OliviaKucan

1/13/15
Biology
Period4
ResearchPaper

Thebrainisadensenetworkconsistingofabout100billionneurons,whichgathersand
gatherandtransmitelectrochemicalsignal
.Thebrainconsistsofthreepartsthestem,the
cerebellumandthecerebrum.Ofthethree,thecerebrumisessentiallythemostimportantduring
learning,sincethisiswherefunctionslikememoryandreasoningoccur.Thecerebrumissplit,
justlikethebrainitself,intosections.Eachsectionspecializesinacertainfunctionsuchassight,
hearing,speech,touch,bothshortandlongtermmemory,speech,andreasoningwhicharethe
mostimportantinthelearningprocess.Learningrequiresattention,whichismediatedbycertain
partsofthebrain.Ifthereislittleattentionputontoacertaintask,itisforgottenthisisourshort
termmemory.
Thebrainhasfourparts:theFrontallobe,theTemporallobe,Parietallobe,andthe
Occipitallobe.Eachpartcontrolsadifferentpartofthebodyandisresponsibleforcertain
functions.Thebrainasawhole,isconnectedtothebrainstem.Thebrainstemcontrolsthe
automatedfunctionsofthebody,suchasbreathingandheartrate,andtheconductionof
informationprocessedtoandfromthenervoussystem.Thecerebellumisresponsibleforbalance
andcoordinationofmovement.rightabovethesetwostructuresisthecerebralcortex,whichis
inresponsibleforintaking,analyzing,andpercievinginformation.
Inthebackofthebrain,theoccipitasllobeisonlyinchargeofintakingandprocessing
visualinformation.Whilesatinthefrontofthebrain,thetemporallobeisresponsibleforthe
speech(language)andmemory.Abovethetemporallobesitstheparietallobe,whichevaluates

weight,temperiture,andsizeandspaceforobjectrecognition.Lastly,thefrontallobeisin
chargeofemotionalfeelings(personalitycharasteristics)andmusclemovementaswellassmell.
Thebrainlearnsbyconstructingknowledgethroughsequentialstages.Thefirstoneis
throughmotivation.Thismeansthatthesubjectorskillbeinglearnedbytheindividualhasto
havesomesortofmeaningorpurposetotheindividual.Thepersonhastowanttolearnandbe
interestedinthetopic,ortheywillhaveahardertimelearningit.Thesecondstageispractice
andtrialanderrortofurtherunderstand.Thethirdstageoflearningisadvancedpractice.The
brainwillstarttofurtherunderstandthetopicmoreandtheindividualwillhaveconfidenceto
learnandaccepttrialanderror.Afterthiscomesthefourthstage,whichisskillfulness.After
repetitivesuccessinthetopicofknowledge,therewillbeafurtherandmoreadvanced
understandingofthetopic.Thefifthstageisrefinement,whichmeansthatthebrainwillretain
theknowledgerecievedandcometothefinalimprovementstage.Thesixthandfinalstageis
masteryafterthebrainhasretainedknowledgeitwillseekopportunitiestoteach.
Whenlearning,neurologicallyspeaking,yourbrainiscomposedofmanythingsthat
assistintheretainmentofinformation.Dendritesarelittlefibersthatgrowoutoftheneurons
whenyoulistenwrite,talkabout,orpracticesomething,buttheycanonlygrowfromanother
dendritethathasalreadybeenlearnedfromaneuron.Essentally,learningjustthegrowthof
millionsofthesedendrites.Asidefromeachdendritegrowingaswelearn,dendritescan
sometimesgrowclosetogether,formingacontactpoint.Asmallgapinthecontactpointis
calledthesynapse,wheremessagesaresentbackandfourththroughneuronsaselectrical
signals.Themorewelearn,thelargerandmorecomplexthenetworkofneurons,dendrites,and
synapsesget.

Themorewelearnandmoreinformationweintake,thesynapsesgrowsandgetsthicker
asitiscoveredinafattycoatingcalledmyellin.Thickerdendritesmeansfastersignals
throughoutthebrain.Themoreyouknow,andthemoreyoulearnaboutthetopicthatthe
dendritesarecreatedfor,thethickeritgets.Onceyoureachacertainamountoflearning
essentially,theycanformadoubleconnection.Althoughlearningincreasesthesizeofthe
dendrite,ittakesalongtimetogrow.Thatiswhyscientistsoftentellpeopletostudyovera
periodoftime,sothatyoucanlearnitbetter,andyourbrainactuallyhastimetoretainthe
information.
Emotionscantooplayaroleintheconnectionandgrowthofdendrites.Byfeeling
anxiousorunconfidentduringtheprocessofandafterlearningatopicoftenresultsspecific
chemicalstoflowtobrain,targetingthesynapsesandshuttingdowntheconnections,breakingor
rathernotcompletingtheconnectionandmakingforslowerlearning.Ontheoppositespectrum,
however,positivefeelingsoremotionsconfidence,makesforapositivereactionthatcauses
chemicalstoflowtothesynapsesquicklyandcausesforafasterwayoflearning.
Ourbrainsareconstantlychangingaswelearnandgothroughnewexperiences.Many
studentsbelievedthatintelligenceisfixed,thateachpersoncanonlylearnsomuchastheyare
bornwith.Havingafixedmindsetmakeslearningmorechallengingbecausetheybelievethat
theymaynotbecapableorupforthechallengeoflearningthatparticulartask.Mistakesand
failuresbecomedemoralizingforafixedmindsetpersonbecausetheyfeelasthoughitreflects
ontheirintelligence.Withhavingagrowthmindset,youbelievethatintelligenceissomething
thatcanbecultivatedandfurthermanipulatedthrougheffortandeducation.Studentswitha

growthmindsetbelievethatintelligenceisapotentialthatcanberealizedandunlockedthrough
persistentlearningandendeavor.
Eachsideofthebrain,theleftandrighthemispheres,areinchargeofprocessing
informationinadifferentway.Theydealwithdistinctcharacteristicsandskills.Therightsideof
thebrainfocusesoncreativity,imagination,andfeelings.Itisoftensaidthatbecauseofthis,and
thefactthattherightsideofthebraincontrolsthemotorfunctionsoftheleftsideofyourbody,
lefthandedpeopletendtobemorecreative.Unlikethecreativerightside,theleftsideofthe
brainismoreknowledgeandcontentbased.itfocusesonlogic,analysis,mathematics,language
andfactualinformation.tprocessestheinformationbylookingatwhattheyaregivenand
puttingthemtogethertomakesense.
Beingaleftbraineddominantdoesnottypicallymakeyouasmarterperson.Itjust
meansthatyouareusingthatpartofyourbrainmorethansomeonewhoisrightbrained
dominant.Thereisnosuperiorsidetobothhemispheres.Becausethesepartsofthebrainareso
wildlydifferent,weoftenforgetthatalthoughonemayseemtouseonesidebetterthanthe
other,thereareotherwaysofthinking,andbybeingawareofyourlessdominantside,youcan
improvethat.
Ihavealwaysbeeninterestedinliberalarts.English,grammar,andwritingare
specificallysomethingsthatIhaveexcelledandbeenquiteadvancedin.Alongwiththeseskills,
andbeinginteractive,social,andagoodleaderaswellasagoodteacher,Iwouldliketousemy
skillsandknowledgetobecomeateacher,specificallyintheprimaryorevenuptosecondary
schooling.Teachersbecometeachersbecasuetheyarepassionateabouthelpingothers,and
passionateaboutthetopictheyteach,weatheritbeenglish,history,scienceorforeignlanguage.

Teachersmustbedevelopedinorganization,commitment,tolerance,socialskills,andbeopento
questionsandwillingtoanswertheminarespectablemanner.Itisessentialthatateacheris
committedtotheirworkandorganizedwithlessonplans,homework,andothersuchthings.
Togetmyselftothiscareer,thereareafewcertainmajorsthatIwouldneedtoendulge
myselfin.Imusthaveadegreeinteaching,soIwouldtakeamajorinbasiceducationor
specificallyelementaryorearlychildhoodeducationandEnglish,seeingasthatismystrongsuit,
aswellashumanitiesforabasicunderstandingofcultures,lifestyleandlanguagearts.
LikeIhadpreviouslystated,therearedifferentpartsofthebrainthatworkindifferent
ways.Forthespecificskillsthatineedtobecomeanelementaryschoolorevenjuniorhigh
schoolteacher,Ineedtoworkoutandpracticecertainareasofmybrain.Thedendritesinyour
brainareresponsibleformemorybothlongandshortterm.Therepetitivenessofeachactionor
learningcausesthesedendritestogrowbiggerandthicker,connectingthemselveswithone
anotherasyouprocessandlearnmoreinformation.
Somethingthatwillhelpmewiththeskilloflearningandretaininginformation,suchas
informationthatisrequiredtoteachstudents,studentsnames,rememberinghowthingsworkand
why,istakingaclassthatstestsandchallengesmeinthis.Withmajorssuchaseducation,Ineed
tohavealiberalartsmajorinelementaryeducationwithavariationofclasseswithasecond
majorofeitherreading,socialstudies,orlanguagearts.Insteadofasecondmajor,Icanoptfor
twominors,thechoicesbeingreading,languagearts,integratedelementaryscience,or
mathematicsforelementaryteaching.
ThecollegethatIwouldliketostudythisatisPacificUniversityinForestGrove,
Oregon.Besideslikingthelocation,theyhavealargeeducationdepartmentwithinternships,

studyingabroad,anddoublemajors.Iwouldtakemasterintheirgeneraleducationclasswith
minorsfrommanyoftheireducationchoicespreviouslylisted.Thisisasmallschoolwitha
studentfacultyratiobeing10to1,whereIbelieveIwillgetthebesteducationandoneonone
workandhelpfrommyprofessors.
Atthebeginningofthisproject,Iknewverylittleaboutthescienceofhowyoulearnand
thecollegegoingprocessmainlytheclassestotakeforyourmajor.Istillhavealottolearn
aboutapplyingforcollegeandchoosingmajorsandclassesIneedtotakeforthose,butwiththis
projectIhavebeenhelpedmegrowtounderstandwhattypeofcareerIwouldbeinterestedin
andhowIwouldgetthere.Iplanonbecomingateacherbyfinishingmyschoolingandmoving
backtosoutherncaliforniatocontinuetoimplimenttheprojectbasedlearningcurriculuminto
schoolsthatdonotcurrentlyteachinthatstyle.Iwouldalsoliketobringanewstyleofteaching
tolessfortunateschoolsandlearningenvironmentssothatstudentscanhavethebesteducation
possible.

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