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News & Events
Spotlight on Research
Brain Rules: Ackerley Network Professional Development
The Ackerley Partner Schools Network is comprised of 24 high-needs schools in the Pacific Northwest. A joint project of the University of Washington College of Education and the Ginger & Barry Ackerley Family Foundation, the Ackerley Partner Schools receive additional support and resources to aid practicing teachers and principals. As part of this, network teachers and principals are invited participate in professional development trainings, such as the 2009 Winter Collaborative.
As the recently appointed director of the Ackerley Partner Schools Network, College of Education Distinguished P-12 Educator Dr. Doris McEwen regularly engages with teachers and principals about their professional development needs. While attending a meeting at Newport Heights School in Bellevue, McEwen heard teachers discussing Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. The buzz was intense around Brain Rules. She knew immediately that it was the perfect fit for an Ackerley Network event.
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“The book is something that many districts are using as a common read,” states McEwen. “Some are using it in literature circles with their staff and some are using it as a part of their Ackerley Network Project. This was an excellent opportunity to hear how the mind reacts and stores information.”
Bzz, Bzz
The 2009 Ackerley Partner School Network Winter Collaborative, which was free to teachers and principals in the Ackerley Partner school districts, presented Dr. John Medina, speaking about Brain Rules. A developmental molecular biologist, Media holds joint affiliate appointments at Seattle Pacific University, where he is also director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research, and at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in the Department of Bioengineering.
“The name “Medina” is buzzing around our building,” said Kevin Gallagher, an elementary teacher at Bryant Elementary School. “I’m tickled by the whole idea of approaching people in a more complete way. The collaborative piece, which we need so much, is here in this book.”
Brain Rules unpacks twelve premises on the brain through clearly articulated research conclusions. At the end of each chapter, the manuscript offers numerous ideas for real life application of the rule to classrooms, the workplace, and home.
Community and Learning
Brought together for the Ackerley Network Winter Collective, school district workers share dinner together and catch up prior to the event. It’s a familial atmosphere, with recent College of Education teacher alums greeting one another and more seasoned school staffers sharing the latest news with McEwen.
Aki Kurose middle school special education teacher Sandra Heneri appreciated the event, stating, “Ackerley always has good events, always. I’m interested in the brain because I work with kids with autism…[Medina] seems to be a very interesting person.”
And Carol Arnold, a high school language arts teacher, enthuses, “Everything that is sponsored by the Ackerley Network is top quality. It was life changing for me to go to the racial literacy workshops and tonight I’m looking forward to learning more about brain function.”
Application of Brain Rules to Real Classrooms
At two tables, sit several members of the Newport Heights School book group, which tallies about twenty-six members. They meet regularly about Brain Rules, covering two chapters or two rules at each meeting. For example, the two rules that guided their first meeting were on how exercise boosts brain power and the evolution of the human brain.
They are eager to hear Medina and several can give illustrative examples of how Medina’s Brain Rules has already influenced their own teaching practice. For example, Duke Truong, a third grade teacher, has built conversations with the book group and with his students about the importance of exercise for learning into his classroom of 26 students. Take, for example, the ten minute rule.
Fundamentally, its simple – the brain stops paying attention after about ten minutes. Yet it’s become a staple of Medina’s lectures and presentations, which has earned him rewards and recognition in turn. The Ackerley Network participants found that Medina’s assertion, which is backed up by peer-reviewed studies, has implications on a teacher’s delivery in a classroom setting.
Truong tells how he has already incorporated lessons from Brain Rules. “[The book group] talked about how to apply the book to a classroom of 26 students…I’ve already implemented the ten minute rule into my classroom and it worked well.”
Repeat, Repeat: Double-Instruction
Tina Ying, an ESL teacher and another member of the book group, plans to share Medina’s presentation with her colleagues at their next staff meeting. As she wrote post- event, “After hearing him speak in person, I have a better idea of how to incorporate his ideas in my classroom and I have a better understanding of the intersection between neuroscience and education as presented by him. Presently, I'm testing his theory of repeating information for the purpose of retention with my students and it's going very well! My students, who are English Language Learners, are much more engaged if they've seen the presented material once and have a second chance to work on it.”
Ying regularly reads stories aloud to her ESL class, after which they usually do comprehension exercises about the story. Using this new principle, she now reads a story once to her class, followed by a discussion of the story, and then students from her class read the book aloud, followed by another discussion. Ying reports that they are “much more engaged in the comprehension questions…because they are so familiar with the content.”
Sue Osborne and Pat Wright, who teach fifth grade math at Newport Heights, have also incorporated Medina’s concept of double-instruction in order to improve information retention among their students, with the support of their school principal.
“We are essentially teaching math twice,” Osborne explains. “First we teach the concepts and then we come back to teach the math specifics a few hours later. They retain the information better since they aren’t overwhelmed by information.”
Move It!
Like many Newport Heights teachers, Truong teaches with a SMART board that functions like an interactive PowerPoint presentation, linking his lessons to one another. After reading Medina’s assertion that learning improves when combined with exercise, Truong spoke with his students and they decided to incorporate movement sessions into their lessons about every 35 – 40 minutes.
“My lessons are broken up into sections, any one of which might trigger the movement session,” Truong explains. "It's an incentive to pay attention because they look forward to these periods…they get up, push in their chairs and do a series of exercises. Warm-up is a minute of crunches, followed by a thirty seconds of push-ups, a minute of jumping jacks, thirty seconds of squats, and a cool-down of walking around the room. They love it and understand that the exercise increases their ability to problem solve, whether they are doing math or writing. We talk about how we get more oxygen from exercise, which helps them learn.”
Several of Truong’s students report that the movement sessions have helped them to make executive decisions more quickly.
“I take pride in my students and being an integral part of their cognitive/social growth, always have,” says Truong. “But this innovative style transcends the boundaries of my prior teaching format. They really enjoy it and look forward to getting their heart-rate up and improving their learning. The best part is they understand the purpose!
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