John Medina Interview

So here's my question. If scientists like John Medina say that we learn better when we are physically fit and exercise regularly, why is physical education a low priority in schools? Why aren't we running massive research to prove or disprove this concept? Seems to me if this were true, it wouldn't take a whole lot of extra money to build more activity into each school day.

One of the questions that comes up for me when I hear that exercise improves cognition is that from my own experience as a teacher this doesn't hold true. My best students haven't always been athletes or even athletic. Some of my worst students have been star athletes. And vice-versa. I've never noticed a pattern?

Anyway, here is a nice interview with Dr. Medina where some of the basics from his book Brain Rules are covered.

Ten minute Attention Span

Quote from John Medina's Blog, Brain Rules:

Peer-reviewed studies confirm my informal inquiry: Before the first quarter-hour is over in a typical presentation, people usually have checked out. If keeping someone’s interest in a lecture were a business, it would have an 80 percent failure rate. What happens at the 10-minute mark to cause such trouble? Nobody knows. The brain seems to be making choices according to some stubborn timing pattern, undoubtedly influenced by both culture and gene. This fact suggests a teaching and business imperative: Find a way to arouse and then hold somebody’s attention for a specific period of time.

Office Walkers

I recently did a post on an article about treadmills at work and how they can help improve productivity while helping you to better fit into those weekend designer jeans. One of the guys quoted in the article, Brad, saw my blog and sent me a comment along with the url for their online discussion/support group of office walkers. I browsed through their site this past weekend and found a some pictures of home-made office walking machines. The slideshow below is Brad's setup.

Thanks for the link Brad. If I create my own Office Walker, I'll sign up for your group.


Find more photos like this on Office Walkers


[Image: Captured from Office Walkers Forum: Photo added by member Kelly on September 19, 2008 at 8:32am:http://officewalkers.ning.com/photo/photo/show?id=2015808%3APhoto%3A1699]

Walking at my desk

I'm currently reading Brain Rules by Jon Medina every night before I go to bed and enjoying every minute of it. One of the things he discusses in his book is that our brains not only work better if we exercise more often but that they work better while we exercise. This point was supported in this article by Mandy Katz for the New York Times, "I Put In 5 Miles at the Office". She talks about a new desk called the Walkstation that has been built around a treadmill. It lets you walk slowly while you work at your desk on your computer or making deals on the phone.

"The Walkstation, which Dr. Levine helped develop, costs about $4,000 and comes in 36 laminate finishes with an ergonomically curved desktop. Its quiet motor is designed for slow speeds, said David Kagan, director of marketing communications at Details, a division of Steelcase."

I sent the link to my principal begging to be the first guinea pig and the first out of my little cubby hole of a desk. In this year of budget cuts, I don't hold much hope for a Walkstation.

Plan B is to get out the tools and modify my wife's treadmill. I shall call it Al's Work Mill and it will make me famous amongst my cubical cell mates. I think our motto will be, "Walk your way to a better mind and a smaller behind". My classroom model will be called the "Student Step to Success Desk Mill". If the kids start getting out of hand, push up the speed! Listen to that chatter disappear as they start walking faster and try to type in html code at the same time. Classroom management and better learning. I may get rich out of this?

[Image: Captured from article "I Put In 5 Miles at the Office"; http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/health/nutrition/18fitness.html?_r=2&no_interstitial&oref=slogin&oref=slogin]

Hang up and Drive

Interesting video on multi-tasking by John Medina,the guy who wrote Brain Rules. I haven't read the book but I've seen several little snippits about his work and am thinking it needs to go on my to-read list. For years I've had students (and adults) tell me they could do two things at once. I've always argued that they were really just switching focus. Sometimes really fast. Research may support my opinion for a change. (I'm marking this date on my calendar!)

Medina says that talking on a cell phone while you are driving is like driving drunk in that it decreases your ability to make fast decisions in the same way. (I am paraphrasing here so please watch the video and don't quote me as your source...even though I was right this time....did I mention that I was right?)

So, the question in my mind is not that we immediately stop kids and adults from multitasking but how do we utilize our ability to switch tasks to the best of our brains ability. We need a new word here to describe quickly changing tasks. Something catchy like speed-task, sequa-task, task-task, fast-task or tasoogle!

"Mom, today in tech class we learned to tasoogle between google and yahoo while building a collaborative wiki in our moodle space."

My only question after this, is why do I doodle and draw pictures while I am listening and taking notes? What is it about my learning style that drives me to draw? Am I switching between the two tasks of drawing and listening or is the drawing enhancing my listening? Maybe I'll read the book to find out.






[Image:"Shut up and drive";Uploaded on September 5, 2007 by Schodts; http://www.flickr.com/photos/schodts/1330843003/]