The most important concepts I learned from this class are the six brain teaching targets. Although the human brain is complex, we have only begun to understand its relationship to learning. The Brain Targeted Teaching Model incorporates brain based learning and teaching simply. Brain targets one and two are the foundation for learning and positive development for students. Brain target three clarifies the big picture for everyone involved in the learning process. Brain targets four and five are the areas of learning where creativity can run wild. I particularly enjoyed developing brain target activities for my unit that were engaging and required extension of understanding.
My goal is to become stronger at implementing brain target six. As a teacher I find that I feel pressure to cover material and do not spend enough time providing immediate feedback to my students or afford them opportunities for self-reflection. I knew that it was important to review your work and tests, but I had no idea that it was essential to committing the information learned to long-term memory. This information has made me rethink what testing preparation and review look like in my classroom.
I hope to be able to master and apply the brain anatomy terminology from this course in my conversations with peer teachers and in my writing. I find myself relying on texts when I need to reference brain terms and hope that soon I can commit this information to my long-term memory and use these vocabulary words with confidence.
Hi Meghan,
ReplyDeleteI can understand your interest in BTT 6.With the advent of so much standardized testing there is way too much emphasis on the multiple choice format. If you have a chance, be sure to get Dr. Hardiman’s latest book. She has a great chapter on evaluation with lots of ideas.
Your fellow teachers also posted lots of excellent information on the Discussion Board for Week 9. So revisit that when you have a chance over the break.
Mastering and applying brain anatomy terminology is a worthy challenge. Equally important is an understanding of how those “parts” interact – brain function.
The PBS website that accompanies the series “The Secret life OF THE Brain” has an excellent interactive feature that will teach you about both brain structure and brain function. I highly recommend that you check it out. Look for the section labeled “3-D Brain Anatomy.”
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/3d/index.html
Another website help you reach that goal is McGill University’s “The Brain from Top to Bottom.” I have been using this as my “Go To” for about the last six years or so. The generous folks at McGill continue to up-date and improve the site as new research becomes available.
Here is the link:
http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/index.php
Wouldn’t it be fun if there was a brain word game we could all play like that FB application “Words with Friends.” Enjoy your break and be sure to let me know what you think about these two websites.
Best regards,
Sharon