Tom Wujec used three main principles in making ideas meaningful in the brain.  The first idea is to clarify ideas by using images.  Meaning can be tied to ideas through images.  The second concept he mentioned is to have images create interaction and engagement therefore forming connections among the images to stimulate learning.  The final concept is using the images to clarify ideas.  I think this type of learning can be done in the classroom by avoiding power points and using concept maps on the board or charts that the students can contribute to and branch off of to understand the big idea.  Maybe the first student draws an image on the board, and the next student comes up and draws another image, then a third student draws the connections that are similar among the images creating a web of different connections for students.  This way, students can learn in a variety of ways that will be engaging to them.   Using technology is another great way to further extend this image concept through smart boards and ipads.

The different lobes of the brain all have different functions, it’s important for teachers to include all the senses when learning.  If a student can learn through the five senses the probability that they’ll remember a concept is greater.  By activating the different lobes of the brain there are pathways in which the information can be stored.  According to the video there are three main areas in the brain; the ventral stream which recognizes the “what” of something.  There is the dorsal stream, which locates the object in physical body space creating a mental map of understanding.  And finally the limbic system that triggers the emotional image and puts feeling into the meaning.  You could present information using more than one neural or sensory method by seeing a visual image of how rocks are formed, and understanding the concept map.  You could also hear the steps in which rocks are formed.  Then maybe you could touch the different types of rocks and see what they feel like at different stages in their formation.  This is important because the more ways that information is learned, the greater chance that it will be stored in the brain and used to create stronger understandings and meanings.