Catalyst: On the same sheet of paper as yesterday, write your own definition for the word “intelligence.” Are you intelligent? How do you know?

Agenda: Malleable Intelligence M.I. Practice Learning Styles Grade Folders

Malleable Intelligence

Myth or Fact? You are born with a certain amount of intelligence, and cannot change how smart you are.

MYTH You may not know it, but YOUR BRAIN GROWS WITH PRACTICE, just like a muscle.

Myth or Fact? Humans use less than 10% of their brains.

MYTH "We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources” -Albert Einstein

Myth or Fact? Your brain is fully developed.

MYTH You’re brain grows the most during infancy, but undergoes significant growth and restructuring during adolescent years. Read: your brain is changing a lot right now.

What does a brain look like anyway?

This is a human brain

Neurons The brain is made up of special brain cells called neurons

We are born with ~100,000,000,000 neurons That means there are more cells in your brain than there are people on this planet!!!

The interconnected brain Any process in your brain requires many neurons working together

Neural Networks The first time two neurons “talk”, they have a slow connection Repeated “talking” makes connections stronger and grows more connections

Using the same neurons together over and over makes the connection faster, and increases brain size!

Making new Connections Learning: create new relationships between neurons Remembering: strengthen the connections between neurons

“Amateurs practice until they get it right. Experts practice until they cannot get it wrong.”

What does this look like?

People learn different ways

How do you learn? On your sheet of paper, make a table that looks like this: VAK Totals

1. When you spell: Do you try to see the word? (V) Do you sound out the word? (A) Do you write the word down to find if it feels right? (K)

2. When you talk: Do you talk little and dislike listening for too long? (V) Do you enjoy listening but are impatient to talk? (A) Do you gesture and use expressive movements? (K)

3. When you concentrate: Do you become distracted by untidiness or movement? (V) Do you become distracted by sounds or noises? (A) Do you become distracted by activity around you? (K)

4. When you meet someone again: Do you forget names but remember faces or where you met? (V) Do you forget faces but remember names or what you talked about? (A) Do you remember best what you did together? (K)

5. When you do something new: Do you like to see demonstrations, diagrams, slides, or posters? (V) Do you prefer verbal instructions or talking about it with someone else?(A) Do you ignore directions and figure it out as you go along? (K)

Mostly Vs = visual learner Mostly As = auditory learner Mostly Ks = kinesthetic learner

Summary “People are, to a large extent, in charge of their own intelligence. Being smart - and staying smart - is not just a gift, not just a product of their genetic good fortune. It is very much a product of what they put into it.” -Carol S. Dweck

Reflection Look back at what you wrote at the beginning of class. What would you change now?

Reminders & Rest of Period Label your graded work folder with your first & last name. Freshman Mixer on Friday ScienceSpace profile due Monday Syllabus/Contract signed due Monday