Educational Technology RWLO Template Title Placeholder

The Three Pound Miracle Project Overview

Project Overview. Students in the Teacher Preparation Program will hear the term “Brain based learning” in conversations with other professionals. In order to understand the terminology, the physiology and structure of the brain, and how to use this information to increase teaching and learning in the classroom, students will be introduced to specific web sites and video streaming that will help to increase their understanding of the brain, how it functions, and its relationship to teaching and learning. Students will be asked to answer questions on specific websites and videos, choose an additional video, and a list of brain based activities provided, and develop a documented argumentative essay that supports the rationale for knowing, understanding, and applying the research on the brain to the process of teaching and learning. Student Learning Objectives

For this RWLO, the student will be able to:  Compare and contrast the various parts of the brain in relationship to teaching and learning  Specify the stages of development and limitations of primary, middle, and adolescent brains  Identify and explain the relationship of short term and long term memory in the learning process  Draft, revise, and write a 500 word documented argumentative/persuasive essay that supports the need to understand and use the information about the brain in relationship to the teaching and learning process

Procedure

Time: Approximately 3 class sessions:  Session 1 – review the online materials  Session 2 – discuss the questions In relationship to the materials viewed  Session 3 -- draft the argumentative essay

Materials: The instructor and the student must have access to a computer that has an Internet connection Prerequisites: Students must have a basic understanding of how to use argument as a dominant mode in the development of an essay.

Implementation: This RWLO can be used either in the classroom, as an online enhancement, or independent assignment to introduce students to how the brain functions, physiological aspects, and relationship to teaching and learning.

Students can follow the step-by-step directions that follow. Students will complete the following assignments: 1. Visit unique and compelling websites. 2. Visit additional websites and write summaries of those assigned as well as those they select for a total of four summaries. 3. Visit a websites and view 5 videos that provide back ground information and answer the questions listed for them. 4. Using the information accumulated, create an argumentative outline for an essay arguing for the following: “Education majors and/or teachers should or should not have a working knowledge of The Three Pound Miracle because….” 5. Write the essay using the rubric as a guideline

Content Materials

Student Directions

Step 1-Review background Information

Visit the following Unique and Compelling Websites:

 There are five parts to this website: History, 3D Brain Anatomy, Mind Illusions, Scanning the Brain, and The Episodes. Select one and summarize the main points http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/3d/index.html -the secret life of the brain

 The following websites from Harvard Medical School shows “tomes” or slices of the brain for medical students. Peruse the site and become familiar with some of the slides. http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html - brain atlas  The following topics are reviewed in the website that follows. Read the first four and one additional one of your choice. Summarize the four topics and show the relationship to teaching and learning. 1. Introduction to How Your Brain Works 2. Neuron Structure 3. Basic Neuron Types 4. Brain Parts 5. Fish Brain? 6. Lower Brain 7. Balancing Act 8. Higher Brains 9. Hard-wired 10.Water on the Brain http://www.howstuffworks.com/brain.htm -how the brain works

 Read one of the Hot Topics incorporated in the website below http://www.brains.org/ challenges, hot topics from neurology –adolescent brain

 Listed below are video clips from 32 Teaching models on the brain. Answer the questions for Videos 1-5 and select one additional one to review. http://www.learner.org/resources/series142.html -32 Teaching modules on the brain for high school and college students

Step 2- View Videos 1, 2, and one additional video of your choice and answer the following questions.

Video 1- Organization and Evaluation of Brain Function

 How does the brain function? Explain.  What technologies are used to allow researchers to view the brain?  What are the results that pioneer researcher Dr. Bigler found out about the brain?  What are the implications for learning and special education?

Video 2 - The Effects of Hormones and the Environment on Brain

 What do the statistics show about left handedness and gender?  What does Dr. Diamond’s research show about the difference between Impoverished and enriched environments.  What are the implications for teaching and learning?

Video 3 - Gender Development: Social Influences

 What did Dr. C. Smith find about the way mothers/adults respond to boy babies versus girl babies?  What implications does nature versus nurture have for educational settings?

Video 4 - Intelligence and Culture

 Which children performed better on the visual/spatial task?  How was it explained?

Video 5 -The Divided Brain

 How does the brain communicate?  Which part of the brain controls which side? What did the doctor and the experiment show in this clip?  What are the implications for education?

Video 6 - Language and Speech: Broca's and Wernicke's Areas

 What is the relationship between Borca’s and Wernoicle’s Areas in language and speech?  What is the three step process for language and comprehension in language and speech?  What, if any, are the implications for learners?

Step 3- Review the background information and create an outline for an argumentative paper that incorporates the above websites as well as any other information obtained.

“Education majors and/or teachers should or should not have a working knowledge of ‘The Three Pound Miracle’ because….”

Step 4- Write the paper using the rubric as a guide. Rubric Source: Prairie State Achievement Exam , Teacher’s Handbook.

Referenced URLs  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/3d/index.html -the secret life of the brain

 http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html - brain atlas

 http://www.howstuffworks.com/brain.htm -how the brain works

 http://www.brains.org/  .  http://www.learner.org/resources/series142.html

6 Assessment

Use the rubric below as a guideline for writing your Argumentative Paper. Persuasive Essay

Features of 6 5 4 3 2 1 Writing Focus Effective Sets purpose Sets Brief opening Subject is Subject is opening through purpose; statement; vague; no unclear; displays introduction; clear develops few unifying insufficient sophistication; clear logic; closing points statement; writing to Writing is advances illogical ideas’ show purposeful, purpose criteria is logical; well met. developed; effective closing Support Major points Major points Major Some main Most support Support fully developed developed points points is general; lacks and supported; evenly by developed; developed; some clarity; word choice specific detail; all key lacks depth elaboration insufficient enhances most support points writing specificity developed supported; Organization Structure is Structure is Structure Structure is Structure is Structure is clear clear and is clear; evident; may noticeable; attempted; appropriate, appropriate to most points have limited insufficient and effective; purpose; logically inappropriate evidence of writing paragraphs points presented transitions; appropriate purposeful; appropriately lacks paragraphing varied sentence paragraphed cohesion; s Conventions Mastery of grammatical construction, Integration Fully developed Grade level Bare bones Partial Rudimentary Insufficient (developed)

7 Links to Course Competencies

This RWLO could be applied in the following courses: Introduction to Education, School Procedures and others. Specifically, this RWLO meets the following course competencies:

1. Demonstrate use of technological tools to access information. 2. Identify current instructional trends and issues in American education 3. Identify, differentiate, and apply the methods of inquiry that provide for a variety of self assessment and problem solving strategies. 4. Utilize methods of inquiry that provide for a variety of self assessment and problem solving strategies. 5. Write an argumentative/persuasive essay that supports the need to understand and use the information about the brain in relationship to the teaching and learning process. 6. Demonstrate critical analysis, problem solving, analysis, and synthesis skills through listening, reading, discussing and writing.

8 Supplementary Resources

 http://www.brainconnection.com/content/166_1

 http://www.patwolfe.com/

 http://www.brainconnection.com/gen/?main=conf/nov00/sousa-int

 http://www.thelearningweb.net/chapter07/page242.html

9 Recommendations

Recommendations for Integration:

Discuss the questions listed earlier in a large group discussion. In small groups of three to four, discuss the relationship of the questions and material in the videos to the impact on teaching and learning.

Back-up:

Procedure In order to provide background information before writing the essay, students could view the following four video tapes on the brain produced by the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Alexandria, VA. The tapes with a facilitator manual are available for purchase. (http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/index.jsp/)

1. View the first three tapes on The Brain and Learning,: Tape 1, “New Knowledge and Understanding” Tape 2, “Classroom Applications” Tape 3, “Changing Schools to Reflect New Knowledge” Tape 4, “What Parents Need to Know”---Optional

2. Answer the questions in the Facilitator’s Guide for tapes 1-3.

3. Review the background information and create an outline for an argumentative paper that incorporates the above websites as well as any other information obtained.

“Education majors and/or teachers should or should not have a working knowledge of ‘The Three Pound Miracle’ because….”

4. Write the paper using the rubric as a guide. Rubric Source: Prairie State Achievement Exam , Teacher’s Handbook.

5. Copy rubric for students to use as a guide in writing their argumentative/persuasive essay. Rubric Source: Prairie State Achievement Exam , Teacher’s Handbook.