In recent years, understanding how students' brains work has been fundamental to enhance their intellectual and emotional development. In this context, the academic management of schools is playing a fundamental role in coordinating strategies that allow the application of this new scientific knowledge directly in the classroom.
So, here is the science behind the way our brains learn, and how this can be used to achieve deep learning in students.
Integrating neuroscience into academic management: an innovative approach.
Today, thanks to neuroscience, we know that our brain is continuously modified when we learn, but also when we teach. We also know that this organ, which is responsible for thinking, is also in charge of feeling, so that the processes of knowledge acquisition are closely linked to emotions.
With this, each new learning and each new experience, if it is a meaningful piece of information for us, will be stored as mental networks, that is, interconnected with previous knowledge, which can come from a classroom, but also from any other aspect of our lives (social, cultural context, personal experiences, etc.).social context, cultural context, personal experiences, etc.).
However, to integrate this new information into deep knowledge, the passage of time and practice is necessary. This is the reason: during the learning process, new synapses are generated, which are the connections between our neurons; and this link is only strengthened when we repeatedly return to a similar circumstance.
This ability of the nervous system to constantly change with experiences is called plasticity. This means that our mind builds itself throughout life, changing its structure, generating neurons, as well as strengthening or weakening the relationship between them regardless of our age.
What does all this mean for teachers in the classroom? That emotions, the interrelation of information and spaced teaching are an important aspect to achieve a more enriching, deep and lasting education for students.
Teaching recommendations: strategies to foster deep learning in the classroom
Stimulating emotions
As mentioned above, as we explore the connections between thinking and feeling in the educational process, we see that the human brain is not only a cognitive organ, but also an emotional one. the human brain is not only a cognitive organ, but also an emotional one.. Consequently, the most intense learning that lasts longest in the memory are those that excite and motivate students.
In view of this, it is essential to to encourage dynamics of play and experimentation, where they are able to put their knowledge and hypotheses into practice, finding satisfaction in understanding the world around them.where they are able to put their knowledge and hypotheses into practice, finding satisfaction in understanding the world around them.
This, moreover, is an important reminder that teaching always goes beyond the mere transmission of information, as it also involves nurturing the emotional well-being of students. To this end, it is crucial to cultivate an environment where they feel safe, valued and able to reach their full potential.
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Interrelating information
On the other hand, because learning is not isolated, but rather interrelated in mental schemas, it is easier for students to learn concepts and retain them in the long run if they are presented to them in an integrated manner. in mental schemas, it is easier for students to learn concepts and retain them in the long term if they are presented to them in an integrated manner. For example, through projects that stimulate the development of various skills (social, emotional, rational), and make them understand different topics of a subject or even of different subjects.
In fact, transcending disciplinary boundaries allows them to link different areas of knowledge, develop a more consolidated understanding and put into practice what they know in real situations. In this way, they will be able to access their learning from multiple perspectives, gaining a broader view of each teaching.
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Consider the time factor
Finally, in order for neural relationships to be strengthened, it is essential for the brain to be able to review the information. And this can only be achieved with learning spaced over time, allowing each new teaching to be reviewed, put into practice and repeated.
This gradual approach enables the brain to assimilate the information, establishing solid connections between the acquired knowledge and achieving its deep integration into a mental scheme that will serve in the long term.
Undoubtedly, the progress of science has allowed us to learn more and more about the complexity of how the human brain works and, thus, to discover some of the mechanisms that underlie the teaching-learning process, in order to improve school dynamics.
Integrating this information into pedagogical strategies has become a necessity for schools that want to be at the forefront of academic management. academic management relevant to the new generations. For this reason, more and more institutions are striving to create educational environments where motivation, meaningful learning and practical application of knowledge are an integral part of daily activities.
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