Brain Hacking 304: Why Every Educator Needs To Know How The Brain Learns

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

I recently watched a TEDx Amsterdam Talk by Sandra von Aalderen "Teachers, know your brain!" and it inspired me to create the infographic below. With the recent developments in the fields of neuroscience and how it affects learning we, the educators, have a unique opportunity to help students leverage the knowledge of how the human brain acquires knowledge to learn more effectively, all the while increasing student motivation, curiosity, creativity, and self-confidence.

Let's spread this message together.

Brain, Learning, and Teaching Infographic

I hope you find the Brain Hacking infographic above useful. You can access the other Brain-Based Learning infographics I created by scrolling down my ED!Blog. Please share it with other educators, parents, and learners. I will feature additional Brain-Based Learning Infographics in my future NEWSLETTERS, so please SIGN UP if you would like to receive more tips and strategies that work in helping students become better learners.

If you find the information in the infographic useful, consider buying "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom", which is a book I wrote to help students learn more efficiently and effectively using proven research based strategies.

And Remember: You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it often.

Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom (And Teachers Dig It Too)

$16.95

By Oskar Cymerman

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Brain Hacking 303: Cornell Notes On Steroids

If you are an educator, the topic of note taking has come up in your PLN more than once. Perhaps you are encouraged to use a certain method in your school. My school is an AVID school and I taught at other AVID schools, so the Cornell Note-Taking Method is something I've been exposed to a lot, have much experience with, and use with my students.

I believe that note-taking, regardless of how the notes are taken: on paper or digitally, is a tool that can allow students to become better, self-sufficient, and self-directed learners. Thus, my mission as a teacher is to not only teach chemistry, but to equip my students with learning tools and strategies that help them focus and achieve greater success in the k-12 classroom, college, and beyond. One such tool and strategy is the Cornell Notes On Steroids Template I created and use with my students. Check it out!

Cornell Notes On Steroids Infographic

Not all of my students choose to use the template. A great majority of the ones that do find the template useful. They especially like the section for objectives and its organization. Summarizing is one of those high ROI activities I have to constantly stress, but guess what? IT'S WORTH IT.

If you'd like to check out my Cornell Notebooks on Steroids Notebooks click here. These unique organization and productivity tools are on sale through Labor Day only. Or, you can download the Cornell Notes On Steroids template and the Table of Contents for free.

I hope you found the infographic above useful. Sign up for my Free NEWSLETTER if you would like more tips on how to help your students become better learners.

And Remember: You Have the Power to Change the World. Use it often.

Cornell Notes on Steroids Notebook Bundle of 3

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The Cornell Notes on Steroids Notebook is a 8.5"x11" 120-page academic notebook that contains an organizational method that improves on the Cornell Note-Taking System. BUNDLE & SAVE.

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Brain Hacking 302 - Active Learning: How To Take Awesome Notes & Learn

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAm! Radio Network EdWords Blogger

Notes... You can take them by hand on paper or you can use a device and take them digitally. There's recent research that finds taking notes by hand leads to improved memory while learning and better test performance. This is because the pen/pencil users tend to paraphrase more, while the laptop users copy notes verbatim being able to type fast enough to keep up with the lecture. Thus, traditional writing is an ACTIVE learning activity, while typing is largely PASSIVE.  Here's a recent NPR Article: "Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away" that discusses the study published in Psychological Science, in which Pam A. Mueller of Princeton University and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of the University of California, Los Angeles tested how note-taking by hand or by computer affects learning.

While I am a proponent of taking notes on paper, I do realize that digital note-taking is here to stay and it is improving to include more active learning strategies. One such example is Sketchnoting, which requires a tablet such as an iPad, a stylus, and an app such as FlipInk or Adobe Draw. THE METHODS PRESENTED BELOW CAN BE USED IN BOTH TRADITIONAL AND DIGITAL NOTE-TAKING.  The trick is to MAKE NOTE-TAKING AND LEARNING FROM THE NOTES INTO ACTIVE BRAIN ACTIVITIES. The infographic below describes the 7 components of awesome notes and explains how to use notes to learn more effectively, so pass it on to all teachers, parents, and students out there!

Active Learning Infographic

If you find the information in the infographic useful, consider buying "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom", which is a book I wrote to help students learn more efficiently and effectively using proven research based strategies.

Thanks for reading/looking and I hope you find this information helpful. Please share it with other educators and especially young learners who can greatly benefit from knowing how to take notes and use them to study. They might even like it. I will feature the 8th Brain-Based Learning Infographic: "Brain Hacking 303" in my next NEWSLETTER, so please SIGN UP if you would like to receive some tips on how to help your students become better learners.

And Remember: You have the power to change the world. Use it often.

Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom (And Teachers Dig It Too)

$16.95

By Oskar Cymerman

Buy on Amazon