BRAIN AWARENESS ACTIVITY IN NEUROSCIENCES City Date Time Hall Nafpaktos 10 March 12 6 pm Papaharalampeios TITLE: BRAIN, LEARNING AND ADOLESCENCE PROGRAM 1 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter 2 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter 3 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter 4 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter The structure of the human brain 3nd Gymnasium of the city of Nafpaktos Development of human brain Pupils of the Gymnasium of the city of Antirrion Karagkiozis performance about the brain 2 nd Gymnasium of the city of Nafpaktos The brain of the adolescent, learning and behaviour Stamatis Alahiotis, Professor of Genetics, Former rector of the University of Patras, former president of Pedagogical Institute 1
5 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter 6 Title of the talk/ Presentation Speaker/ Presenter Interdisciplinary and experience-based paidagogical cultivation of creativity E. Karatza-Stavlioti, Assistant Professor of the Pedagogical department of elementary education of the University of Patras and former vice President in the department of Education quality of the Pedagogical Institute Holistic brain function and interdisciplinary learning Aristeidis Loukopoulos, Elementary School teacher, Ph.D. Student in the Department of Pedagogy of the University of Patras. Organizers: Hellenic Society for Neurosciences Kotsika Foundation Municipality of Mafpaktia Gymnasium of the city of Antirrion 2 nd Gymnasium of the city of Nafpaktos 3nd Gymnasium of the city of Nafpaktos Responsible members of the Hellenic Society for Neurosciences E-mails Telephones Spiros Efthimiopoulos Efthis@biol. uoa.gr 2107274890 Marigoula Margarity margar@upatras.gr 2610997430 Stavros Taraviras taraviras@yahoo.com 2610997943 2
Summary of the presentations-description of the activity THE BRAIN OF ADOLESCENTS - BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING Stamatis N. Alahiotis Professor in Genetics, former Rector of the University of Patras and former President of the Pedagogical Institute Summary The stage of adolescence is particularly important for learning as well as for shaping the identity and behavior of the teenagers, because critical brain changes occur, with the main ones being the ongoing development and the formatting of the frontal lobe, which is associated with higher cognitive functions, inhibition unproper behavior, etc. After the onset of puberty, in addition to many hormonal and physical changes, some neuronal synapses in the frontal lobe either degenerate, if they are not supplied by the respective learning-empirical stimuli, or conversely strengthened, a general process known as neural Darwinism, which leads to a better focus of the neural networks by increasing teenagers cognitive dynamics; their brain continues to grow, it is malleable and adaptive with huge learning potential. The use of knowledge for the development of the adolescents brain contributes to a better understanding of their behavior and to a more effective teaching/learning, which is essential for their successful career. Teenagers, for example, are curious, engaged in riskier behaviors, have much inclination to explore new, wider areas, away from home; moreover, their beliefs concerning their inherent brain-controlled internal learning capabilities prevent them from trying harder by justifying themselves. For these reasons the goals of education must adapt by exploiting new effective biopedagogic considerations that are closer to the natural way of learning. With such innovative cross-thematic and biopedagogic approaches, we have already demonstrated that biopedagogic teaching/learning is particularly effective when properly applied in real classroom conditions. Learning is much more than the acquisition of knowledge and should be attempted in a social context and content, focusing on the environment and adolescents biology of learning; in a society that is constantly evolving, with the leading role of the educators to be of particular importance in teenagers acquiring self-confidence, as well as the role of parents, who should be aware that their relationships with teenagers suddenly change and need proper handling. Moreover, the activities that take place out of the schools must not be too many, the proper nutrition, which is essential for the well functioning of the brain, the responsibility of the educators for continuing education and knowledge updating, as well as of the State the right interventions, constitute additional pillars of a qualitative educational system capable to reduce the chronic paedia/culture deficit. 3
CROSS-THEMATIC AND BIOPEDAGOGIC CULTIVATION OF CREATIVITY Eleni Karatzia-Stavlioti, Assistant Prof essor, Department of Primary Education, University of Patras Summary The Cross-thematic approach/cross-thematic Learning involves both the characteristics of critical and creative thinking as it requires the cultivation of both convergent thinking- that is controlled, realistic and linked to prior knowledge/skills in order to choose the correct and the logic answer- and divergent thinking -that it relates to the search of many different acceptable solutions, embedded in intuitive connections that promote novelty and innovation-. This situation is evident in the Cross-thematic Curriculum Framework (DEPPS), the subsequent curricula (APS) as well as in the books and in the educational support materials, which were prepared based on these. The new Cross-thematic books and the related educational materials have been produced to incorporate effective cross-curricular links between subjects of different cognitive school subjects so that they are illuminated and they become visible in a multifaceted way that relates to daily life, improve skills, attitudes and values that promote lifelong learning and creativity; that is by projecting the pedagogical practice to the contemporary social reality. The concept of creativity first appeared in the attempts to interpret critical and creative thinking within the more general study of the biological basis of human intelligence (intellect and emotion). Creativity as a multifaceted and multifactorial skill, should cultivated horizontally (in all classes and school subjects) and Crossthematically (with connections and extensions to issues, themes and problems of everyday life); a situation that should be reflected in the curricula (APS) and in the applied teaching/learning/assessment methodologies within the theoretical background of biopedagogism. 4
HOLISTIC BRAIN FUNCTION AND CROSS-THEMATIC LEARNING Aristides Loukopoulos Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Primary Education, University of Patras. Summary The rapid economic, technological, social and cultural changes and transformations taking place today, the continuous review and obsolescence of existing knowledge and the phenomenon of globalization create a new global reality. This complex and often obscure reality requires a new educational approach for its understanding. A response to the above challenges is the introduction of an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge, a multiperspectivity process of learning and the promotion of knowledge in a variety of environments. In this Cross-thematic approach, knowledge is treated holistically and this is the most appropriate approach to solve complex problems, while it leads to active acquisition of knowledge with the students initiatives. The Cross-thematic approach changes the student and teachers roles and increases the degrees of their educational freedom. The Cross-thematic approach is associated with the recent theories on the development of the brain and its holistic function through the multiperspectivity approach to learning by which the neural networks of the brain are adapted, strengthened and focused on the learning stimuli, which should be related to everyday life. In this situation, students conceptualize holistic rather than fragmented knowledge, and acquire skills, attitudes and values on the basis of which they can effectively face the complex contemporary reality. Fotographs 5
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