1
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
An Inquiry into the Brain, Learning
and Teaching Practice: Review, Strategies & Applications
for Consideration
SGIS 2016
Brain & Learning Institutes
Frankfurt, Lausanne, North Carolina, New Mexico, Tennessee,
Beirut, Ontario, Connecticut, Madrid, Vancouver, & Prague.
© 2015
Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and the Brain
G. Christian Jernstedt ~ Dartmouth College, 2004
“The biological limits to our potential are relatively minimal
compared to the cultural and environmental limits.
There are sound and weak techniques of learning and
teaching, more than bright and dull minds.
We can now consider our own philosophy of teaching,
our own goals for what will happen for our students,
the methods we use and would like to use to help our
students learn, and the outcomes we typically achieve.”
Agenda
Impacting What Happens in the Learner’s Mind
1. Overview w/some neuro--myths
2. Interactive Component—YOUR Mind
3. Engage in Mini-Application(s)
Central Focus:
The “Minds On” IntersectionDichotomies
Learner vs. Student
Long-term memory vs. Short-term memory
Processing to memory vs. Attention to Task
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Myths & Clarifications
Statement:
We only use a fraction
of our brain’s capacity.
Myth or Reality?
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
* 2X-Sec…
Cellular Level
• Each “fires” 2x second…. or more
• 100 Billion Neurons
• 10,000 dendrites per neuron—
connections to other cells
• Each as complicated as a major city [David Eagleman, 2008]
+/-8 “steps” along the way to creating
and strengthening memory… (next slide)
Neural spikes in a Leech brain
Cellular Micro-Perspective: Production of Long-term Memory
Up to 400 Billion Times Per Second—Neurons are doing the following
9 new proteins synthesized
10 connectivity is strengthened
“The Search for the Memory Switch”Rusiko Bourtchoiuladse, Cerebrum, 2002
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Superior Spearman g: 162 I.Q.
slide by Dr. Rex Jung ~ Mind Institute, 2007
Left Hemisphere
Gray Matter
Right Hemisphere
White Matter
Myths &
Clarifications
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
“Localization”
Statement: The left and
right hemispheres of
the brain operate
independently.
[Myth]
Levels of Activation & Areas of the Brain “Within 0.7 seconds, areas across the brain are involved.” G. Yonus, Potomac Institute, 2009
L/R work
independently?
Not unless you
work in 0.7
second
intervals.
Gender superiority & brain research…
Who has the advantage ???
Myths &
Clarifications
#3
Overarching Educational Benefit to date
from the Neuroscience Literature:
ALL teaching / learning practices(content, skills, behaviors)
must be geared to engage learners
toward active processing,
long-term memory, recall, and ultimately, transfer.
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Developing Responsible, Long-term BehaviorsMemory Formation Path
seesmelltastehear
touch
Input Via Senses
“Desktop” ProcessingShort-Term, Working, or
Continuous Memory Processing Level
“The Barn”Long-Term
Memory
“Blue cars”
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Path
to
Mem
ory
Problem =1
2
3
Most inputs depart quickly.
Desktop
9 Most Effective Strategies for Achievement
a la Marzano et. al. 2001 (updated 2011)
PERCENTILE NUMBER
CATEGORY GAIN Of STUDIES
Identifying Similarities and Differences 45% 31
Summarizing and Note Taking 34% 21
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition 29% 21
Homework and Practice 28% 134
Nonlinguistic Representation 27% 246
Cooperative Learning 27% 122
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback 23% 63
Generating and Testing Hypotheses 23% 63
Questions, Cues, and Advance Organizers 22% 1,251
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
"CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS"
Strategy #2
The Creation & Development of Meaning
Meaning = Personal meaning, purpose,
context… to the learner
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
A few Questions:
!! Pay CAREFUL attention
to how YOUR brain processes !!
“Notice” what happens in your brain.
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
3 Questions:
!!! Pay CAREFUL attention
to how YOUR brain processes these !!!
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
Question 1: Where is the “5FR” located
on the 5 Franc Swiss coin:
a. Top
b. Bottom
c. Middle?
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Please write something down
about participation vs. active
processing for memory.(who’s doing the work?)
Journaling vs. ……..
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Intermittent PauseReflective Learning System
Three “Minds-On” lenses for exploring
Long-Term Memory, Recall & Transfer
as it applies to our practice.
“Minds-On” Lens 1: S/he who does the work, learns.
#1: Who is doing the work of learning in your classroom?
“Minds-On” Lens 2: The formation of long-term memory requires more
than participation. It requires active processing.
#2: What must the learner actually “do” in order to complete
the task assigned?
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Student Generated LearningCognitive Structure
[Context Availability & Classification]
Quick “Pairs” exercise to follow
Get out a paper/pencil.
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Source: Brain Based Teaching,”
www.GreenleafLearning.com
Student Generated Learning
EXAMPLE
sparrow mouse fish eagle rat cat
hornet kangaroo deer elephant
snail shark opossum dog human
turtle rabbit whale ant snake
salamander worm mosquito fly
bear leopard koala alligator spider
bat robin eel mole lobster horse
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Source: Brain Based Teaching,”
www.Greenleaflearning.com
Student Generated Learning
Same activity for younger students
mouse fish rat cat
frog deer
elephant snail dog sheep
ant snake bug
fly bear bat
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Source: Brain Based Teaching,”
www.GreenleafLearning.com
Activity for very young students
or as an alternative format
And for other subjects
ñé;
9 Most Effective Strategies for Achievement
a la Marzano et. al. 2001 (2011)
PERCENTILE NUMBER
CATEGORY GAIN Of STUDIES
Identifying Similarities and Differences 45% 31
Summarizing and Note Taking 34% 21
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition 29% 21
Homework and Practice 28% 134
Nonlinguistic Representation 27% 246
Cooperative Learning 27% 122
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback 23% 63
Generating and Testing Hypotheses 23% 63
Questions, Cues, and Advance Organizers 22% 1,251Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
"CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS"
Shakespeare Version
Capulet Nurse
Dogberry
Mercutio Benedick and Beatrice
Don Pedro Tybalt Romeo & Juliet
Lady Montague Paris
Barrachio Hero & Claudio Don Juan
Apothecary Friar Lawrence Benvolio
Leonardo
Cognitive structure
Patterning, grouping, organizing,
debating, critical thinking, and so
forth… all require varied levels of
classification-related elements.
Classification is a basic, fundamental,
cognitive structure.
Context Availability & Classification
Possible Task
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Source: Brain Based Teaching,”
www.GreenleafLearning.com
Habitat Travel Outer layer Skeleton Diet-etc.
Your
Choice
Most
Similar
Most
Different
What do the orange shapes
have in common? (1”)
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
2 4 31 4 6
- 5 + 8 x 5 9 2 7
Patterning with Active Processing:
What do you notice about the
operations shown below?
Applied Relevance with Active Processing
Patterns & Classification
Welcome to Geometry!
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
“Parallels” with 2 responses each
Student generated
Second wait time
Processing prompts
Nature, Geography, Sports, Fine arts
Classification is a Cognitive Structure
Required Across All Curriculum
(kayak)
Take 2” ~
• Reflect on or discuss with colleagues how classification is critical in
processing information for meaning, for application and for transfer.
What does it mean to identify criteria to determine membership in
a set or group? (or to develop criteria to be used to evaluate
something)
• How is providing criteria different from asking students to come up
with their own ways of ordering or classifying content?
Adapted from Dr. Betty Garner,
“Getting to Got It,” ASCD, 2007
• How does re-classification fuel “Minds-On” thinking
and creativity?
Effects of Self Generated vs. Instructor Generated Examples
on Retention of Selected Concepts
Gorrell, Jeffrey; & Hunter, Downing
Presented at the Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association ~ Louisville, KY; Nov. 1998
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
90.8% 90.8%
78.6%
75.9%
self
gen
era
ted
Short-Term
self
gen
era
ted
Long-Term
teach
er
gen
era
ted
teach
er
gen
era
ted
Context Availability
…having a “place” to hold new ideas and
information while pattern & meaning are
being explored and developed...
…provides greater retention (processing for
meaning) during the “construction” of
networks—as well as for transfer to other
domains of learning.
Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
Please contact me if you have questions!Dr. Robert K. Greenleaf
www.greenleaflearning.com
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