In early 2006, neuroscientists discovered an area of the brain dedicated to the assembly of flat-pack furniture. This was closely followed by the isolation of the neural pathways linked with the appreciation of downtempo lounge music.

True? Of course not! But you’ll recognise this type of announcement. Here's a real one:

Brain area for hoarding discovered

*Saxena S, Brody AL, Maidment KM, Smith EC, Zohrabi N, Katz E, Baker SK, Baxter LR Jr. Cerebral glucose metabolism in obsessive-compulsive hoarding. Am J Psychiatry. 2004 Jun;161(6):1038-48.

Neuroscientists can observe and record the brain in action and over the last twenty years they’ve found out a lot about which bits do what. But there’s a whole lot more to find out.

Some educators like to use brain information to guide how they work. Beware! Myths abound:

"We only use 10% of our brain"

Myth – we use 100% of our brain, evidenced when a small part of it is damaged – it can seriously effect our abilities.

"There are critical periods for development of certain skills"

Myth - there are times of ‘increased sensitivity’, but all is never lost. Most things can be learned at any age.

Hover over the different areas of the brain pictures below to find out which parts do what. (You might have to click each image first to make it active)

Four Brains?

Three Brains?

Two Brains?

One Brain?

So, how many brains are there?

It’s like that old tale:

3 blind men are arguing about what an elephant is.

The first is touching the end of its tail and is convinced that an elephant is a hairy thing;

the second is touching its flank and insists that it’s leathery;

the third is touching a tusk and argues that it’s…
made of horn.

They’re all partially right, but none of them has the full picture.

The brain grows and changes in a set way and also in response to what it experiences through its human’s body.

It’s a huge collection of cells, wired into dense networks, which cluster together into different areas.

These areas look after specific skills, actions and thoughts, but the brain is flexible enough for one area to take over the work of another if damaged, and the brain is dynamic enough to go on learning until the day it dies.

Thinking Classroom and Portsmouth UK's Express FM radio station have collaborated to produce a series of short mesages about the brain and learning.

Brain Bites make neuroscience digestable and useful in everyday life.

Download (pdf) and listen (mp3) to Brain Bites here:

 Brain Bites 1-3
 
Listen:

 Brain Bite 1
 Brain Bite 2
 Brain Bite 3

 Brain Bites 4-6

Listen:

  Brain Bite 4
  Brain Bite 5
  Brain Bite 6

Visit the Express FM website and listen live on-line.


More about the brain and learning

Ideas and activites related to the brain and learning:

o Music and Learning

o Voice Gym

o Puzzles, Jokes and Learning

o Emotional Intelligence