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jennalsmith

Brain Rules Schools - 1 views

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    I find it interesting that the author of this brief article outlines such a non-traditional agenda / timeline for a school day and I am also interested in knowing the impact on a school system who might implement such a "bold" change to a traditional school schedule / calendar! I also find it interesting that for the most part, everyone who made a comment on the posting seemed to be in favor of seeing changes which support the Brain Rules! Maybe this means that society is ready for these changes!?!?! (What are your thoughts?)
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    I think the time is a bit long, but the shorted compressed timeframes are appropriate. If anything, I think they are about 5 minutes too long. There have been studies conducted showing brain activity in people. When you start studying, your brain activity spikes. As the studying drags on, your brain activity hits a low point. As you get closer to your end time, your brain knows that you are almost done, so it spikes again. Think of it as a reverse bell curve. Well, at the points that are spiking, you are retaining more, even if you do not realize. Yet so many people spend hours studying. Most of that is in the low point of brain activity. So, you are retaining less and less. Compressed moments of teaching tend to be better. But, schools are reluctant to adopt this model.
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    One of the first things that I noticed when I read this article is that it says that the playlist consists of 10 minute intervals. This is one of the things we learn from Brain Rules and TedTalks and other presentation preparations. Attention is gathered for about 10 minutes before you need to do something to capture your audience again. We don't pay attention to boring things, as Brain Rule #4 says and we definitely don't pay attention to things that run on and on. The playlist also compiles visual math which applies to sensory integration with rule #9 where we learn that the best way to remember things is to activate the most senses possible. The playlist also "recycles through concepts they have already mastered." Here we see rule #6, Remember to Repeat, in action. The article also talks about part of the day being "gender-separated." This made me reflect on rule #11, Male and female brains are different. It is fantastic to see Brain Rules at work. It is an effective testimony to what works!
Juan Saldana

'Walking Dead' online course offers survival education - and more | Lansing State Journ... - 8 views

  • Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead,” a free, eight-week online course that kicked off Monday. Offered through the University of California-Irvine
  • “Gender Through Comic Books” course, offered through Ball State University earlier this year.
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    Since we are talking about MOOCs, I want to point out my favorite thing about them. There can be MOOCs about literally anything, as you can see from the course I am highlighting.
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    Welcome to day 3 on Survival and this MOOC is all about Survival.... I hope that Dr. Butler doesn't mind the liberty I took with this week's topic...
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    I love this about MOOCs. My son is interested in music, but most definitely not interested in school. He's got his eye on a MOOC about Beethoven and another about music theory. This is, I believe, the way of the world, or at least a hallmark of our current generation. They only want to learn about what they want to learn about. Will foundational learning go away? with some vigilance, no. But will students of the future get to better direct and specialize their learning, yes! And, in my opinion, that's fantastic!
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    I am glad that you hit on that point, that the coming generation(s) may not be a strict towards following a learning regiment. I have noticed at least with my children that they learn what they want to learn and will dig further it catches their attention. I was personally taking a MOOC on Comic Books and Graphic Novels from Coursera! Who would have thought you would find a course on that? I do not believe any institution will ever have the flexibility of MOOC, the problem may be that a MOOC may never have the resilience of a University. I know we have talked about "Badges" as opposed to Paper Degrees and I think MOOCs will help make that a reality.
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    In my humble opinion, regardless of what we are taught at school and are supposed to learn, we only learn what we are actually interested in or have some emotional connection with. In a way, MOOCs just emphasize this tendency.
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    I love it! It seems that infused within the course are bits and pieces of different subjects which might lead people to other learning topics. MOOC's are something I want to look into, but have not yet taken the 3 or 4 hour a week I don't have to explore. Who knows what I will be exploring this summer.
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    MOOCs are great in that you will always find one on something that catches your interest. Most of them are not as clinical as the university courses we take, but offer enough complexity to keep you interested. I hope you do find a course that not only helps you out but perhaps allows you to bring something new to the classroom.
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    I think MOOCs are great when enrolled in something that interest you. I once took a MOOC course and did not meet my expectations. Also, it could've been that it was my MOOC course and was not accustom to these sort of courses. I really look forward to enrolling in another MOOC course in the near future.
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    Jennifer, in the light of the conversation about your son being interested in music and music only, I would like to share this video with all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70AlyhEGWf4 It is nice to see that there are other options out there and MOOCS might just satisfy people's thirst for knowledge- but will not get them a job, at least for now.
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    Wow! Thanks so much for sharing that, Shaila. SO fascinating! I noticed one of the people commented that it's not really a fair comparison b/w US and Finland because they are a small, mostly homogeneous country while the US is huge, has a large immigrant population, and a wide variety of religions. I agree that the environments are very different, but it seems to me that we can still learn some things from Finland!
Juan Saldana

Can the Current Model of Higher Education Survive MOOCs and Online Learning? (EDUCAUSE ... - 2 views

  • Not all U.S. colleges and universities will disappear as a result of new technologies, but clearly some will.
  • Technology-enhanced learning has the potential to transform education and to raise the level of education globally.
  • The first threat to American higher education is that MOOCs and online courses will raise the level of competition too high for some institutions to survive.
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    We begin day two on the topic of Survival. Ten years ago online education was almost non-existent, today it encompasses a good portion of the course offerings at UTB, will the current model of instruction still exist in another 10 years? What does this mean for us as instructional designers?
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    I love this article! thanks so much, Juan. It is helpful on multiple levels. It's no easy thing for a large university to scope out a plan for integrating online education. It's a brand new world and it feels very high risk. As we learn about best practices and our budgets get trimmed, the temptation is to do enough to check the box, but that model causes more trouble in the long run. Lucas's article is a thoughtful, articulate review of lessons learned that can be applied straight away. Thank you!
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    Schools as a business are running out of funding, yet tuition keeps getting more expensive (funny right?). I don't know if the current platform for education will be replaced with MOOCs, but it will definitely be replaced, it's natural evolution. Jennifer you are working with Virtual High Schools, soon we will see this in the lower grades. The strange kids we knew who and were jealous of because they were "Home Schooled" will be the norm! However we are not only talking about the "survival" of the institutions, we are talking about the titles that come with these degrees. 50 years High School was a family achievement, today High School doesn't qualify you to stand on the side of the highway with a sign... How long before these titles like M.Ed are no longer worth the paper they are printed on?
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    I believe the University of Miami Online High School has already offered a MOOC about college/ACT prep. I'm bummed because I was hoping to be the first high school to offer a MOOC. I really just love the idea of using technology to give kids opportunities that they would not have otherwise had. But there are practical considerations that trump my idealistic ideas about it. It's always about the money. I think one of the biggest problems we face in our society today is the concentration of wealth at the top. Higher and higher salaries at the top necessitate lower salaries (greater tuition, etc.) elsewhere. We also have huge infrastructure/insurance costs. It's a complex, complicated problem that makes me weary!
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    The beauty of a MOOC is that you can literally run it from your parents basement! Look at how Khans Academy started and what it has grown into. Any one of us could essentially develop an online course, videos and all and run it from our home. Although I was just introduced to MOOCs in last semesters 6329, I see them becoming more and more integrated into future curriculum. It would not surprise me if at one point the 6332/6358 course required the development of a fully functional MOOC. Remember I said it first!
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    People might worried that "massive open online course" may replace the traditional education someday. My answer is NO. They are actually different in nature. MOOC can be taken as an enrichment tool to enhance your urge in knowledge, but can't be officially certified by the Educational Department. MOOC is a good source to learn different topics and meet instructors from vary institutions. That makes learning exciting and help to lighten up life.
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    Some see MOOCs up-ending the whole model of higher education, allowing students to complete full courses of study in a non-traditional format, particularly with international students, which have made up a large part of the student body in early MOOC courses. Others see MOOCs playing a much smaller role, with the MOOC system of "badges" or certificates for course completion integrated into programs higher education institutions already offer.
Juan Saldana

Technology In Schools: Poll Finds K-12 Teachers And Parents Support Greater Digital Use... - 0 views

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    "Technology In Schools: Poll Finds K-12 Teachers And Parents Support Greater Digital Use In The Classroom"
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    I conducted an interview with a Doctoral student in our program and found that contrary to my belief the parents were not his biggest problem, but his biggest supporters.
Juan Saldana

Technology In Schools: In Some Cash-Strapped Districts, Kids Bring Their Own Devices - 2 views

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    Technology In Schools: In Some Cash-Strapped Districts, Kids Bring Their Own Devices "
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    Survival is always at the classroom level, districts often have to implement programs like this in order to have any technology in the classroom at all.
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    I understand the concept but at the same time raises too many flags allowing the students to bring devices from home. What about viruses, or student losing their device(s), who would be responsible? I think students at a young age taking their devices to school don't know too much about responsibility. I wouldn't allow my 7yr old take her Kindle to school.
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    Being the parent of a student that lost a device to theft I can feel your pain. Remember that this school is allowing them to do so, but if it is anything like LFCISD they send a waiver home for parental permission and responsibility. I don't really see BYOD programs coming into play until the middle-school age, where there we can at least pray that they have learned some semblance of responsibility as well as being cautious of their surroundings.
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    I am the parent of a 4th grader and he has been given an Ipad this year. I think 4th grade is a bit young to have the responsibility of an Ipad personally. his teacher is incorporating material in class to use it. Someone in his grade has already lost theirs. We had to get insurance on the Ipads before we could get them from the school so hopefully if my son does lose his it would be covered.
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    I would not consider BYOD in any grade under Middle School. As the campus points out these devices even for a school are expensive, I don't believe the school or the teachers want to be responsible for them. I need to confirm but I was told that here in Brownsville ISD that the teachers have access to the devices but are responsible for them and are required to pay for any damages. Which at a teacher's salary is very harsh. I would think it best that the content be developed in such a manner that it can be accessed via the device but from home. Take our Blackboard service, you can use it on your tablet, join collaborate, and access all your classroom content.
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    My 8 year old niece just triumphantly purchased her first tablet with money she had saved on her own. Being a technology educator, I have always tried to influence my sister to let her daughter use technology for learning, but she's been adamantly against it. Her daughter was given permission, though, to purchase whatever she wanted with that money. The child has spoken! I'm not sure how much she'll use it in the classroom, but I've seen her on my iPad and I know she has a good eye for games that teach her a whole host of skills. I'm a little off topic here because she lives in Dallas and I don't know if BYOD or anything else influenced her decision, but you've piqued my interest to find out!
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    BYOD programs are great, but come with a lot of responsibility. Unfortunately the school will not shoulder the entire responsibility. I think this is why you don't see this programs till students are a little more mature and responsible. What we definitely don't want to do is bar them from the technology.
Juan Saldana

A Survival Guide To Teaching With Technology - Edudemic - Edudemic - 0 views

  • A Survival Guide To Teaching With Technology
    • Juan Saldana
       
      "Welcome to this week on Survival. In EdTech I have noticed that we focus a lot on "Ed" part and not so much on the impact that the "Tech" has not only on the student, but on the teachers and technology support teams. I have selected a few articles for this week that will focus on this week Brain Rule of Survival and how it relates to the integration of technology in the classroom.
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    This article/slide show give you some of the "Hard Truths" about implementing technology in the classroom. In class we often think how great it can be to implement iPads and Web 2.0, but we often don't discuss what will happen when it all falls apart like technology often does...
Martha Rodriguez

Men have bigger brains, but it doesn't make them smarter. :) - 7 views

A larger brain does not necessarily grant greater intelligence. It is generally understood that one needs to take into account the ratio of brain to body mass. Basically this means that the larger ...

brain learning female male

Katy Lu

Surprising Differences Between the Male and Female Brain | Yahoo Health - 12 views

  • Even when men and women succeed at the same task, they tend to call on different strengths and areas of the brain to achieve this result,
    • Katy Lu
       
      I strongly agree with this viewpoint. 
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    I don't think there is any question regarding who is smarter, just take a look as who is in charge after the standard 8-5. Funny aside, I remember hearing that male and female brains are wired differently since early evolution. Males were wired to be hunters while females were wired to be gatherers and of course take care of the children. Now this notion in today's world is asking for trouble, but it is simply how we evolved.
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    You made an interesting point Juan, but have we evolved? Even with both parents working 40+ hours a week, in most cases isn't it the mom who makes sure dinner is on the table, laundry is done, and house is clean even if its take out, picking up the laundry from he cleaners, and hiring the maid? The women of the family still do most of the shopping and pay the bills. Men on the other hand go hunting or fishing, mow the lawn, and fix things around the house, or hire the people to do it. Of course there is always the exception to the rule and that has been the case throughout the years.
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    Given that I am a product of a single working mom, I would disagree (especially if I knew what was good for me). I know that that is likely the norm, but I feel it is a case of nature vs. nurture more than the size of human brains. I comes down to how you are being raised, my daughters will likely twist their husbands arms "literally" if they don't help out..
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    Jackie and Juan, Interesting exchange! I would only add that, for the most part, it is women who take care of children, boys and girls. And yet, we seem to perpetuate the differences and tend to ask our children to do chores in very gender specific ways. Boys wash the car, girls wash the dishes, kind of thing.
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    Thanks for your input Juan, Jackie, and Maria! Social norms such as pink for girls, blue for boys, and arguments of the definition of famine and masculine have existed and affect our social relationships. Studies show that gender role norms affect the way people act, feel, and think. I am glad we are able to take this opportunity to learn more about anatomical differences between male and female brains in chapter 11, which also explains why male and female act differently in many things. As described in the chapter that "women are more likely to get depressed than men". After reading this Yahoo article, which "Women live longer, but on average men are happier" can also be well explained. Enjoy your reading boys and girls!
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    I can't comment on the woman side, but on the men being happier side is a simple one. Men really don't mature past the age of 15. We watch football and get loud the same as when we were kids. Most of us are easily amused.
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    I agree with you Juan. We do need outlets to relieve stress. I believe speak out loud, laugh out loud with friends are good ways to relieve stress. (here comes the gender stereotype, men are allowed to drink to talk out loud in the public, what about a group of women??? ) I've read an article that some Japanese company has a mini gym in their office building. There are no treadmills, no weights, but punching gloves and punching bags. After never-ending bow down in a long day, go to gym and imagine the punching bag is the boss. What a creative way of relieving stress at work.
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    This article seems to have good information about the differences between men and women. I have read similar articles, especially about the different brain hemispheres utilized by men and women. In the article, it states that women are better planners, organizers and learn from their mistakes. I think every man should read this article. Especially, the part were women learn from their mistakes because most men make the same mistake over and over.
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    Lol! I do believe that in terms of talking about who is smarter it is a waste of time since mental aptitude really depends on each individual. Just like some female body builders are bigger and possibly also stronger than most men out there, it is also possible that some man may be smarter than most other woman. The difference is in how the brain is wired.
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    I also agree that many of these differences stem from differences that exist from person to person (outside the scope of gender). However, as the book Brain Rules states, "gender biases hurt real people in real-world situations." Sex and gender are two different things. Gender, relating to social expectations plays an important and has role-deciding factors in our work places, our classrooms, and our lives in general. It shocked me to read Martin Luther's quote (1483-1546) that stated, "Girls begin to talk and stand on their feet sooner than boys because weeds always grow up more quickly than good crops." If this doesn't leave an impression on you (male or female), I don't know what does! The battle of the sexes has always existed. John Medina states that is is a matter of statistics, however I don't think that anyone will argue that men and women's brains are scientifically different, so how can we not expect the physical, physiological, and overall compositions of each to be different in comparison.
Martha Rodriguez

Repetition without Metamorphosis, Rule #4 - 8 views

I enjoyed this very much. Understanding the difference between fluff content and valuable content isn't rocket science. Just ask yourself: What am I actually offering my readers? Creating great c...

Richard Wilson

Feed Your Head, Rule #1, #7 - 5 views

Long ago, when lyrics were not explicit and wardrobes were not raw, Grace Slick, serendipitously slipped a drug reference past the music censors, referring to hallucinating. Medina, years later, m...

started by Richard Wilson on 27 Oct 13 no follow-up yet
Jackie Byford

Brains & Caffeine: Are we ACTUALLY wired that differently? - 14 views

I never really drank much caffeine growing up. I didn't start drinking coffee until I was in college in my 30's. At first it was to keep warm on the chilly morning in Northwest Arkansas. I am not s...

Richard Wilson

10,000 brains wired together - 8 views

Hi Juan, You have just frightened me. The Borg is Hive-Mentality gone totally wrong. The Borg was actually what came to my mind when originally typing, so I added the word "momentarily" to my post.

Jaime Villanueva

Know Thyself With A Brain Scanner - 9 views

I realize most people would be skeptical Jackie about the technology. One can only image the positive implications this technology can have in our daily lives. One example that comes to mind is a c...

http:__www.ted.com_talks_ariel_garten_know_thyself_with_a_brain_scanner.html

Jackie Byford

Sound versus Music versus Audio versus Noise - 26 views

This is something I have thought about incorporating into my classroom, but always wonder if I am picking the right music for the right situation. I am like your daughter's Richard. I started colle...

Jackie Byford

Online Courses Lead to Sub-Prime Education - 3 views

AS a middle school teacher of a school with only 10% low socio-economic students, you definitely see the gaps in computer knowledge with these students. Even though they get exposure during their k...

MOOC learning education

Juan Saldana

Technology In The Classroom: Tips For New Teachers To Use Technology In The Classroom - 2 views

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    "New Teacher Survival Guide: Technology in the Classroom " (video)
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    As we wrap up the week's topic of Survival, I found an excellent video article. It covers the one thing that new teachers fear more than "Walkers," six-graders!
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    Great video Juan! The comment about anticipation of barriers when implementing new technology in the classroom hits home for me.I have had my share of issues with technology in the past.This is why it is so important to do a dry run before the actual presentation because things can go wrong no matter how prepared you are. Always have a back up plan as a last resort.
ernieperez519

Technology Overkill Pros and Cons - 3 views

This weeks topic will consist on current technology trends and the ways it impacts our daily life's. Abha Dawesar discusses her ordeal as she is unable to access the technology tools she is used to...

started by ernieperez519 on 11 Nov 13 no follow-up yet
Pedro Rodriguez

The Neurochemistry of Positive Conversations - Judith E. Glaser, and Richard D. Glaser ... - 2 views

  • The Neurochemistry of Positive Conversations
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      I choose this article because it relates to Brain Based learning. Also we all need to positive conversations.
  • Why do negative comments and conversations stick with us so much longer than positive ones?
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Before reading the article, I attempted to answer the question based on my readings. At first I would think its how we encode the information. We tend to encode information better when its is tied to something we feel or is familiar to use.? Before reading the article, please attempt to answer the questions: Why do negative comments and conversations stick with us so much longer than positive ones?
    • Lauren Simpson
       
      I think that negative comments and conversations stick with us because they elicit a bigger emotional response than positive comments. Negative comments make you feel angry, sad, depressed, and sometimes guilty. Those are feelings that, at least for me, stick around longer than feelings of joyfulness, happiness, etc.
  • A critique from a boss, a disagreement with a colleague, a fight with a friend – the sting from any of these can make you forget a month’s worth of praise or accord. If you’ve been called lazy, careless, or a disappointment, you’re likely to remember and internalize it. It’s somehow easier to forget, or discount, all the times people have said you’re talented or conscientious or that you make them proud.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Most go through this at work, school, or through their personal life. I choose this article because we all can relate to it. Please take a moment and reflect of a similar situation you have gone through. 
    • rtrevin5
       
      This is an important point. The other day I was telling a co-worker, you can do a thousand things right, but you'll be remembered for the one thing you do wrong. In education, I have found that people do not want to call my son lazy despite the fact that he is very obviously being lazy. They say he needs to be more professional. In my workplace, that means dress better or speak better, but it has nothing to do with performance. If you are lazy, you get called lazy. The group polices itself. This is an important lesson that despite articles and psychologists and others saying negative feedback is bad - well, it still happens in the workforce. Just reality. And kids need to be prepared for that.
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  • Chemistry plays a big role in this phenomenon. When we face criticism, rejection or fear, when we feel marginalized or minimized, our bodies produce higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that shuts down the thinking center of our brains and activates conflict aversion and protection behaviors. We become more reactive and sensitive. We often perceive even greater judgment and negativity than actually exists. And these effects can last for 26 hours or more, imprinting the interaction on our memories and magnifying the impact it has on our future behavior. Cortisol functions like a sustained-release tablet – the more we ruminate about our fear, the longer the impact.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      This is similar to what John Medina describes. The brain imprints or encodes events much better when there is "elaborate" information.  Medina explains that we vividly recall information when associated with fear. 
  • This “chemistry of conversations” is why it’s so critical for all of us –especially managers – to be more mindful about our interactions. Behaviors that increase cortisol levels reduce what I call “Conversational Intelligence” or “C-IQ,” or a person’s ability to connect and think innovatively, empathetically, creatively and strategically with others. Behaviors that spark oxytocin, by contrast, raise C-IQ.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Understanding how the brain works, I believe we can use what we have learned and apply it to practical situations. I chose this article because we can understand how the brain works and use that knowledge and apply it in our everyday lives. 
  • unfortunately, when leaders exhibit both types of behaviors it creates dissonance or uncertainty in followers’ brains, spurring cortisol production and reducing CI-Q.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      I believe this is very important because if you are a leaders, your followers will be uncertain and will cause them to be distrustful to you. Leading your followers will be much harder.
  • sking questions to stimulate discussion, showing concern for others, and painting a compelling picture of shared success
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      Here are a few positive (oxytocin-producing)  behaviors one can do as a leader. 
  • his tendency was to tell and sell his ideas, entering most discussions with a fixed opinion, determined to convince others he was right. He was not open to others’ influence; he failed to listen to connect.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      This are the types of behaviours one needs to stay away from. I am sometimes guilty of such behaviors. Taking this course is helping my leadership skills through Brain Based learning.  
  • Harness the chemistry of conversations.
    • Pedro Rodriguez
       
      I like that saying. What do you think overall of this article?
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