Blog 1: Module 6

Blog Post 1
Describe the big picture.

This module discusses the factors that influence brain development and learning. Extensive research over the years has determined that genetics along with personal experiences are important keys to successful brain development. Nutrition as well plays an important role in how efficiently the neurotransmitters work and grow. Though much research has been done in neuroscience, some critics believe that the information is still too “new” and invalid. Others feel that combining psychology, neuroscience, and education can be useful in educational decision making and the ways teachers connect to students.


Did this make sense? What surprised you the most, or what did you find most interesting, and why? How does this reading connect your previous experiences with school or teaching? Discuss some of your unanswered questions about the reading for the class. Do you understand the material? What else do you want to know?

The module was a great introduction to educational psychology. Since I am not a psych major, much of the material was new to me. I found Table 6.2 quite interesting and how far along research and development of neuroscience/psychology has come. It is shocking to me that brain development was only thought to be associated with genetics. There are so many factors that go into development and the success of it. Since I am a dietetics major, I love to look at human development and prevention from a nutritional aspect. The nutritional aspect of brain development during pregnancy is crucial. The critical period, between the 10th and 18th weeks, is imperative for healthy development. Malnutrition, especially insufficient amounts of cholesterol, can damage neurotransmitters and the function of the brain. Along with malnutrition, teratogens can really injure the brain. FAS can create detrimental birth defects and decrease the growth of the brain (Figure 6.4). Mental retardation and cleft lip are consequences of FAS. If these factors (genetics, nutrition, etc.) negatively affect brain development, children may have memory, attention span, social, hearing, and communication problems that all affect the way a child learns and grows.

Overall, I understood module 6 and have no questions at this time.


What is happening in the picture below? How and why does each change occur?

In the picture below, it shows the synaptic connections at birth, 6 years, and 14 years old. Through childhood, the synaptic connections peak as a child begins learning new things. During learning, the neurons branch out and connect to form new connections or strengthen old ones. As a child begins to master skills, the brain recognizes these patterns and becomes faster and efficient. The brain prunes out connections that are infrequently used, helping to eliminate useless connections and make the brain run faster. Unfortunately, children can have connections that are not necessarily good. Learning things incorrectly or having birth defects can create bad connections within the brain. With much work and re-learning, these connections can eventually be terminated and new ones formed. This topic can be applied in the classroom, in that teachers should reinforce and clearly identify important skills to ensure they are retained or learned correctly.


Blog Post 2
Learning happens when students can establish a relatively permanent connection among their neurons. Teachers want to instruct in a way that helps build synaptic connections and
that encodes the information MULTIPLE ways, and through MULTIPLE paths in the brain. Watch the following video. Considering the information in the video, and the book, describe a scenario of how you could teach a particular thing (specify what that is when you're writing) through multiple ways of encoding, or through multiple paths in the brain. As an example, you could communicate the same information both through text and pictures. Alternatively, you could appeal to both reasoning and emotion when discussing why a particular historical event happened.

If I was teaching students how the body makes ATP through the Kreb’s Cycle, I would explain it through text and through pictures/animations. I would first show an animation with audio of how the each compound in the body enters and exits the cycle. The limbic system would be used as it is activated with colors and motion. Since I am a visual learner, pictures and youtube videos are often helpful in mastering a concept. Once the animation is shown, I would have a picture with text reinforcing what processes are happening during each step of the Kreb’s Cycle. To hear the processes through audio, then to be able to read what happens, helps emphasize the information again. The dorsal stream would be activated for this. Since students learn in different ways, using diverse techniques along with repetition will help them understand and master the material!