The Whole Brain Teaching system uses the Big Seven daily instructional techniques. Each technique addresses particular areas of the brain. The attention getter is the Class-Yes technique. This technique activates the prefrontal cortex area. This area controls decision making, planning, and focus of attention.
The Five Classroom Rules serve as the organizer. These rules are spoken, accompanied by gestures and rehearsed frequently. Five brain areas are engaged with this technique: visual cortex, motor cortex, Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area, and the limbic system. Repetition of the rules grows dendrites, which aides in storing the data in long term memory.
The technique known as the whole brain activator is Teach-Okay. Students are given an opportunity to teach each other. This technique also involves at least five areas of the brain. This technique gives the teacher an opportunity to check for comprehension as students are teaching each other.
The Scoreboard is a technique that motivates students. This activates the limbic system of the brain because students feel a positive or negative emotional jolt. There are more connections from the limbic system to the prefrontal cortex that vice versa. Emotions affect student’s learning, memory, and performance.
Hands and Eyes is another attention getting technique called the class unifier. Students’ prefrontal cortex is activated by getting students to focus intently. Their visual and auditory cortex areas are focused on the instructor’s lesson.
The Broca’s area of the brain is crucial in speaking. The Wernicke’s area is important in hearing and understanding language. Classes are often divided between those who talk easily and those who are more passive listeners. The Switch technique allows everyone to be involved by helping students to appropriate listening and speaking skills. Recent research shows that there are mirror neurons in the brain that help us learn by mimicking behavior we observe. The mirror technique activates these neurons as the teacher and students’ visual and motor cortex engage each other.
Each area of the brain has a specific function and the areas work together to process information. Whole Brain teaching is so powerful because it engages several areas of the brain at the same time. The more areas of the brain involved, the more dendrites are grown, the deeper and more lasting the learning.
