Get ADD Students Organized (video)

Base your teaching approaches on the brain part affected

Kathie Nunley from Brains.org has posted a short video, Teaching Tip 12, explaining ways to help ADD and ADHD students get organized. She relates methods based on whether the hind brain or pre-frontal cortex is involved.

Remember, low dopamine production can be raised through gross-motor movements, helping boost attention what ever areas of the brain or approach is used. Insist on more classroom activity, recess and daily physical eduction!

Achieve Happiness (Video)

Why are we happy? Why aren’t we happy?

Dan Gilbert speaking at TED expounds on happiness, relating your feelings to research. Enjoy this lighthearted talk reinforcing our prefrontal cortex’s capacity to manufacture happiness. Interesting how bounded and unbounded ambitions and fears impact us differently. Quite surprising.

4th of July Movement Routine

Feel physical fireworks following the actions

Rather than sitting and listening to the 1812 Overture performed to fireworks, why not create your own sparkle, mimicking my complex movement routine and echoing the lyrics. Dress in red, white and blue to experience total release. Can you do it? Engage your pre-frontal cortex, motor cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum, visual, auditory, vestibular and kinesthetic body brain systems. This is the same body brain network that involves academic performance skills. Ka boom! What a blast!

Heart-Brain Connection -- Video

The Neuroscience of Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning

Neuroscientist Richard Davidson presents his research showing how social and emotional interactions change the brain. Presented online by Edutopia.org this video explains how disruptive excess stress can be to working memory and cognition. Overflow of the stress hormone cortisol interferes with the hippocampus and amygdala. It is important for people to learn patience and mind calming skills so stress does not hijack the brain and disrupt living and learning.

Motor Planning and Sequencing

Reading, speech, and language improve using rhythm

Reading achievement is central to school success. As neuroscience becomes more precise, understanding the areas of the body brain involved with language development and reading suggest the importance of motor planning and sequencing. The Cingulate Gyrus, Basal Ganglia, Cerebellum and Frontal Cortex are brain areas involved. Rhythmic motor activities that strengthen neural networks connecting these brain areas allow for quicker shifting of attention and focus.

Speech and language have improved. Those with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, Parkinsons, and Sensory Integration Disorders have benefited in various ways. Interactive Metronome offers research and case studies on their website showing the functional neural plasticity involved.

Classical Music Expands My Mind

Boogie Along with the Music Movement Sequence

Madeline Frank http://www.madelinefrankviola.com/ offers a comprehensive monthly newsletter and radio broadcast citing current research showing how music enhances learning. I created an interactive movement sequence to the 1812 Overture demonstrating the music and brain connection. You can tap, tap, tap into this on http://www.madelinefrankviola.com/radio.php.

See if you can mimic the movements and echo the words... this will create a total brain activity involving the cerebellum, basal ganglia, pre-frontal and motor cortex. All of these brain areas and senses will be activated, boosting attention, focus, and motivation. Try it and see.

Jeff Haebig