AHISA PASTORAL CARE CONFERENCE, 2006

Adapting the findings of brain research to the senior section of a girls’ school

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part A

• The brain weighs about 1.25 kg and its weight does not significantly change throughout life

• It contains about 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) which are responsible for all our mental activity. These make up the grey matter of the brain

NEURON STRUCTURE

A Typical Nerve Cell

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part A cont.

• The number of neurons does not change markedly throughout life, although the growth of axons and dendrites does change through life, and so does, therefore, the number of synapses.

INTERCONNECTING NEURONS

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part A cont.

• Pruning of the dendrites and increasing the myelination are changes that happen in adolescence.

Blakemore, 2005

MYELIN SHEATH

A Typical Nerve Cell

IMPROVING BRAIN FUNCTION

• However, it is possible to improve brain function

• The more you stimulate the brain the more connections that can be made, and the easier they work and the better they work.

Greenfield, 2004

IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM

Need for exposure to a range of learning experiences in the early years of schooling, right up to adolescence (end of Year 10)

- Offer a range of electives with more flexibility for change

- More coherent language learning in primary years

- Excursions, excursions, excursions- Out-of-school lessons in areas such as music,

sport, art, photography etc

IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM cont.

Need for more time for deeper learning to activate different neurons

- Longer lessons

- Homework now matches lessons of that day

CURRICULUM YEARS 7 - 10

SUBJECTCOMMENTS

(1 period per cycle = 20 hours per year)

Periods/cycle

Y7(2005)

Y8(2006)

Y9(2007)

Y10(2008)

English 400 hours 7 7 7 7

Mathematics 400 hours 7 7 7 7

Science 400 hours 6 7 7 7

HSIE400 hours(sitting SC tests at end of Y9

History 100 hours (Stage 4) 2 (s) 3 (s)

Geography 100 hours (Stage 4) 2 (s) 3 (s)

Australian History (Mandatory Course):(Stage 5) 100 hours 5

Australian Geography (Mandatory Course):(Stage 5) 100 hours

5

SUBJECTCOMMENTS

(1 period per cycle = 20 hours per year)

Periods/cycle

Y7(2005)

Y8(2006)

Y9(2007)

Y10(2008)

Languages:French

100 hours 5

Mandatory Technology

200 hours 5 5

Creative Arts

Visual Arts: 100 hours 5

Music: 100 hours 5

PDHPE

300 hours

3 3 4 4

L & L 1 1 1

Sport

All students must take

part insport for aminimum of2 terms

1 1 1

Religious Studies

1 1 1 1

SUBJECTCOMMENTS

(1 period per cycle = 20 hours per year)

Periods/cycle

Y7(2005)

Y8(2006)

Y9(2007)

Y10(2008)

Elective 1 Two electives are chosen in Year 8 from:Classical Greek, Elective Music, Financial

Literacy, French, German, Japanese, Latin, Literacy (for selected students), Visual Arts.

Students may continue their Year 8 electives or choose one or two new electives in Year 9 from Agriculture, Commerce, Drama, Food Technology, Textiles Technology, Visual Arts

5 5 5

Elective 2 5 5 5

Elective 3(Year 10 only)

Choose one 100-hour course from Dance, Mandatory Geography, History (elective), IST,

Marine and Aquaculture Technology.

5

History / GeogElective(Year 10 only)

History or Geography elective, or Mandatory History

5

Total Periods per year 48 48 48 48

(s) semesterised

IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM cont.

Need for different teaching and learning styles to activate different neurons

- Learning styles are identified (courtesy of Dr Julia Atkin)

- Some syllabuses are written according to different learning styles

IMPLICATIONS FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Need to develop other skills at a young age

- Lessons on public speaking, conflict resolution, chairing a meeting, writing an agenda etc.

- Hawkes, T. (2005), Learning Leadership, Books 1 – 4, the Kings School: Parramatta

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part B

The frontal lobe of the cortex (and the cerebrum to a lesser extent) does not fully mature until a person reaches approximately 30 years of age.

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part B

IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE

Need to state and restate the obvious to keep the student safe and focussed

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CURRICULUM cont.

Cannot assume that adolescents can make subject choices for too far into the distance

- See new curriculum

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part C

Strengthening the corpus callosum seems to coordinate the two halves of the brain more effectively

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part C

IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRICULUM

Need for more physical activity in the daily routine of the students

- See new curriculum for sport

- Compulsory sport for two terms, Year 7

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part D

The high activity level of the amydala in the brain, especially in girls

BRAIN STRUCTURE – Part D

IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE

Need to understand the effect of the student-teacher relationship on girls’ learning

- Academic care training for staff

- More pastoral care

- Better access to counsellors and Health Care Centre (electronic roll)

EMOTIONS

• Scientific research shows that the heart plays an important tole in reducing emotional stress, developing higher-order thinking skills, improving academic performance, and regulating social and emotional behaviour.

• There is a direct link between a student’s ability to self-manage emotions and academic performance.

Killen, 2006.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PASTORAL CARE cont.

Need for sleep

- Address to parents

Parent program

CONTRADICTIONS IN THINKING

• “Use it or lose it” vs “sensitive periods” when the brain is ready to respond to certain stimuli

• Supreme importance of first three years of life vs plasticity of brain

• Gendered brain vs non-gendered brain

• Deak 2003/2004 and Hall 2005/2006

WARNING

We are not ready for “brain-based” education. We need a cautious and incremental approach which acknowledges that our current state of knowledge is incomplete and may be, in some aspects, inaccurate. (Hall, 2005, p.57)

Therefore, the changes made at Pymble are an attempt to be scientific, but there is no claim that it is complete or even coherent.

REFERENCES• Blakemore, S.J. (2005) The Adolescent Brain. Address given at Education and Brain

Research:j/ Neuroscience, Teaching and Learning Conference, University of Cambridge.

• Fuller, A., Bellhouse, B. & Johnston, G. (2001) The Heart Masters: A program for the promotion of resilience and emotional intelligence in the middle to senior years of primary school, Inyahead Press, Melbourne

• Greenfield, S. (2004) Address given as part of Adelaide’s Thinkers in Residence program. www.thinkers.sa.gov.au/future_baron.html

• Hall, J. (2005) “Neuroscience and Education” in Teacher, ACER, Victoria, May, 2006

• Hawkes, T. (2005) Learning Leadership, Books 1 – 4, The Kings School: Parramatta

• Killen, D. (2006) “At the Heart of Education”, EQ Australia, Curriculum Corporation, Victoria, Spring 2006