By Lauren Goff/reporter
Brain research has come a long way as scientists learn how to use it in new ways of learning in the classroom, a NE Campus guest speaker said recently.
Janet N. Zadina, a former high school and college teacher now engaged in neuroscience research, presented Becoming Brain-Compatible in the Classroom in Only Six Weeks Feb. 4.
Zadina made a link between “neuro-developmental language disorders through MRI brain scans and behavioral interventions for post-traumatic stress disorders.”
She described the different ways the brain learns and the basics of the brain’s size, shape, texture and consistency.
Zadina said the lobes of the left brain and right brain work together while processing information through one’s eyes and memory.
Understanding how the inside of the brain works is key to learning, Zadina said. She said singing, showing pictures and speaking out loud can re-teach the brain to learn better while in the classroom.
Zadina said scientists are thankful for neuroimaging because they can see inside the living, thinking brain. Images like the MRI can detect different abnormalities in the brain.
With an EEG, electrodes are placed on the scalp and are effective with brain activity for sleep disorders, seizures and other disorders, Zadina said, showing the importance of neuroimaging and the way the brain works.
Zadina’s six-week action plan is a way for students to enhance their critical thinking skills. One of her favorite teaching lessons is through music, which she said enhances visual processing. Another favorite method is talking and singing out loud and reading what she has on her slideshow presentations.
“Research has shown us that there is much variety among the brains of individuals and that those who learn differently use their brain differently,” she said.
“Therefore, we want to utilize as much variety in our strategies and approaches as possible to reach the greatest number of individuals.”
Zadina said she has different ways to get a group of people to pay attention and learn from her lesson, including using humor to get a crowd of people laughing and learning at the same time.
She said she wants to motivate people and get them involved to practice these new techniques of learning in the classroom.
Zadina is the author of Six Weeks to a Brain-Compatible Classroom, which she said covers a few key points she talked about but is a workbook for anyone who wants to practice becoming a better student in six weeks.
