Conservation Lesson for Your Forest of Neurons
Humans are all unique, yet they all learn using a similar process due to the brain’s structure. Networks of neurons work together in the brain to maintain information that people learn in stages. The neurons in these networks, or “forests,” fire neurotransmitters across synapses depending on how a person feels. Positive feelings stimulate the brain and improve its learning capabilities. There are many strategies people can use to improve their learning experiences, even when their emotions distract them. As long as the brain is continually stimulated, its “forest” of knowledge will thrive.
Dr. Rita Smilkstein describes the natural process of learning as consisting of six consecutive stages. The first stage she refers to is motivation. People always have reasons for wanting to learn something, whether it is through simple curiosity, practical reasons, or for pure enjoyment. After motivations are recognized, people will begin to practice their skill. This is where they first research, observe, and try out their skill. As they practice more and more, they will see improvement, despite the struggle they may have experienced when they first began. At this point, they are experiencing the advanced practice stage, where they tend to experiment more and may seek out expertise. After they have sought out a master and have continued their practice and observation in their craft, they will begin to obtain more confidence as the skill starts to feel more natural. This stage, which Dr. Smilkstein refers to as skillfulness, is also where people may begin to share their skill with others and receive feedback for even more improvement. Eventually, their skillfulness reaches the refinement stage, where they begin to be more creative, experimenting with different techniques and styles for pure pleasure and further improvement. Once they have advanced through these stages of learning, they reach mastery, where they could teach their skill to others, and may also receive recognition for their mastery (Smilkstein).
Since I was little, I have always loved singing. Singing serves as a stress reliever for me, motivating me to continue singing since I enjoy it so much. I either sing lyrics that I have written, or other songs that I love, which translates my emotions into something that anyone can relate to. I first realized I was good at singing in kindergarten, when my parents and teachers told me I was good. At first I was a little skeptical because I thought they were just being nice, but as I continued singing, I noticed I could recognize and memorize notes by ear. I can tell when I am hitting the correct note or not. I joined chorus in elementary school, where my teacher told me I was very good. I continued it through middle school, and then picked it up again in my first semester of college, practicing all the while to test my vocal range. Also, during this time, I began writing lyrics. My skillfulness has improved as my knowledge of music and writing has improved. At this point, I do not think I have reached the mastery stage, but I do believe I am at the refinement stage. I have begun to share my talent with others, and have become more confident practicing my skill, experimenting with my voice and range, as well as writing more lyrics. They key is to continue practicing, so that I can keep improving.
Practice constitutes most of the process that Smilkstein describes, so understanding how the brain functions could help us to better understand why practice helps us to learn and lock in skills and knowledge. The brain is made up of neurons, which operate much like a tree. Billions of neurons create a neural network like a forest. These “trees” have branches, roots, and trunks, known respectively as dendrites, axon terminals, and axons. The soma, or cell body, surrounds the nucleus, and is like the seed of the neuron. There is also a protective layer called the myelin sheathe, which protects the axon as bark protects the heart of a tree. The dendrites receive electro-chemical impulses to send neurotransmitters that travel through the “trunk,” or axon, and across the synaptic gap from the axon terminal bulbs. These messages travel through billions of neurons to send messages through the brain by synaptic firing, which stimulates the growth of neurons, locking in memories and skills with continued practice (Smilkstein).
The synaptic firing process is much like that of a spark plug firing in an engine. The fuel that fills in the gaps are hormones, endorphins. As the electro-chemical impulse travels through the neuron, the neurotransmitters leave the axon terminal bulbs, and are conducted across the gaps to the receptor sites of another neuron. There are hormones that actually hinder the conductivity of neurotransmitters across synapses, including norepinephrine. These are produced when someone is stressed about something. Stress hinders the capability of our neurons to continue the pruning of synapses, which also inhibits our ability to learn.
Because hormones determine the growth of neurons, it would suffice to say that our emotions do, in fact, affect learning. When someone is happy, endorphins such as serotonin and dopamine, ensure that neurotransmitters will travel across the synapses. This can be seen when people study with ambient music in the background. The music is pleasing to them, relaxing even, but it does not distract them from their work because it is calming. The happiness they feel because of the music translates into their ability to concentrate and learn what they are studying. Stress, however, and other bad feelings such as a lack of confidence, make people feel bad and produce norepinephrine. The synapses stop firing, halting the learning process. When people feel stressed during a test, they will often forget the material that they studied for. If they breathe, look over the test, and write down what they do remember, the synapses in the area of the brain that locked in the information they need will begin firing again. They will be able to recall the information that they studied and will perform better on the test. As long as the stress can be overcome, the learning process becomes much more efficient.
Stress can come from anywhere, including personal life and in the classroom with colleagues. I have experienced it myself many times. In class, when I am attempting to answer a question, I will have an elaborate “speech” to give that supports my answer, but once I am called on, I lose it. I do not like being in the spotlight, let alone answering a question I may not be sure about. Also, when I am studying in the back room of the house, my family can be distracting. I have the room to myself, but my younger siblings still bother me a lot with loud noise and persistent questions. It causes me to lose my train of thought, and it even happened as I was typing this essay, when my brother kept calling me on my phone. I then have to go back and remember the subject I was just focusing on and what I had just read. If it continues to happen a lot at one time, I become stressed and usually need to take a break in order to get the distractions out of the way.
There are many ways I can improve my learning abilities and encourage stimulation of the neurons in my brain, even in moments when I am stressed. One strategy from the Study Guides website that I can use to improve my involvement in class discussions and in answering questions in class, is to write down my ideas or my understanding of the subject (Landsberger). I used this strategy during a discussion in my English class during my senior year of high school and it was very helpful. Once I write them down, I have keywords I can focus on in case I get called on and forget my answer or the point I was going to make. I can also improve my study skills by using the PATS mnemonic strategy from the JMU Learning Toolbox. It would help me “pick” a good study space, “always” prevent myself from looking out of a window or at a TV, “try” to control and limit noises that distract me, like people talking or my favorite rock music, and to “self talk” to keep myself on track when my mind wanders, which tends to happen frequently (“The Learning Toolbox”). These sources provide many other strategies that people could use to help them in their study practices and concentration. As long as the dendrites are growing, the brain will continue storing knowledge.
Works Cited
Landsberger, Joe. “Finding the Right Study Space.” Study Guides and Strategies. N.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.studygs.net/location.htm>.
"PATS." The Learning Toolbox. James Madison University. N.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.<coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/pats.html>.
Smilkstein, Rita. We're Born to Learn: Using the Brain's Natural Learning Process to Create Today's Curriculum, 2nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, Cal.: Corwin, 2011.