Teaching to the Learning Brain

in later childhood & adolescence

Anne Murray

Educational Psychologist

2016

Emotions are more powerful than

Logic• Neuroscience has shown that much of what the brain

learns is filtered through positive and negative emotions.

• We need to use positive emotions and positive peer pressure to aide learning.

• BUT…remember emotional memories are powerful but not always accurate

Images are more powerful than

words• We remember images. A

picture is worth a 1000 words

• 50%-80% of our brain’s natural processing power is devoted to processing sight. That’s more than all of our other senses.

• We make sense of what we see with our brains, not our eyes.

• Power of visualisation:

– E.g. Visualising ourselves exercising can help us increase the benefits of physical and mental activity

Movement is more powerful than

sitting

• The longer we sit, the

less we learn.

• Our bodies and brains

were made to move. It’s

in our genes. We think

better when we move.

• Short bursts of movement

for 20 seconds energize

and stimulate the body

and brain

Shorter is better than longer

• Neuroscience has

proven that our

attention span is on

average 10 minutes.

• …After that, …our

attention starts to …

wane… … …

Different is more powerful than

same

• We notice things that have changed.• We ignore things that stay the same.

•Difference, NOVELTY,

uniqueness, contrast and the

unexpected stimulate the brain.

• Boring is the nemesis of learning.

Talking is more powerful than

listening

• The person doing the

most talking during a

lesson is doing the most

learning.

• We need to create more

learning opportunities for

pupils to talk and listen

to each other

• We talk so we can

remember, process and

understand.

Writing is more powerful than

reading or listening

• When we write, type,

or draw mind maps

we are processing

information.

• When we write we are

thinking and thinking

increases the

likelihood or retention.

REGULAR Routine Practice

• REGULAR

Routine

Practice

repetition

REGULAR

Routine

practice

• REGULAR

Routine

practice

repetition

REGULAR

Routine

Practice

Time and Space are more

powerful than rushed cramming

• We’ve assumed that

content covered means

content learned.

• We’ve also assumed that

if we cover more content,

the listener learns more.

• We need to create more

white space (time for the

learner to reflect and

process)

CONNECTIONS, & CONTEXT

are more

powerful

than

rote

learning

Insight and Story are more

powerful than knowledge of facts• Knowing 2+2=4 is one thing.

Knowing how to apply that fact is more important.

• Our brains learn best by linking new knowledge to past experience.

• Gaining insight into how to apply a fact or research is more important to our brain than the fact.

• Our brains crave meaning!

• Our brains respond to stories and narratives