Which part of your brain do you use most? Are you more rational than intuitive? Do you look at parts or at wholes? It is said that the left hemisphere of the brain is more analytical and rational , it is dominant in language processing , logic and maths while the right hemisphere is in charge of spatial abilities, music processing and face recognition, It helps us to understand visual images and make sense of what we see. However, both brain's hemispheres are interconnected , they give and receive information from the opposite side so both sides work together all the time to produce one consciosusness. One of the pillars of education since the Industrial revolution has been  the importance given to logic reasoning and maths. Intelligence was and it is still defined in terms of verbal and mathematical reasoning. So, we've come to the conclusion that rationalist forms of thinking are superior than creaitivty and emotions. So what happens in the classroom? Do teachers encour...

What is feedback? Feedback is assessment of progress towards a goal and it is an important cue for teachers to know if students need more information or teaching. When students get feedback about their progress they become motivated, engaged and are able to perform as self regulated learners. It is important to make a difference between feedback and praise or grade. When teachers give feedback they provide students with the necessary information to help them achieve their goals. It happens mainly during the learning process, not afterwards. Students must receive feedback from his or her teacher, but can the learner receive feedback from peers or from themselves? The answer is YES! Peer feedback helps them to learn from each other, share opinions, gain confidence and master metacognitive skills which provide them with the resources needed to adjust their learning strategies to achieve their goals. Types of feedback Self Evaluating (Metacognition) When  the students use...

I don't know what happens with your students in your classes but my students do not know how to study. When they study they do it by heart and repeat like parrots the information given without understanding what they are saying. So I think it is time to start teaching them  effective ways of studying. In my opinion, mind maps are a helpful tool when it comes to recalling information since they are a visual representation of a pice of information. The creator of mind mapping is called Tony Buzan  and he is a British psychologyst. He's an expert  on the brain, memory, creativity and innovation.  Why are mind maps so useful? Your brain thinks in colours and pictures. If for instance I tell you the word "elephant", you will inmediatley get the image of the animal in your brain. Your brain doesn't think in straight lines, that is why writing a list of words to remember vocabulary will not help. A mind map connects the main idea to its subtopics. This is a useful...

The Triune Brain and its implications in the classroom Dr. Paul Mac Lean developed the theory of the Triune brain. It states that our brain evolved in three different stages: the reptilian brain, the mammalian brain and finally the neo cortex or human brain. As a result, humans don’t have one brain but three. Newer and more elaborate structures were added to the old and integrated into a functional whole. Each of these brains are located differently in the mind and have different evolutionary functions. Let’s have a look at each of them and the implications they have in the classroom. The Reptilian Brain It is the lowest and most primitive part of the brain and we share it with all other animals which have a backbone. It evolved during the Triassic period. It is connected to the spinal cord and its main function is to guarantee survival. It releases chemicals to face the “fight or flight” response. It also controls other functions to sustain life such as heart rate, b...

This is a topic so relevant in today's world. Last year, one of my students was bullied outside the classroom and it was quite difficult to detect it until she came to me and talked about her problem. Detecting bullies is not that easy because most of them don't act uopn their victims in front of adults. Children and teenagers tend to become cruel sometimes and it is part of their growing. However, when teasing becomes repetitive and it is made on purpose to hurt a child that is called bullying.  It is essential to take this issue seriously and do something about it. Not only teachers and the school community should be involved but also parents and the government too. Developing kindness and empathy in our children is essential if we want to make a substantial change to stop bullying in class. Some Ideas to prevent bullying With teenagers you can explain what bullying is and prepare some questions for discussion to raise awareness of such an important issue. Ho...