How the Brain Works Best: Easy ways to gain optimal learning in the classroom by activating different parts of the brain
The article written by Dr.Bruce Perry talks about how educators and neuroscientists have researched the brain and how it works over the past 40 years. He discusses how all learning is brain based and how it is important for a teacher to have knowledge of how the brain works, because when learning occurs we are literally trying to change the brain. The article explains what part of the brain is working when a teacher says certain things to a student. Dr.Perry believes teachers much find ways to engage students in learning because the brain activates learning. This is an excellent article for teachers because it will help the teacher gain an understanding of how important it is to know that learning comes from the brain. Teachers must have an awareness of how the brain is the core to educating students and different parts of the brain serves a different function. We have to learn how to tap into all parts of the brain and engage students in learning in order for success.

URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/brainlearns.htm

A Fresh Look at Brain Based Education

This article was written in Phi Delta Kappan by Eric P. Jenson. He gives a detailed overview of brain based education, how it effects educators and students and how it should be implemented. He starts the article by talking about the history of brain based education and how it has evolved over the years. Jenson thinks if we learn more about brain based education, we will be able to better apply that knowlege. Brain based education is based on principles derived from an understanding of the brain. If we don't understand how the brain works, we risk student success. This article is an excellent resource for anyone interested in brain based education and how it is becoming more popular.

URL:http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v89/k0802jen.htm

Week 1 Assignment

This week's resources provided three links related to blogging and instructional design. The first blog was Instructional Design for Elearning Approaches created by Ferdinand Krauss. This blog has reflections, articles and insights on elearning strategies and instructional design. Some of the topics include: A Framework for the Pedagogical Evaluation of eLearning Environments. This paper is a link anyone can use as a framework to enhance learning when it deals with eLearning environments. There are also links to articles about the benefits of online learning as well as how to manage online learning. http://ideas.blogs.com/
The next blog for week 1 was Internet Time Blog. This blog was created by Jay Cross. The Internet Time Group helps organizations improve the performance of their people by speeding up their learning. This group develops action plans, training programs, presentations among other things. In this blog, one will find the definition of the term design, along with links to top principles of design. It also includes the history along with links to articles such as Instructional Design and Learning Theory, Instructional Design Models, etc. This blog is very resourceful for instructional design terms and background. http://www.internettime.com/blog/archives/001083.html
The third resource for week one is Blogs About: Instructional Design. Anyone can post on this site. Whether it is an instructional design job posting, seminars that are coming up worldwide, someone sharing ideas about good books to read, etc. Anyone can post on this blog whatever information they have on instructional design and related topics.http://en.wordpress.com/tag/instructional-design/