The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain by DrRobbins

The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain by DrRobbins https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz What thoughts do you have about how Strauch challenges our assumptions about our brains as they age? What do you think is next frontier in supporting adult learners throughout the life span? (Any implications for online learning are encouraged!) en-us 2018-11-04 20:27:30 UTC 2018-11-12 08:00:30 UTC hello@padlet.com Izzy Wroblewski https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301300737 I found this video very insightful and gave me a lot of hope for the future! I do admit that I do not spend a lot of time thinking about learners who are middle-aged. It was amazing to hear the studies about how the grown-up brain is really sharp, even if you can't remember the name of a person you have known for years. This does make basic sense though. When a person hits middle age, they have had so many lived-experiences and have juggled many things, so the learning that has occurred outside the classroom has helped for adults to learn how to best handle everything life has to throw at you. It was also hopeful to hear about the way the amygdala changes to help you see the world more as glass half full. I look forward to being even more happy and positive than I am right now. It was great to hear about how exercise can help the brain stay sharp, physical exercise as well as challenging thought exercise. I really enjoyed this talk! ]]> 2018-11-07 01:49:20 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301300737 Andrea Saldana https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301318091 I think Strauch’s claims challenging the aging brain are very profound and provide a basis for why we as educators want to teach adults. I think that with these challenges to the idea of a brain declining in cognitive abilities as we age, it allows for more opportunities in continuing education and non traditional learning for adults from a variety of backgrounds. As she also describes that there are benefits to an aging middle age brain that enhance and allows opportunities for connections within learning both academically and personally. I found it interesting how I always noticed that middle aged adults tended to remember details from an experience 5-10 years ago but could not tell you what they had for lunch yesterday. I always assumed this was part of a nostalgic aging brain but not never anything more. This makes me think about our adult learners from a new perspective and take into consideration the value and experience their age and learning bring to our classroom. I think that in terms of the adult learner, their aging brain and online instruction it offers a space where connections can be made virtually and lends itself well to the older adults and the integration of technology. I think implications are that learning needs to be able to adapt to the learner where they are, and if middle age learners are the majority of your target audience, instruction meant for youth/young adults is not going to be as efficient or hit the targets that they need and want to. Plus, older learners already have a plethora of experiences under their belt as opposed to younger newer learners who might want or need more guidance in instruction.

]]> 2018-11-07 03:27:37 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301318091 Cindy Zhang https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301324629 As an adult learner, this is an interesting yet educational video clip. It made me wonder an older statement I used to hear, which is a human being only utilizes a small percent, maybe about 5% of their entire brain capacity during their lifetime. In addition, the ability of brain deteriorates as the person ages, However, these statements are controversial. After watching this video, Strauch showed the fascinating side of potential strength of the brain, as the individual ages. Basically, brain itself would improve over time as individuals grow older. This further suggests the potential learning capability of adult learners that they are skilled to engage in various academic interests. Besides the aging aspect of brain improvement, physical and mental exercise also aid the process of brain development. I guess what I like to interpret this is, the brain functions as a sponge, it absorbs when its being pressed, the more it gets being "exercised", the more it will intake. Therefore, brain is able to adapts to changes over time as the individual experiences life. Perhaps the next frontier in supporting adult learners throughout the life span would be human social interaction with the assistance technology. Given how quickly technology advances these days, adult learners could certainly benefit from the various online learning tools advanced technology brings.]]> 2018-11-07 04:09:21 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301324629 Alexander Tang alexxtango https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301342679 I found it intriguing how adults in "middle age" between forty to sixty scored better on assessments and tests than younger people. I had always thought that younger people do better because they think sharper, but I stand corrected as Strauch presented the evidence to support her claim. Although, I do think there is an important message that needs to repeated again in my response. The first is EXERCISE and second is EATING HEALTHY. I cannot stress this enough because eating healthy, like wild salmon and blueberries is important, but adding exercise will help adult learners think more critically. There is a quote from a class I took in high school that just ran across my head-- you are what you eat. Not only adult learners, but any human that does not eat healthy will not be able to function cognitively while they are learning or completing tasks, such as a graduate student reading to writing papers in an online class about adult learning and psychology. Implications for online learning would be to encourage your peers to eat healthy in order to promote more dynamic discussions, as well as exercising regularly everyday for at least sixty minutes. As someone who turned around their life two years ago, eating healthy and exercising regularly by running everyday, definitely made an impact as to how I think and learn as an adult!! This is what Strauch indicated in the beginning and the end of the presentation-- names are easily forgotten... but why? Perhaps the lack of nutrition in food and rigorous exercise is not occurring in adults as regularly as it should!!!]]> 2018-11-07 06:41:34 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301342679 Chia-Ling Chi (Lydia) https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301913741

Science researches never fail to amaze me. Although I’ve never really supported the idea which human brain functions decline as people age, it is still fascinating to hear that middle age adults score better on cognitive tests than younger adults. Most people view older adults forgetting little things, such as forgetting a person’s name or forgetting if they have gotten milk for the kids as signs of aging. However, younger adults may also have faced the same experience. I think middle age adults just have different priorities in life through their life experiences. Middle age people have strong cognitive skills of getting to the core of something and drawing appropriate conclusion just based on vague information. They also have been though more in life which make them more positive and focus on things that are more important a certain stage of life. These are all because of the learning and knowledge through their daily life. I think having a balance life is very important for every single person, no matter what the age is. In order to have a happy, healthy life and mind, having the appropriate diet, getting enough exercises and keeping the brain challenged are all very important!

]]> 2018-11-08 07:09:46 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301913741 Edgar M. Rodriguez https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301922813 I want to focus on how Strauch talks on this idea of shifting towards the positive in the middle age brain. "The positivity effect" was very fascinating to me as we ignore the "warning" systems in the amygdala and focus on the positive. I wonder about how this "positivity effect" may come into play with those who have had or experience trauma. This "positivity effect" seems to be rooted in whiteness and lacks complexity in understanding narratives that are outside dominant discourse and/or identity experiences. Specifically thinking of the ways that our education system has historically and continues to oppress marginalized students across all functional areas.]]> 2018-11-08 07:47:33 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301922813 Jiayu Zhao https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301939241 After I watched the video, Strauch and her team's test tell everyone that our brains continue to develop. Aging equals decline is not true, on the contrary, our brains are functioning at the best at the new modern middle age. I think it is true. The reason that people think older people won't have the brain function as good as young people is because of slowing down of response rate with age, but it doesn't mean the brain is not sharp anymore. In China, we say: “It is never too old to learn.“, and in English we also say: "Live and learn." It seems the ancients already understand the importance of adult learning throughout the life span. Strauch's text give us many confidence about adult teaching. And its result also support many adult learners to keep going. They will understand that age is not a weakness for them, conversely, it will even be a advantage for them.]]> 2018-11-08 08:47:10 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/301939241 Meggie Stafne stafnem https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302346627 This research is amazing! One aspect of research that still stuns me is the brains ability to regenerate new brain cells through exercise. We talk about this benefit a lot with concussed athletes returning to play. Strach even discuss that this exercise does not have to be physically exerting, that putting the brain through disorienting dilemmas will make it create these new connects and push the brain out of its cognitive rut. She also mentions how important eating healthy is for optimal brain function. I stress this to my athletes all the time. I phase it that our brains need fuel to function, even when they are injured and not exercising we still need to properly fuel our brains because it affects all other areas of our well-being (healing, sleeping habits, mood, and so much more). Another aspect that Strauch shares is the research on the amygdala and how this portion of the brain changes as we age. It is fascinating to me that the middle age brains alert system reacts less and less to negative things and has a shift towards positive images. Most adult know that exercise and eating healthy are good for them but I think if we start associating these aspects with health of the middle age brain. Then we can intrinsically motivate adult learners and help to remove the old tale that cognitive ability rapidly declines as we age. It reframes learning as adult as a positive experience.]]> 2018-11-08 21:39:41 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302346627 Alex Brookhart https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302363366 Before watching this video, I had a lot of preconceived notions about the detriment of our brains as we age, which were refuted by Strauch. Contrary to what I originally thought, our brains function better in middle age as we use both halves of the brain whereas we only use part of the brain when younger. One point I found particularly applicable to how we can continue supporting adult learners throughout the life span is through providing opportunities to 'kick' their brains out of cognitive ruts. The middle age brain can fall into default mode and get comfortable, so as educators we need to find ways to present opportunities to disturb this default by presenting new information, making the brain uncomfortable, and challenging views in order to exercise the brain which will produce new brain cells and get out of the cognitive rut. Online learning may be one facet in which learners can 'kick' their brains out of a rut, be engaged, and challenge themselves. ]]> 2018-11-08 22:44:20 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302363366 Will Radcliffe https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302424283 I found this video very insightful. Much like several other classmates' preconceived notions about aging and the brain--this was a great refreshing and exciting video about how we can continue to challenge our learning. It makes sense to say that if we continue to challenge and put ourselves in unfamiliar situations, our brain will learn to adapt and grow. What's great to know that this won't stop with age! I think what's important to take away from this is that you still need to keep your brain healthy, which can be done with good nutrition and exercise. ]]> 2018-11-09 04:35:58 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302424283 Catherine Carrera cat_carrera https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302872071 This video is very insightful and always believed that our brain, just like our bodies deteriorate if we don't do everything we can to help it function properly through diet and exercise. I think her research is fascinating and provides hope that there are ways to help our brains as we age. It almost seems that the middle age brain focuses on the important details as she mentioned such as structuring complex deals between different continents rather than the mundane details of where they ate lunch. Additionally, I like the point she makes in the end that "the only thing that's really old and tired are some of the concepts about aging that are built into our social order." As educators, we must also change our views or misconceptions of older students and find better ways to support the this population in our classrooms.]]> 2018-11-10 15:31:55 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302872071 Nicolas Lee https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302911131 I think a lot of the assumptions that I held around aging and our brains were ways that I tried to make sense of different experiences and trying to understand what I had seen around me. I am one of the youngest people in my family so I have seen a lot of my family members and currently see a lot of them aging and dealing with different things that their bodies and minds are going through. For the longest time, for example, my grandmother has had arthritis for nearly my whole life and as time has passed, it has gotten more and more severe to the point where she can't walk very far on her own and even with assistance has to usually take a break. I think these assumptions and observations I make I place back on to the brain and think of how the brain is part of the body so it also must be affected to. I think in general, for adult learners, it's clear that their minds and ways of thinking are far more developed then my own so trying to understand how to challenge adult learners in their thinking and not dismissing different opinions just because they're "from a different generation." ]]> 2018-11-10 21:05:25 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/302911131 Matthew LeBleu https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303057850 I really found this video to be interesting, I also loved how she incorporated her own experience into it as well. Her research provides great insight and lets us know that there are ways to help our brains as we age. I honestly found the longitudinal studies of mental competence to be very interesting because it confirmed my assumptions on the middle-aged brain; that people are functioning better cognitively than they did in the early 20s. However, she did state that the younger mind will learn faster, but in the end, the middle-aged person will still be able to come out with the same result. It's nice to know that our brains serve us better as we age.

]]> 2018-11-11 22:37:25 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303057850 Cené Tamashiro tamashi5 https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303106472 I liked this video a lot. I always get moments as I'm fast approaching my 30s that I'm not as fast or quick as when I was in my early 20s. I know that doesn't seem like a big difference but it was always kind of a mild fear of mine on changes that I would see. I really liked that she did point out some realities of middle age and acknowledged them. It made the studies have more impact when she talked about how middle age learners are at their peak and that have so much to learn and can adapt to challenges. She gave specific examples like forgetting people's names but also showed examples of people doing extraordinary things like landing in the Hudson river. In terms of the future, I feel that we need to encourage adult learning. I feel like middle age to old age we should as a society encourage being physically and mentally active as much as possible. It has a lot of health benefits and it keeps the brain to optimal performance. I feel like in the future, there will be more studies about middle age to old age and I'm looking forward to the data. I would want to see if there is a big change or if it's rather just lifestyle that changes everything else. ]]> 2018-11-12 04:29:41 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303106472 Travis Kim https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303107262 now that I'm 23 I am in a spot where I know I'm still pretty young, but I know I'm not as young as I used to be. I've gotten some comments from people saying that "oh you're still so young", but these are things that I am telling other younger people. Watching this video gave me some sort of hope. I think that there is a preconceived notion that as people get older that means that they will lose chances for opportunities. This could mean physically mentally and also academically. I think a lot of what she is saying contradicts these preconceived notions, and one shouldn't dismiss the possibility and potential for something like an education just because of their age.]]> 2018-11-12 04:36:27 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303107262 Carine Suacillo https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303120345 This is a very interesting video. At first I was worried because despite my young age, I tend to forget names and simple day-to-day tasks, but I am glad that I may not be suffering from any mental problems. What she says about being enthusiastic and positive as we grow made me remember about the adage "With age comes wisdom."

However, there are times when adults tend to become 'traditional' and tend to stay within their comfort zones, but the video tells us otherwise. It is vital that we venture out of our comfort zones because that is where learning takes place. This means that as we grow old, we should learn how to give some uncertainties a fair amount of trial before having any prejudice towards these things. For instance, some adult learners may be afraid to try new technologies because "they're too old for it" or "it's not what they're used to". But this shouldn't be the case because age is not really a big factor whether one can learn or not. Adults may take more time to learn but they are also capable of learning new things.

]]> 2018-11-12 06:29:41 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303120345 Alli Botelho https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303135364 I truly enjoyed watching this video and found it interesting to learn more about the middle age brain. For me, I have seen the negative impact of aging on the brain within my family members. My grandma who Is my best friend had dementia and it was hard to see her brain slowly lose the knowledge she once had. I think that Strauch provided an insightful view about aging and the brain in a more positive way that I never really thought about beforehand. This video is quite applicable to adult learning as she emphasizes the way our brain processes information in more efficient ways than before. One aspect that really stuck out to me was how our brains can fall into default mode and become comfortable. I think that this is an important implication to take into account when working with adult learners. We need to push to ensure that learners are able to push themselves out of their comfort zone and challenge their view of the world. This will allow them to keep their brain sharp and continue engaging in learning,]]> 2018-11-12 07:56:28 UTC https://padlet.com/robbinst6/kk5its5o8pyz/wish/303135364