Is your brain still learning even though you are at rest?Some research suggests that people who take a nap after learning a new task remember it better than those who don’t snooze.
Evidence suggests certain kinds of brain activity actually increase during waking rest and are correlated with better memory consolidation. Taking a rest may actually contribute to your success at work or school.
Johns Hopkins behavioral neurologist and memory expert Dr. Barry Gordon says, "The brain is trying to weave ideas together even when you don’t think you are thinking of anything." That’s something to think about the next time you see a student daydreaming in a study hall or listening to his iPod when he should be studying.
What are the educational implications of this research? Consider these concepts in the context of a typical high school day where students rush from one class to the next, trying to learn new things before they've even been able to consolidate information from the class they left.
Source:
Hamilton, Anita. "Studies: An Idle Brain May Be Ripe for Learning." Time Online. 29 January 2010.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=62ac46f3-78fe-4354-99ba-c60752546804)
2 comments:
All I know is that I constantly wake up in the middle of the night/ morning full of ideas that must be written down immediately (I don't know what I did without my iPhone by my bedside to record all of these thoughts).
I have been working on a project with my students where they have been thinking outside the box and creating their "dream schools". Almost all students have included a nap room complete with massage chairs. I love it!
I agree with Kelly. I really feel my brain is most active when I'm sleeping. I feel the regular day is to filled with craziness at times to fully digest information. Nap time and bed time allows the noggin to digest and create new information. Thanks for the food for thought.
Sorry for the bad pun. :-)
- @TheNerdyTeacher
Post a Comment