Learning Log #2 and Kim Peek "The real Rainman"

Kim Peek the real "Rainman" is 57 years old and lives with his father. His four brain lobes are fused together and aren't separate. His brain is constantly making connections that don't get sorted into certain areas of the brain. No synaptic pruning occurs, so everything stays in his mind and he doesn't know the depth background. He is remarkably talented and memorized anything from six topics. One is reading which he loves and can remember 98.3% of what he has read in one hour. Another category is music which he just started doing and can play pieces he remembers hearing in his childhood and can hear different instruments. His father want to show Kim to as many people as he can, so they can learn from him and meet an amazing person. Traveling all over the world he went to England and was given an award to become a honorary alumni. This was because he was asked one question to name all of englands monarchs up until the present. He did this and started in the 800's with the Saxons all the way up to Elizabeth. He is inspirational and I really enjoyed going to listen to him.
What?
This week through the reading and in class dicussion, I learned a lot about cognitive development and its function in the brain. It has four main functions first that learning changes neurons and causes more synapses that occur, which make new connections. Changes in the brain allow our minds to have more educated thoughts, which are caused by synaptic pruning and myelination. Many parts of our brain work to together to enable behavior and thoughts to happen. Lastly the brain is contines to remain adaptable and change throughout life. Neuron networks are only strengthened through use, which means, teaching students unique instruction and taking htem new paths that will cause new sparks.
One thing I knew had an effect on students and everyone was if you think of yourself in certain ways, you end up becoming them. We talked in class about fixed versus growth mindset and this ties back to into self-talk and self-esteem. Teachers have a very bug impact that can cause children to have fixed mindsets causing their learning to decrease. We as teachers sometimes think we are helping a student by telling them"You're smart", but in fact its hurting them. We need to tell them how well they improved or did a certain assignment, and this will give them the correct confidence. The confidence to be challenged and acheive greater tasks.
The last thing I learned was that equilibration is important to understand, so you can gage where students levels are. Then use your data to accomodate them and see if they understand what goes next and how to get there.
So what?
Cognitive development, mindset, and equilibration are important for teachers to know about to help them learn in the right ways. Students all are growing cognitively each day and you want to know that they are using them correctly. Your teaching needs to be information that causes dendrites to keep growing. This will happen if each student has been shown that they are hard workers and can accomplish tasks. High expectations will push students and they will be learning more. This is included in the syallbus because these are all major factors that start learning and make it progress. If we are teaching students we want to be of benefit ans that's why we are here. This knowledge will help me to be a great teacher by realizing the best tools and theories that have made children learn and remember more. I will see where they are in the process of equilibration and judge off it.
Now What?
I still need to continue reading about cognitive development and what needs to be happening at each age level. I need to see wher their ZPD is and how to challenge or simplify something. I need to be around children more and see this students learning processes first hand. Scaffolding is also something that I need to understand and the way it works.