0% found this document useful (0 votes)
13 views26 pages

Enhancing Learning Through Brain Power

Uploaded by

miranpaul3
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
13 views26 pages

Enhancing Learning Through Brain Power

Uploaded by

miranpaul3
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Module 6:

The Powers of Mind


Objectives:

1. Discuss that understanding the left and right


brain functions may help in improving one's
learning.
2. Explore mind-mapping techniques suited to the
right brain or left brain- dominant thinking styles.
3. Make a plan to improve learning using both left
and right brain development.
Activity: Lateral Thinking Puzzles
1. You are driving down the road in your car on a
wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop
and you see three people waiting for the bus:
a. An old lady who looks as if she is about to
die
b. An old friend who once saved your life
c. The perfect partner you have been dreaming
about.
Knowing that there can only
be one passenger in your car,
whom would you choose?
2. The Man in the Elevator
A man lives on the tenth floor of a building.
Every day he takes the elevator to go down to
the ground floor to go to work or to go
shopping. When he returns he takes the
elevator to the seventh floor and walks up the
stairs to reach his apartment on the tenth floor.
He hates walking so why does he do it?
3. The Deadly Dish

Two men went into a restaurant.


They both ordered the same dish
from the menu. After they tasted it,
one of the men went outside the
restaurant and shot himself. Why?
4. Trouble with Sons

A woman had two sons who were


born on the same hour of the same
day of the same month of the same
year. But they were not twins. How
could this be so?
5. Heaven

A man died and went to Heaven. There


were thousands of other people there. They
were all naked and all looked as they did at
the age of 21. He looked around to see if there
was anyone he recognised. He saw a couple
and he knew immediately that they were Adam
and Eve. How did he know?
Reading: Brainpower: Complex Organ
Controls Your Every Thought and Move

The Power to Act


The brain has three major parts-- the
cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brain
stem.
 The brain stem connects the spinal cord and the
brain. It controls functions that keep people alive
such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and
digestion.
 Things are different in the cerebellum. That
region controls voluntary movement. When you
want to lift your fork, wave your hand, brush your
hair or wink at a cutie, you form the thought and;
 Then an area in the cerebellum translates your
will into action. It happens so quickly.
 Neurons, with three- part units and are key to brain
function. They are comprised of a nerve cell body, axon
and dendrite, and they power the rapid- fire process that
turns thought into movement.
 The thought moves as an electrical signal from the nerve
cell down the axon to a dendrite, which looks like
branches at the end of nerve cells.
 The signal jumps from the end of the dendrite on one cell
across the space, called a synapse, to the dendrite of
another cell with the help of chemicals called
neurotransmitters.
The cerebrum is the largest of the three
brain sections, accounts for about 85
percent of the brain's weight, and has
four lobes. The lobes- frontal, parietal,
temporal and occipital-- each have
different functions. They get their names
from the sections of the skull that are
next to them.
The parietal lobe helps people
understand what they see and feel,
while the frontal lobe determines
personality and emotions. Vision
functions are located in the occipital
lobe, and hearing and word
recognition abilities are in the
temporal lobe.
A Critical Age
 Because the brain's healthy functioning is
essential to living and determines quality of life,
doctors emphasize protecting the organ from
injury and chemical abuse.
 There is a consensus among researchers that
brain cells regenerate throughout life, said Doug
Postels, a pediatric neurosurgeon in New
Orleans, but that new growth happens very
slowly after a certain age.
 During the first three years of life, the brain
experiences most of its growth and develops
most of its potential for learning. That's the time
frame in which synaptogenesis, or the creation of
pathways for brain cells to communicate, occurs.

Drug Damage
 Because so little recovery occurs to brains
damaged after age 3, the effects of drugs and
alcohol on the brain might be lasting.
 Doctors know what inhalants, steroids,
marijuana, cocaine and alcohol do to the brain
when people use them.
 Inhalants, such as glue, paint, gasoline and
aerosols, detroy the outer lining of nerve cells
and make them unable to communicate with one
another. In 1993, more than 60 young people
died from sniffing inhalants, according to National
families in Action, a drug education center based
in Atlanta.
Studies have found that marijuana use
hinders memory, learning, judgment and
reaction times, while steroids cause
aggression and violent mood swings.
Ecstacy use is rising among young people,
Rusche said, and scientists have found that
drug destroys neurons that make serotonin,
a chemical crucial in controlling sleep,
violence, mood swings and sexual urges.
Reading: The Dominant Side of The Brain

Researchers believed that brain dominance


determines a person's preferences, problem-
solving style, personality characterestics, and
even career choices.
For example, aright- brain individual will
quickly get a feeling for a situation, while a left-
brain person will usually ask a lot of questions
The following chart reflects additional difference between
left and bright- brain dominance.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE
LEFT DOMINANCE RIGHT DOMINANCE
Classical music Popular music
Being on time A good times
Careful planning To visualize the outcome
To consider alternative To go with the first idea
Being thoughtful Being active
Monopoly, scrabble or chess Athletics, art, or music
There is nothing good or bad about either preference. Both
orientations can be equally successful in accomplishing a single task;
however, one may be more appropriate over the other depending on the
situation.
Activity: Mind Mapping
Mind Mapping is a powerful thinking tool. It
is a graphical technique that mirrors the way the
brain works, and was invented by Tony Buzan.
Mind mapping helps to make thinking
visible. Mind maps have a wide variety of uses,
for example, note taking, revision planning,
planning for writing and problem solving can all
be successfuly carried out using the technique.
Let's do these!!!

Common questions

Powered by AI

Left-brain dominant individuals typically prefer structured and rule-based leisure activities, such as board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or Chess, reflecting their analytical and sequential cognitive style. These activities require strategic planning and logical thinking. In contrast, right-brain dominant individuals opt for more creative and spontaneous activities, including athletics, art, or music, reflecting their holistic and imaginative cognitive approach. These preferences illustrate how brain dominance guides not just professional tasks but also leisure activities, contributing to balanced personal development .

Educators should consider several factors to protect and enhance brain function: providing an enriched learning environment that fosters synaptic growth, leveraging both left and right brain learning strategies to cater to diverse cognitive styles, and promoting activities that integrate both analytical and creative skills. Additionally, they should emphasize the importance of avoiding drugs and substances that harm brain integrity, support the development of a healthy lifestyle, and encourage activities that stimulate neural activity to maintain cognitive health throughout life .

Understanding left and right brain functions allows individuals to tailor their learning methods to their dominant brain type, potentially enhancing learning efficiency. Left-brain dominance often involves logical thinking and analytical tasks, favoring structured and sequential learning methods. Conversely, right-brain dominance includes holistic thinking and creativity, benefiting from visual and intuitive learning strategies. By leveraging these strengths through techniques like mind mapping, individuals can enhance their capacity to absorb and process information effectively .

Understanding dominant brain hemispheres can significantly influence career choices by aligning them with cognitive strengths. Individuals with a left-brain dominance might gravitate towards careers that require strong analytical, logical, and detail-oriented skills, such as accounting, engineering, or science. Conversely, right-brain dominant individuals may choose careers that involve creativity, intuition, or art, like design, music, or psychology. Recognizing these preferences can guide individuals to careers where they can maximize their potential and job satisfaction .

The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, responsible for a variety of higher brain functions, including those crucial for learning and personal development. It accounts for about 85% of the brain's weight and is divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital, each contributing to different functions such as personality, emotion, sensory data processing, and language. The frontal lobe, for instance, is key in shaping personality and emotions, significantly influencing personal development. The occipital lobe processes visual information, impacting how learning material is absorbed and understood .

The brain's growth and synaptogenesis during early childhood have critical educational implications as this period is when the brain forms most of its neural connections. This phase sets the foundation for cognitive abilities, learning capacities, and future development. Educational strategies that provide rich, stimulating environments can enhance synaptic growth, fostering higher intellectual and emotional capacities. Given the reduced ability for brain plasticity later in life, early childhood education plays a pivotal role in optimizing lifelong learning and cognitive health .

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses from one neuron to another. When an electrical signal reaches the end of a neuron, neurotransmitters are released into the synapse, where they bind to receptors on the adjacent neuron, allowing the signal to propagate. This communication network is crucial to brain function, facilitating everything from basic motor activity to complex cognitive processes like learning and memory. Disruptions in neurotransmitter activity can significantly impair cognitive and physical abilities .

Mind mapping aligns with right-brain thinking by providing a visual structure that mirrors how the brain naturally organizes information. This technique supports creative learners by allowing ideas to be visualized on a single page with branches that radiate outward, representing associations and stimuli much like neural networks. For visual learners, mind mapping capitalizes on their strength in processing graphical information, facilitating engagement and retention of complex information through visualization and association .

Lateral thinking puzzles promote creative problem-solving by requiring individuals to think outside conventional frameworks. Left brain-dominant individuals benefit by engaging analytical skills through structured problem-solving approaches, while right brain-dominant individuals utilize their intuitive and imaginative strengths. Such puzzles encourage the integration of both logical analysis and innovative ideation, which enhances overall cognitive flexibility and problem-solving capabilities, enabling a balanced approach to solving complex issues .

Drug use and brain injury have severe implications on the brain's regenerative ability and overall health. Damage from substances like inhalants, steroids, and alcohol can lead to the destruction of nerve cells and impair neurotransmitter function, which is crucial for brain communication and health. Although brain cells can regenerate slowly, damages incurred after early childhood—such as from drug use—tend to be permanent, affecting cognition, emotional regulation, and overall brain function. This highlights the importance of protecting the brain from chemical abuse .

You might also like