Neuroplasticity
In the last couple of decades, mostly from the work of Michael Merzenich, neuroresearchers have begun to understand that the brain is not rigid, rather is plastic and capable of change until the day we die. In fact, back in 1949, Donald Hebb was the first to propose...
Benefits of Incorporating Movement into the Classroom
If you are a classroom teacher, you know how hard it can be to keep children's attention for long periods of time, especially when seated at their desks. Why not get them out of their desks and moving? Besides being fun, there are a lot of added benefits to both the...
The Role of Movement in Neurological Development
The brain of a child with autism is highly aroused and not comfortable in its own resting state (Othmer, 2012). One theory is that there is an overproduction of BDNF, the growth factor that helps neurons to wire together. Areas of the cerebellum, on the on the right...
Why move?
It is the tradition of our education system to believe that individuals will learn best if they are presented with lots of information, in the form of a lecture or 2-dimensional written form, and seated still with eyes forward and taking notes. However, for real...
In what order do we learn?
Addressing learning issues on the academic level is like repairing a roof when the walls and foundations are cracked and crumbling. The above diagram, The Learning Ladder (de Garcia, 2014), illustrates what systems need to be in place, and in what order, so that...
Our Immune System
During these trying time, at least here in the US, we are only hearing about medical treatments against Covid-19, including the importance of vaccination and how not to pass it around (i.e., masking and social distancing), however, nowhere are we hearing about what we...