In the following section, we define some of the neuroscience concepts and other key concepts relevant to this study. In this regard, the brain is understood as the structural correlate of the mind, and the mind as the functional correlate of the brain. Consequently, if the brain structure is vulnerable, brain function will be compromised.
Psychiatry and neuropsychology are fields that extensively study the correlation between the mind's responses and the functional integrity of brain structures. The lowest part of the brain, the brain stem, connects the spinal cord to most other parts of the brain. A key idea of the NMT model (Perry & Hambrick, 2008; Perry, 2009) is that the brain is sequentially organized in a specific hierarchy.
During development, the brain is organized from the bottom up, meaning that the lower parts of the brain develop first. Sensory integration – the brain's ability to integrate, process, store and act on sensory information. Second, data from students with impaired neural integration in the midbrain areas show that such students tend to have poor relational skills.
He urges experts in the field to consider neural integration as a necessary mechanism to facilitate the growth of the mind.
Principles from NMT
In other words, where there are indications of disruption and dysregulation of the neurobiology, the redemptive principle includes the need to aid learning by helping the neural system integrate across multiple dimensions, including the brain with the body (skin-to-skull), the lower regions of the brain with the upper regions (information coming through the senses with abstract thinking), and the individual with their peers relationally. Through Perry's clinical tool and the application of its principles to modeling, Van Brummelen's ideal of careful design of materials can be extended to include the needs of SWD. NMT principle: According to the philosophy behind the clinical tool and the recommendations contained in the report generated for each client, when the lower parts of the brain map show vulnerability, students will typically present as struggling with self-control, impulsivity, reactivity and attention deficit challenges (Perry, 2009) .
Link to curriculum design: The principle used in mental health is that activities embedded in the sensory-motor schema help students stay engaged in activities and promote sensory integration. For example, they may need to create a physical model object using body movements and real objects. Principle for lesson planning: Plan a lesson where the precursor is demonstrated by the student in a somatosensory form/activity such as exercise, and one that intentionally introduces neural integration between body and brain.
Many psychological principles are embedded in how to address limbic dysregulation in learning environments. The main goal of intervention in the limbic area is to start creating states. Link to curriculum design: The recommendations section of the report states that students with vulnerabilities in this area benefit when activities are incorporated into play scenarios or use an art form including drawing, painting, paper design or sculpture.
Lesson planning principle: If data in the limbic area describe high levels of vulnerability and dysregulation, the neurological principle is to develop students' functional ability to work in groups. NMT Principle: In the philosophy of this neurobiological approach, once relational dynamics have been taken into account, a verbal and insight-oriented approach can be adopted to work with cortical areas of the brain (Perry, 2009). Link to Curriculum Design: Since the higher levels of the brain are responsible for abstractions, when the brain map shows that they are tangible and not yet fully integrated with the lower levels, these higher cortical functions are essentially "off-line" at that particular point in development.
Consequently, it is very unlikely that learners with higher level disruptions will manage activities where abstractions are presented in representational forms such as formulas and written and verbal narratives. Principle for lesson planning: If the cortical areas are stable, learners can engage in traditional middle school activities such as reading and writing tasks, including journaling, or more sophisticated ones for longer periods of time. According to the NGV philosophy, the design of lessons should follow a bottom-up approach, which means that lesson planning should start at the bottom part of the mind map where undeveloped functions are visible, and from there move sequentially up the mind map as improvements seen (Perry, 2009).
Brain map as a clinical assessment tool provides
Principles suggested by the NMT philosophy to strengthen vulnerable regions of the brain
Areas to focus integration
Research method and design
For the most part, Charlie's characteristics are consistent with a description of the typical profile of students with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD). Aligning with NMT principles, the lessons were designed to accommodate all four areas of the brain. According to the recommendations of his report, for the lower brain areas, the modeling tasks were designed to provide precursors in the form of rhythmic somatosensory movement.
Planning the hunt and writing out the driving directions appealed to the higher levels of the brain. Working in teams and competing in a scavenger hunt competition appealed to the middle brain level (based on the game). Running around the school to find and interpret instructions for Easter eggs was drawn at the lowest level of the brain (based on somatosensory).
Systematically recording and checking the instructions that would release the bolt to defuse the bomb required cognitive skills processed by the higher levels of the brain. They were then shown the school from Google Earth and explored the idea of a “top view” of the school. Students then worked in teams to prepare and discuss which plan view was the most accurate representation of the school.
The drawing, viewed from above on the school's iPads, aimed to integrate the limbic system as it was more art-based. The debate over which plan view drawing was the most accurate representation of the school required integration of the functioning of the cortex. The next part of the brain, moving up the brain map, is the limbic region.
Similarly, Charlie built a model of the school with cubes, participated in drawing an overhead view of the school and flying a helicopter on grid references. For example, while building with blocks, he let the group know that he was building part of the school, and he was doing it side by side with the others. As the brain map predicted, these were mostly activities related to the upper brain regions.
Running out of the classroom, starting a sword fight with a ruler, trying to catch a fish in the aquarium. As predicted by neurological principles, Charlie participated fully in the activities of the lower regions and in the activities suggested for the midbrain regions.
Discussion
However, he was not yet fully engaging in the interpersonal or interpersonal learning dynamics required by modeling, preferring parallel activities with occasional shifts to the group to offer assistance or chat socially. On the other hand, he displayed a variety of negative behaviors when expected to engage in any activity that required input from higher level regions such as writing and debating. Understanding Charlie's responses in light of his personal history aligns with Jesus' example of interacting with those he met with compassion.
Arguably, in terms of higher cortex demands, Charlie quickly became rigid and refused to comply, or became chaotic (leaving the classroom, trying to catch fish, or starting imaginary sword fights). The implication of this study is that through a neuroscience tool, a visual heuristic of an individual's brain structure and function is available to educators that can be used to inform lesson planning and delivery. This clinical tool has significant implications for students who are chronologically of a certain age but developmentally far below the functioning of their peers.
Essentially, it supports teachers in making a series of predictions about the student's propensity to perform set tasks at a given time. For example, the brain map allows us to measure the level of neurobiological resources available to individual students to engage in modeling tasks. The data also help us plan the types of engagement that will support model construction during the modeling activity, and the types of data structures or representations that will best support long-term development.
This enables us to use the principle of partial redemption, leading the individual into more fullness of function and life. The recommendations of the study are that modeling tasks should be introduced to learners with significant developmental delays and become part of their learning repertoire. The expectation is that these modeling tasks take the form of precursors to more sophisticated models, and that the mode of construction or representation of the model is informed by and corresponds to a learner's neurobiological data.
As the brain, through appropriate interventions over time, begins to stabilize and integrate, students will grow in their ability to produce more sophisticated representations of concepts. This requires a long-term commitment to modeling and very carefully planned lesson activities to support development and change through integration. The key implication of the study is to argue that we do not use such types of neurobiological data as confirmation to suspend modeling activities with SWD, but that we should use it in the input phase of our lesson planning to guide and inform our design of modeling . activities.
Conclusion
Applying the principles of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics across an adolescent day program and inpatient unit. Doerr (Eds.), Beyond constructivism: Models and modeling perspectives in mathematics problem solving, learning, and teaching (pp. 35-58). Childhood trauma, the neurobiology of adaptation, and brain use-dependent development: How states become traits.
