Recognizing Differences

This is one of my new favorite education websites. When I think about universal design for learning (UDL), I think of a framework for education. A way that we consider the environment, the tools we use, the technologies we embed, and the experiences we craft so that all learners can learn. Among the selections at this website, I think these videos provide great examples and carry the true “spirit” of the UDL message quite well.

http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-albano-berberi-video

http://www.edutopia.org/key-largo-technology-brain-video

Another great presentation from the folks at TED Talks centered on brain-research and the importance of varied strategies. Make sure to turn on subtitles if you need them!

This weekend, two great broadcasts that share the ongoing research in the neurosciences. One is entitled Music Instinct on PBS at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/musicinstinct/. Another on 60 minutes, entitled “Mind Reading” at http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5119805n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel. These are interesting pieces which further expand on the discussion of how the brain is involved in learning.

I’m addicted to the website TED Talks. These folks offer such a comprehensive array of informative discussions on topics across technology, entertainment and design. But, I love them even more as I appreciate their design and functionality…offering the clickable ease to turn on/off subtitles in a range of languages.

This weekend, the Wall Street Journal had a great article about a researcher’s study of Albert Einstein’s brain, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124293408731044311.html. As this author noted, Einstein’s brain was overly developed in certain areas–possibly accounting for his genius and/or unique perspectives. Einstein also had difficulty in traditional school settings and excelled when he had the opportunity to attend to his intuition and senses.  Understanding this research and much of the same that informs the practices around univeral design for leaarning can help us all be better educators — recognizing the differences.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal presents a growing use of technology spaces that offer workouts in the “brain gym”. As these authors note in “The Latest in Mental Health: Working Out at the Brain Gym“, this growing phenomena is attracting many aging baby boomers and others who realize that their cognitive skills need sharpening. These approaches also build on the body of research in the neurosciences that supports the plasticity of the brain and the ability to keep those neurons and neural connections growing! I’m especially encouraged to read such articles when they bring to light the amazing discoveries about the brain, how we can enhance our learning, and how we can maximize these opportunities for others. This is a central foundation of the concept of universal design for learning.

Recently I was discussing with a book club the amazing message written by brain scientist, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor as she recounted the effects of a stroke she experienced. In her book, Stroke of Insight, she describes with detail the impact of such a brain injury to the left hemisphere of her brain. How she was able to “redirect” her right brain to find functions in her left brain….necessary for her ability to seek help during this amazing ordeal.

As we shared our collective perspectives of this book, I was struck by how each of us had a stronger propensity towards a left or right brain approach and how few really understood how these preferences are determined.  For me, this book underscores similar details of brain functioning that is addressed through the understanding of the three neural networks that support the framework of universal design for learning. This was especially notable with relation to the functions of the recognition and strategic networks…which for Dr. Bolte Taylor…were clearly impaired by this brain injury. She had lost the ability to recognize everyday things and coordinate some of the simplest steps needed to perform a task.

So many individuals who experience a stroke, a seizure, or a similar brain injury come away from such situations with much confusion. Their language is often impaired, their coordination is slowed, and they are different people.  This often occurs to many seniors and the effects are often dismissed as simply “the effects of aging”.  As Dr. Bolte Taylor notes, understanding is they key to helping anyone who has suffered such an injury to transition back to healing.  A book worth reading and a video to watch!