Thursday, March 3, 2011

Brain Rules!

After reading the chapter on Exercise (pdf) visit www.brainrules.net and investigate TWO of the rules. Then, write a brief summary of what you learned regarding the brain.
  • Do these "rules" ring true for you?
  • Are you going to change anything about your lifestyle now that you've read about these rules?
  • According to the research presented on the site, how we might re-design the school day, the classroom, and the lecture?
  • How might you change your study habits, or daily routine to take advantage of this research?


Please post your response by 3pm on Monday, March 7th.

29 comments:

  1. I find that the rules about exercise and sleep ring true for me. i've certainly noticed that exercise can improve my mental faculties, and that sleep deprivation is detrimental to them. however, i already get plenty of exercise, and im not going to be able to increase the amount of sleep that i get without cutting into the time i spend on school work. i don't think that this research calls for a radical change to the way we organize classrooms and school in general, just that teachers use visual aids when they lecture, and that students are given the opportunity to move around if they are losing focus. i don't think i'm going to adjust daily routine because of this research, although it would probably be beneficial to remove some sources of distraction from my studying.

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  2. I read brain rules 11 and 12. The first talked about the differences in the male and female brain. The second explained how humans in their nature are explorers. While I most certainly can believe that babies a prime example of explorers, I fail to see large differences in male/female function (considering all of the differences pointed out in the video). I do, however, think that I will reconsider some of my emotional responses after learning that males process serotonin quicker. Further, classroom excersizes and school in general could be reconstructed to allow for more hands on, exploration-like lessons, which (according to brain rule 12) would play to human nature. I also believe that changing the way I study may change as more secrets of the male brain are revealed.

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  3. I looked at the male/female and sensory integration brain rules. I definitely agree with the sensory integration rule that smell is the most powerful sense for triggering memories. I had no idea that smell is the only sense that, according to one of the videos, "gets direct access to the brain," but, since smells that you aren't even paying attention to can suddenly make you remember something you haven't thought about in years, this makes a lot of sense. It was also interesting to think about how the senses evolved together and depend on one another. But it seems like a lot of the time you're required to isolate one sense from all the others for school work, like when you're reading and you're not supposed to pay attention to noises or air movements or how you can almost taste the pizza that someone's eating a few yards away. Maybe trying to isolate one or two senses from all the others is one of the reasons why concentrating on schoolwork is so hard. You have to be hyperfocused on one sense while trying to block out all the others, when what your brain really wants is to pay at least some attention to everything. I know that I'm way happier when I'm not trying to block out most of what my senses are trying to tell me, but it seems necessary to do this at least some of the time. So I'm not sure exactly how to change school or my life in light of this information.
    The main thing that the male/female brain rule made clear to me is how little clear, unbiased/unambiguous information we have about brain genderedness. Yes, male and female brains are a bit different. But they're not all the same degree of different, and there are plenty of women who have typically male brain traits, and vice versa. So, beyond accepting that no two people have identical brains, I'm not sure what we can really do to act on this rule.
    On another note, if you're interested in possible male/female gender differences, here's a link to a test you can take to find out how male/female your brain is.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sex/add_user.shtml

    I don't know how accurate it is, but it did seem pretty scientifically based...
    By the way, my brain is male-ish, which was a bit surprising. Less male than the average guy's brain, but definitely more on the male side of the spectrum.

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  4. I quickly checked out all 12 rules on the website. I found that the long term memory and vision rules were the most interesting. I find those rules to be pretty true. For example, i know that doing homework actually helps me remember stuff better because I have to relearn material twice in one day, which really helps me retain that information. The points made based on exercise also was true because I definitely feel more awake and less bored in class when im doing a sport than not.

    Im probably not going to change much about my lifestyle. It's way too hard to try and start something new at this moment.

    As for classes, I think it would be a weird experiment to try teaching short, alternating classes throughout the day. For example, 15 minute bio, followed by 15 minute math, followed by 30 minute bio, etc etc, in accordance to our learning patterns of repeating information to move it from the short term to long term.

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  6. I looked at both the “Attention” and “Sleep” brain rules. I strongly agree with the points made in both rules and found that what we think as simple or negligible actions can actually have profound effects on our mental and physical performance. I was surprised to find that car accidents are four times more likely when the driver is on a phone that when he is not. Apparently it’s even more dangerous than drunk driving! Also, the fact that our brains can’t actually multitask surprised me as well. At first I thought it was possible for some people to multitask more than others, but now I see that multitasking isn’t really possible for anyone. I will definitely try to start paying attention to how many tasks I am trying to accomplish at once while doing my homework. Maybe a decrease in the number of “interruptions” during my study hours could lead to a quicker, more efficient absorption of material and also longer retention. I know that so many of my friends and classmates are always on the internet or doing other things while doing their homework, so clearly this should change. I think that if schools or even parents somehow regulated the time students spend online or on the phone, the quality of learning might improve. Also, although I think College Prep is pretty good at this, maybe teachers could make the classroom environment more interactive and somehow try to encourage less sitting in desks (maybe with outdoor classes or games that require physical movement). In addition, stimulating visual aids and more direct connections with a student’s personal life may increase students’ attention spans.
    The other brain rule, “Sleep,” was also interesting even though we know most of the information stated. I didn’t know that there was such concrete evidence that more sleep directly and significantly affected academic performance (I thought that it would cause a smaller effect), but there is a definite and strong link. I often find myself becoming sleepy right after school at around 3, as predicted on the website. I might try to take a nap as soon as I get home and see how that affects my focus and sleepiness in the evening. However, this might be difficult because I usually have dance after school, as many others probably have similar activities. Also, I didn’t know that sleep could also secure information in your brain that you acquired that day. I think I will also try to sleep earlier before test dates even if I feel like I need to study because I often find myself making careless errors on tests that I spend all night studying for. I don’t know if I will be able to get in a whole 8 hours of sleep every night, though. To allow students to get enough sleep, teachers should assign less homework, and parents should enforce stricter curfews. Teenagers need a lot of sleep but don’t usually get nearly enough because stricter sleeping habits are not enforced. Also, teachers should consider collaborating so that there isn’t more than one test per day so that students who inevitably cram the night before can get a decent amount of sleep.

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  7. I looked at the rules on sleep and stress. I couldn’t agree more with the information about sleep. Sleep is very important for better performance. Sleep deprivation is indeed a nightmare. The research about the nap zone was quite interesting; I’ve always felt sleepy around the 2 – 3 p.m. I feel that in order to work at the best capability, a nap around 2 -3 sounds good. Based on the research, the school can structure a shorter school day. For example, the school could start earlier in the morning and end earlier. Conversely, the school day could be longer but the students are allowed to nap or take a break around the nap time zone. The school should also try to avoid putting any examinations around the nap zone. These are suggestions that I don’t think the school can accommodate. Since the research illustrates the importance of sleep, I will attempt to sleep earlier though this is unlikely to happen. I feel that I need to budget my time better in order to finish homework in a timely fashion. Similarly I agree with the rules on stress. Having too much stress can affect performances in a negative way. That’s the reason why Olympic athletes sometime underperform during their quest for the gold medal. However, though stress is very harmful, it is impossible to avoid stress in life. So in order to combat stress, we have to find ways to relieve our stress. One way to relieve stress is to exercise regularly. Meditation is another example to relieve stress. To budget our time well and to get enough sleep is another way to combat stress. Finally, it helps to have a good buddy to hang out with to further relieve stress.

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  8. I found that I could relate to the exercise rule. I have sports practice for 3 hours a day and look forward to it as a break from a day of stressful school work. In addition to helping stress, my exercise really does create regular eating habits, puts me in a better mood after working out, and makes me more willing to approach a long night of studying and homework. Comparing a Saturday morning when I have to get up early and exercise for the first four hours of my day to a Sunday when I can sleep in, I am more productive on Saturdays, having gotten out early and already having worked out, whereas on Sundays I am more inclined to continue being relatively lazy. After reading this article however, I did have some questions about the author's research. Is there a limit to how much exercise can benefit the brain? For example after certain particularly ruthless work outs I come home and fall asleep right away instead of seeing the benefits of having just exercised on school work. Or does exercise strengthen the brain more for the long term than its immediate effects?
    I also read the two brain rules on attention span and stress. On the ten minute attention span rule, I'm not sure if this rings true for me. I know that after longer periods of time I will lose focus, but I'm pretty sure that it takes longer than ten minutes. I agree that the school day, or at least my approach to homework could be changed to adhere to this rule. However, how long of a break does the brain need between each ten minute segments? I could get up and walk around for a minute or so after every ten minutes of work, or at least more often than I currently do once I sit down to study. For the rule on stress, I agree that too much stress can negatively impact our performances and cause us to think more narrowly. Again I would say that the answer is to exercise more, because stress cannot be completely taken away, but we can distract ourselves for a couple hours of each day with sports activity.

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  9. The brain rule that concerns short-term memory (#5) intrigued me the most. How are pieces of information committed to short-term memory? How can we transfer information from the short-term memory bank to the long-term one? How effective is cramming? Let’s face it: we all cram before tests at least to a certain extent. It takes a great deal of preparation and confidence (or lack of interest in one’s grade) to dive headfirst into an exam without first reviewing a concept, key term, or formula a few hours beforehand.

    A few weeks ago, a classmate and I walked into Chinese class not knowing there was a vocabulary quiz planned for that day. We had the same amount of preparation – about five minutes – for the quiz, but he still markedly outperformed me. So, what was the difference? Did he just get lucky and study the right vocabulary terms? Did I not focus hard enough? Maybe it was that I had only logged fifteen hours of sleep for the entire week. Or perhaps I was just then experiencing the devastating aftereffects of over-consuming Zachary’s pizza. I’ve ultimately concluded that all these factors affected my memory in some way, but how big of a role did each play? By our close examination of the inner workings of the brain, it seems as though we are inching closer to the answers to all these questions.

    The relationship between memory and sleep (#7) is one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Ayize tells every sophomore that he or she needs nine and a half hours of sleep every day to function at his or her best. Even if nine and a half hours is much too ambitious a goal, I am still interested in finding that optimal balance between study and sleep. At what point in the night does it actually become detrimental to study any longer? If I have a large test tomorrow that I haven’t studied for, how much time do I need to sleep to do my absolute best? I sometimes guilt myself into studying past midnight for a big test, not knowing that doing so might actually be putting myself at a disadvantage.

    If I must truly “repeat to remember,” I’m curious as to why teachers do not put more emphasis on repeating. I realize that teachers prefer their students to build problem-solving skills as opposed to problem-memorizing skills, and while I’m confident that there’s much truth to that statement, I also advocate an element of repetition to be built into the curriculum to instill in us fundamental concepts and ideas.

    By the way, Abby, I took the male/female brain test and also came up as male-ish (but still less than the average male). I think the 3D shape rotation portion of the test brought out of the female side of my brain…

    I realize it’s well past midnight. Don’t worry – I intend to wake up at noon.

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  10. I looked at rules 2 and 4. The first one talked about how the human brain was wired for survival and how we learned to empathize with everyone and everything around us. We also learned to recognize symbols as meaning something besides what they actually look like, which the site said is what separates us from other species. I'm not sure this is true. I've heard that animals like chimpanzees and dolphins can do things like counting and know what the symbol looks like that stands for the number they counted. These two animals definitely have more developed brains, and not all animals can do this, but humans are not necessarily unique in this respect.
    The other rule I looked at talked about how it is impossible to multitask and how we don't pay attention to boring things for more than ten minutes. This is true for me, especially the multitasking part--I can get very distracted while doing my homework, and it takes a long time for me to finish because I keep switching around between tasks. I also really dislike doing homework, so my attention span is even more limited.

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  11. I looked at the brain rules on stress and sensory integration. Both of these rules certainly ring true to me based off of personal experience. I have often found that when I am super stressed before a big assignment or test, I can’t focus as well. When I slow down, try to relax, and focus on the material rather than just the stress however, I can work much more productively. In terms of sensory integration, I have often found that when trying to memorize material for a test, integrating it actively works better than just reading it over. For example, forming songs or mnemonics out of facts or even just reciting them aloud can help me remember. I thought it was really interesting that smell has such strong powers of emotional recall. I have certainly found this to be true, as sometimes certain smells can bring me back to past experiences more than other triggers (for example, smelling certain foods can remind me of the last time I ate the food much more than a picture of the same food would).
    I’m not quite sure how classrooms can work to eliminate stress (without actively reducing the amount of work that is assigned), but I think it is important for schools to educate their students about the effects of stress. It seems like simply realizing how detrimental stress is a large step towards having students to refocus their study habits in order stay calm about an assignment rather than simply stressing. It really struck me how significant the effects of long-term stress are – cognitive levels can be up to 50% worse after prolonged stress! It seems like both students and teachers have to remain very conscious of that fact so as to create an environment conducive to learning not stressing. It seems simpler to find ways of bringing sensory integration into the classroom than to find ways to reduce stress. Teachers can work to reduce lecture time and make classes more hands-on. When classes need to be lecture-based (as many do), teachers can strive to have students actively participate rather than sit passively. I actually think teachers at CPS are pretty good with this, as our projects and classroom discussions often force us to integrate our visual and auditory senses. It is harder to find ways to bring in our other senses though, not many classroom activities allow for smells or tastes After reading about the brain rules I will certainly try to keep myself from becoming too stressed. Certain amounts of stress are inevitable as we go through life, but I can try not to prolong these high stress levels. I can also try to find ways to utilize multiple senses when I am studying, and work to remain active during class time.

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  13. I looked at the “Sleep” and “Stress” brain rules. In my experience, I have definitely found that both rules are true, and that the modern world is too demanding on our bodies to allow us to perform our best. Usually, I get around 8 hours of sleep a night. Even if I have a quiz or test, I get that much sleep because I know that sleep is important, and so far my performance has not taken any hits. It’s crazy that our sleeping minds “replay” the exact coordination of neurons in our minds we constructed while awake. What better proof do we have that sleep is an essential ingredient in our learning? John Medina suggests that a “battle” is taking place between two chemicals in our brain. On the one hand, the homeostatic sleep curve is trying to get us to sleep, while the circadian arousal curve is trying to wake us. Medina says that these chemicals reach equal levels at around midday. I have math class around that time of day, and I’ve always found it hard to focus on math when I feel terrible. The only solution I could think of was to attend morning math. When I took a test in the morning as opposed to the afternoon (during the “drowsy” time) with good sleep (about 8-9 hours of sleep instead of late studying) the night before, I performed the best on a math test I ever have. This increase in performance is unprecedented. I totally agree with Medina about his opinions about sleep. While I used to get only about 6-7 hours of sleep a day, I revamped my schedule recently to make myself get 8 hours of sleep a day. Basically, anything I didn’t need in my day, I threw out. I work during 2nd period and 7th period, and then I go to track, and then finish my work at home. I then immediately go to bed. My happiness and performance on all my schoolwork has gradually risen, and I will continue to get the sleep I need.

    Stress is an inescapable part of our school life. Medina says that prolonged stress can destroy neural networks, disrupt the hippocampus’ production of brain cells, and even kill brain cells. How on earth can one learn when one’s brain cells are wreaking havoc? Medina shows a graph that displays an increase in cognitive performance with initial, light stress. He compares this with the yearlong, intensive stress lifestyle that many working people live in today. These incredibly stressed people’s cognitive performance goes straight down. I have found that when I go into a math test, nervous and shaky and stressed, I end up doing quite poorly. However, if I tell myself that all I’m doing is a fun problem set that needs to be solved, and try to remove the possible consequences from my mind; I do quite well. Tests lead themselves to be stressful. But, we don’t always have to go in stressed. If I make myself study earlier, and work harder when I should, stress would gradually decrease in my lifestyle, and as my performance increases my stress will continue to decrease.

    Now, how can we change our schools so that we don’t have damaging cortisol and detrimental sleep deprivation in our lives? I feel like tests and schoolwork is inevitably stressful. However, we can make it easier on ourselves by not having such heavy weighted tests. The reason why school is stressful is that we are afraid of failure. If we can somehow make school more learning focused, instead of getting an “A”-grade focused, stress would decrease while learning would increase. One big change I can think of is working more schoolwork into school while eliminating the gigantic amount of daily homework (perhaps lengthen the school day?). This way, students can go home and relax, instead of having another school day right at home.

    As for me, I will continue to use “double-think” by telling myself my tests don’t matter (although they do) to increase my performance by reducing stress. And I will try my hardest to do my work on time to give myself some more sleep.

    Sorry about the long post...

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  14. The rules for exercise and sleep definitely rang true for me. I take dance at school and I also play volleyball outside of school. Fifth period dance and nighttime volleyball practices relieve me of stresses from the academic school day. Also, because I stay up late and wake up early in order to finish homework, I am often battling fatigue during the school day. After reading these rules, I have become aware of when I need to do in order to perform at an optimal level. I have noticed that when I sleep more (7 or 8 hours as opposed to 6) I perform better both academically and athletically. It is much easier to focus in class and also focus during tests. I also have more energy when playing volleyball and I am more consistent skill-wise. However, this year especially, I have been trying off and on to improve sleeping habits and I have been finding it very difficult to find the right balance between working and sleeping. Some nights, I have tried going to sleep earlier instead of finishing all of my homework and although I may not feel as tired the next day, I am often more stressed thinking about the things I need to finish. Also, if I still have a lot to do by the time I go to bed. I find it much more difficult to fall asleep. I will try to be more efficient in my working habits in order to get more sleep. Also, I will try to study for tests more in advance so that the night before the test, I can go to sleep earlier. In terms of exercise, I will try to integrate physical activity into the time I designate to doing homework. If I find that it is difficult to focus on my homework, I will do a quick form of exercise to refocus. According to the research presented on the site, I believe that it would be very beneficial on the student's behalf if teachers assigned less homework. But, I'm not sure how practical this solution is, as homework seems to be a key component of class. Also, it would be very helpful to have tests on different days. When two tests are on the same day, it is difficult to study evenly and thoroughly for both in addition to getting an adequate amount of sleep the night prior to the tests. Also, it would be very helpful to have more consistent breaks during the day instead of two very long breaks. More frequent breaks would allow students to stand up from their desks and walk around. From now on, I will make an effort to be more efficient while doing homework (in order to get to sleep at an earlier time) and I will also make sure I integrate exercise into my homework-crammed afternoons.

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  15. I looked at the Attention and Stress rules.
    The attention section underscored for me the importance of focusing on only one task, no matter how tempting to multitask. I used to multitask while doing homework much more than I do now and I do find I'm more productive when focusing on only the assignment. I also now only listen to instumental or electronic music while I work, because while music does help me concentrate, lyrics often distract me.
    The stress section made me really credit how stress in our school and personal lives can harm us. The idea that severe stress can actually be destructive to the brain is pretty scary. I think schools could do a lot more to reduce stress for students. Abandoning standardized testing and recognizing that kids learn in different ways could be very beneficial. I think there could also be a lot more support in the public school system for kids from dysfunctional families, who clearly are at a disadvantage in school because of their emotional distress.
    The importance of exercise, sleep, and a non-stressed lifestyle really stood out to me. I've definitely heard a lot of talk about these ideas, but having the scientific research to back it up just proves how crucial it is that we maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to have healthy brains.

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  16. I looked at stress and sleep in addition to the required rule about exercise. It is extremely interesting because I find myself living basically as they say we should not. I do not think I get enough exercise and last week when I was stressed and tired I could actually feel my brain slowing down. It was infuriating. In terms of reforming the classroom and work environment, I think that we should make classes more interesting, interactive and require physical activity. Based off the information on this website, I would change my daily routine to include more aerobic exercise as well.
    I learned how much of an effect stress, lack of exercise and lack of sleep can have on the brain. This is both important and interesting to me because I feel like my brain is slowing down recently. I need to get more spell and exercise definitely.

    - Daniel Cohen Period 4

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  17. I read brain rules 5 and 6, which were about short term and long term memory. They both talked about the importance of repetition to memory, as well as the importance of complexity and significance as opposed to superficial structure in something's memorability. They both rang true for me - I might just have a bad short term memory, but there have been times when someone has insisted that a particular event happened that day or the day before, and I'd have no recollection of it. These rules have implications for school life and study habits, and I can definitely see myself implementing repetition as a tool for better remembering things. In terms of improving the classroom, school day, etc, I think these rules suggest an emphasis on constant review so as to build up knowledge that will actually stay with us up until finals. This in turn would reduce stress and last minute cramming, which I'm sure is related to other brain rules about sleep, etc. So I think these two rules potentially have a pretty big impact on the academic world. As mentioned above, I personally might focus my studying on repetition and review as opposed to just barrelling into new material.

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  18. Rule #7 addressed what most people can already tell--around 3pm, paying attention becomes impossible and a feeling of restlessness prevails. I didn't know that it was related to two chemicals in our brains, and that the plateaus of the levels of these two chemicals both occur at the same time, mid-afternoon. This rule definitely emphasized the importance of sleep for me, and even if it isn't possible to take a nap at 3pm, it's important to get enough sleep to make retention of information easier. Instead of cramming for a test late into the night, getting a sufficient amount of sleep can help the information I have absorbed sink in better. To integrate this into my day, I will try to get my homework done earlier, so that I can get an adequate amount of sleep each night, which will help me be more alert in class, and more productive when I do try to study and work.
    Rule #8 addressed stress, which is a prevalent force in most of our lives. This rule gave factual backing to what I experience a lot, which is that I don't learn as well when I'm stressed out. During those particularly arduous weeks where there are tests in every class, I realize that I don't retain information as well because I am so stressed. If teachers didn't have all of their tests in the same week, students could be less stressed and therefore be more productive in their learning/studying. In terms of my daily routine, I"m not exactly sure how I can change the amount of stress in my life, other than trying to get enough sleep.

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  19. Rule 4 rings true for me. If something is not interesting to me, of course i pay less attention to it than i would to something that i do find interesting. However i was not aware that we respond more attentively to things regarding emotions, threats, and sex. This makes sense because these are the primary concerns to our survival! It seems that much of what we do subconsciously is a result of concerns to our survival. The part about multitasking is something that i have never admitted. Even though i want to believe that i can do my homework while on facebook, it is true that though, at some point, i can accomplish this task, it has taken me much longer than it should have! I also found the part about talking on your cell phone while driving interesting, I understood why it was dangerous, but they way they put it made the whole argument much more convincing.
    Rule 8 also rings true for me. Stress is a big part of mine and many other student's lives. I knew that it wasn't healthy, but i never knew that it was damaging "virtually every kind of cognition that exists". It makes sense why stress, makes it harder to "execute" certain things, makes it harder to concentrate well, and takes a toll on my health as well. It is also a little worrisome that stress can do so much harm to a person's body, and does make me want to find less stressful ways of accomplish my work. I also feel that our work-load at school also causes a lot of stress and wish that some teachers could find better ways to distribute work.

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  20. I thought these rules were really interesting and definitely things I have thought about before. Though I understand how true and important they all are, it seems unrealistic if not impossible to actually make this changes thoroughly. Everyone wants more sleep and no one wants to be stressed because we have all experiences what sleep deprivation and stress have done to our ability and brain functioning but these things are difficult to control.

    This is really interesting and relevant research but now that I know all of this and know some of the science behind it, I am not sure what to do with this information. I'll obviously try not to stress about things, get as much exercise and sleep as possible but to a certain extent, these things are out of my control.

    I definitely think one thing that could be changed about the composition of the school day is to have more frequent and shorter breaks. Though we all like those longer breaks when we didn't have time to finish our homework the night before or need extra time to study for a test, I think it would be easier to focus in class if we didn't have to go from math to history to language with no break in between.

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  21. I am in complete agreement with rule #8, because I know that whenever I am studying for tests and I begin to panic and feel stressed out, I do not retain as much of the information as I do when I am calm and relaxed. It was interesting to learn that stress can also disrupt motor skills, immune response, sleep, and can be detrimental to mental health, all in addition to hindering the minds' ability to memorize, because it shows just how powerful the mind is when it comes to the function of the rest of your body. It also emphasizes the importance of remaining positive with what you tell yourself, because stress and negativity can have such an impact on your health. Sometimes, however, I find it very difficult to relax and calm myself down if I have already reached that point of feeling overwhelmed, and it is difficult to talk myself out of panic. As a possible solution to this, I found that what Rule #1 discussed about exercise as a possible method of relieving stress to be very true. I have always found that exercising in between school and the time that I begin my homework is important because it provides a different focus for my mind from the 7 hour long school day, after which I often feel very worn out and fatigued. It was also interesting that exercise actually increases the production rate of neurons, their survival, and allows for neurons' resistance to stress and damage. The article talked about how people who did very little to no exercise began exercising, they would experience a positive influence on their executive functions, spatial tasks, reaction times and quantitative skills. However, while I think that it is important to get enough sleep and exercise, it is often difficult to incorporate these healthy habits into what feels like an already packed day, and is frequently inevitable that I end up stressed out by my workload.

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  22. I think rule number three especially rings true. Looking around in the classroom, and at all the different students, it is obvious that every brain is wired differently. All you have to do is look at the vastly differing ways in which each student learns and responds. No two people have had the same experiences in their life, and thus everyone’s brain has developed in response to a different set of exterior factors. The fact that even identical twins’ brains differ further proves this point. This fact emphasizes a problem in the school system: schools assume that if students are the same age, they belong in the same grade. However, because each individual’s brain develops so differently, I think it would make more sense to create some type of testing program that more accurately puts students with others in their own development stage.
    Rule number four also especially rings true for me. I am much more likely to not only pay attention to, but also remember, things that are not boring. It makes sense that emotions, threats, and sex are attention grabbers, as they are primary factors in the development and survival of humans. As well, multi-tasking can often hinder my concentration. When I am doing homework on my computer, such as using word documents, I am often tempted to turn on music or quickly check websites. This type of multi-tasking has an obvious effect on the quality of my work. As much possible, I am going to try harder to do as much homework as I can off my computer and by hand.
    I think schools should make an effort to incorporate new knowledge about how the brain works into their schedules. Substantial change is always difficult, but in this case it could really be beneficial, and worth it in the long run (or maybe even immediately). Schools could make exercise during recess mandatory, or have exercise activities during a couple classes per day. Teachers should try to emphasize repetition in their lessons each not, not try to cram as much new material in as possible. Also, homework if possible should review material covered that day in class, not new facts that are hard for the students to comprehend. Homework should be given in moderate amounts so that students have enough time to complete it and do extracurricular exercise without deprivation of sleep, which is essential for attention, reasoning, and mood.
    Personally, finding a balance between sleep and studying has been a struggle for me, especially this year. It's hard to choose between getting that extra hour of sleep and being stressed out over not finishing homework. I am not even close to getting the prescribed nine hours of sleep every night, and it's worrisome to think that it might be having a profound effect on my work.

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  23. I think rule number three especially rings true. Looking around in the classroom, and at all the different students, it is obvious that every brain is wired differently. All you have to do is look at the vastly differing ways in which each student learns and responds. No two people have had the same experiences in their life, and thus everyone’s brain has developed in response to a different set of exterior factors. The fact that even identical twins’ brains differ further proves this point. This fact emphasizes a problem in the school system: schools assume that if students are the same age, they belong in the same grade. However, because each individual’s brain develops so differently, I think it would make more sense to create some type of testing program that more accurately puts students with others in their own development stage. Rule number four also especially rings true for me. I am much more likely to not only pay attention to, but also remember, things that are not boring. It makes sense that emotions, threats, and sex are attention grabbers, as they are primary factors in the development and survival of humans. As well, multi-tasking can often hinder my concentration. When I am doing homework on my computer, such as using word documents, I am often tempted to turn on music or quickly check websites. This type of multi-tasking has an obvious effect on the quality of my work. As much possible, I am going to try harder to do as much homework as I can off my computer and by hand. I think schools should make an effort to incorporate new knowledge about how the brain works into their schedules. Substantial change is always difficult, but in this case it could really be beneficial, and worth it in the long run (or maybe even immediately). Schools could make exercise during recess mandatory, or have exercise activities during a couple classes per day. Teachers should try to emphasize repetition in their lessons each not, not try to cram as much new material in as possible. Also, homework if possible should review material covered that day in class, not new facts that are hard for the students to comprehend. Homework should be given in moderate amounts so that students have enough time to complete it and do extracurricular exercise without deprivation of sleep, which is essential for attention, reasoning, and mood.
    Personally, finding a balance between sleep and studying has been a struggle for me, especially this year. It's hard to choose between getting that extra hour of sleep and being stressed out over not finishing homework. I am not even close to getting the prescribed nine hours of sleep every night, and it's worrisome to think that it might be having a profound effect on my work.

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  24. I focused on rules 4 and 7 about attention and sleep. Rule 4 definitely rings true for me. From personal experience I have had little success with multi tasking but never thought that it was completely impossible, just that it depended on the person's capability to do so. From these examples it holds true that multi tasking is actually a myth and that the brain is actually switching tasks, not doing them all at once. This makes sense and explains why I cant listen to music and read at the same time, even though I always try to. Also based on what this said about attention only having a ten minute span, teachers should try to engage students more in lectures by doing something to grab our attention every ten minutes. To take advantage of this research I think that if i adjust my habits and stop trying to multi task then i could get things done quicker and more effectively.
    Rule 7 affirmed many things I already believed about sleep being important in order to function during the day by helping one be attentive and ready to learn and be active. The evidence that naps will enhance performance seems convincing but is not something that holds true from my personal experience. Often after taking a nap, I don't really feel refreshed, I feel inclined to sleep more or I still feel tired. Based on this sleep rule, teachers should construct lessons to be attention getting, as students with less sleep will have a difficult time staying awake in class let alone engaging with a long lecture. I'd take advantage of this research by putting more effort into getting more sleep. I will also try taking more power naps during the day, and limiting them. Hopefully these short naps will prove to be refreshing and help me focus more so I can do my homework more quickly and effectively.

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  25. I read the rule about gender as well as the rule about sleep. Both of these rules definitely ring true for me. I have always thought that boys and girls interact in different ways and go about situations very differently. I would definitely like to learn more about the differences in hormonal balances and brain activity within males and females. These articles made me feel really bad about my way of living, but truthfully, I don't think I will change my lifestyle. It's not that I don't believe what the author is saying, it's just that I don't think that my life need too huge of an adjustment. I think that classrooms and school days could be broken up more frequently. Having short breaks in between classes rather than a long break would definitely help out with the brain. At my middle school during ERB time, we had two solid days of testing which was stressful for a lot of people. But in between each test we had about 45 minutes of "running around time" so that our brains would have time to rest and our bodies could relax. Also, I will always be a big fan of nap-time...

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  26. I read the rule about gender and stress. both of these rules ring true to me. i was not surprised to discover that male and female brains respond differently to situations that amplify stress. this is evident at the most basic level. i would like to know why exactly it is that our responses are different. or why is it that there are more female anorexics and male alcoholics and drug addicts. how do hormones and life experiences effect these reactions and these differences in brain development. are these divergences acquired throughout our lives or are they predetermined at birth? i also read the rule about stress. I think it is very interesting that many of our human characteristics and responses to events are similar to our ancestors responses. we are animals and we have still not adapted to handle long term stress. it damages our physical health and our mental health. it is sad to know that our lives are virtually structured around dealing with stress. the most "elite" and "rigorous" schools are the most stressful, and thus the most detrimental to our health. so why did society evolve to work against us rather than for us? we dont tailor our work like to better our health, instead we reject our natural tendencies.

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  27. I read the section on exercise and the section on boring things. The exercise segment was fascinating, not only because because of the outstanding proof that exercise helps you think, but also because it showed how exercise helps as a brain stimulant, no matter what age you are. This is interesting because one usually thinks of older people as being less active, yet wiser. The section on boredom was also interesting. It showed how we don't remember information if we are not stimulated every ten minutes. I find this very interesting because people try to transfer information over long periods of time, which is overall ineffective. Theses rules are true for me, and should be for every student. The college prep schedule follows the ten minute rule as closely as logistically possible with forty-five minute classes, however schools with block schedules and classes up to an hour and a half are heading in the opposite direction for brain stimulation.

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  28. I focused on the sleep and stress rules, which seemed especially applicable to my life. Getting enough sleep has always been an issue for me, and there is a very clear correlation between my performance and the amount of sleep I get. I also certainly feel the drowsiness around midday when the two chemicals in our brains (the sleep curve vs. the arousal curve) are reaching equal levels, so now knowing what's behind this seemingly uncontrollable feeling, I can try to plan important tests and classes better (I've definitely felt better about taking tests in the morning, now I know why). Getting enough sleep is difficult considering all of the work we have, but I can see and feel how much of an influence sleep (or lack of it) can be on my life, and so I should attempt to get in at least a couple more hours of sleep a night; the times I have been able to do this, there has been a clear increase in productivity and overall well being. Or, i this isn't a viable option, I can at least fit in a short nap!

    Stress is another factor of our lives that can seem uncontrollable, but can definitely be changed in order to feel better. Stress can disrupt neural networks and even kill brain cells - I could always feel that stress affected me, but I never knew it had such grave consequences! The graph that Medina showed, portraying how the performance of people with really stressful lifestyles decreased harshly. Based on this, I see that it is necessary to at least try to limit the amount of stress that I let get to me. I can either let the stress of a busy night affect my performance, or I can organize my work to assure that I'll feel - and consequently study - better.

    In order for students to be able to perform better (especially by limiting stress and increasing hours of sleep), I think it could be extremely helpful to have less homework. Although the plausibility of this option makes it difficult to actually envision, if we could somehow incorporate more work into the actual school day, students could be able to have more time to relax at home, and could definitely work in more sleep. This would diminish stress of nights laden with schoolwork and get students' performance up because they could sleep more! Also, test schedules can really stress students out. Oftentimes, multiple tests are scheduled for one day, and at least for me, that makes the day one big, awful blur. In terms of changing actual class time, if lectures were more interactive and engaging, I think students would retain more information and be more interested. Even if these things aren't changed, I can certainly make a conscious effort to organize my time better so I can both be less stressed and get more sleep, so that I will feel better and do better!

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  29. I looked at how both stress and sleep affect the brain in different ways. It is interesting how much of a negative impact stress can have on both the body and the brain. I suppose I always had heard that, but I was even more surprised after reading the rule. For instance, I had no idea that stress actually killed brain cells. I had always assumed that it simply caused discomfort, but I had no idea it was physically dangerous. The thing that surprised me most, however, was the fact that this isn't more common knowledge. The society in which we live fosters so much stress that in the end, no one really wants to listen to data like this. It is the worst at a school like ours, where stress is more common than fiery campus news posts. For example, last week I had three tests and a lab report. This week I have a case study, French presentation, math problem set, and a 4-6 page English paper. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining; I signed up for this -- My point is simply that our school is (in my opinion) too focused on good grades and college-apps, that we miss out on living our lives. Furthermore, we are causing harm to ourselves and I certainly think that we, as a community, should look in to creating a more stress-free environment. I don't know how we'd do it, but it seems necessary to me. Perhaps we should have the Brain Rules book be mandatory school reading for both the students and the administration.

    I also focused on memory (specifically short-term memory) and how it is stored in the brain. It is fascinating how the brain only holds on to certain information for a very brief period of time. Moreover it is quite interesting how the brain filters all the information it receives and chooses which is relevant. In thinking about this, I started wondering whether or not homework and the various school-related exercises we take on are really effective at reinforcing the material we learn. While I suppose homework is effective, since it is simple repetition, I believe the tests and whatnot are more detrimental. As we discussed in class, most people "cram" for tests by studying at the last minute. This puts the information in the short term memory, and this is quickly released after the test. So in the end, the necessary information that the test covered was not really "learned;" it was more used to get a good grade and then forgotten.

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