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THE ENRICHED CLASSROOM Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

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Page 1: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

THE ENRICHED CLASSROOMCindy NicholsMartha HalversonMargaret Doan

Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

Page 2: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ENRICHMENT:

“Increase the level of environmental stimulation and challenge, and you will increase the branching of the dendrites and the thickness of the

human cortex.”

Marian Diamond, M.D.

Magic Trees of the Mind (1998)

Page 3: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

RESEARCHMarian Diamond

Frederick Goodwin

Bob Jacobs Eric Jensen

Page 4: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

RESEARCH CONTINUED… The brain can show new

connections with environmental stimulations- Diamond

There is now increasing understanding that the environment can affect you. You can change IQ measure by as much as 20 point up or down- Goodwin

Graduate students had 40% more connections than high school drop outs- Jacobs

Heredity provides 30% - 60% of our brain’s wiring, but 40% - 70% is environmental impact- Jensen

Page 5: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

WHAT AN ENRICHED ENVIRONMENT PROVIDES Positive emotional support A nutritional diet Stimulation of all the senses Atmosphere of relaxed alertness Novel challenges Opportunities to develop a broad range of

skills Social interaction Choice Active processing Exploration and fun Active participation

Page 6: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST 2 YEARS

• Emotional development“A year of neglect, if it’s the first year, robs a child forever.”

• Language stimulation

• At only ten months of age, a baby can no longer distinguish sounds that are part of other languages but not his own.

• Motor development continues through age 6.

Page 7: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

DEVELOPMENT AGES 3-5•Music

•Grammar/Vocabulary

•Second Language

•Math Readiness

•Motor Development

•Literacy Readiness

Page 8: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

DEVELOPMENT AGES 6-12 Pruning in visual cortex

ends at age 10

Frontal cortex pruning begins at age 7

The language window closes between ages 7-8

Piano lessons: Begin between ages 5-8

Wind and percussion instruments: Begin by 10-11

Math: concrete level, ages 4-8

Math: formal and symbolic, begins at age 11 (through 14)

Page 9: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ADOLESCENCE: AGE 12-16•Most pruning ends between age 10 and 16.

•Additional growth is achieved through dendrite branching.

.

“An impoverished, un-stimulating environment has as much or more negative impact on the adolescent brain as deliberate enrichment has a positive impact.” Marian Diamond

Page 10: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ADULT BRAIN DEVELOPMEN

T:• Mental activity stimulates dendrite branching at any age.

• Cell loss is due to decreased oxygen flow.

• Exercise increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to brain cells.

• An active brain can better fend off the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Page 11: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

• Reading & Language

• Motor Stimulation

• Thinking & Problem Solving

• The Arts

• Classroom Surroundings

ENRICHMENT AREAS

Page 12: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ENRICHMENT THROUGH READING AND LANGUAGE Vocabulary

Role model Books

Interaction with literacy materials Reading partners Teacher read alouds Literacy centers Art projects Role Play with props

Communication Activities Talking Singing Reading Writing

Page 13: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ENRICHMENT THROUGH MOTOR STIMULATION Doing something new! Make sure there

is novelty. Hand-eye coordination examples:

spinning, tumbling, pointing, counting, jumping, ball tossing.

Athletes are highly engaged in cognitive function.

Recommendation: Schools make a mandatory program along with physical education.

Page 14: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ENRICHMENT THROUGH THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING Must be challenging! Age 1-2: Simple problem solving Dendrite branching in right hemisphere:

4 to 7. Dendrite branching in left hemisphere: 9

to 12. Both sides are fully developed and

ready for complex abstractions: 11-13. (5-6 grade)

Page 15: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

PROBLEM SOLVING CONTINUED Ways to solve problems: paper, models,

analogy, metaphors, discussion, statistics, artwork, demonstrations.

Critical to expose students to a variety of problem types.

Brain growth happens due to the process, NOT the answer.

“The newer and more difficult the video game, the more neural activity.” –Richard Haier

Mastery means coasting. The more real-life the better.

Page 16: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ENRICHMENT THROUGH THE ARTS Participation in any form of the arts stimulates many parts of

the brain, often providing complex connections that support academic learning.

In schools where the arts are integrated into core curriculum: Students have a greater emotional investment in their classes. Students work more diligently and learn from each other. Cooperative learning groups turn classrooms into learning

communities. Parents become more involved. Teachers collaborate more. Art and music teachers become the center of multi-class

projects. Learning in all subjects becomes attainable through the arts. Curriculum becomes more authentic, hands-on, and project-

based. Assessment is more thoughtful and varied. Teachers’ expectations for their arise.

Page 17: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

ENRICHMENT THROUGH SURROUNDINGS The physical appearance of the

classroom can create an atmosphere of safety, support, and enjoyment.

Clutter-Free Environment Immersion in Content Compatible Colors Hands-on Activities Emotional Hooks Resource Books & People Music, Lamps, Plants, Potpourri

Page 18: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

CONCLUSION “Since no two human brains are exactly alike, no

one enriched environment will completely satisfy all learners for an extended period. The range of enriched environments for human beings in endless. For some, interacting physically with objects is gratifying; for others, finding and processing information is rewarding; and for still others, working with creative ideas is most enjoyable. But no matter what form enrichment takes, it is the challenge to the nerve cells that is important. Data indicate that passive observation is not enough; one must interact with the environment. One way to be certain of continued enrichment is to stimulate and maintain curiosity throughout a lifetime.”

-- Marian Diamond

Page 19: Cindy Nichols Martha Halverson Margaret Doan Picture borrowed from St. Mark’s Episcopal Day School, Austin, Texas

SOURCES Teaching with the brain in mind. Eric

Jensen. Magic Trees of the Mind. Marian Diamond. How the brain learns. David Sousa. Designing brain compatible learning.

Gayle H. Gregory & Terence Parry. R. Kotulak Bob Jacobs Frederick Goodwin Glen Hammond The Connecting Link