Robin Gibson's List: Movement & Learning

• Bringing dance into your classroom will not only increase learnin
• but will make your classroom a healthier, happier place to learn and teach.

• strong connections between physical education, movement, breaks, recess, energizing activities, and improved cognition. It demonstrates that movement can be an effective cognitive strategy to (1) strengthen learning, (2) improve memory and retrieval, and (3) enhance learner motivation and morale.

• Human play has been studied quite rigorously. Some studies suggest that students will boost academic learning from games and other so-called “play” activities (Silverman, 1993). There are several theories about why all mammals (including humans) play. But there is no controversy around the notion that we do play, and that it is generally good for us. Many early cognitive researchers ignored play, assuming it had nothing to do with intellectual growth. They were dead wrong. Many play-oriented movements have the capacity to improve cognition, including the following: 

   
  • Exercise play (aerobics, running, chasing, dance routines).
   
  • Rough-and-tumble play (soccer, football, wrestling).
   
  • Solitary play (doing puzzles, object manipulation).
   
  • Outdoor learning activities (digging, observing insects).
   
  • Stand and stretch activities (tai chi, Simon Says).
   
  • Group or team competitive games and activities (relays, cheerleading).
   
  • Constructive play (building with blocks, model building).
   
  • Exploratory play (hide and seek, scavenger hunts, make-believe).
   
  • Functional play (purposeful play, such as practicing a new skill).
   
  • Group noncompetitive games (earth ball).
   
  • Individual competitive games (marbles, track and field, hopscotch).
   
  • Adventure or confidence play (ropes courses, trust walks).
   
  • Group noncompetitive activities (dance, drama).
   
  • Walking excursions (outdoors, indoors).
   
   
• measurable academic and social results of schoolchildren who study dance. She notes the positive changes in self-discipline, grades, and sense of purpose in life that her students demonstrate.

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• searchers noted that regular exercise seems to be associated with improved divergent and convergent thinking, which are considered the two components of creative thinking; the former involves thinking of multiple solutions for one problem, while the latter involves thinking of one solution for a problem.

• synchronized almost perfectly with growth rates in one critical region of the brain, the area that coordinates movements originating in other parts of the brain.
• that play might be related to growth of the cerebellum, since they both peak at about the same time; that there is a sensitive period in brain growth, during which time it’s important for an animal to get the brain-growth stimulation of play; and that the cerebellum needs the whole-body movements of play to achieve its ultimate configuration.
• first direct evidence of a neurological effect of play deprivation.
• Play is thought to be one of the environmental influences that help in the pruning — and, this research showed, play deprivation interferes with it

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• after a 30-minute stint on the treadmill, students actually do up to 10 percent better at provlem solving. 

   "It's good for attention, it's good for how fast individuals process information, and how they perform on cognitive tasks," says Hillman.

• child's ability to learn because of increased blood and oxygen flow and the creation of new brain cells.

• After gym, the students go to second period English, where they focus for 20 minutes on reading comprehension. Then they take a “brain break.” This quick burst of activity is a quick way to refresh and re-focus. Then it’s back to the books.

• These games or physical exercises are called "brain breaks" by the students and teachers and usually last two to three minutes.