Education
Episode 046: Dr. John Medina - Brain RulesWe’ve been waiting for years now for the chance to interview Dr. John Medina: Developmental Molecular Biologist, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and author of Brain Rules, Brain Rules for Baby, Brain Rules for Aging Well, and Attack of the Teenage Brain, to name a few. Dr. Medina takes time out of his busy schedule to chat with us about Theory of Mind, stress and learning, and some history behind our fancy brains. Connect with Dr. John MedinaWebsite: http://www.brainrules.net/ | Twitter: @BrainRulesBooks | Books: Brain Rules, Brain Rules for Baby, Brain Rules for Aging Well, Attack of the Teenage Brain Connect with Vrain WavesWebsite: vrainwaves.com | Twitter: @VrainWaves | Becky Twitter: @BeckyEPeters | Ben Twitter: @mrkalb Links & Show Notes Intro to Brain Rules Chapter Summaries (01:12) Rule #1: Exercise Boosts Brain PowerDoris Kearns Goodwin episode Rule #3: Every Brain is Wired DifferentlyFree Solo DocumentaryDaniel Kahnemann, Thinking Fast and SlowDr. Medina’s journey through career (05:53)Drawing / Arts and the Brain (08:45) Decentering behaviors are brain vitamins - can change the aging brainTheory of Mind & Empathy (11:01)Cognitive & affective empathyImproving Theory of Mind - Read lots of literary fiction, journal about your feelings while you read Teachers must be able to form accurate perceptions of students’ abilities (14:45) When are you bewildering a student? Book studies with faculty Educational Ecology (16:35)“Learning is primarily a relational enterprise.”De-stressing the teacher / Theory of Mind takes an enormous amount of cognitive resourceEmpathic distress (17:56) Jon Kabat-ZinnThe Mindful Way WorkbookStress Study with Dogs (20:00) Chapter in Brain Rules: Stressed Brains Don’t Learn the Same Way Martin Seligman / Stress study with dogs / Learned HelplessnessInability to control the aversive stimuli = stressDepression (23:41) NPY Peptide - resilience to aversive stimuliExecutive Function (25:58)Nature v. Nurture - boat analogyAerobic Exercise is a powerful way to improve executive functionAdd a cognitive component = even bigger boostGym in the center of the schoolOur brains evolved while we were walking 12 hours a dayAre cell phones hurting teenage brains? (29:46) Longer you spend looking at screens, worse you are at interpreting social cues from other people’s faces and expressions, nonverbal skillsRecovered after 5 daysMultitasking and erosion of the attentional spotlight (33:04) Inability to multitask when there are a lot of things to attend to creates stress / anxiety in the brain One recommendation for teachers (36:48) Take aways (38:33) Episode with Dr. Tony Wagner“Focused leaders say no.” - Dr. Jackie Kapushion Episode with Cal NewportYuval Noah Harari & the imagined order Mindful Way Workbook; The Onward Workbook by Elena Aguilar Mark Pearson, Libro.FM Free Audiobooks for teachers; find out more at: https://libro.fm/alc-program