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.