UNDERSTANDING AND TEACHING “ALL KINDS OF MINDS” · 2013-03-21 · All Kinds of Minds:...
Transcript of UNDERSTANDING AND TEACHING “ALL KINDS OF MINDS” · 2013-03-21 · All Kinds of Minds:...
UNDERSTANDING AND TEACHING “ALL KINDS OF MINDS”
Roby Marcou, M.D., F.A.A.P.,F.S.D.B.P Developmental Pediatrician, Singapore NESA April 2013
INSPIRATION
1966 • MISINFORMATION
1986 • DEMYSTIFICATION
1996 • OBFUSCATION
2006 • ILLUMINATION
TODAY • APPLICATION
It’s all about the brain…
The Brain
4
The Brain Function
Neurons Make It Happen 6
4 Year Old Brain
8
9 Year Old Brain
10
11
17-19 year old brain
Developmental Differentiation • The scope and sequence as it relates to the development of the individual student
• Piaget- Cognitive/Constructivist Theory- • Nature and nurture, child and environment equally important
• Child actively engages the environment through observation and action
• Universal sequence of development
14
Neuronal Growth In Early Childhood
15
16
So therefore in early life… • How you learn and what you do impact the underlying architecture of brain function
• Your potential, as dictated by genetics and in utero events, is potentially modified
• Children learn best by immersive, experiential learning with ample opportunity for incidental learning (this is NOT the same as multi-tasking!)
• Children do not have the neuronal architecture in primary school for tasks which are very demanding of independent executive function
Commentary • There are no pictures which show what happens to neuronal architecture if: • 4 year olds spend 2 hours per day with an IPAD • 4 year olds spend 2 less hour per day actively engaged in play both social and non-social in nature
• The brains of autistic children look differently than this. Tangles of neurons. Autistic children are very adept at focusing on IPADs.
One observer:
Dr. Michael Rich: Center of Media and Child Health Harvard Medical School:
“Their brains are rewarded not for staying on task but for jumping to the next thing. The worry is we’re raising a generaHon of kids in front of screens whose brains are going to be wired differently”
All Kinds of Minds: Considerable variability in… • Neurological readiness • Previous educational exposure • Language backgrounds • Intrinsic aptitudes:
• Specific learning differences/disorders • Developmental variations in specific domains of development
• Intellectual potential • Temperament for learning
Most substantiated learning differences are neurobiologically based…ADHD- 5% of children
Dyslexia- 5-10 % of children
These are diagnoses on a continuum…..
• There are specific tests which define the diagnosis, but not a single blood or medical test, for example
• Students can have a wide range of severity, and a wide range of associated strengths and challenges
• *****many students who are NOT diagnosed have variations in their learning that are similar, but not as severe!!
Development and Education
Educational Differentiation: • Accurate recognition of the individual’s developmental and skills differences and their impact at that point • Describe strengths and leverage students to their strengths
• Describe weaknesses and remediate or bypass them humanely and positively
• Demystification • Focusing on evidence based approaches and developing a clear hierarchy of need for the child
Developmental Differentiation • Consider a culminating or capstone experience typical for
your grade group.
• What element of neurological maturation is perhaps being challenged at an outer limit of what is meaningful?
• How are you currently accommodating the most challenging student in your class. What sorts of developmental issues does that student present with?
Neurodevelopmental Constructs
• Attention • Executive F’n • Language • Memory • Spatial Ordering • Sequential/Temporal Ordering
• Neuromotor Functions • Social Cognition • Higher Order Cognition
• Cross-Construct Phenomena: Speed, volume dependence, complexity
Some Common Developmental Differences:
• Attention • Motor • Language
• Working Memory/ Executive Functions
• Strategies which are best practice for children with these variations OFTEN meet the needs of unidentified students as well.
ATTENTION AND INTENTION SKILLS INTAKE OUTPUT MENTAL
ENERGY • MENTAL
ACTIVITY • SATIABILITY • DEPTH OF
FOCUS • DURATION
OF FOCUS • SALIENCY
CONTROL
• PREVIEW • SPEED • REFLECT • INHIBIT • SELF
MONITOR
• ALERTNESS • CONSIST-
ENCY • SLEEP/WAKE • MENTAL
EFFORT
EXAMPLE: attention issues/insatiability
• Age 2 terrible tantrums • Age 6 demanding of teacher attention • Age 9 social issues, wants his own way, class clown!!
• IDENTIFICATION and DEMYSTIFICATION • Age 15 X-games wanna-be • Age 21 starts first business- thrill activities for young-teens
• Age 29 not satisfied with current empire!
A mind at a time: Ali age 12
Key Variations
• Very creative artist- visual and musical
• Passive thinker for less creative domains
• Dislikes writing • Difficulty with group
discussion • Frustrates her teammates • Often ‘on the wrong page’
Key Interventions
• Strengthen strengths and ensure this is seen by peers
• Explicit structures for task completion
• Proximity, positively reinforce gains
• Keep material topically relevant
• Active supervision for homework
LANUAGE FUNCTIONS • SOUNDS • WORDS • SENTENCES • DISCOURSE • PRAGMATICS • EXPRESSIVE AND
RECEPTIVE • ORAL/WRITTEN • 1ST LANGUAGE ISSUE
An example: phonological processing (language, sequencing, speed, working memory, paired recall)
• 4 year old can’t rhyme • 6 year old can’t associate grapheme/phoneme
IDENTIFICATION/REMEDIATION • 10 year old can’t spell, but not a bad reader • 12 year old a pretty good reader, wants to study French
• Taking the French IB higher exam • Prediction??? • Intervention???
A mind at a time: Marty Age 7
Key Variations Key Interventions
• Excellent athlete • Everyone’s best friend • Sharp in math • Excellent builder • Late talker • Poor vocabulary • Grammar, syntax
immature • Poor direction following • Acts up in MT class
• D/C MT • Speech-language therapy • Keep it visual • Pre load with content
vocabulary • Comprehension monitoring • Multisensory learning • Careful monitoring- highly
at risk for ‘SLD’
Motor Function: Fact or Fiction • Eye hand coordination is important for handwriting
• Children with handwriting difficulties do better on a keyboard
• Music training can improve math learning
Societal Significance of Motor Function
• Which Society?? The Australian boy who can’t run well or the Taiwanese girl who can’t write precisely?
• Which Gender?? • Which Season?? • Which Year??
ORAL MOTOR GRAPHOMOT. FINE MOTOR GROSS MOT.
PROPRIOKIN-ISTHETICS
TONGUE POSITION
FINGER POSITION COPYING
PIANO GYMANSTICS
VISUAL SPATIAL
XX COLORING KEYBOARD HITTING A BALL
MOTOR PLANNING
SOUND PRODUCTION
SHOELACES TAE KWON DO
MOTOR MEMORY
SOUND SEQUENCE
LETTER FORMATION
LAY-UP
COORDINAT-ION
CHEW AND SWALLOW
PENCIL GRIP KNITTING BIKE RIDING PRECISION
MONITORING NEATNESS WATCHING BALANCE
TONE CONTROL
DROOLING GRIP UTENSILS POSTURE
Other Motor Patterns to Take Note Of
• Pseudo motor dysfunction: rapid speed and poor legibility- think much faster than they write, impulsivity– not a motor issue
• Functional undermining: load dependent
• Bimanual coordination issues • Perching
A mind at a time: Michael, Age 11
Key Variations Key Interventions
• Bright • Early reader • Creative • Walked at 16 months • Articulation issues- age 3 • Awkward pencil grip • Poor bike rider • Excellent pianist and
keyboardist
• Speech language therapy • Alternative writing
implements • Lined paper • Support areas of motor
efficacy • Protection from
humiliation (posted work) • No cursive!! • Dana/alphasmart
Ages and Challenges
Motor dysfunction
• 5 year old on the playground
• 11 year old during PE • 15 year old taking notes
from the board • 17 year old speaking in
front of the class
Oral language
• ‘use your words’ in preschool
• Bilingual new arrivers • Learning a 3 language • Understanding slang • Writing for an audience • Answering and asking