Movement is Essential In the Classroom
April 2013
The abilities both the human body and the brain have continue to amaze me. The brain is said to have billions of neurons and trillions of synaptic connections. To learn new information connections need to be made to past knowledge, as well as several distinct areas in the brain. The brain is an intricate web of knowledge and detail inside the skull, which is absolutely extraordinary. I am also awed by the body's ability to precisely and purposefully move. The heart fuels the body's muscles with oxygen and the brain sends signals to the joints and muscles with exact precision. The human body has the natural inclination of movement. Therefore, when it comes to aiding the brain in making synaptic connections to several other neurons, movement is extremely natural and effective. Movement is shown to aid in learning, therefore as a future teacher it is vital that this fact is recognized and acted upon within the classroom.
There is an increasing amount of research showing how movement, the brain, and learning are connected. One source committed to this research and its publication is the organization "Sparkling Life." An article on their website explained how one school created a "new PE" course at the beginning of the day. In it students were required to stay between 80-90% of their maximum heart rate. They were then sent to their classes. This was done in response to the fact that rigorous physical activity increases a person's ability to pay attention. The article also sites how physical activity encourages brain cells to bind to one another, which is essential to learning. The result of the "new PE" course was an increase in the students' ability to learn and a positive affect on student behavior. These students went on to score 1st in the world on the 1999 TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) test.
Another study is discussed in the article "Movement is the Key to Learning," by Ann Green Gilbert. In this article Gilbert explains research she conducted back in the 1970's within the Seattle Public School System. Elementary students from four different schools studied language arts through movement and dance. These students improved their MAT test scores by 13%, while the other students who did not use movement on average dropped 2%. Gilbert also explains how using movement in her classroom changed not only test scores dramatically, not the classroom environment as a whole. The classroom became a better community when movement was integrated into the curriculum. There was more laughter, racial tensions decreased, all students from the gifted to those who struggled were equally involved and excited, and English language learners thrived through an approach that relied less on verbal understanding. The students in Gilbert's class also went from dreading new lessons, to being excited about learning. Through these studies it is evident that movement increases test scores and the learning process, but it also creates a better classroom community and more excitement about new material.
As the leader of a future classroom I have a huge impact on specifically how students will learn and the attitude they have toward school. After realizing the impact movement has on the brain and the learning process, I feel using movement is essential in helping students learn and in keeping up their energy and enthusiasm. I plan to incorporate movement into my teaching in a variety of ways. I plan to start the school day off with a warm up activity that incorporates movement, which will get student's brains active and help them focus. I also plan to incorporate a major movement activity into most of my lessons. This will get the kids heart rate up, keep them excited, and let them take control of their own learning by making it more hands on. I will also include brain breaks as transitions between my lessons, or use them anytime the students look like they need and energy boost. My plan is to not have them sit for long periods of time, but to instead keep them active. Lastly, I plan to share information about how movement helps with learning to my students. I will teach them how to incorporate movement into their daily lives, by stressing its importance for physical health, as well as modeling to them how to use movement to help them memorize facts from class.
There is still more to be discovered about how connecting the brain and movement increases learning. The results so far, from a variety of studies, have been immensely successful. As a future classroom teacher I cannot choose to ignore the benefits movement in the classroom could have on my students. Overall, I plan to challenge myself as a future teacher to include movement into my lessons to help my students learn better and to create a more exciting, connected classroom environment.
Sources:
Gilbert, Anne Green. "Movement Is The Key To Learning." John Hopkins University School Of Education:New Horizons for Learning. John Hopkins University, n.d. Web. 10 Apr 2013. <http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Arts in Education/gilbert.htm>.
Lehrer, Jonah. "Neuroscience: Making Connections." Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science. (2009): 457; 524-527. Print. < http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090128/full/457524a.html >.
Ratey, John. "Vigorous Exercise Affects the Brain, Learning Process and Student Behavior; Current School PE Programs Need Re-Examination." Sparking Life: Power Your Brain Through Exercise. Sparking Life Inc. Web. 10 Apr 2013. <http://sparkinglife.org/page/the-new-p-e>.
The abilities both the human body and the brain have continue to amaze me. The brain is said to have billions of neurons and trillions of synaptic connections. To learn new information connections need to be made to past knowledge, as well as several distinct areas in the brain. The brain is an intricate web of knowledge and detail inside the skull, which is absolutely extraordinary. I am also awed by the body's ability to precisely and purposefully move. The heart fuels the body's muscles with oxygen and the brain sends signals to the joints and muscles with exact precision. The human body has the natural inclination of movement. Therefore, when it comes to aiding the brain in making synaptic connections to several other neurons, movement is extremely natural and effective. Movement is shown to aid in learning, therefore as a future teacher it is vital that this fact is recognized and acted upon within the classroom.
There is an increasing amount of research showing how movement, the brain, and learning are connected. One source committed to this research and its publication is the organization "Sparkling Life." An article on their website explained how one school created a "new PE" course at the beginning of the day. In it students were required to stay between 80-90% of their maximum heart rate. They were then sent to their classes. This was done in response to the fact that rigorous physical activity increases a person's ability to pay attention. The article also sites how physical activity encourages brain cells to bind to one another, which is essential to learning. The result of the "new PE" course was an increase in the students' ability to learn and a positive affect on student behavior. These students went on to score 1st in the world on the 1999 TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) test.
Another study is discussed in the article "Movement is the Key to Learning," by Ann Green Gilbert. In this article Gilbert explains research she conducted back in the 1970's within the Seattle Public School System. Elementary students from four different schools studied language arts through movement and dance. These students improved their MAT test scores by 13%, while the other students who did not use movement on average dropped 2%. Gilbert also explains how using movement in her classroom changed not only test scores dramatically, not the classroom environment as a whole. The classroom became a better community when movement was integrated into the curriculum. There was more laughter, racial tensions decreased, all students from the gifted to those who struggled were equally involved and excited, and English language learners thrived through an approach that relied less on verbal understanding. The students in Gilbert's class also went from dreading new lessons, to being excited about learning. Through these studies it is evident that movement increases test scores and the learning process, but it also creates a better classroom community and more excitement about new material.
As the leader of a future classroom I have a huge impact on specifically how students will learn and the attitude they have toward school. After realizing the impact movement has on the brain and the learning process, I feel using movement is essential in helping students learn and in keeping up their energy and enthusiasm. I plan to incorporate movement into my teaching in a variety of ways. I plan to start the school day off with a warm up activity that incorporates movement, which will get student's brains active and help them focus. I also plan to incorporate a major movement activity into most of my lessons. This will get the kids heart rate up, keep them excited, and let them take control of their own learning by making it more hands on. I will also include brain breaks as transitions between my lessons, or use them anytime the students look like they need and energy boost. My plan is to not have them sit for long periods of time, but to instead keep them active. Lastly, I plan to share information about how movement helps with learning to my students. I will teach them how to incorporate movement into their daily lives, by stressing its importance for physical health, as well as modeling to them how to use movement to help them memorize facts from class.
There is still more to be discovered about how connecting the brain and movement increases learning. The results so far, from a variety of studies, have been immensely successful. As a future classroom teacher I cannot choose to ignore the benefits movement in the classroom could have on my students. Overall, I plan to challenge myself as a future teacher to include movement into my lessons to help my students learn better and to create a more exciting, connected classroom environment.
Sources:
Gilbert, Anne Green. "Movement Is The Key To Learning." John Hopkins University School Of Education:New Horizons for Learning. John Hopkins University, n.d. Web. 10 Apr 2013. <http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/strategies/topics/Arts in Education/gilbert.htm>.
Lehrer, Jonah. "Neuroscience: Making Connections." Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science. (2009): 457; 524-527. Print. < http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090128/full/457524a.html >.
Ratey, John. "Vigorous Exercise Affects the Brain, Learning Process and Student Behavior; Current School PE Programs Need Re-Examination." Sparking Life: Power Your Brain Through Exercise. Sparking Life Inc. Web. 10 Apr 2013. <http://sparkinglife.org/page/the-new-p-e>.