Technology Integration: 08/01/2012

Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist, in her 2006 book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success shows how adopting either a fixed or growth attitude toward talent can profoundly affect all aspects of a person’s life, from parenting and romantic relationships to success at school and on the job. Read more

In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Read more

Brainology is an online program that teaches brain science and study skills to middle school and high school students. In the program, students develop a growth mindset, the core belief that abilities, rather than being fixed, are developed over time.

Students follow animated characters as they tackle issues in their most difficult subjects.

BRAINOLOGY STRUCTURE

• about 2.5 hours of online instruction divided into an introduction and 4 instructional units
• up to 10 hours worth of additional classroom activities
• content made relevant and placed in context of school and student challenges
• relevant content + interactivity + humor = high level of engagement
• summary handouts, assessments, teacher’s guide, teacher tools to view usage data.

Brainology Growth Process:

UNIT 1: BRAIN BASICS

• Basics of brain structure, particularly what is required to maintain readiness to learn
–the brain needs certain things in order to function well (e.g. sleep, certain foods)
–the brain is the body’s control center: it gets information from all your senses, and is in charge of all of the body’s voluntary and involuntary movement
–different areas of the brain do different things
–your senses serve as different “pathways” to the brain: using more than one sense to learn about something lets you use more of your brain and aids learning and memory
–using different complementary modes of learning helps focus attention and increase learning
–in contrast, competing pathways can interfere with learning
–active learning approaches are best.

UNIT 2: BRAIN BEHAVIOR

• brain behavior, how it functions, effect of emotions and strategies to manage emotions
–the brain is made up of nerve cells, called neurons, in a network of many connections
–neurons communicate with each other through these connections
–the branching parts, called dendrites, receive messages, and the long part, called the axon, transmits a signal through the neuron
–thinking is influenced by the emotions, especially anxiety
–when facing any type of threat, the brain sets off a fight-or-flight response that causes physical signs of anxiety and interferes with thinking
–many students have performance anxiety—stress related to taking tests, giving presentations, or other performance-oriented situations—that can interfere with performance even when they know the material
–you can lower your anxiety level by being prepared, thinking positively, and calming your breathing.

UNIT 3: BRAIN BUILDING

• How learning changes the brain and what sort of activities promote learning

        –the brain and intelligence are not fixed—they both change when you learn
        –the brain grows more new cells and connections when you learn
        –you get smarter by exercising your brain, much the same way that you get stronger by exercising your muscles–how can you exercise the brain?
–by exploring new information, learning new concepts, and practicing skills.
        –practice is the key to learning—only by practicing can you grow new connections in that area   of your brain responsible for learning that thing
       –the more connections you make, the easier it gets to make new ones
   –different environments can influence brain growth
       –active learning is the key
       –you are never too old to learn and develop your brain!

UNIT 4: BRAIN BOOSTER

        • How memory works and study strategies to apply the Brainology lessons in real life.
         –memory is stored in the new connections your brain makes between neurons when you have a new experience
         –there are different stages in memory, each lasting different amount of time: sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory
   –memory is a process, and if you skip one stage, the memory will not last
   –all information enters through sensory memory
   –things you pay attention to go on to working memory, which can only hold 5-7 separate pieces of information at once
   –information moves from working memory to long-term memory through a process called encoding. In order for encoding to happen, you must pay attention, attach new information to existing information that supports it and repeat the information
         –other mnemonics (memory strategies) include connecting information together by chunking –visual images and acronyms
         –most good study strategies are those that reinforce this memory process, helping your brain to make many strong connections between neurons and build a strong network of knowledge.

BRAINOLOGY TOOLS

e-Journal: students are prompted for reflections throughout the program, and have access to the e-journal at any time
Brain Book: reference guide about the brain. Summary of key lessons learned
Formative challenges at the end of each unit to review material
Map: navigate to any section of the program.