Your amazing brain has 100,000,000,000 brain cells (or Neurons). Each brain cell is capable of growing up to 20,000 branches (or dendrites) which it uses to make connections.
Connections = Learning When the brain is learning it is attaching a dendrite to an axon (or arm) or another brain cell to form a neural pathway.
Thinking = Applied Learning When the brain is thinking it is using a neural pathway to solve a problem, make a product or provide a service.
Recall = Activating Neural Pathways When we are recalling a piece of information the brain is activating neural pathways to pick-up the data stored on them. The brain does not hang onto every neural pathway it forms, only ones it believes to be important or are used regularly. To recall a piece of information the brain needs to be able to "trigger" information that is stored on it.
Dr. Paul Mclean's Triune Brain Model suggests the brain has three brains in one:
An "instinctive" Reptilian Brain which deals with our survival, physical and emotional well-being.
A mid brain area known as the Limbic System which directs our attention, contains our emotions, values and beliefs and self-indentity. It also controls our motivation and, linked to our emotions, contains a powerful long term memory.
The Neo-cortex, which forms over 80% of the human brain is where most high order thinking and learning takes place.
Learning is State of Mind Dependent: To learn effectively the reptilian brain has to be totally passive (i.e. it feels physically and emotionally safe) and the Limbic System has to be Alert and Attentive, Motivated to learn the task and Positive believing it can learn that task. A state we call RAMPant!
The Neo-cortex learns best when it can see importance and relevance in the knowledge, skill or understanding it is being asked to develop and use, when is allowed to work in short spurts, gets high multi-sensory stimulation and receives feedback to know it is making progress/achieving learning objectives.
The Two Hemispheres
The neo-cortex is divided into two distinct halves: a left hemisphere ( which is the more academic, analytical part of the brain) and a right hemisphere ( that is the more creative side of the brain). Human beings have a preference for which half of the brain they lead with, in their thinking and doing processes. Some people can be strongly left brained (very logical, precise people, tidy people with an eye for detail) and other people very strongly right brained (highly creative, have-a-go, ideas people who learn by trial and error). The majority of us fall between the two extremes.
