This might sound crazy. Some scientists thought it was a good idea to wrangle up some crocodiles and put them in an MRI machine! MRI machines are really cool! They look like something you would find on a spaceship. They are used to take pictures of the brain. Normally they are used for humans, but scientists have started using them to understand animal brains too. They have used them to study dogs, and now crocodiles!
Crocodiles are very cool creatures. They have been on the earth for 80 million years! Scientists find this interesting. They think that understanding the crocodile’s brain will help them understand what brains were like 80 million years ago. So how different is the crocodile’s brain from other animals’ brains like birds and mammals?
The scientists tested the crocodiles to see how their brains reacted to sound and sight. They actually played classical music for the crocodiles! Do you think crocodiles like Beethoven? Surprisingly crocodile brains reacted to the music in a very similar way to bird brains. That answer might be yes! Unfortunately we might never know for sure unless we ask a crocodile.
Have you ever wondered how we learn? What do you think is going on in our mind when we do something new? Scientists have been working hard to answer those questions! They have four main theories, each one tells us a little bit more about our brain and how it learns.
Behaviorism was the first learning theory (it started in 1913). Behaviorists studied behaviors. They focused on things they could see and mostly studied animals. They made the study of psychology very scientific because behaviors are much easier to observe and understand than thoughts. Behaviorists helped us learn a lot about the brain and how it works. They focused on how changes to the environment (living space, and experiences) change behavior (the way we act.) Unfortunately there was some stuff that they missed because they did not look at what was going on inside of the brain, and they did not think about differences that we are naturally born with.
Behaviorists focused on three types of learning.
Classical Conditioning
We learn through association ( when things go together). We learn the ring tone of our phone because it goes together with us getting a message.
2. Operant Conditioning
We learn by rewards and punishments. When we do something and it has a good response (we get to buy a new toy for a good report card) we are more likely to do that thing again. When we do something and it has a bad response (we get in trouble) we are less likely to do that thing again.
Behaviorism was not perfect. People don’t just react to things that are around them, they also think and decide what their reaction will be. Peoples’ reactions can be different based on their mood, and the way one person reacts to something can be very different from the way another person reacts to something. Cognitivism tries to understand what is happening inside the brain when someone learns. People who study cognitivism look at the brain, at thoughts, and compare the brain to a very complicated computer to help them understand it.
Constructivism
Constructivism builds on the idea of cognitivism. It looks at how people build on everything they do to learn. Someone who loves dinosaurs can build on what they know about dinosaurs. Memorizing dinosaur facts can help their memory grow stronger. Learning where dinosaurs used to live can help them learn about geography (the study of the world). Learning about dinosaurs can help them become interested in learning about other animals, or maybe about history. They might go to a museum to see dinosaurs and learn all sorts of other things there as well.
With constructivist learning it is important that the learners are interested in the things they are learning. This type of learning is led by the learner (instead of a teacher), who figures out how to put all of the stuff they have learned together!
Connectivism
The internet has given us new ways to learn, and has created new ideas about learning as well! We can pass on information very quickly from one person to another. Connectivism is based on those connections. We learn as a group through social media, online games, and group messages. Before the internet connectivism was still important, people learned from each other when they got together in groups, learned from reading newspapers and books, learned through music, and from watching TV. Now an interesting post can travel across the entire world in seconds!
The first five years of a child’s life is the most critical time for their development. In the first five years children learn language, begin to read, and set a foundation for all of their future learning at school. It is important to build resilience and foster positive life long habits at an early age. Access to good quality preschool can be expensive and with Covid 19 policies, even harder to find than usual. Online classes allow young children access to a preschool like environment without having to leave the home.
Language development
Letter of the Day | Small Online Class for Ages 3-6
Meet weekly to learn a new letter from the alphabet, practice the letter’s sound, learn words that begin with the letter, and have fun.
Rhyme Time for Preschoolers | Small Online Class for Ages 3-6
Students will be introduced to the concept of rhyming through nonsense words and actual words.
ABC Pre-reading Body Break | Small Online Class for Ages 3-6
We will sing the ABC song and dance around, while learning actions for each letter.
Math
Adding and Subtracting with Mega Blocks | Small Online Class for Ages 3-5
This introduction to adding and subtracting lets children build tangible knowledge by adding stacks of Mega Blocks to make a tower.
Basic Coin Introduction (US coins) | Small Online Class for Ages 3-5
The students will learn the name and value of the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter through games, songs and actions.
Science
What Makes a Shadow? | Small Online Class for Ages 3-7
Explore what makes a shadow and how shadows change.
Travel broadens the mind, deepens empathy, and encourages lifelong learning. Children will get the chance to view the world without leaving their home. To inspire your child’s love of learning sign up for classes about the world!
In this ongoing class you will travel to a different country every week, celebrate one of their holidays, and learn to make a recipe or craft!
Travel the world each week! Explore a different country each week. Celebrate a holiday from that culture, learn about animals from the country, and go on a virtual tour.
Little Travelers: Greek Temples | Small Online Class for Ages 6-10
Explore Greek history and mythology through games, stories, and crafts.
This class is for the kids who LOVE Greek myths and legends! Explore famous temples of Greece and learn the old stories of the gods and goddesses.
Little Travelers: Cliff Top Castles and Monasteries of Europe | Small Online Class for Ages 6-10
Explore European history and architecture through games, stories, and crafts.
Travel Europe through your computer to visit the monasteries and castles of Europe!
Little Travelers: The Great Wall | Small Online Class for Ages 6-10
Explore the Great Wall of China, and learn about its history.
Learn about the history of the great wall of China.
Humans are visual creatures, and we have a hard time conceptualizing things that we can not see. Children in particular learn best kinesthetically (by doing). Making the brain and its parts tangible for your child by showing them what it looks like and feels like will help your child understand how it works.
It is important for your child to understand the inner workings of their own brain. To understand why let’s compare the brain to a computer. The average person can use a computer just fine. A person who understands how to fix computer problems can use a computer even better. A person who understands how to program a computer can do things with it that the average person can not even imagine. In order for your child to get the most out of their brain they need to understand it as best as possible.
Use DR. Dan Seigel’s hand brain model to get the conversation started.
Read about the brain together.
The brain
Get information about the brain from the DK Find Out website for kids. Improve your knowledge on the human brain and learn more with DK Find Out.
2. Teach your children about brain plasticity The most amazing thing about the brain is that it is resilient and moldable. The brain is capable to changing and learning. This is where Carol Dweck‘s proposal about growth mindset meets tangible scientific studies that have been telling us the story of the brains remarkable adaptability for years. Teaching your child about brain plasticity sets the foundation for growth mindset, the understanding that change and growth is entirely (and scientifically) within our grasp.
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: A Growth Mindset Book for Kids to Stretch and Shape Their Brains
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: A Growth Mindset Book for Kids to Stretch and Shape Their Brains [Deak Ph.D., JoAnn, Ackerley, Sarah] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: A Growth Mindset Book for Kids to Stretch and Shape Their Brains
3. Teach them about mindset
Now that your child understands that their brain is something that they have control over they are ready to learn about mindset. Teach children that the way they think and act can impact their brain’s development. Tell children that there are two different types of mindsets: fixed and growth.
Fixed mindset: I can’t!
Growth mindset: I can’t yet.
4. Work growth mindset into your routine.
You can make a huge difference to your children’s mindset by making simple changes to your routine. Encouraging your children to use growth positive language, changing the way you praise them, and leading by example can be small ways to have a huge impact.
Encourage your children to use “yet.” “I can’t yet.” “I don’t know how yet.” When you hear them use negative language encourage them to add “yet” to their sentence.
Change the way you praise your children. Describe what you liked about their project. Focus on their effort, their enjoyment, their determination, not their achievement.
Lead by example. Make mistakes in front of your children and model how to react. You can even make mistakes on purpose to show your children that mistakes are OK.
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