Blog Research Blog Post 1 - Module 6

This chapter discusses the processes of the brain and how it develops. The science concerning the brain has changed drastically due to current research, which has helped educators understand learning. There are a few factors that influence brain development, such as genetics, the environment, plasticity, nutrition and teratogens, and gender. The brain goes through a process know  as neural pruning, where it discards anything it deems unnecessary, and starts the process of myelination of brain cells it thinks are necessary. This process occurs very young, making it difficult for adults to learn as easily as children (since children have not had extensive neural pruning). It is important for teachers to consider that all their students make different connections between neurons, so one cannot assume their class has all learned the same things in the same way.

A brain scientist would classify development as the connections between neurons while learning would be the actual pruning and myelination of brain cells. The connections between neurons form a network of information that has been gathered. However, learning occurs when these connections are strengthened when used regularly since they go through the process of myelination.

This can be seen in the picture provided. At birth, a baby is just starting to make these connections. By age 6, the child has make connections made and is full of a complex network of information. This shows that the child is more apt to learning a variety of things. By age 14, however, there are fewer connections since they have been lost due to neural pruning. The connections deemed important have been strengthened through myelination.