Integrating learning with the
arts, movement & creativity
Try this Brain Gym warm up
or use the Alphabet Dance for a 'brain wake up' or assembly item.
Try Story Mapping for an Arts/English workshop.
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Theorists, philosophers and practitioners that have made a significant brain/body connection.
*Brain Gym
*Anne Green Gilbert - Brain Dance
*Rudolph Laban
*Butoh Dance
*Augusto Boal
*Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences
*Eurythmy - Steiner Education - thinking, feeling, willing
*Carla Hannaford
*David Kolb's Experiential Learning Model
Brain Gym developed by Paul and Gail Dennison
"Movement is the door to learning" “Learn to move; move to learn" Paul E. Dennison
"Brain Gym® - a series of specifically conceived movements that addresses the physical skills of learning (for example: visual, auditory). Brain Gym activities contain three categories of movements: The Energy Exercises to develop awareness of the body as the central reference for all directional movements; The Lengthening Activities to facilitate skills of focus and attention; and The Midline Movements for physical coordination as well as accessing of both analytical and spatial information." (http://www.braingym.org/brochures/Edu-K%20Style%20Guide%202011.pdf accessed May 2015)
"Brain Gym® - a series of specifically conceived movements that addresses the physical skills of learning (for example: visual, auditory). Brain Gym activities contain three categories of movements: The Energy Exercises to develop awareness of the body as the central reference for all directional movements; The Lengthening Activities to facilitate skills of focus and attention; and The Midline Movements for physical coordination as well as accessing of both analytical and spatial information." (http://www.braingym.org/brochures/Edu-K%20Style%20Guide%202011.pdf accessed May 2015)
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Resource accessed from https://www.tes.co.uk/ May 2015
Brain Dance developed by Anne Green Gilbert
Butoh Dance - Connect creatively and process feelings via movement
Laban movement theorist - drama and dance creativity
Augusto Boal - theatre exercises
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Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences
"Howard Gardner's (1983, 1993) theory of multiple intelligences (MI) provides a rich framework for designing learning experiences that mesh with the special “proclivities” (intelligence areas of greatest interest or competence) of kids labeled ADD/ADHD.
The eight intelligences in MI theory—linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist—provide a pedagogical palette that the teacher can draw from in creating just the right activity or strategy to suit a particular student.
The child whose attention flags and behaviour flares when learning about the Civil War through books and lectures may become absorbed in the material if it is presented through images, music, or role-play. The student who forgets to do her book report or math problems as homework may get absorbed in a learning project that involves interviewing a grandparent for social studies (interpersonal), taking pictures of animals in the neighborhood for an ecology unit (spatial-naturalist), or writing a song on an electronic keyboard about a character in a short story (musical).
Over the past few years, teachers and researchers have developed a wide range of books, manuals, videotapes, and other educational resources that offer a rich collection of ideas, strategies, and activities for virtually every area of the curriculum using multiple intelligences (see, e.g., Armstrong, 1994; Campbell, Campbell, & Dickinson, 1996; Haggerty, 1995; Lazear, 1991). Teachers can adapt many of these materials for one-to-one work with a student. Also, several sources are available for exploring new ways to assess kids using MI principles (Gardner, 1993; Krechevsky, 1991; Lazear, 1994; Scrip, 1990). Thus, for the child who doesn't pay attention during tests, developing authentic assessment instruments based on multiple intelligences can provide a context within which teachers can better engage that student's attention. The child whose mind wanders during a paper-and-pencil item about the traits of a character in a story may come to life when the teacher asks him to pantomime the role as a way of showing his knowledge of character development. MI works quite well as a means to develop specific attention-grabbing techniques. For the student who doesn't line up for lunch after hearing the teacher's linguistic instructions (“O.K. kids, it's time to line up!”), seeing a blown-up photo or slide of the class all lined up for lunch (taken by the teacher on a previous occasion) may trigger the spatial areas of the brain to respond by immediately lining up. Zentall (1993b) reported using music to engage a girl labeled ADD to remember her homework assignments. The teacher made a cassette recording of her homework instructions, followed by her favorite musical selections, and then more homework instructions. The girl would rush home every day to listen to her tape, and her ability to remember homework assignments rose dramatically. Some teachers have developed specific bodily-kinesthetic “cues” with students to signal certain classroom instructions (e.g., rubbing the tummy means it's time for lunch, lowering both outstretched hands means “Bring down the energy level a notch or two,” a finger pointed to the temple means “Remember to take your assignment home”).
Finally, perhaps the most powerful—and exciting—application of MI theory involves teaching it to students. Many teachers find it very easy to teach (it may help to use simpler terms, such as
word smart, number smart, picture smart, music smart, body smart, people smart, self smart, and nature smart).
It's important to emphasise that everyone has all eight kinds of smart. For the student who may feel disheartened by hearing everyone talk about him as a “deficit disordered” learner, MI theory provides a new—and positive—vocabulary to describe how he learns best, and what he may need in a particular learning situation to respond in a positive way (see Armstrong, 1994; Lazear, 1993)." (Armstrong, T 1999)
Eurythmy - Steiner Education
http://steinereducation.edu.au/resources/
Carla Hannaford author of Smart Moves - why learning isn't all in your head
"Self-initiated movement, exploration, interaction and physical experience for the joy and challenge of it, facilitates neurogenesis (nerve growth) for a lifetime." (Carla Hannaford)
David Kolb's Experiential Learning Model (ELM)
A four stage cyclical theory of learning. A holistic perspective that combines experience, perception, cognition and behaviour.