Ok, so I am an educator and I teach ESL to adults ranging from 17 years old all the way to the 80 somethings. More often than I would want to, I ask myself the same question: Can an old brain learn, and then remember what it learned? Should this brain be (at all) in a school setting?
And so, it is with this question in mind that I started researching the topic and stumbled upon this phenomenal and interesting article on "How to Train the Aging Brain". This article written by Barbara Strauch explains how the aging brain can be trained not only to learn but to retain more of what it learns. The author debates that middle-aged brains, although less focused, compensate in some part by greater and faster reasoning. They actually become more capable of understanding the big picture, of recognizing the main idea and can continue to develop if done the right way. How do we do that? by finding ways to keep our neurons connected and active. By "scrambling our cognitive eggs and challenging our perceptions of the world".
According to the author, our brains are "plastic", meaning that under the right circumstances the brain can produce 'new' cells and can even get more cells to connect with others.
I am embarrassed to say that even after reading this, I continue to ask myself whether my older students are ever going to learn all those new concepts, grammar points and vocabulary words that I have in store for them. I am hopeful that they will.
yo pienso que si, 100pre y cuando se presente de manera atractiva y con sentido para su diario vivir. soooooooo... They Will!! :)
ReplyDelete...and the winner is...Shavy! Mi primer comentario, gracias hermanita por el apoyo, estoy bastante emocionada con esto de escribir todas las cosas que no me dejan dormir en la noche, jajaja
ReplyDeleteSe que mis estudiantes aprenden, aun cuando a veces me desesperan y desaniman... este es mi llamado y aqui estoy!