The question for this lesson's blog assignment made me think of a show that I had seen on the Discovery Channel a few years ago. A paleontologist had put forth the theory that many of the species that are identified as separate species are actually younger members of a species previously identified. This had annoyed a whole group of other paleontologists that had made their name off of "discovering" a unique dinosaur - that might not be so unique, just younger.
I don't really follow current paleontology news, so I don't know if he ever proved this theory.
BUT - the point of me mentioning this is the idea behind his proposed theory. His idea was that these were adolescent dinosaurs. They looked almost like their adult counterparts, but had a change that was noticeable to an area that was prominent. For example, the horn configuration would mature into a slightly different form, so that the adults could visually identify that this was a "teenage" dinosaur. That way, if they did anything annoying or stupid, the adults from the same group would see that they were just teenagers and would not kill them.
Pretty extreme, but it kept popping into my mind as I considered if teens should be held to adult consequences since they do not possess adult reasoning capacity. Even in nature, 60 million years ago, there were possible provisions made for the teenage brain.
Because teenagers tend to think from their amygdala, I think that there are some basic points that teachers need to embrace. First, you should never assume that a teenager understands the full ramifications of their actions. Second, you should remember that you are guiding them during a period in time when their brains are still under construction. The implications are clear, if you are teaching teenagers, you need to include exercises that build reasoning skills.
I think that teachers and adults need to also help reframe teenage thinking. One of my teenage daughter's friends recently had an issue with a teacher. When the friend was explaining the issue(to us), he was almost volatile, because he was sure that he was right and the teacher was wrong on a question on the test he had just taken. The teacher did not want to listen to his explanation, probably because he was being excessively argumentative. The possibility that he had crossed into the land of obnoxious had apparently not occurred to him.
When I tried to explain to him that he was overreacting in how he approached the teacher he could not understand my point. I had to try again the next day to explain. He might have very well been correct about the test question, but he did not need to be aggressive with the teacher when he was arguing the point. He had all but yelled at the teacher because he was certain that he was right and the teacher was wrong. He never even considered that he was actually challenging the teacher in a manner that was inappropriate. Lesson to teachers dealing with teenagers, they get it but they don't.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
Lesson 6
Every time I hear the phrase Mozart Effect, it makes me think of The Incredibles, a fantastic movie from Pixar. In the movie, Kari, friend of Violet, has been left in charge of Jack Jack. When Helen, aka Mrs. Incredible, finds out that Kari is watching her baby she immediately calls to check in (and also make arrangements to replace Kari - who seems to be a questionable choice). Kari reassures her that she can handle "anything this baby can dish out" and she is going to play Mozart, because Mozart "makes babies smarter."
So our popular culture embraces the idea of playing music for babies, even if the study itself is misunderstood. It was clear(in the video) that the study never made shady claims or far-fetched promises, but our society can be a little prone toward short-attention span thinking. When I reviewed some of the information under the University of Oregon lab resources tab, I found that researchers have established all sorts of connections to music and other types of processing. Northwestern looked into beat synchronization and how it predicts speech encoding and reading readiness. Michigan State researched how the children that did well with musical rhythm also did well with syntax. Vanderbilt University is researching the why of the Michigan State study. So the connection between music and other functions of speech and reading exist, even if we do not fully understand why. Whatever else these connections may imply, music can have a powerful effect on the brain.
Oddly enough, my oldest child, a Junior in high school, recently encountered a great example of how teachers can use music in the classroom in a highly effective manner. Her AP Lit class was just starting F. Scott Fitzgerald's book, The Great Gatsby. Every day when they walked into class, the students were greeted with 20s and 30s era jazz. Most of the kids had never heard anything like it, but all of them responded with positive feedback. The book gives you a really vivid picture of life in that era, and her teacher used the music to enhance that image. Her teacher gave the students another avenue to understand that era. It may have been nearly a century ago, but the music made it very tangible for the kids in the class.
I think that the biggest takeaway from both videos is that you can use options in your classroom that can benefit your students in ways we are only just beginning to understand. Whether it is playing math games or using music, students may be receiving benefits beyond just life context or stress reduction. As a teacher, it seems like an easy enough trick to incorporate bits and pieces into your lessons. You can use some simple estimation games or use different types of music to highlight your point while also giving student's brains something stimulating.
So our popular culture embraces the idea of playing music for babies, even if the study itself is misunderstood. It was clear(in the video) that the study never made shady claims or far-fetched promises, but our society can be a little prone toward short-attention span thinking. When I reviewed some of the information under the University of Oregon lab resources tab, I found that researchers have established all sorts of connections to music and other types of processing. Northwestern looked into beat synchronization and how it predicts speech encoding and reading readiness. Michigan State researched how the children that did well with musical rhythm also did well with syntax. Vanderbilt University is researching the why of the Michigan State study. So the connection between music and other functions of speech and reading exist, even if we do not fully understand why. Whatever else these connections may imply, music can have a powerful effect on the brain.
Oddly enough, my oldest child, a Junior in high school, recently encountered a great example of how teachers can use music in the classroom in a highly effective manner. Her AP Lit class was just starting F. Scott Fitzgerald's book, The Great Gatsby. Every day when they walked into class, the students were greeted with 20s and 30s era jazz. Most of the kids had never heard anything like it, but all of them responded with positive feedback. The book gives you a really vivid picture of life in that era, and her teacher used the music to enhance that image. Her teacher gave the students another avenue to understand that era. It may have been nearly a century ago, but the music made it very tangible for the kids in the class.
I think that the biggest takeaway from both videos is that you can use options in your classroom that can benefit your students in ways we are only just beginning to understand. Whether it is playing math games or using music, students may be receiving benefits beyond just life context or stress reduction. As a teacher, it seems like an easy enough trick to incorporate bits and pieces into your lessons. You can use some simple estimation games or use different types of music to highlight your point while also giving student's brains something stimulating.
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