Teaching and Learning News
Last week in one of our Professional Learning Meetings, teachers watched a video interview with Dr John Medina. Dr Medina is a developmental molecular biologist with a particular interest in how processes in the brain result in behaviours. According to Dr Medina, our brains are designed to solve problems relating to surviving, in an outdoor setting, in unstable meteorological conditions and in near constant motion. It’s no wonder, then, that children and adults alike find it difficult to sit still for long periods of time!
An interesting finding Dr Medina shared is what he calls ‘The 10 Minute Rule’, which is based on research into how long we can typically concentrate without some sort of break. In fact, for olders students and young adults, the optimal measured concentration time is 11 minutes and 49 seconds to be precise! The point is that we need to build in some sort of respite for the brain every 10 minutes or so. This doesn’t necessarily have to involve getting up and moving around, but it does have to give the brain a reason to keep listening. Dr Medina asserts that the brain responds well to both familiarity and new stimuli, and it also loves stories. Introducing any one of these things after about 10 minutes that is linked to what you are talking about or presenting, is effective for prolonging interest and concentration.
As a staff at Our Lady’s, we regularly engage in professional learning to refine our practice using current evidence. Over the next few weeks, teachers will be discussing and exploring different strategies to ‘hook’ students into learning, using the 10 Minute Rule. If you’re interested in learning more about this, feel free to watch theJohn Medina Interview video.
Stay warm!
Annie Facchinetti
Teaching & Learning Leader, Literacy Leader