LEARNING AND THE MEMORY

Tabatha DahlstedtEDU 417 Cognitive Studies

CapstoneProf. Maureen Lienau PhD

June 15, 2015

Dopamine

“Having just the right level of dopamine is

associated with better frontal lobe

function” (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008, pg. 398). o Dopamine is our pleasure reward neurotransmitter it

controls our conscious motor activity.o Without dopamine the frontal lobe cannot work

properly. o Dopamine feeds the frontal lobe and the hypothalamus. • The frontal lobe controls our:

• Responsible for our higher cognitive thinking• Ability to move our body at will• Think about the past and plan for the future• Focus our attention and reflect on our experiences• Make decisions and solve problems• And engage in conversations

• The hypothalamus controls our:• Autonomic system, the pituitary gland and

homeostasis• Sleep• Aggressive behavior and pleasure• And our survival mode

Serotonin

“Gifted thinking requires just the right amount of serotonin” (Fischer &Immordino-Yang, 2008, pg. 399).

o Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is associated with our:

• Mood • Memory • Attention• Sleep

• Appetite • Control• Regulation of body temperature• High cognitive flexibility

The more cognitive flexibility the better the release of serotonin. Tryptophan can help produce serotonin which can be done by changing ones diet. Jossey-Bass (2010) stated that this can be done by eating:

• Bananas• Turkey• Milk• And avocado’s

Acetylcholine

“Acetylcholine enhances rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (the phase of sleep when deepest dreaming occurs) and has been shown to be involved in our memory circuits” (Wolfe, 2010, pg. 62).

It is during rapid eye movement that we move our short term memories to our long term memory bank.

When this neurotransmitter stops working properly ones memory starts to deteriorate.

In 2002 Clarkadon stated “Given that sleep is a time when the brain cells replenish themselves and when connections made during the day are strengthened, sleep deprivation can have a major negative effect on learning and memory” (Wolfe, 2010, pg. 89).

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to change based on environmental factors.

Environmental factors to be discussed:

Movement (Exercise) Sleep Nutrition Technology

Exercise

Exercising plays an important role in the process of learning!!

There are three benefits

1. When you exercise your brain receives more blood full of more oxygen. The more oxygen going to the brain the better the health of the capillaries as well as the growth and plasticity of the frontal lobes.

• In a study done by Charles Hillman (2007) pm 256 3rd and 5th graders that were engaged in aerobic exercises found that “the more physical tests they past, the higher they scored on their achievement tests” (Wolfe, 2010, pg. 94).

2. During exercise the protein IGF-1 is released this triggers the release of (BDNF) Brain-derived neurotrophic factor which stimulates neural growth and learning.3. Exercise induces neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb and in the

dentate gyrus of the hippocampus which is responsible for information storage, consolidation and the retrieval of information.

Sleep

“Sleep plays an important role in consolidation where memories are moved from short term to long term memory” (Wolfe, 2010,

pg. 96).Park explains (2014) that when we sleep at night a legion of neurons spring into action processing all the information we received throughout the whole day faster then an awake mind could comprehend.

At the same time our brain defragments and system checks to make sure everything is working properly just as a computer would.

Without the right amount or proper sleep our brain suffers and is unable to keep up with its job.

Teen’s require the most sleep then adults do according to Mary Clarkadon a sleep researcher at Brown Universities Bradley hospital, where she states they need nine hours and fifteen minutes of sleep every night (Wolfe, 2010).

Nutrition

Our nutrition plays an important role in our brains development, function and health.

Nussbaum (2015) stated “the brain is 60 percent fat, and proper fat can help with our energy, cognition, and motor skills” (pg. 4). It is suggested by Nussbaum that the Mediterranean diet is best for proper brain growth.The Mediterranean diet consists of:

• High amounts of vitamins and minerals• Essential fatty acids• High fiber (carbohydrates)• Phyton utrients

It is urged that one consumes a very low amount if any of processed foods.

In 1986, a study was conducted on 1,023 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who received free school breakfast. The results showed that those students placed much higher in math, reading, and vocabulary then did those who ate poor nutritional br3eakfasts or did not eat at all (Wolfe, 2010).

Technology

Good or Bad?

Paula Tallal and Michael Merzenich tow neuroscientists discovered that many reading problems come form an auditory delay (Wolfe, 2010). Because of this they developed a computer program that can counteract this reading problem and have helped many improve.

Computer learning programs can engage students and stimulate their brains.

Technology can have a bad affect on a child if it is not regulated.Supervision and guidance while using technology is a must for teachers and parents, video games become bad when they have violent behavior in them as well as other social media.

References

Fischer , K. W., Immordino-Yang, M. H., & , (2008). The jossey-bass reader on the

brain and learning. (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Nussbaum, P.D. (2015). Brain Health for the Self-Empowered Person. Generations, 39(1), 30.

Park, A., (2014).The power of sleep. New research shows a good night’s rest isn’t

a luxury– it’s critical for your brain and for your health. Time, 184(11), 52.

Wolfe, P. (2010). Brain matters: Translating research into classroom practice.

(2nd ed.). Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum

Development.