Tuesday, March 28, 2017

PD Day - Nathan Mikaere- Wallis - Brain Development

Lucky me I got to listen to Nathan speak at the ASB stadium along with 120 others  including the staff from my school.

Thoughts:
Looks like In the classroom
Play based learning - what is it?
What does it look like?
How does it fit into the current system?
I want to know how I make this work in the classroom.
Te Reo - Waiata in the classroom

Empower our Maori children
Giving feedback
Praise the effort as well as the achievement

Notes:


Nathan and understanding the development of the brain.

*Our brain makes every person unique.  Brain Development = Human Development.

*Intelligence is NOT genetic. Genes influence mental state often from the maternal side.
Intelligence is not genetically driven.  Our assumption is that intelligence is driven by genes but this is false.

*Face to face interaction = engages the brain
Kids talking to each other = brain engagement

*The importance of the first 1000 (from conception) days of a child's life was driven home by Nathan especially the importance of the first year.  Parents staying at home with their babies in the first year is vital to engagement and brain development.  Avoid preschools during this time and even up to the first 3 years. More emotionally attached means more brain engagement

*First 18 months to 3 years at home shows the best social skills.

*Our tax system invests in older children not younger but if it were the other way around and more was invested into the earlier years we would gain more bang from buck.  More $ need to go into younger children.

*Scandinavian countries invest in parents staying home = with their chn in the first year and if they can stay home for 2 years then an even better outcome.

*Research shows NO benefit for a child to be in earlier childhood care from a young age.  75% of negative acts between chn go unnoticed by teachers as they do not have the numbers to be watching all the time.  At home 25% of negative acts go unnoticed.


* Social skills start with 1:1 not 1:6.

* Positive interaction trains the brain to be positive.

*The earlier you receive an aggressive response the earlier you'll respond negatively

*When babies are separated from their main carer they show higher cortisol (stress hormone) levels. The longer the separation the higher the levels of cortisol.  up to 2 hours ok but over 3 not ideal.

* All children need to know and be told they are clever. We want them to believe this.

Risk and Resiliency Scale

Risks =  (Negatives - dysfunctional)) Transient parents, domestic violence, one parent family, cut off from extended family, not speaking language of origin, parents with mental health issues or drug problems

Resiliency = (Positives)  More than 1 parent, speak more than one language, learn a musical instrument, stay with same teacher for 3 years, parent at home, parent with degree

Look at the big picture.  A cluster of risk factors will have an impact on the child.



Healing Kids

Consistent relationship with Teacher (3+ years)
Restorative practice - learn how to be good for one person first
Intervention is important to make difference
Face to Face interaction with loved ones = better outcomes


Stages of Brain Development


Perry's Neurosequential Model



Brain 1 = Survival babies = attachment to survive, oxytocin - love hormone we feel

Brain 2 =Movement = 6-18 months

Brain 3 = Emotional = 18months to 3 years

Brain 4 = Frontal Cortex - 3-7 years. = Full brain development.  Is fully developed around 26.
(a)Girls faster - full maturity adulthood 18-24. Men 22-32yo
(b)Birth order affects it development

How quickly you reach milestones is a reflection of
- birth order
- gender
- frontal cortex

At 23 girls have had full frontal cortex for 5 years, boys are 37!

Brainstem = survival safety babies form attachment to survive we have a release of oxytocin the love hormone which means we fall in love with the baby and supply its needs for the baby to survive.

Mid Brain - movement - babies learn to move

Limbic - feels emotional engagement

Cortical - Learning - cognitive

Stages cannot be skipped 
The only way to access brain 4 is through brains

Adolescent Brain
The adolescent frontal cortex shuts for renovations for 3 years, to rewire.
90% of the time thinking requires the frontal cortex.
Controlling moods requires a frontal cortex.
Ask your adolescent "What were you feeling?" not "What were you thinking?!"

Amygdala   vs   Frontal cortex
Reading facial expressions - fusiform face area
adolescents use aygdala (anger) rather than the frontal cortex to read expressions

Nature moves circadian rhythm by 2 hours this is why adolescent want to stay up later and wake later.

Adults
90% of the time in cortex
10% of the time in limbic (custard slice example)
The part you exercise grows

To really be using your frontal cortex your brainstem needs to be calm.

Sleep

Your brain changes your circadian rhythm (25 hour rhythm)
regulates 
melatonin puts you to sleep and cortisol(stress hormone) wakes you up
Blue light suppresses melatonin eg computers/tv etc

Prime Directives
Evolutionary

1. Stay alive
2. Pro creation
3. Protect young

Brain 1 Survival




Music and the brain
Rhythmic patterning
Waiata
cultural, neurological, metronome, kapa haka, swing, hammock.

*Traumatised children may chew gum, swing on their chair


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