If you're a chapter 6 expert, please post your summary of the chapter as a comment to this post. Everyone is encouraged to read each summary and chime in with questions and/or ideas.
Zull – Chapter 6 – Notes • The cells of the brain are called neurons, and the connections create neuronal networks. • Neuronal Networks are knowledge. • Prior knowledge: 1. Prior knowledge is a fact. (even babies have prior knowledge) 2. Prior knowledge is persistent. (the connections are strong) 3. Prior knowledge is the beginning of new knowledge. It is where all learners start. (They have no choice.) • Two parts of the neuron are the dendrites and the axons. • Dendrites pick up signals and send them to toward the center of the cell, the cell body. • Axons collect the signals coming in from the dendrites and send them together away from the cell body. • The synapse is the place where the signals pass from one neuron to another. • Myelin is the coating around the axon that allows signals to pass much more quickly, signals jump from node to node in the myelin sheath. • The human brain: 1. Has 100 billion neurons 2. 10,000 connections per neuron 3. 1,000 trillion connections 4. There are 10 to 100 times more connections in our brains than there are cells in our body. 5. No matter how many synapses a particular neuron has, it also seems to have the potential to grow more. • Every fact we know, every idea we understand, and every action we take has the form of a network of neurons in our brain. • Teachers need to find ways to build on existing neuronal networks. • “What we already know” is concrete to us. Teachers must start with the concrete and build from there. • Ten key ideas of this chapter: 1. All students have prior knowledge that affects how they respond to our teaching. 2. The prior knowledge of students is not an ether, it is physical, real, & persistent. 3. If we ignore or avoid prior knowledge, it will hinder our teaching. 4. Prior knowledge is complex & personal. 5. Students are not necessarily aware of all their prior knowledge. 6. Writing assignments are helpful in discovering prior knowledge of students. 7. Prior knowledge is likely to be concrete, teachers should begin with the concrete. 8. Concepts & broad principles should be developed from specific examples. 9. Teachers should expect and respect the tangles, it is not our job to set them in order. 10. Prior knowledge is a gift to the teacher, it tells us where and how to start.
Since Debbie did such a thorough job summarizing this chapter, I'll try to address how teachers can capitalize on this information to the student's learning advantage. As teachers, we should make sure students are prepared for what we want to teach them by finding out what their prior knowledge is and going from there. We need to help students make connections between what we are trying to teach them and their prior experiences. One way we can do this is by starting with concrete examples instead of principles, especially when teaching abstract concepts. Another simple way to assess prior knowledge is through writing activities to find out what students know about the subject and vocabulary associated with it. This was interesting to me because I remember learning the "KWL" model for teaching (with the "K" representing prior knowledge) and knew this was effective for making lessons interesting and getting students involved, but I wasn't aware that there was an actual physical reason behind it.
5 comments:
Zull – Chapter 6 – Notes
• The cells of the brain are called neurons, and the connections create neuronal networks.
• Neuronal Networks are knowledge.
• Prior knowledge:
1. Prior knowledge is a fact. (even babies have prior knowledge)
2. Prior knowledge is persistent. (the connections are strong)
3. Prior knowledge is the beginning of new knowledge. It is where all learners start.
(They have no choice.)
• Two parts of the neuron are the dendrites and the axons.
• Dendrites pick up signals and send them to toward the center of the cell, the cell body.
• Axons collect the signals coming in from the dendrites and send them together away from the cell body.
• The synapse is the place where the signals pass from one neuron to another.
• Myelin is the coating around the axon that allows signals to pass much more quickly, signals jump from node to node in the myelin sheath.
• The human brain:
1. Has 100 billion neurons
2. 10,000 connections per neuron
3. 1,000 trillion connections
4. There are 10 to 100 times more connections in our brains than there are cells in our body.
5. No matter how many synapses a particular neuron has, it also seems to have the potential to grow more.
• Every fact we know, every idea we understand, and every action we take has the form of a network of neurons in our brain.
• Teachers need to find ways to build on existing neuronal networks.
• “What we already know” is concrete to us. Teachers must start with the concrete and build from there.
• Ten key ideas of this chapter:
1. All students have prior knowledge that affects how they respond to our teaching.
2. The prior knowledge of students is not an ether, it is physical, real, & persistent.
3. If we ignore or avoid prior knowledge, it will hinder our teaching.
4. Prior knowledge is complex & personal.
5. Students are not necessarily aware of all their prior knowledge.
6. Writing assignments are helpful in discovering prior knowledge of students.
7. Prior knowledge is likely to be concrete, teachers should begin with the concrete.
8. Concepts & broad principles should be developed from specific examples.
9. Teachers should expect and respect the tangles, it is not our job to set them in order.
10. Prior knowledge is a gift to the teacher, it tells us where and how to start.
Excellent summary Debbie! Tactically, how might a teacher capitalize on this information-- how can you use this to the student's learning advantage?
Since Debbie did such a thorough job summarizing this chapter, I'll try to address how teachers can capitalize on this information to the student's learning advantage.
As teachers, we should make sure students are prepared for what we want to teach them by finding out what their prior knowledge is and going from there. We need to help students make connections between what we are trying to teach them and their prior experiences. One way we can do this is by starting with concrete examples instead of principles, especially when teaching abstract concepts. Another simple way to assess prior knowledge is through writing activities to find out what students know about the subject and vocabulary associated with it.
This was interesting to me because I remember learning the "KWL" model for teaching (with the "K" representing prior knowledge) and knew this was effective for making lessons interesting and getting students involved, but I wasn't aware that there was an actual physical reason behind it.
Can you give an example of "starting with concrete examples instead of principles?"
Concrete examples would be items which are perhaps somewhat familiar and we have experienced or can experience.
Principles are the theoretical ideas.
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