Introduction

It is time to get started on our book study!  I am looking forward to being able to take the time to read and reflect from the comforts of my own home or even pool chair!  As several of you know, I attended a workshop presented by this author earlier this year and absolutely loved his work.  Even more, I loved what I feel like this could do for our students.  We have spent the last few years defining and then fine tuning our core in both math and reading.  Yet, we talk often about how we still feel like something is missing.  Hearing Mr. Jensen share his studies gave me several ideas that I think might help our kids.  I am excited for us to learn more about this together.

We are going to post a few questions for each chapter of the book and ask that you respond to as many as you can.  To receive the full five hours of PD credit for the book study, we ask that you read the book in its entirety, participate in the blog discussion a minimum of three times, complete the final questions after reading chapter 12 and submit those questions to me.
Happy reading/blogging!
Sara



Discussion Question #1 - Introduction -
Considering what you just read about the brain, what implications do you already see for your classroom and our school?

Chapter 1 - Meet Your Amazing Brain

Consider what you have read about the brain's adaptability.  How does its state of constant change fit (or not fit) with a traditional model of teaching that is focused on helping a student acquire (or add) new sets of facts and/or skills?  What implications does this have for our instruction?

Chapter 2 - Preparing the Brain for School

Based on your understanding of what you just read, what does it mean to "prepare the brain for school"?

Which of the preparatory measures do you think are the most important to success in school?  

How many of our students do you think come to school with a brain that is "prepared for school"?

Chapter 3 - Rules We Learn By

Some might argue that teachers do not have time to incorporate all the rules of learning.  What are the rules about learning and the brain that you feel could have the biggest impact on your teaching and student learning?  How could you apply this to your every day practice?

Chapter 4 - Movement and Learning

How intentional are you about simple physical activity in your classroom?  Do you have any rules about movement? (e.g., "Get students moving every half hour)?  What would be the pros and cons of increasing the amount of movement in your classroom?  What is a realistic goal for you for the coming year?

Chapter 5 - Emotional States

Would you say that fostering a love of learning is a legitimate goal for teachers?
What kinds of things could teachers do to encourage students' emotional response to learning?

Chapter 6 - Physical Environments for Learning

Think about how issues related to seating and mobility affect student learning.  How might you change your classroom arrangement(s) and/or operating models in light of this information?

Chapter 7 - Managing the Social Brain

What is the evidence that connects social activity and cognition?  What does this mean for us as teachers?

Chapter 8 - Motivation and Engagement

After reading this chapter, reflect on your own thoughts about student motivation.  When it comes to being motivated, how much responsibility do elementary age students have in regards to their motivation?  How much of the responsibility is the teacher's?

Chapter 9 - Critical Thinking Skills

The text mentions " the adaptive brain".  This means that the brain simply makes use of what's offered in the environment.  What does this mean to us in regards to our curriculum?  What did you enjoy the most about reading this section?

Chapter 10 - Memory and Recall

This is my favorite chapter!  What is "working memory" and what does this mean to us as teachers?

What happens in the brain to ensure emotional memories are more likely to be remembered?  How might this benefit you as a teacher?

What is priming and how might you use this strategy to strengthen your students' memory and recall?

Chapter 11 - Brain-Based teaching

Evaluate the model's overall strengths and weaknesses.  Which steps or aspects make the most sense to you?  Which parts seem less practical?

Do your current instructional and content requirements fit into this model?  What would you have to adapt to make it fit better?

Chapter 12 - Schools with the Brain in Mind

Almost finished.  Please complete the following final reflection (copy and paste into a Word document) and email to Sara once it is complete.  :0)  This is what we will use to guide our follow up conversations and planning during staff retreat.

Individual Survey                        Name ___________________

1.  Which of the suggestions for instruction provided in the text seem most useful to you?  

2.  What are some of the most important things to remember in helping to create a positive climate for teachers?  What areas do you feel like we need to work on most in regards to school climate?

3.  After reading this text, think about how being "brain-based" impacts curriculum.  What are some things we need to keep in mind for future planning?   What is meant by curriculum with more "survival value"? 

4.  What was your favorite section of the text?  Why did you like it?

5.  Based on all you have read, what changes are you hoping to make in your own classroom?   What do you feel like could have the biggest impact on our school as a whole?