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RAIN RESEARCH: ARE OUR SCHOOLS KEEPING UP WITH THE NEW INFORMATION?
By Maureen Cheever, Ph.D.

There is a flurry of activity around the topic of brain research. I guess the first question should be, are you weary of it yet? Try not to be, because all of the experts assure us that we’re in the thick of a revolution with regard to what we are learning and will learn about our brains.

In June, the Winnetka Public Schools Summer Institute, funded through the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation, hosted a three-day seminar where nationally renowned expertsRenate Nummela Caine, Geoffrey Caine, and Robert Sylwester presented and debated the latest information regarding brain research and its implication for educational practice. While I have certainly learned some new information, what is amazing to me is that each new bit of learning hasn’t shocked me into bringing some new educational practice or revolutionary idea to Winnetka.

Instead what I have felt is pride that the "new" research findings support the "tried and true" teaching and learning practices which I have observed in Winnetka schools. For children and brain development, we are doing a lot of things right!

So what’s new and exciting in the field of neuroscience?

With the advent of the fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), the NMRI (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and PET (Positron Emission Tomography), researchers can now view and study brains which are alive and functioning versus those only available through autopsy. These forms of technology allow sequences of thinking to be measured across very narrow areas of the brain. Viewing the brain in terms of the right and left hemispheres or lower, mid– and higher brain areas is now outdated. Today’s research indicates a "whole systems" approach to understanding the brain, which is more interdisciplinary. Also emerging is information on the connection between brain chemicals and how they relate to one’s success as a learner. For example, more or less serotonin, dopamine, or other related compounds have an impact on attention, motivation, and behavior. However, the bottom line consistently has been a disclaimer that brain research doesn’t prove anything. It merely suggests ideas or paths that have a higher probability of success. Most writers and presenters on this subject are quick to call for action research from our own teachers to test the finding in the classroom, wherein, they feel, the true evidence lies.

Some practical suggestions for getting children ready to learn

In my readings, I came across an excellent book , entitled Teaching with the Brain in Mind, by Eric Jensen (1998). It has great, practical information, is very readable and short! Within it, several points regarding early childhood and brain research were made. Neuroscientist Martha Peirson said, "Children need a flood of information, a banquet, a feast." I loved the image of the banquet and the reference to eating because it also infers the danger of overeating! One specific finding reported that infants who were given periodic stimulation by rocking gained weight faster and developed vision and hearing faster because it stimulated their inner ear’s vestibular area. Additionally, it came as no surprise to hear that infants whose parents talk to them more frequently and use bigger, "adult" words, will develop better language skills. Further, brain research has also confirmed nutritional needs for a brains’ growth, specifically leafy green vegetables (spinach and kale ), salmon, nuts, lean meats, fresh fruits and dairy products (yogurt and milk are best).

Here are some other practical suggestions from Eric Jensen’s book.

Give your infants plenty of opportunities for crawling and other motor development activities (spinning, tumbling, rocking, pointing, counting, jumping and ball toss).

Continue to talk to your children, play music and sing with them, and pose and solve problems with them.

Patiently answer the endless stream of "why" questions that children ask without sarcasm or being too brief or too wordy.

Point out patterns in nature. For example, "Can you see all the leaf shapes on the trees?"

Introduce skills of grouping objects, ideas, names, facts and other key ideas.

Read to kids and ask for patterns of organization. These might be cycles of cause and effect, problem and solution, or intense drama and down time.

Ask questions that compare and contrast elements in nature.

Help children learn to use jigsaw puzzles, blocks and dominoes.

Use sorting skills for simple home or life objects, such as sorting buttons, nuts, bolts, screws.

Teach and learn sound patterns, such as bird calls.

When giving directions to children ages four to nine years old, use small "chunks," one to three items at a time. To older children, ages 10 to 17, use up to seven "chunks."

How is Winnetka "doing it right?"

We are so fortunate in the Winnetka Public Schools not to be limited by a prescriptive and narrowly defined curriculum. Teachers have the freedom to expose children to a variety of approaches for solving problems. It is the process of solving problems and making connections that stimulates neural growth. The growth occurs because of the process, not the solution. As Robert Sylwester shared in our Summer Institute session, "Be sure to have the children explain their answers to you." This type of reflection will help to mature the system so that it can respond to more complex challenges which the brain will be ready for at about age 11.

Robin Fogarty describes brain-based learning environments in her article, "The Intelligence Friendly Classroom," (Kappan, May, 1998). It was interesting for me to note how may of her recommendations were readily observable in our classrooms:

Set a safe emotional climate (celebrate successes; eliminate threats).

Create a rich learning environment (provide challenges, choices, self-pacing, time for reflection).

Teach the mind-tools and skills of life (critical thinking, creative thinking, social skills, technological skills, visual skills, skills in the performing arts, and athletic skills).

Develop the skillfulness of the learner (direct instruction, independent reading, reseat, discussion).

Challenge through the experience of doing (hands-on, minds-on lab-like situations, graphic organizers, authentic experiences, small-group, cooperative tasks).

Target multiple dimensions of intelligence (I.e., interpersonal, verbal, visual, logical).

Transfer learning through reflection (journaling, discussion, peer review).

Balance assessment measures (glasswork, homework, quizzes, criterion referenced tests, standardized tests, portfolios, authentic assessments, exhibitions of learning).

Additionally, other points were raised against a "factory model" of education, with hopes of moving education toward a more "information age" model. For years, Winnetka has been known for its progressive, child-centered practices which certainly have been supported by the latest brain research findings. Some examples include:

No bells or specific time periods which allows for flexibility within the daily schedule.

No letter grades until seventh grade, as they usually detract from the process of learning;.

No rows of desks, but classroom configurations that allow students to reflect and discuss their learning with peers.

No narrow curriculum, but, instead, connecting learning to real life;.

No separation of knowledge into independent subjects, but emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach to all learning.

Certainly the findings of the brain researchers will continue to inform us and fuel our ongoing conversations about theory and practice. I look forward to more developments in this booming area. Somehow I feel that the educators in Winnetka may hear more affirmative news about their instructional practices! We can already celebrate high quality education, supported by brain research findings, which encourage the exploration of  alternative thinking, multiple answers and creative insights. We embrace the opportunities which the future holds to further refine our teaching and learning process.