in the classroom
All that matters is what you do , how hard you work , and how often you work .
• The occipital lobe , which is located at the back of the brain , is involved with visual perception , including that of colour , as well as form and motion .
Self determination
An overview of the way praise , support and encouragement impact on the brain .
By Ragnar Purje
In her ongoing search to discover how to improve student academic performance and to encourage high levels of self-motivated educational engagement , Carol Dweck set out to test the hypothesis of three rules she considered as being valuable when teaching children .
The first rule is to pay close attention to what children like and are fascinated with . The second rule is about how to support , encourage and praise the children for their effort .
This rule involves applying the following words : “ I can see you have been working hard .” Or , “ I can see you have worked hard to achieve this result .” It is these precise words of praise , support and encouragement which specifically focus on personal effort and application that are important , and which need to be applied .
The third rule is about informing students about the value and importance of appreciating how personal effort and hard work has an impact on , and how these actions of application and hard work actually changes the brain . All of which helps to then advance the potential for achieving goals .
A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE BRAIN Consider the following only as a guide . Begin with a visual anatomical presentation of the brain . “ This is who we are .” Next present the three main structural divisions of the brain which are : the cerebrum , the brainstem and the cerebellum . Present the four lobes of the brain and their functions , ie the frontal lobe , the parietal lobe , the temporal lobe and the occipital lobe .
• The frontal lobe is the largest lobe of the brain . It is situated in the front of the head . The frontal lobe is involved with decision making , movement and the characteristics pertaining to personality . The frontal lobe is also involved with the recognition of smell and also that of Broca ’ s area , which is located on the left side of the brain . Broca ’ s area is concerned with the presentation of speech . It also has an interaction with the left temporal cortex where the motor cortex controls movements of the mouth .
• The parietal lobe , which is behind the frontal lobe , helps individuals to understand spatial relationships and to identify objects . It is also involved with integrating sensory information , including temperature , touch , pressure and pain .
• The temporal lobes , located on each side of the brain , are involved with memory encoding . The left temporal lobe is involved with Wernicke ’ s area . Wernicke ’ s area is primarily responsible for comprehension and the processing and understanding of language and it also connects with Broca ’ s area , also located on the left hand side , via neural pathways .
THE IMPORTANCE OF MYELIN Myelin is a white fatty dielectric ( electronically insulating ) type of material that is mainly composed of lipids and lipoproteins that wrap around axons . These axons can also be referred to as neurological pathways or nerves . Myelin forms an insulating layer around these axons , the purpose of which provides the means for electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells .
THE BRAIN , WORK , EFFORT AND MYELIN In terms of advancement , all that matters to myelin is what you do . Daniel Coyle points out “ myelin doesn ’ t care about who you are . It only cares about what you do .” As such , according to Coyle , myelin only cares about how often an individual has worked and how hard an individual as worked .
Myelin does not care about money , social status , political status , cultural mores , which school you attend , opinions of peers , who your friends are , what type of clothes or fashion you wear , what celebrities you follow , how many friends you have , or how many different apps you have .
The neurobiological fact is that none of these personal , social , financial , technological or cultural values means anything to myelin . All that matters is what you do , how hard you work , and how often you work .
Coyle makes it unambiguously clear that the only thing that advances neurological firing potential , neurological growth and myelin production is the personal , self-directed and self-motivated commitment by the individual to engage in an activity . ■
Dr Ragnar Purje is adjunct lecturer in the School of Education and the Arts at Central Queensland University .
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