Paul Zak's webinar

The neuroscience of high performing teams

Paul Zak discovered oxytocin which is the "neuro-hormone of trust," Oxytocin is best known for its use in inducing labor. It is also the "social glue" that binds families, communities, and societies, and fosters trust between strangers. Oxytocin is primarily a molecule of social connection. It tells the brain how to engage with others at work, and in every part of our lives.
Oxytocin is inhaled as nasal spray. Oxytocin is an extract from the human posterior pituitary gland. Scientists had realized that oxytocin was also a neurotransmitter that acted on the brain's emotional centre. Oxytocin has been shown to facilitate nurturing behavior in mice and rats: when oxytocin was blocked, mice stopped caring for their young. Zak argues that many of the social and political issues could be solved if only we could find a way of raising people's basal levels of oxytocin. When Zak tested the blood of players who had demonstrated trustworthy behavior, he found that their oxytocin levels had increased.

Learning Styles

Information enters your brain in three main ways: sight, hearing and touch, which one you use the most is called your Learning Style.

Visual Learners learn by sight, prefer to see information such as pictures, diagrams, cartoons, demonstrations, learners benefit from using charts, maps, notes, and flash cards when studying. Such learners are easily distracted in lecture with no visual aids.

Auditory Learners learn by hearing, they prefer to hear information spoken, can absorb a lecture with little effort, and often avoid eye contact in order to concentrate.

 

 

Tactile Learners (kinesthetic) learn by touch, Prefer touch as their primary mode for taking in information, role-playing can help them learn and remember important ideas.

 

 

 

Knowing your learning style, both your strengths and your weaknesses, can help you study more effectively.

Behaviorism vs. cognitive learning theory

According to behaviorism learning is a change in observable behavior that occurs as the result of experience. The goal of instruction is to increase the number of correct answers by using reinforces and punishments. Behaviorism is not able to explain how students learn language, develop critical thinking and problem solving.

Here came an evolution to the cognitive learning theory which states that learning is a change in individual’s mental structure and processes that may or may not result in an immediate change in behavior.

The six basic principles of the cognitive learning theory include:

1.      Learning and development depend on the learners’ experience.

2.      Learning is to make sense of experience.

3.      Understanding depends on what students know.

4.      Understanding is facilitated by social interaction.

5.      Learning requires practice.

6.      Concrete and real life tasks result in optimal learning.

What Parents Expect From Schools

Parents demand much from schools other than academic teaching, parents view schools not only to teach science, math and other subjects but as institutions that serve in addressing morals, ethics and good behaviors to children. This role of schools will be efficient supported by parents at home. Parents’ perceptions might change with different schools and might be less demanding in public schools.

Parents’ perceptions on how schools affect children’s morals and behaviors differ between schools, private and religious schools are more described to teach morals and good habits even not through religion but through the very disciplined atmosphere they create. Teachers in the school who are a part of it affect how students acquire behaviors and morals ‘the behavior of the teacher probably influences the character of the learning climate more than any other single factor’ (Knowles, 2000) .

This moral role that schools play should be backed up and combined by the role of parents at home in order to assure a proper moral education of children “Teachers have to work in partnership on moral education with parents” (berkowitz, Marvin, & Grych, 2000, pp. 55-72), none of them should play a negative role.

 

Choosing a school for your child

Choosing a school for your child is a very difficult choice but a child can greatly benefit from a right choice. There are many different aspects to consider when deciding on a school for your child.
The school of your choice should be not too far from your home so you make sure your child gets proper sleep which is vital for children as it helps in concentrating during lessons and their brains will perform better.
The school of your choice must neither be a big school where teachers are less willing to take responsibilities, social interactions are more formal and less personalized, a good leadership and diverse curricula nor a small one where lower levels of learning and social discrimination based on knowledge of some children’s background are found, a middle size school would be the best to ensure a proper social interaction for your child.
Look for a school of a good academic, moral and social reputation. If you are looking for religious education then for sure you should look for private religious schools.
In general, your choice must render on the best learning center school that offers the best academic educational process.
You need to visit the school in order to have an idea about its policy and mission, its staff and its building. Meet the teachers and try to know what they aim to teach other than academics in their classes and their detention policy as you need to make sure that it doesn’t affect your child’s character and feelings. You have to make sure that the school offers a safe teaching environment, a wide range of learning styles and teaching methodologies, with progressive classes to prepare students for a better allocation and cares for keeping a continuous contact with parents.
Make sure that the school building is safe equipped with all safety techniques and a nurse, schools with walls printed with bright colors as this could be relaxing for the students, comfortable school furniture, clean rest rooms and a healthy and safe playground.
Parents need to pay attention to the importance of invigilating their children performance and keep a continuous contact with teachers as students will feel supervised and safe.

My Learning Experience

It had been a long time since I was a student at science classes, I can only remember some secondary science classes and for sure when I was at the university.
In grade twelve, my physics class was interesting as the teacher had related the physics studies to real life, he gave examples from real life every time he explained a lesson besides that most physics exercises where real life ones. The teacher had lots of information that he shared with us as students. He favored class discussions and listened to different opinions which made me feel safe to ask and get help.
This was in contrary to my physics class in grade 11, where I felt that physics is impossible for me to learn as the teacher had showed us that we can’t do it. During that year I no more had any will to study physics.
Biology is supposed to be an interesting subject as it deals with our bodies, and should make us enthusiasm to discover our bodies. But this was not the case in my biology class in grade 12 where the teacher used to talk all the time and we used to write, we never had time to think, analyze or discuss anything in class but we wrote what the teacher said. In order to pass or get a high grade in biology, a lot of effort was needed to be exerted at home the thing that made me feel that I can skip biology classes and I can still get the same grades or even better at that time.
The chemistry teacher in grade 12 appeared to exert a lot of effort to help us understand, he had a lot of check points before he moved on. The students were subject to any question at any time which kept us alerted.
During my school experience, in twelve years I have never worked in a group inside the class. In all classes I was supposed to stay quite, calm and to pay attention.
That was my experience in school or probably what I still remember. Concerning my university studies, I had experienced two universities, in the first one I was only obliged to attend lab sessions and I was free to miss theoretical ones, sessions that were no more than an instructor lecturing in a hall. This has caused me to develop the idea that I can do it alone and the instructor had no role. After I transferred to my second university where attendance was obligatory, I experienced variety of instructors with different techniques, successful ones where those where the instructor had me and others engaged in learning by assigning roles for us during the lesson and work we were responsible for, group work was introduced in such sessions.
I general, classes that were facilitated by instructors through guiding me to construct knowledge and those that were students centered were more effective and interesting to study.

My Philosophy of Education

I  believe that all children can learn but probably in different ways, students’ different learning preferences and multiple intelligences must be tackled in every single lesson. The teacher should provide a safe classroom environment where students are encouraged to take risks and discover learning in my classroom. Students are engaged in learning through rich, hands-on activities, small cooperative group experiences, as well as whole group instruction and discussions. A variety of Learning strategies and instructional methods should be used. Higher-order thinking skills should be used to help students build meaning and develop a deeper understanding of the subjects. Building personal relation ships with students is essential, as well it helps in maintaining good classroom management.
Facts are used as vehicles so students understand concepts. Students are given the support, the resources, and the materials they need to meet their personal goals. Appropriate motivation of students is essential in encouraging students and having them curious to learn.
As an educator, I truly believe a child must have the foundations (reading, writing, and math) before he or she can be successful in other areas of life.
Science is an interesting subject if related to real life, students’ curiosity should be directed so students struggle to learn more. The best learning is accomplished when students construct their knowledge.
As an educator, I strive to provide an environment that encourages my students to be all they can be and to set high goals for themselves.

Teaching Science with Technology

Students today live with technology being a big part of their lives. Many students enter kindergarten with some experience with computers and the Internet. Current research indicates a correlation between use of technology for instruction and increased student achievement.

In the last 15 years, technology has exploded in education. With the addition of technology as an instructional tool, students and teachers have many more resources. Technology can be used in many ways in the classroom, from remediation to direct instruction. Students projects and researches are easier nowadays because of the presence of the advanced technology.

Educational technology tools such as computers, digital microscopes, and interactive white boards can help students actively engaged in the classroom activities and knowledge inquiry.

When educational technology tools are used appropriately and effectively in science classrooms, students actively engage in their knowledge construction and improve their thinking and problem solving skills (Trowbridge, Bybee, & Powel, 2008).

This is supported by the Chinese proverb: “I hear, I forget. I see, I remember”, students need to see in order to understand and this what is usually important in science as some processes taking place inside the humans body couldn’t be understood if not observed and at the same time are impossible to observe as  for example a functioning heart.

Teachers need to attend to the use of technology in teaching science for higher students’ achievement and to stay up to date.  Teachers not only need to know their content but also need to know how to present it effectively.

Schools as well should enrich its materials with various technology instruments as computers, videos, technical resources, microscopes……..

How to prepare your child for an exam

 Exams are stressful, and not just for children. Some might say that exam stress hits parents just as hard. Parents’ attitude with their children at exam times influence the children performance, parents play an important role in preparing students for their exams,  As a parent, one needs to prepare the child through; having the child study for the exam, warm up psychologically for the exam and ensure a relaxed and healthy atmosphere.

 

Students need to study for the exam the content they will be examined in, the parent’s role is to identify the key questions of the topics and set them as achievement targets, guiding the child on how to answer and what should be included in the answer by practicing answer questions, parents as well should help the child after done from revising the content, practice an actual test at home and go through extra exercises from resources other than those of the school. It is important to remember that you, the parent, are not helpless.

 Most importantly, parents should try not to pressurize their children into studying. There are many different routes to excellence in studies.

Talk with your child’s teacher(s) often to see what you can do at home to support your child’s work in school and ask your child’s teacher for copies of practice questions.

If your child is a low achiever, then you need to figure out the cause of being slow, if it is a matter of motivation then you need for example to relate a math problem to real life so the child get anxious. For average and high achievers, you must reveal the importance of revision and the value of hard work in achieving success.

Parents should stay positive and make their children feel that they like what they are studying and they want to do well.  It may be necessary for you to sit next to him to encourage him. Try not to add to your child’s stress levels by focusing on outcome (ex. you must score at least 19 out of 20marks).

 

As the child is done with studying the exam, parents have to encourage their children and make them feel that they are well prepared to take the test. Encourage your child to listen/ read carefully to all test-taking directions and to ask questions if any directions are unclear and not to get stressed or confused when get stuck on any question.  Parents should as well warn their children from cheating on the test either through trying to copy an answer or give their answers to other students as this has many future effects on the child’s attitude and behavior and could lead to a failed mark in the exam. Parents should prepare all materials needed for their children on the test and have to make sure that nothing is lacking them.

Parents need to make sure that their child gets proper sleep before the exams so he/she has a relaxed mind, and make sure to provide a proper and healthy diet, a diet of food containing omega 3 is recommended as it is  said to be an aid to concentration and don't let them skip meals. . Let them watch a bit of TV, have a warm drink and a read before trying to go to sleep. Parents should make sure that the cloth their children wear should be appropriate with the weather so the child doesn’t get cold or warm as this affects his performance during the test.

Education and Society

Education is more than reading, writing, and mathematics. It is one of the most important investments a country can make in its people to reduce poverty and inequality. Education plays a vital role in the development of the society. Educated people help to maintain a civilized society. People in an educated society communicate with each other, understand each others’ problems and provide solutions. Education helps people to disagree in an agreeable way. Through education, a person or an individual residing in a society will be fully aware as to how he should and ought to lead his life according to the principals of morals and ethics.

The role of education is to improve the society by recognizing yourself and your role in society. Education holds hidden curriculums besides the academic ones. Schools teach moral and ethics. Durkheim (Moral Education 1962) believed that education was important in creating the moral unity necessary for social cohesion and harmony. For Durkheim, moral values were the foundation of society.

Education characterizes an individual with respect over the whole community as well it enriches one with knowledge and information that help to solve and overcome life problems. As well, education gives most people a sense of wisdom.

Education helps to spread health and social awareness, it helps fight the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, helps improve health and helps people to differentiate good from evil as education enriches people with experience of others through stories.

Education leads to less criminals and a less violent society.

A healthy society develops when education plays its role properly.