The Brain-Body Connection

One interesting facet of kinesthetic learning reseach is the research-based evidence of the brain-body connection. I have done exploration of this topic in my academic dance classes, and would love to continue that exploration into my literacy classroom. I came across a great source called The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Movement by Michael S. Kuczala and Traci Lengel. The authors discuss the brain-body connection and its implications on educational activities (see the link at the bottom of this post).

Here's a summary of what I learned:

• The brain learns by processing sensory information from its surrounding environment. Rote memorization of facts is not reflective of how the brain memory process works. Information needs to pass through both short-term and then long-term memory stages. This can only be done with a profound sense of interest or emotional connection to the information.
• Movement expidates this process by engaging the whole brain in an attentive process. In other words, movemet is brain-friendly. It involved more sensory engagement, makes recall easier, and engages whole brain learning for a more clear and total picture of learning. Many traditional classroom activities only incorporate either the right or left hemisphere.
• Movement forces and promotes immediate rehearsal of information, which is critical for memory. It builds a multisensory opportunity for learning which promotes better storage of information.
• Physical experiences hold better than semantic memory ones (reading a chapter in a textbook).
• A study done by Cindy Hess (2004) at the Action Learning Lab found that motor development provides the framework that the brain uses to "sequence the patterns needed for academic success." 
• Further research found that kinesthetic learning activities can accomplish all of the following: increase motivation levels, create positive learning states, raise test scores, prepare brain for learning, increase student attention, improve students' recall time.
• Movement actually improves brain function. It is "exercise" for cognitive development (the physical benefits are then a by-product). It creates an environment where new cells can grow and thrive, also known as neurogenesis.
• Getting more oxygen to the brain improves the learning state of the student.

Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=u3PJV-POIuMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=kinesthetic+learning&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false

Simulation Video #1: Romeo & Juliet

I'm doing a little happy dance right now. No, it's not a kinesthetic learning activity--I am just excited about how cool my simulation turned out! Although my "students" were college-age, it was so benefical to construct and implement an action strategy on my own regard. I myself am a kinesthetic learner, so I usually learn best by "doing" and applying concepts hands-on.

For this simulation, my students were 10th graders studying Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  The action strategy was called "Good Angel, Bad Angel". Ally is on the left playing Juliet Capulet. Carlie and Josie are Juliet's bad/good angels on either side. Each of the angels tells Juliet what to do about marrying Paris. This is a "hotseat" enactment technique. It can also be done with larger groups--the group members would need to collaborate and decide what is the best advice to give. Then a designated student would act as the main character. This strategy works well to enhance understanding of character motives It also helps students better make connections between the text and their personal thoughts/emotions.

Check it out @ http://youtu.be/ErV75DJfANs

Jeffrey Wilhelm=Kinesthetic Guru!

The following list of action strategies are from Jeffery D. Wilhelm's book Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension. It seems Wilhelm is quite a big name in the realm of kinesthetic learning in literacy education! He will be a go-to person for this personal research journey. He presents a plethora of unique and seemingly effective ideas. After combing through his book, I have compiled a list of favorites. You can find the document under "Caitlin's Pages" on the right sidebar. The tab is labeled "Favorite Action Strategies!" I have added short descriptions to help you better understand the main concepts.

Here is the souce citation, if you'd like to check out his book on your own:
Wilhelm, Jeffery D. Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension: Role Plays, Text-Structure Tableaux, Talking Statues, and Other Enactment Techniques That Engage Students With Text. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2002.

He wrote a supplementary title called You Gotta BE the Book (Teacher College Press).

Link to First Article on Kinesthetic Learning

The link at the bottom is to an article I found on implementing kinesthetic learning into the classroom. I especially liked how the author layed out feasible steps to organizing a kinesthetic learning activity. It labels educators wrong in thinking kinesthetic learning is simply incorporating simple little things into already planned out lessons (i.e. walking to the front to get papers). There were several important questions from this source, that would prove helpful to hang out to! They are listed below:

First, how could students misinterpret the rules? If

they do, how will you get them back on track? Second, how many times will the activity

be performed? Is there a purpose in repeating the activity? Will repeated the activity

result in the same outcome? Lastly, are there variations of the activity that will highlight

nuisances of a concept or introduce a more advanced topic?


Link to article: http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/jvt002/Teaching/ASEE2008-Tranquillo-FinalPaper.pdf

The article also brought up valuable assessment/evaluation strategy ideas for kinesthetic learning. I was glad to see this, because I did have reservations about how to assess (either formally or informally) action strategies. They are less likely to produce a tangile product, like a written activity or objective test. One idea this author had was post-processing and why it is important. I added a quote about it below.

"Post-processing may take many forms including minute papers, out-of-class assignments

or class discussions. If a discussion is to be conducted, it is helpful to have an outline of

questions, prepared in advance, to keep the dialog moving forward. One simple question

is to ask for modifications to the activity that may have analogies to the concept. An

interesting variation is to split the class into groups. Each group develops their own

interpretation of the meaning of the activity, which they share and discuss with another

group."

Welcome!

Hi All! Welcome to my blog on kinesthetic movement in literacy education. I will be doing research on action strategies, kinesthetic activites, and movement techniques in the English Education field. I am excited to learn more about this learning style, and will offer you some great examples of what I find. I hope you've stretched a little, because it's time to move into action!