TIPS from 2010 Seminar
Brain research has developed into a knowledge base that can be used to explain and provide solutions for important issues including intelligence, learning, memory, and the development of giftedness.
Understanding Intelligence In the development of intelligence both nature and nurture are critical. The early years provide the foundation for intelligence and the platforms for building high levels of intelligence. In the growth of intelligence and brain development there is only progression or regression; the brain does not maintain and remain static. The essentials for the growth of intelligence are experiences with integration, connections, association, and feedback.
In The Gifted Brain Cells have developed more dendritic branches creating more possibilities for synaptic connections. There are more connections among the cells that have been developed. More glial cell production results in more myelination of the axon and faster synaptic exchanges. The result is that the Gifted Brain needs higher levels of complexity, depth, novelty, and acceleration in learning experiences.
Integrative Education: Teaching The Way The Brain Learns: Strategies To Optimize Learning Develop A Responsive Learning Environment. According to brain research, an enriched environment includes:
Integrate Brain Functions
Information Regarding Brain Function and Learning
STRESS AND TENSION PREVENT GOOD FLOW THROUGH IN THE CORPUS CALLOSUM AND CREATE BIOCHEMISTRY IN THE LIMBIC AREA THAT TURNS BRAIN CELLS OFF.
RESULTS
WHAT WE NEED TO DO
AS THE AMOUNT OF DENDRITIC BRANCHING INCREASES WITH STIMULATION, THE POTENTIAL FOR INTERCONNECTIONS BETWEEN NEURONS AND THE COMPLEXITY OF THOUGHT INCREASES.
AS GLIAL CELL PRODUCTION INCREASES THE NEURAL CELL IS BETTER NOURISHED AND SUPPORTED
THE MYELINATION OF THE AXON IS INCREASED AND THE FLOW OF ENERGY WITHIN AND BETWEEN CELLS BECOMES STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT
AS THE NUMBERS OF SYNAPSE AND THE SIZE OF THE SYNAPTIC CONTACTS INCREASE, COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE SYSTEM BECOMES FASTER PACED AND MORE COMPLEX.
THE RETICULAR FORMATION, LIMBIC SYSTEM AND THALAMUS ACTIVELY SELECT STIMULI AND RESPOND POSITIVELY TO NOVELTY, THE UNEXPECTED, AND TO DISCREPANT INFORMATION
AS THE BRAIN BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE AND MORE EFFICIENT, MORE USE IS MADE OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX OF THE BRAIN
THE BRAIN ORGANIZES BY USING PATTERNS AND INTEGRATES ALL AREAS OF BRAIN FUNCTION FOR OPTIMAL EFFICIENCY AND RETENTION
Caution: In this electronic world children are in danger of losing their sense of three dimensionality and their ability to image, fantasize, and create. Be sure that a part of their time is engaged in real world activities and in meaningful engagement and face-to-face exchanges with family and friends.
Essential Provisions for All Gifted Programs
A Partial List of References
Brizendine, L. (2006). The female brain. New York: Morgan Road Books.
Clark, B. (2008). Growing Up Gifted (7th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Merrill-Prentice Hall.
Diamond, M., & Hopson, J. (1998). Magic trees of the mind. New York: Dutton.
Edelman, G. M. (2004). Wider that the sky: The phenomenal gift of consciousness. New Haven, CN: Yale University Press.
Hawkins, J., & Blakeslee, S. (2004). On intelligence. New York: Times Books/Henry Holt.
Kandel, E. R. (2006). In search of memory: The emergence of a new science of mind. New York: W. W. Norton.
LeDoux, J. (2003). Synaptic self: How our brains become who we are. New York: Penguin Books.
Restak, R. (2003). The new brain: How the modern age is rewiring your mind. Rodale.com
Siegel, D. J. (1999). The developing mind. New York: Guilford.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TIPS from 2007 Seminar
Brain research has developed into a knowledge base that can be used to explain and provide solutions for important issues including intelligence, learning and memory, the development of giftedness, gender differences, and underrepresentation of some cultures in the gifted population.
Key Points for understanding and applying brain research in your home:
According to brain research, an enriched environment includes:
Topics explored during the Seminar provided these tips: The adolescent years Teens can cry, laugh, or get angry all in a short time. They can love and hate things and people at the same time. These mood swings are just as baffling for the teen as for the family. With gifted youngsters their high level of sensitivity can make this normal process even more disruptive and their perfectionist tendencies make this period more extreme. Parents can:
Multitasking Studies show that doing more than one thing at a time or switching back and forth from one task to another involves time-consuming alterations in brain processing that reduce our effectiveness at accomplishing either one. These shifts have been shown to decrease rather than increase efficiency with both time and energy becoming depleted.
The Gifted Brain The gifted brain is the result of a dynamic, stimulating interactive process that leads to high levels of intelligence and quantitative and qualitative differences in performance. How giftedness is expressed depends both on the genetic patterns of the individual and on the experiences provided by that individual’s environment.
The qualities found in a gifted brain are:
For further reading on this area of inquiry and research a few suggestions are:
Clark, B. (2008). Growing up gifted (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall/ Pearson.
Edelman, G. M.(2004). Wider that the sky: The phenomenal gift of consciousness. New Haven, CN: Yale University Press.
Permission Statement
This article is provided as a service of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. To learn more about the Davidson Institute’s programs, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.
The appearance of any information in the Davidson Institute's Database does not imply an endorsement by, or any affiliation with, the Davidson Institute. All information presented is for informational purposes only and is solely the opinion of and the responsibility of the author. Although reasonable effort is made to present accurate information, the Davidson Institute makes no guarantees of any kind, including as to accuracy or completeness. Use of such information is at the sole risk of the reader.