Brain Plasticity

The operation of these basic programs of the

mind and body generates "ikiru chikara" which
in Japanese means "the ability to grow and
adapt."
Scientists have historically believed that once a person reaches
adulthood, their cognitive abilities are immutable. But beginning in the
early twentieth century, that theory has been contested by evidence
suggesting that the brain’s abilities are in fact malleable and plastic.
According to this principle of neuroplasticity, the brain is constantly
changing in response to various experiences. New behaviors, new
learnings, and even environmental changes or physical injuries may all
stimulate the brain to create new neural pathways or reorganize existing
ones, fundamentally altering how information is processed.
 Based on the works of:
• Carol Dweck, Ph.D
• Claude M. Steele Ph.D
• James Anderson, Habits of Mind
• Life Sciences is a health-science magnet
school with high aspirations but 700 students
whose main attributes are being
predominantly minority and low achieving.
• Blackwell split her kids into two groups for an
eight-session workshop. The control group
was taught study skills, and the others got
study skills and a special module on how
intelligence is not innate. These students took
turns reading aloud an essay on how the brain
grows new neurons when challenged.
 Effort:
The only difference between the control group
and the test group were two lessons, a total of
50 minutes spent teaching not math but a single
idea: that the brain is a muscle. Giving it a
harder workout makes you smarter. That alone
improved their math scores.
 Success
achieving your Goal that requires effort

Behaving Intelligently
Is what you have to do to be successful

Rules out what comes easily and cognitive feats that don’t achieve anything practical
 Habits of Mind
• Art Costa describes behaving Intelligently as
Habits of Mind
Habits of Mind addressed
Persisting
Managing Impulsivity
Listening with Empathy and Understanding
Thinking Flexibly
Metacognition
Striving For Accuracy
Questioning and Posing Problems
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Creating Imagining and Innovating
Finding Humour
Gathering Data Through All Senses
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Responding with Wonderment and Awe
Taking Responsible Risks
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Thinking Interdependently
 Videos Embed
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 Results
It didn’t take long. The teachers—who hadn’t
known which students had been assigned to
which workshop—could pick out the students
who had been taught that intelligence can be
developed. They improved their study habits
and grades. In a single semester, Blackwell
reversed the students’ longtime trend of
decreasing math grades.
Craft two classes on Brain Plasticity
http://www.positscience.com/brain-resources/what-is-brain-plasticity

Carol Dweck
http://mindsetonline.com/
 Intro & Unit 1: Brain Basics
• Intro: an introduction to the characters, purpose of the
program, structure and tools available
• Unit 1: basics of brain structure & function, particularly
what is required to maintain readiness to learn
• Sample takeaways:
– the brain needs certain things in order to function well (e.g. sleep &
certain foods)
– the brain is the body’s control center: it gets information from all your
senses, and is in charge of all of the body’s voluntary and involuntary
movement
– different areas of the brain do different things
– your senses serve as different “pathways” to the brain: using more than
one sense to learn about something lets you use more of your brain and
aids learning and memory
– using different complementary modes of learning helps focus attention
and increase learning
– in contrast, competing pathways can interfere with learning
– active learning approaches are best
 Unit 2: Brain Behavior
• brain behavior, how it functions, effect of emotions and
strategies to manage emotions
• Sample takeaways:
– the brain is made up of nerve cells, called neurons, in a network of
many connections
– neurons communicate with each other through these connections
– the branching parts, called dendrites, receive messages, and the long
part, called the axon, transmits a signal through the neuron
– thinking is influenced by the emotions, especially anxiety
– when facing any type of threat, the brain sets off a fight-or-flight
response that causes physical signs of anxiety and interferes with
thinking
– many students have performance anxiety—stress related to taking
tests, giving presentations, or other performance-oriented situations—
that can interfere with performance even when they know the material
– you can lower your anxiety level by being prepared, thinking positively,
and calming your breathing
 Unit 3: Brain Building
• how learning changes the brain and what sort of
activities promote learning
• Sample takeaways:
– the brain and intelligence are not fixed—they both change when you
learn
– the brain grows more new cells and connections when you learn
– you get smarter by exercising your brain, much the same way that you
get stronger by exercising your muscles
– how can you exercise the brain?
• by exploring new information, learning new concepts, and practicing
skills.
• practice is the key to learning—only by practicing can you grow new
connections in that area of your brain responsible for learning that
thing
• the more connections you make, the easier it gets to make new
ones
– different environments can influence brain growth--active learning is the
key
– you are never too old to learn and develop your brain!
 Unit 4: Brain Boosters
• how memory works and study strategies to apply the Brainology®
lessons in real life.
• Sample takeaways:
– memory is stored in the new connections your brain makes between
neurons when you have a new experience
– there are different stages in memory, each lasting different amount of
time: sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory
– memory is a process, and if you skip one stage, the memory will not last
• all information enters through sensory memory
• things you pay attention to go on to working memory, which can
only hold 5-7 separate pieces of information at once
• information moves from working memory to long-term memory
through a process called encoding. In order for encoding to
happen, you must pay attention, attach new information to existing
information that supports it and repeat the information
– other mnemonics (memory strategies) include connecting information
together by chunking, visual images and acronyms
– most good study strategies are those that reinforce this memory
process, helping your brain to make many strong connections between
neurons and build a strong network of knowledge
A growing body of literature has demonstrated that neural systems
are modifiable networks and changes in the neural structure can occur
in adults as a result of training.
For example, longitudinal studies have shown task-specific increases in
brain gray matter as an effect of acquisition of abstract information
(Draganski et al., 2006), motor skills (Draganski et al., 2004), aerobic
training (Colcombe et al., 2006), and cognitive skills (Ilg et al., 2008).

Cross-sectional studies have established that differences in regional

gray matter are associated with performance abilities (Mechelli et al.,
2004; Milad et al., 2005), suggesting that an increase in gray matter
corresponds to improved functioning in the relevant area.

Studies of experienced meditators have also suggested the possibility

of structural plasticity, but their cross-sectional designs did not exclude
the possibility of pre-existing group differences, precluding causal
conclusions.