Exploring the Brain

This article expands a bit on what was included about the frontal lobe in the video about the parts of the brain. I found it interesting that planning, as well as creativity, are conducted here and that depression can interfere with the functioning of this part of the brain. 
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=177208

There may be a connection between amygdala size and the size of a person's social network, according to this article. In addition, individuals with autism tend to have smaller amygdalas, but it is unclear if this is a cause or effect of difficulty socializing. I'm fascinated by the idea that parts of our brain can shrink. If we don't use a region of our brain, does it shrink/do we lose synapses? This makes me think that our ideas about our mental strengths and weaknesses are self-fulfilling. If we don't believe we are good at math; we don't do math; our "math" synapses begin to decrease in number. I may be taking this pseudoscience too far.

I noticed that several other people reflected on emotions and the brain. I've always tried to make students feel comfortable in my classes and to create a positive, safe learning environment. I'm not sure what else I can do besides breath new life into my lessons and make them more interactive. There is always room for improvement.

These conversations about emotions and learning make me think of the work done by Elaine Horwitz on language learning anxiety. While I respect Dr. Horwitz' research, that topic has never been terribly interesting to me because there doesn't seem to be a solution to the problem. What can teachers do beyond what they are already doing to support and accommodate these individuals? With adult learners, the learner must make efforts to address his/her anxiety. I'd like to see how other members of the EVO class address creating a positive classroom environment.     

Week 1 Reflection

I've been asked to respond to how learning about the brain helps me understand how my own brain works.  I found the video to be very positive. It emphasized the possibilities and potential of our brains. Sometimes I feel like I'm under utilizing my brain, but this course is forcing me to be a student again and to be more thoughtful and reflective. Right now, I'm imagining thousands of neurons in my brain firing at once, and one thought leading to an unexpected, tangentially related new thought. Does that explain why I struggle to stay focused on one thing for very long? Perhaps I should just embrace that as a function of my brain.

I'm eager to get past the introduction and into a more substantive exploration of learning and neuroscience. 

Braining-Up

I started this blog a few years ago to reflect on my experiences learning and teaching a second language. I will continue to use it as a place to reflect on my teaching and learning. I'm looking forward to participating in my first EVO, Braining-Up.