Research into brain development

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Research into brain development has come a long way since it began as shown below via the use of a timeline:

4000 BC – Sumerian records show first writing on the brain in the world.

2500 BC – The Egyptians come to believe that the heart is more important than the brain and as a result discard it through the process of mummification.

450 BC – Alcmaeon was an early Greek physician who was the first to use anatomic dissection of animals as a basis for his theories. He concluded from his experiments that the brain is the central organ of sensation and thought which opposed the idea of the Egyptians.

 335 BC – Aristotle came to the same conclusion that the heart is the main organ of thought and sensation and that the brain is simply a “radiator designed to cool it.” He also firmly believes in the fact that the basis of thought cannot be found within the body. He then began to look into short-term memory and long-term memory and how they differ.

1664 – Thomas Wills a professor from Oxford wrote the worlds first monograph on brain autonomy and physiology. His book highlights that the cerebral hemispheres (which make up 70% of the human brain) determine thought and action. He then states that these are completely different from any other parts of the bbrain and control basic motor skills. He is first to introduce words which are now associated with the brain such as: lobe, corpus striatum and neurology.

1848 – Phineas Gage was a railroad worker who was at work when an explosion occurred and caused an iron rod to pierce the frontal lobe of his brain. Despite surviving there were significant changes to his mood and behavior. It was then suggested by researchers that the vital parts of the personality reside in the frontal lobe. It was this that saw the introduction of the lobotomy procedure which consisted of removing portions of the frontal lobe in order to hopefully cure mental illness and depression.

1869 – Sir Francis Galton came to the conclusion that intelligence was an inherited trait and high levels of intellectual achievement are passed down generations through genetics. He wrote about this idea in his book the ‘Hereditary Genius.’

1875 – Wilhem Windt set up the first lab which researched human behavior. He then carried out a study regarding attention and the sensory process.

1905 – Alfred Binet was a French psychologist and completely disagreed with Galton’s use of sensory discrimination to explain intelligence. He believed that an individual’s intelligence could be detected from processes such as memory, comprehension, attention, memory and imagination. Binet along with Theadore Simon then proceeded to make a scale of intelligence which was published in 1905.

1911- A British neuroscientist, Henry Head publishes ‘Studies in Neurology’ which focused on spatial awareness.

1929 – The first human electroencephalograph was carried out by Hans Berger. This was used to measure the record of the electrical activity in the human brain.

1950 – An American neuropsychologist Karl Spencer Lashley carried out an experiment with rats to attempt to reveal neural components of memory which he named engrams. From his findings he concluded that there is no definitive area for memory in the brain.

 1974 – M.E Phelps, E.J Hoffman and M.M TER Pogossian created the world’s first Positron Emission Topography (PET) scanner. The function of this machine was to provide visual information about the activity of the brain.

1987 – Prozac is introduced to and becomes a treatment for depression.

1990 – US President George Bush declares this decade as the ‘Decade of the Brain’

1997- Stanley B. Prusiner wins Nobel Prize for his discovery of a new genre of infectious agents called prions. This research went onto help provide important insights into researching illnesses such as dementia specifically Alzheimer’s.

2000 – Arvid Carlsson, Paul Greengard and Eric Kandel were awarded the Nobel Prize for their findings relating to signal transduction in the nervous system.

2014 – John O’Keefe, Edvard Moser, and May-Britt Moser share the Nobel Prize for their research into cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain

 

 

Reflection

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Reflection is a key element in anyone’s learning. We can actively reflect on our actions and how we handled things but we also will often do it subliminally and judge ourselves or begin to then focus where we can then improve.

Effective reflection allows us to breakdown a situation and analyse how we coped and handled each of the aspects within it. For example, I feel like I developed a good way of coping with exams throughout my senior years in high-school. After sitting my first ever two preliminary exams in third year I gained an appreciation for the pressure and desire to do well that I felt. I then went on to establish a method in which I could handle this pressure so I could achieve my best. I did this through trial and error, reflecting after each exam and finding an understanding of how I best coped. I would study hard and discuss with my peers and in the end I would succeed. I personally feel that I have therefore made effective use of reflection in relation to my own learning.

As a teacher I feel I would be able to stress the importance of reflection to my pupils; explaining that the one of the best ways to learn is to learn from our mistakes. Children should be encouraged to always try and if they fail then they must be helped to understand where they went wrong and then try again after reflecting. This can be applied in so many different ways be it behaviour in the class room and developing an understanding of right and wrong, completing tasks and solving problems, class tests and resits if required and ultimately primary education as a whole.

I remember leaving primary school but I feel like it was only in my high school education that I reflected upon it. It was then that I understood what I had learned and how ready I felt to move on. I feel like I can do that again now as I reflect over my high school education and begin the process of becoming a fully qualified teacher.

Reflection is something we all do whether we notice or not. The process is a vital part of everyone’s learning as it is incredibly important to be conscious of the fact that things can go wrong and there is always room for improvement. Reflection not only highlights to us where we can improve but it can help us learn from experiences.  It has many purposes but ultimately we reflect so that we can develop our understandings and learn.

My basic academic skills

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I personally think it is important to have an understanding of your own academic skills – in other words know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Throughout my education I have always tried to improve on areas that I am less stable in. It is sometimes hard to work this way as we all want enjoy studying things that we excel in and therefore it can be a battle with yourself to work on the things you are less able in. I have always been fairly able in both English and Mathematics but my downfall was the sciences. By being able to pin point this as an area of improvement I was able to slowly but surely become better at the subject.

I think that everyone believes they have a sound understanding of what their skills and abilities are but as the online learning units highlight it is not just about subjects, there is much more to it. By working my way through these modules I have learnt a great deal about myself and the way I learn. I was able to illuminate skills that I excel in such as organisation but also highlight areas of improvement such as effectively using technology. Furthermore by reading sections of ‘The Study Skills Book’ by McMillan, K. and Weyers, J. on topic areas as punctuation and sentence structure I have been able to refresh my memory on these easily forgettable areas.

I have found working through the online modules and reading ‘The Study Skills Book’ incredibly useful in helping me have an understanding of my academic abilities and will no doubt refer back to these throughout the course.

Who sees teachers as professionals?

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After watching the video ‘Are teachers professionals’ on youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=88&v=MDf2oLt96O8 I have come to a couple of conclusions.

Chris Christie the first person speaking in the video believes that teachers should be placed high up in the professional hierarchy. I share this view as I think teachers have an extremely important role in society. Although I agree with this point I fail to be persuaded by his next. He argues that teachers can simply be satisfied with their jobs by receiving a pay rise. If this is the only reason a teacher can be satisfied then they are clearly in the wrong profession. Teaching is an incredibly rewarding job and when done well creates multiple opportunities for satisfaction as you watch the children you work with improve in all aspects of the curriculum as well as developing into independent people. I personally feel like Chris Christie does not display a high level of knowledge of the teaching profession.

Karen Lewis is the second speaker featured in this video. She talks about teaching as if it is a chore and something that we have to do rather than wanting to do it. I think as a teacher this is the completely wrong outlook to have on the profession. She highlights that instead of being a teacher she feels that she is an “educational worker” then later states that “workers” are those who simply punch a clock. I personally believe that this sheds a negative light on the teaching profession. It suggests that all teachers have no passion for their job and it is simply just a daily task they fulfil. We all know for a fact that there are thousands of teachers who do care about their job and look forward to going to work.

In conclusion I personally disagree with points that both speakers make and I feel that they both talk about the teaching profession in a negative way. However I do agree with Chris Christie’s first point about how our profession should be placed high up in the professional hierarchy. I believe we do serve an important purpose just like a doctor or a lawyer does in today’s society. Our lives revolve around education and without teachers our world would have no means of training people to fill other jobs such as surgeons. Everything leads back to education which is why our profession is so important.

What is professionalism?

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The video ‘Professionalism (teachers say)’ on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ychgs3rrdA discusses different views on the professionalism of teachers. The documentary gives us an insight into the views of several teachers on what it means to be a professional. Although they don’t go into great detail on the subject matter I do agree with what they have to say. 

Miss Catherine Long begins the video by discussing how there is a need for a greater focus on the professionalism of teachers and how they are represented in today’s world. She later goes onto talk about the current demand for benchmarking how well students are doing which I do agree with. However as parents are becoming more knowledgeable on the current education system and how classrooms are run there is an increasing pressure on teachers to provide the best learning environment for every individual pupil. I think this highlights that parents today are becoming more involved in their child’s learning which in a way is a good thing but this does add pressure on teachers. There has been cases where parents are quick to blame the teacher if their child is not doing as well as they expected in a specific area of the curriculum. This scenario illuminates the need for teachers to act in a professional manner to deal with the situation correctly.

Mrs Nursen Chemmi is the next teacher featured in this video. She raises the view that teachers are role models which I could not agree with more. Being a role model for pupils to me is a crucial part of professionalism. Children are easily influenced especially at the primary school age and as a teacher we are one of the main adults in their life so we should be setting a good example from the beginning. By acting professionally and displaying good morals we are automatically setting an example to pupils which they will hopefully adopt. In acting in this manner we are teaching children how to become well-rounded, responsible citizens which is a very important part of professionalism.

Mrs Colleen Walsh begins to talk about the changes that she has seen in education over the past 30 years. She underlines the point that it is vital we do not judge children because of their upbringing or the area in which they live in. We have to understand as a professional that children come from a range of different areas with differing family incomes, morals and opportunities. As a professional our job is to give all of these children an equal chance at learning and support them in every way possible.

This video on professionalism has certainly made me think about what it is to be a professional. I think each teacher takes a different outlook on professionalism but it is clear that they collectively share the same view in that they all want to do their best for their pupils which I think is a key part of professionalism.

 

What makes a teacher who makes a difference

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The video titled ‘What makes a teacher who makes a difference’ on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U58EFAwnKpw covered a variety of thoughts on the matter of professionalism.

The video highlights the need for teachers to maintain a high level of professionalism in order to complete their job successfully eg. assisting and helping children to learn. The video makes a comparison between teachers and nurses by illustrating that a lack of professionalism leads to a breakdown in the working environment and therefore the job cannot be completed effectively. Where nurses risk people’s lives by being unprofessional, teachers risk the futures of students and pupils.

The video also focuses on the individual views of a group of teachers. It discusses which attributes are required to excel in the role of a teacher who makes a difference. The first skill mentioned is the importance of teamwork. I agree with this statement as I feel that in order to create an effective and positive learning environment teamwork must be used. According to the second teacher, teachers must be approachable by both pupils and their families as well as the community. This is vital in creating a good relationship with children and their parents and will minimise the risk of any conflict arising. The third teacher highlights the importance of loving your job. I too believe in this idea as how can you possibly be able to effectively do your job without having a passion for it. By being passionate this will in turn inspire your pupils. Dedication is another factor that is key in being a teacher. A teacher must be dedicated to providing the best education for their pupils. In addition to this sacrifice is also necessary. Teaching isn’t just a 9-5 job, there is a great deal more to it. For example planning lessons is a time consuming task which may eat into your free time however it is necessary and is required if you want to be that teacher who makes a difference. We all know it is nice to be fun in the classroom but a degree of discipline is necessary. Children need discipline in their lives in order to develop as individuals and develop an understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

The video then goes onto discuss three teachers who have gone the extra mile in their profession:

Teacher 1: The first of the three teachers illustrates the commitment to education within her local community. She worked within adult language classes  and thus aided the attendants of her class with life requirements such as paying bills and filling out essential forms. I feel that this dedication and commitment to her local community is a well developed and professional aspect of her teaching as she helps others create a strong “can do” attitude by helping them to gain confidence in completing allocated tasks. This not only makes her exceptional as a teacher but also a strong role model to her younger pupils who will in turn recognise the importance of going the extra mile for others.

Teacher 2: The second teachers shows an understanding of her need to improve in her mathematic ability in order to continue to effectively educate her pupils as the curriculum in which they work in evolves and develops. I feel that self awareness is key as a teacher as experience in a classroom may be a crucial element in becoming a great teacher but ultimately it is not enough when it comes to being well equipped for teaching learning students and pupils. Over the years I have heard the expression that “everyday is a school day” and I feel that this couldn’t be more true. Yes, teachers teach the pupils but it is not only the pupils that are required to learn. To be that teacher that who makes a difference it is so important that we can recognise the areas in which we ourselves must develop.

Teacher 3: The third teacher shows the importance of a good relationship with the people who work around you. I feel that she acts as a catalyst for success within the working environment as she encourages and helps her colleagues to develop confidence in their job position. This sense of leadership in the way of looking out for others is a strong aspect in her willingness to go the extra mile as she supports her fellow teachers and helps establish a working environment that will consistently go under positive and effective change.

Finally, it is clear to see that the teachers in the video have all gone out of their way to make a difference in their profession. I agree that simply acting in a “textbook” fashion is not enough to become an outstanding teacher. Going beyond the everyday expectations is what shows dedication and skill within the job and I feel that this is where I want to excel. I want to continue to learn as I teach, I want to inspire and help those around me and I want to be an effective leader within my working environment. Ultimately, I want to be that teacher who makes a difference.

My professional focuses

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There are a range of values which need to be applied in the teaching profession but I have chosen 5 that that I would regard as the most important to me.

Patience:  Firstly I feel that patience is a crucial element of teaching. Working with children is job commonly stereotyped as being stressful due to having to deal with what seems like menial and irritating issues. However, this is a misconception often made by people with a lack of patience themselves. Children learn best when they are taught effectively and some children are going to both take longer to learn certain aspects of their curriculum but will also often not perform well in certain areas. It is important to remain patient and help children like this just as every other child in the class should be shown how to complete a task regardless of the time it takes them. This insures that the child learns and thus by remaining patient a teacher is able to succeed in completing their job, assisting with and helping the child learn.

Respect:   Respect needs to be present in a variety of areas in the life and work of a professional teacher. It is vital for teachers to respect their pupils and their differences to create a happy learning environment. By exercising high levels of respect the relationship between teacher and pupil can be improved considerably. It is also incredibly important to maintain respect for colleagues, parents and those whom we may work with from time to time for example with social work. We do have to bear in mind that respect is not the same as obedience. A child may obey you due to your temperament. However if they respect you, they will in turn obey you because they know you have their best interests at heart.        

Fairness:   Fairness is not only in the classroom but also in the child’s development and confidence. It’s important that when dealing with situations that the teacher must take all aspects into account and I understand that at times this may be difficult. In regards to work in the classroom all of the children must be given the chance to excel in parts of the curriculum that they show strong ability in. This can be shown by having allocated ability groups in the class. However, not only the strongest group can be focused on. A fair teacher will treat all groups equally. Providing the appropriate assistance to everyone who requires it regardless of how skilled they may already be. This insures fairness in the aspect of learning. Fairness however exceeds being only in the classroom. In regards to more social issues. Disagreements between pupils, for example, are an important area where teachers must be fair. Both sides must be heard with additional information from third parties (eg. Their friends) So to provide a fair and justified response to the issue. This is an effective way of handling situations and by doing this a lesson can also be shown to the children by in turn also teaching them about an aspect of fairness. Thus a fair teacher not only best helps children to learn but also provides knowledge for life.

Compassion:  In my opinion compassion is one of the key qualities a teacher should possess. How is it possible for pupils to enjoy learning and actively engage in various activities when a teacher lacks compassion? If teachers incorporate compassion into their work it will undoubtably result in positive growth  and development within their pupils. Not only is it important for teachers to have a compassionate outlook but schools in general need to adopt this. Working to create a compassionate school will support the needs of pupils and their families which is key to making education successful. Compassion is so important in a child’s education – it is hard to learn unless you are comfortable. It is multiple times better when you feel supported and know that the people teaching you want to teach for your benefit.   

Honesty:    The saying ‘honesty is the best policy’ is very fitting for the teaching profession. I think as teachers we need to accept that nobody is perfect and we all have our flaws. Everyone is susceptible to making mistakes and when these occur we have to be honest with our pupils. Being honest can lead to building strong relationships with pupils furthermore making you an aspiring role model in a child’s life. Furthermore being honest with children in the classroom  will have a knock on affect and allow pupils to realise the importance of this attribute in day to day life.                              

 

 

Active and Co-operative Learning

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Active learning is a contemporary and efficient way of learning. It allows for pupils to be more engaged and involved in their studies, offering them to discuss topics with their peers in both the classroom and through use of online connectivity. One of the many benefits from this method of learning is that pupils are more engaged in what they are learning as it is more motivating to be active than passive. Furthermore I believe it is easier to consolidate a child’s learning through active learning as they are taking their learning into their own hands. In addition active learning presents the child with an early sense of responsibility.

Cooperative learning is also an effective method for children to learn. Cooperative learning allows for pupils to engage with their peers in a group work styled task. This allows children to work towards a common goal shared by their peers as they provide eachother with mutal assistance. This enables children to create bonds and relationships with their peers which is vital. As well as being a fun method of learning it can furthermore help children feel more comfortable with others in their class. Children will in turn develop important communication and teamwork skills which they can apply to life on a daily basis. Finally co-operative learning also allows for children to respect the opinions of others in regards to solving problems. This collective of ideas allows the pupils to learn from one another and make tasks easier as the children work together to tackle what is assigned.

Overall I feel that both active and co-operative learning allow children to learn in new and diverse ways that will both inhance their school experience and provide them with life skills that can be applied in later life. Active learning teaches pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and hence provides them with a sense of responsibility at a young age. In addition to this, co-operative learning allows children to gain teamwork skills and effectively provides them with the opportunity to work together to solve a problem, a skill of great importance in most modern workplaces. We learn in order to prepare ourselves for life and the world of work. These methods of learning are excellent ways in which primarily school pupils can get an early flavour for skills they will be able to apply and use in their more mature lives.

Private vs Professional

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There is no denying that in this day and age the majority of people have access to social media. However social media’s uses differ depending on your stage in life; for a teenager social media is a method of keeping in touch with friends and for acquiring an array of information. For an adult, it is much the same except from the raised level of maturity during use. For a teacher I feel that this level of maturity is once again higher as we need to adhere to the GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct.

In the way of professionalism social media such as Facebook offers teachers the ability to remain in contact with colleagues at all times and hence share professional opinions and advice on a range of topics. Methods of teaching and help with resources may also be discussed confidentially through this tool. From personal experience the use of closed groups on Facebook such as the group I am a member of ‘Staffroom – resources and websites’ stand as proof that social media can be beneficial in a professional educational environment.

However on the other hand social media does not go without it’s faults. As teachers the risk of breaking the GTCS Codes of Professionalism and Conduct is always prominent and therefore we  are required to take sufficient measures to avoid this from happening. I personally think there should be very little crossover between private and professional uses of social media. Teachers face many challenges when having social media accounts in the 21st century as it does not require a great deal of effort to search the name of an individual. This highlights the importance of managing privacy account settings and using them to their full potential so that their private life is kept fully confidential. By doing this the risk of merging your professional and social life is lowered significantly.

Overall social media is a great tool in a professional environment when used appropriately furthermore it is also useful when used privately to deal in personal affairs. However allowing your private life to interfere with your profession is not acceptable which is why there are means of keeping the two separate. By doing this we allow both to coexist and meet the GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct.

How gender affected my childhood

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Although I did not realise at the time gender did affect my childhood, not necessarily at school but in other areas.

From the day we are all born we receive messages about male and female gender roles. Babies are automatically colour coded, girls in pink and boys in blue. This was no different for me – looking through baby photos I noticed I was always wearing something pink. Furthermore the kinds of toys that little girls (including me) receive such as dolls and fairies give messages about feminine traits such as the idea that we have to wear pink, have beautiful long hair and clog our skin with make up. My dreams of having long hair were ruined when I got an extremely bad haircut at the age of 5, which in turn made me incredibly self-conscious. Through the media and toys and other sources having long hair was made out to be the norm and because I didn’t conform with this I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Like almost every girl I had a collection of Barbie dolls at home and it grew bigger every year. Barbie was everywhere – on the tv, in shops and in magazines – you couldn’t escape her. I think secretly every little girl aspired to be like Barbie. I know I did. Barbie is known for her 40-18-32 measurements, her voluminous long blonde hair and her plump pink lips and all of her other perfect features. I wanted to be her but she made me feel so inadequate. I wasn’t blonde, I wasn’t ridiculously skinny and I didn’t have a boyfriend. She made me feel so worthless. How is it right that children are being made to feel like this at such a young age?

I know that toys are a part of growing up but I think the way the media portray certain girl’s toys has had a major impact on my confidence from a very young age. One of the main elements of the CfE is ‘confident individuals.’ Maybe as a society we need to look at the impact of toys like Barbie and stereotypes in general have on self-esteem so that it does not become more of an issue and affect school life. I can say that from personal experience low confidence from gender stereotypes did affect my schooling and as a teacher I want to help right this wrong so other children avoid having to go through the same thing.