Rule #7: Sleep Well, Think Well

Cape Cod Morning and Nighthawk both by Edward Hopper

Did Edward Hopper know about Larks and Owls? Who knows? But if you look at these pictures you can probably tell which scene you would rather be a part of, and your choice may indicate which end of the day you are working at your optimum!

Fill out the rubric to decide whether you are a Lark or an Owl. Then read the article your group assigns you. Afterwards get together with your group and talk about some of the things below:

• What did you find out in your reading about sleep and students?
• If you were in the school system that matched sleep style to school attendance time, when would you be teaching?
• Aside from the pieces you can't control about school day schedules, are there things in this chapter you can use to optimize learning?

Rule #6: Remember to Repeat

"Memory does not refer to a single aspect of our experience but rather encompasses a myriad of learned information, such as knowing the identity of the 16th president of the United States, what we had for dinner last Tuesday or how to drive a car. The processes and brain regions involved in consolidation may vary depending on the particular characteristics of the memory to be formed. "
Preston, Allison. "How Does Short-term Memory Work in Relation to Long-term Memory? " Ask the Experts. Scientific American, 27 Sept 2007. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-short-term-memory-to-long-term&print=true

Today's Discussion
The reading mentions that long-term memory takes awhile to form. It suggests that if a school day were set up to maximize long-term memory retention, it would include half-hour "skinnies" with students returning to each class for another half-hour after a two hour absence. This will never happen in our situation. How could we structure instruction to make sure students DO remember what they need to learn? After your discussion, respond to this brain rule on this blog.



Click on the link below to find out about the brain in an interesting way.








http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/index_i.html

Rule #5--Repeat to Remember

1. So was Madeline Hunter right after all? What did you learn in this chapter that could be applied to her Anticipatory Set?
2. Do our classes use repetition enough for students to actually learn? How could we incorporate repetition across the curriculum?
3. Whenever we lost things, my dad would always say, "Where were you when you had it last?" Also, if I forget what I am doing, because I have been interrupted mid-flight, I often go back to the location I started in to remember. Any other stories that have been given an aha by this reading?
4. What is one thing you will change in your pedagogy because of reading this chapter?

Brain Rule #4--We don't pay attention to boring things!

PBS Frontline recently presented a show called digital_nation: life on the virtual frontier.

1. Watch the first section of the show.
2. Talk about it with your group.
3. Blog about your discussion.

Scientists find how relaxed minds remember better

(Reuters) March 24, 2010
Stronger and more lasting memories are likely to be formed when a person is relaxed and the memory-related neurons in the brain fire in sync scientists said on Wednesday. read more