Grow your brain PDF

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Grow your brain...

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Math 0950 Spring 2017

Grow your brain 1. Think about the article that you just read. What are all the reasons why scientists say that people’s math ability can grow and get better with effort and practice? Scientists try to explain us that the brain is a muscle, and we should’t make a conclusion about our intelligence without an exercising this muscle. People are not born ‘’stupid’’ one specific things like a math for example, they just have to sometimes practice more and always can get better. 2. In the article, you learned 3 things:! ▪ When you work hard and learn new things, your brain grows new connections and you get smarter.! ▪ The more you challenge yourself, the smarter you will become.! ▪ Smart kids are the kids who have practiced more – they have built up their reading and math “muscles.” 3. Think about an example from your own life. What is something you weren’t good at first. Then you practiced it using a good strategy and became really good at it. Write about it and explain how you became good at it. One of the examples when I used strategy and practiced my brain was during learning english vocabulary. I couldn’t remember all the new words, so I made a cards with words in Czech and english language and repeatedly playing them. Every time when I was wrong I started from the start. It helped a lot, and my brain started remember faster and better. 4. Not all math students know that the brain can get smarter, even though it may help them have success. And we want to get your help, so we can learn more about how to explain it to them. We’re hoping you can explain – in your own words – that the brain gets

smarter when people use good strategies and try hard. Imagine a friend who is struggling in school. This friend used to do pretty well in school but now is having a hard time and is starting to feel dumb. Write a letter to your friend to encourage him or her – tell them about what you just learned about the brain and why they shouldn’t be discouraged. For example, you can tell them:! A. How they can get smarter if they work hard and use a good strategy.! B. How they should work hard to build their reading and math muscles.! C. How they are not dumb, they just need to practice using a good strategy.! D. How they can ask the teacher or other students to help them learn better ways to study. Or any other tips you have for learning in school and getting smarter! (Don't worry about writing a perfect final draft. We just want to know how you would say this to another student in your own words.) Hi Anna,! I wanted to share my own experience about practicing my brain and using that skills. I always though that math is not important for me. It’s not a one of my interests and I know for sure that I won’t do anything connected with math.! But then I realized, it is not a true. A lot of basic things in our life is connected with math. We have to care about our own finance, be able to count our time, etc. So even if our future is not focused on math, we still use it everyday. And it is some of the specific kind of thinking, which will explore your way of thinking.! I read one article where scientists are talking about brain like a muscle. You can grow your connections in your brain and get smarter. So, when we struggle in something, it doesn’t mean we are doubt. It just means we have to practice more, and always reach an improvement. So work hard, and I am sure, you will se results soon! Xoxo, Tereza...