Edward C. Taylor, Ph.D. Child and Adolescent Psychologist.
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Transcript of Edward C. Taylor, Ph.D. Child and Adolescent Psychologist.
Care and Feeding Instructions for the Millennial Brain
Edward C. Taylor, Ph.D.Child and Adolescent Psychologist
Millennials at Play
Boomers at Play
The Millennial Experience
The Millennial Environment
Socially and Cognitively, Neither Here Nor There
High Volume of Data Presented Rapidly
Rapid Shifts in Topic or PlaceCompressed SpeechEnvironmentally Directed AwarenessDigital and Visual DataMulti-Tasking
Brain Plasticity
Every experienced event modifies the brain’s structure and processing style
The brain is plastic into old ageAll behavior comes from the brain
Teachers and Performers
Musicians who became music teachers engaged in solitary, intense, reflective music practice 9 hours per week or 4000 hours total by age 20.
Musicians who became expert performers practiced 24 hours per week or 10,000 hours total by age 20.
The brain becomes expert by practice, practice, practice and by trying to improve in each practice session, until automaticity is achieved, by storing information and patterns in long-term memory and constantly reflecting upon one’s performance.
How Might the Millennial Environment Affect Learning ?
Divided controlled attentionHeightened reactive attentionHeightened arousalFrequent shifts from one topic to
anotherHigh volume of data Inadequate time to reflect and
evaluateExternal rather than internal
directionMultisensory experienceLimited physical activity
Environment Directed Awareness
Reacting, Not Planning or ReflectingSomeone else is making decisions
about what, where, how, how long, and how much.
Executive Skills
Control over emotions Impulse resistancePlanningPlan executionExecution monitoring and self-
evaluationTask persistence
The Statue Test 1940 vs 2001
1940
3 year olds 0 minutes
5 year olds 3 minutes
7 year olds a long time
2001
3 year olds 0 minutes
5 year olds 0 minutes
7 year olds 3 minutes
Imaginative Play and the Executive Skills
PLAY IN FIRST HALF OF 20TH CENTURY
Unsupervised Child directed In groups Imaginative Activity focused Improvisation Symbolic toys Kids made the rules At home and at school
PLAY IN SECOND HALF OF 20TH CENTURY
Adult organized and directed
Toy or object focused Real toys with a
specific purpose or theme
Rules are given TV, video games, or
lessons Schools focus on
cognitive skills development to pass the test
The Play Connection
Imaginative play promotes self-regulatory self-talk
Self- regulatory self-talk promotes Control over emotions Impulse resistance Planning Plan execution Execution monitoring and self-evaluation Task persistence
Volume and Speed
The Rule of 7 Divided attention Superficial engagement Continuous partial attention leads to
staying busy without truly focusing on anything
Limited opportunity for reflecting and planning
Continually in the “on” position; stimulus seeking; increased cortisol production
Are we producing an ADD style of living ?
A Mile Wide and Two Inches Deep
Mathematics and Science Literacy Average scores of 15-year-olds, PISACountry 2000 2003
Japan 557(1st) 534(4th)
Korea 547(2nd) 542(2nd)
China - 550(1st)
United States 493(18th) 483(24th)
International Average 500(32 Countries)
500(39 countries)
What is the Rank of U.S at the TIMSS?
Country 1995 1999 2003
Singapore 609(1st) 604(1st) 605(1st)
Korea 581(2nd) 587(2nd) 589(2nd)
China 569(4rd) 582(4th) 586(3rd)
Japan 581(2nd) 579(5th) 570(5th)
U.S 492(18th) 502(19th) 504(12th)
International Average
519(23 Nations)
487(38 Nations)
466(45 Nations)
Neither Here Nor There
“Technology… The knack of so arranging the world that we don’t have to experience it.” Max Frisch, architect and author
Decreased capacity for social perception
Decreased tolerance for social interchange over a period of time
Lower scores on memory testingMore ADD-like in relationshipsDerivatives traders
What Do I Do ?
Pilot induced oscillationHeal thyself first
Multitasking Solutions
List your priorities Allocate your time accordingly Schedule your time Power naps Alternate tasks Pause, reflect, summarize, plan before
moving on Set limits Watch your speedometer Slowly build multi-tasking ability
Managing Attention
Mind you mindConsciously engage your mind Increase the interest value of the
taskMinimize distractionsManipulate the environmentBe a noisy learnerFrequent breaksPower napsNo phones at the dinner table, etc.
Strategies To Facilitate Executive Skills Development
Simon Says Thinking Impulse inhibition
Complex Imaginative Play Sustained for 30+ minutes Of the 1940’s style
Strategies To Facilitate Executive Skills Development
Activities requiring planning Games with directions and goal seeking Construction activities Pattern recognition activities Cooking
Joint Storybook Reading Process the characters self-regulatory
behavior promoted modeling Mastery models not Expert models
Strategies To Facilitate Executive Skills Development
Model self-talkEncourage self-talk Internalize, do not externalize, the
conflict
Strategies For Teaching Executive Skills
Classroom routinesClassroom rulesClassroom organizational systemsLearning strategy trainingClassroom process meetingsManaging developmental angstWatch your language
Teaching Learning Skills
Explicit instruction in learning processes
Modeling Post-mortems to discuss why the
patient lived or diedPost-mortems to define the “next
level’ and how to get there. Then, go do it.
Practice, practice, practice with a focus on attaining a specific level of proficiency or grade
References
iBrain, Gary Small, MD and Gigi Virgan
The New Brain, Richard Restak, MDThe Overflowing Brain, Torkel
Klingberg, MDLearning and the Brain
Conference, November 2009, Boston, MA