Post blog entry #5 in reaction to "Mind and Brain"

This week's reading took a far step away from the learning process and focused more on the science behind how the brain works. Although it discusses how we learn in a very scientific perspective, it is highly unlikely we will be dissecting the brains of our students to figure out how smart they are based on the ratio of capillaries to each nerve cell. The chapter does indicate ways in which a teacher can use instruction to exercise the brain and increase the capacity for learning. This idea builds upon my blog last week regarding how we can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the learner, and what methods are most efficient and effective.

This combination of brain exercise in tandem with learning methods reminded me of a game I own, Big Brain Academy for the Nintendo Wii. The point of the game is to be a student in the academy, and your task is to complete different exercises to increase learning and knowledge. You score points based on your skills and abilities to learn efficiently and effectively. I had not played the game in over a year so I decided to pop it in, put my figurative TLT hat on, and evaluate the software from an educational perspective. As I started to play, I noticed the following points of interest:

* Your brain is broken down into five categories of capabilities; identify, memorize, analyze, compute, and visualize.
* Your score is based on an algorithm that measures the amount of correct answers, as well as the time it takes to complete the tests.
* Although you can compete against others, your "grade" is based on your own abilities.


The game saves your best scores so that you can compare your current status to past ratings. After a few practice sessions, I took the test to measure my brain. It was not surprising to me to see that I had regressed from the last time I played. This coincides with the theory that you lose connection to certain things in your brain when you do not constantly exercise or use the information learned. The next day, I performed the same tasks, and came close to the score I had the year prior. On day three, my progression lead me to beat all of my previous best scores.

So what does this all mean? My experience supports a few different concepts. Although it is not the answer to all learning issues, technology such as the Wii can facilitate learning. It is possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of learning, thus allowing the teacher to focus on more effective ways of teaching content to students. Last, it is also worth mentioning that I was able to have fun while learning and that is a great motivational feature when trying to teach.