In recent years some educators have spoken of the need to align educational practice with brain research. To a considerable degree, they speak of the first few years of life as being a sensitive period for brain development, in large part because synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning, and myelination occur during this time. Respond to their line of reasoning by answering the following questions: a. What roles do synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning, and myelination each play in brain development? b. To what extent are these processes exclusive to the first five years of life? c. Do any or all of these processes limit what children can learn once they reach age 5 or 6? If so, in what way(s)? If not, why not?
What will be an ideal response?
Question 2
Mr. Wilson will have a student with an intellectual disability included in his class this year. Her name is Tiffany, and Mr. Wilson is considering what changes he should make to his style of teaching to promote her success. Which one of the following strategies is least likely to be helpful?
A) Mr. Wilson will structure his lesson plans so that all of the children can work at their own pace as much as possible. This will allow Tiffany to go as slowly as she needs to in order to succeed.
B) Mr. Wilson will use the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) to define acceptable behavior in the classroom. He reasons that it will be easier for Tiffany to remember this rule than a more specific list, and it should apply to any unexpected problems that might arise.
C) Mr. Wilson will have Tiffany work with a parent volunteer three times a week to learn simple addition facts. He gives the volunteer specific guidance about how to help Tiffany remember the facts: Have her say each fact four times in a row and then write the fact four times as well. Review previously learned facts in every session.
D) Mr. Wilson will make an effort to give Tiffany concrete instructions for new tasks so that she knows exactly what she needs to do.
Brain Diagram
Discipline-specific training can take years to perfect.
Cross Section of the Human Brain
Acetylcholinergic Pathways in a Rat Brain
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