Mr. Brainy Multiple Senses

Mr. Brainy and the Multiple Senses is where Math DIY begins.  It’s all about lesson planning, teaching, and reviewing with the brain in mind.

Have you ever wondered why they don’t remember what you just finished teaching?

Do you see blank stares when you start to review what you taught yesterday?

If you answered yes, then you’re in good company.

We’ve all been through this.

So… what can you do?

Insert some super-hero music here and imagine a giant brain flying in to save the day!!!

Enter Mr. Brainy and the Multiple Senses…

You can improve the retention and critical thinking ability of your students by following some advice about Mr. Brainy and the Multiple Senses.

In the video, I cover the following…

• Neurons (also known as Brain Cells)
• Moving Information from Short-term Memory to Long-term Memory
• Primacy Effect
• Recency Effect
• Picture Superiority Effect
• Memory Trace
• 5 Senses

Here’s a simple breakdown of why Mr. Brainy and the Multiple Senses are important.

Let’s say a teacher is teaching a new skill or concept.

The teacher opts to use direct teaching as the only instructional method.  The students listen to the teacher explain the concept.  They also see the teacher complete some examples on the board.  The students follow the examples and complete some problems on a worksheet.

The students saw the concept, heard about the concept, and did some writing to solve problems about the concept.

They obviously used some brain power.

They used some neurons or brain cells during the process, but it’s possible the information was only stored in one location in the brain.  It’s possible the information didn’t make it from short-term to long-term memory.  It’s also possible the student did not associate that concept with other mathematical concepts or real-world contexts.

The next time the student encounters this concept she or he may not remember anything about it or may only recall incomplete information.   The student will not be able to problem solve or critically think about this concept.

How can we improve the preceding scenario? (By the way, I’m not dissing direct-teaching.  It’s a valuable instructional approach and we have to use it to teach what kids don’t already know and can’t figure out for themselves).

By designing your lessons and planning your instruction with the brain in mind.

Keeping the brain in mind, will help you remember to use strategies and tools that help your students receive and process information in multiple ways.

This means more of the brain will be activated and information will be stored in multiple places.

A single concept will be saved across a network of neurons.  The next time a student sees or hears about this concept, she or he will be able to tap into any one of those places in this neural network.  She/he will recognize the information and recall it faster.  She/he will be able to make connections between this concept and any new information you introduce.

The student will be better equipped to problem solve and think critically.

I’ve put together a resource for you.  It has my notes (what I covered in the video) and the multiple senses chart.  I kept that multiple senses chart in several places in my classroom.  I wanted to remember to engage those multiple senses whenever I could.

Click above or below to grab the Mr. Brainy and the Multiple Senses resource.

Holler at me over on Instagram or on Facebook if you have any questions or if you want to chat.

Veronica,

Super-fan of Mr. Brainy