April 2008 - Posts

• Bonus Blog: Why Move in the Classroom? (Visual-Proprioceptive-Visual System Overview)

  If they could only sit still! Children's bodies want to be on the move constantly, given the opportunity. Teachers across the country are making that possible without a power struggle with chair-less classrooms. Exercise (Stability) Balls replace traditional chairs, reportedly improving student focus, posture and fitness all at the same time. The topic came up during a Health Ed Network seminar I presented in St. Louis "Educational Applications of Current Neuroscience" on March 7. It follows Carla Hannaford's observations in her classic book Smart Moves-All Learning Is Not In Your Head. Movement is essential for learning. Children's need for movement is based in the Vestibular System and the "Triad" described in workshops by Mary Kawar MS, OTR.  Consulting with colleagues to further educate myself and answer participant's questions about the Visual – Proprioceptive-Ocular Systems, I acknowledge Anne Yockey MS, OTR for her guidance and professional resources in this search. She recommends workshops by Mary Kawar, MS, OTR for more information on these topics. http://www.vitallinks.net/workshops.shtml   Visual-Proprioceptive-Visual SystemThe Triad: Vestibular-Proprioceptive-Visual Systems are building blocks for higher level learning. We must look beyond traditional auditory teaching approaches and engage this foundational triad to create optimal learning. The integration of movement, eyes, ears and mouth works best.    Visual Processing: Perfect 20/20 vision indicates only the clarity with which one sees. The traditional eye chart does not reassure reading ability or visual function. Visual Information Processing is a more meaningful term; referring to the visual processing skills necessary for learning and performance.    EMDR-Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Eye movements correlate with emotional processing, so they can be used as a tool in healing. Research has proven EMDR effective in psychotherapeutic treatment of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). During EMDR, the client attends to emotionally disturbing material while focusing on an external stimulus. The therapist directs lateral eye movements, and uses hand tapping and audio stimulation. For more information visit the association's website: http://www.emdr.com/briefdes.htm  Vestibular System: This system balances all sensory systems; very important for learning. It’s located in the three semicircular canals of the inner ear. Vestibular receptors are the tiny hair cells (cristae) within the semicircular canals, the utricle and saccule of the vestibular labyrinth. From Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice Fisher, Murray and Bundy 1991The cochlea, also in the inner ear, takes care of hearing. Because it’s surrounded by a liquid [paralymph] also shared with the vestibular system, vestibular stimulation can also improve hearing.   Proprioceptive System: This senses spatial orientation and organization of body parts through information arising form one’s position and movement for purposes of motor planning and control. It monitors intensity, rate, duration and timing of force of movement needed under all circumstances, based on muscle tension: how much and how fast a muscle is being stretched.    Proprioceptive Signals: They originate in muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints, connective tissue and vibratory receptors in the bones. Feedback indicates the degree of stretch registered in the endings of muscle spindles. Occupational Therapists consider whether movement is active—originating from the individual’s own brain, or passive—created externally. This information is adapted from workshop materials from Mary Kawar, MS, OTR. +++++++ Health Ed Network sends me to present seminars across the nation where I still learn as much as I teach—just as during my school counselor days. Their site is www.health-ed.com  Please check www.ourbrainbuddies.com  About Us-Schedule for upcoming seminars. I also present through Connections of the Heart LLC, but without official Continuing Education Units.     Research continues into the use of Classroom Stability Balls. More information can be found at:www.wittfitt.com :Lisa Witt, a teacher in Hudson, Wisconsin has used stability balls in her classrooms in Iowa and Colorado, and now conducts training for teachers in their use. Balls with "legs" are available preventing them from "escaping" all over the room.  http://student-health-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/no_more_classroom_chairs May's Nature Blog follows, focusing on Negative and Positive Ions. Thanks for your interest, and for passing this address on to your colleagues! Sandi   © Sandra Sunquist Stanton MS, NCC, LPC, Connections of the Heart LLC For additional articles and information, visit www.ourbrainbuddies.com or send an email sandi@ourbrainbuddies.com Posted Apr 29 2008, 01:56 PM by Sandi with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Neuroscience in Education, Max Your Mind, Learning, School Climate, Social Skills, Problem Solving, Health, Brain Coaching, Vestibular-Proprioceptive-Visual Triad

• Nature and Negative Ions-May 2008

  Five inches of frustrating but beautiful snow covered our budding tree branches this morning. Who knew? We just got a taste of weather in the 70's last week! It's only proof that Nature loves surprises. I'm ready for more refreshing outdoor breaks--how about you? My body and brain are revitalized when I can rest my eyes focusing on a distant horizon. Exercising in fresh air treats my senses to healthier smorgasbord. Indoor air, especially close to a cathode-tube-computer monitor saps my energy and mood. Searching for solutions to my blurry vision, backaches, headaches, and general fatigue after long work sessions led me to several researchers' work linking the problem to positive and negative ions. Dr. Albert P. Krueger found that positive ions slow the sweeping action of tiny hairs in our throats making it harder for them to cut mucus flow. Negative ions speed them up, raising the body's resistance to allergens. Web MD's Denise Mann summarizes it this way: "Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments.Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy." Falling water creates negative ions--in a waterfall, at the seashore, in a rain storm, and even in your bathroom shower. It creates a feeling of well being for many. Maybe that's why so many people choose vacation destinations near moving water. A 1991 article in Whole Self Magazine entitled "Ions and Consciousness" gives these figures to paint the picture. "The normal ion count in fresh country air is 2,000 to 4,000 negative ioins per cubic centimeter (about the size of a sugar cube). At Yosemite Falls, you'll experience over 100,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter. On the other hand, the level is far below 100 per cubic centimeter of Los Angeles freeways during rush hour." Back to the VODS (Video Operator Distress Syndrome) that started my search. According to Charles Wallach, former Food and Drug Consultant,the symptoms I experienced can result from working too close or too long exposed to the high electrostatic charge from the cathode rays in computer monitors and TV screens. Bingo! Time to give my mind and body what it needs. Of course there are long scientific explanations for what happens, and folks who make their living making and selling negative ion generators--both of which may be well worth investigating. For now, just know that fresh air is much more complicated than it looks. After a spring rain shower, the air feels washed clean--and it is. Falling water increases the negative ions we breathe. Make the time to get outdoors and join the kids as they play in the rain.  They're on to something!                                                                           ++++++++++++    Thanks for passing this site on to your colleagues. I'm amazed to report that the website has 112,000 hits and growing--with your help. Don't miss the Bonus Blog on the Vestibular-Proprioceptive-Ocular System. This is it for the school year--can you believe it? I'm planning next year's blog and would appreciate your comments. Which topics hit the mark for you? What would you like to learn more about? How are you using this information? Would you be willing to share your great ideas? Just email me and I'll pass it on with credit to you, of course. © Sandra Sunquist Stanton MS, NCC, LPC, Connections of the Heart LLC For additional articles and information, visit www.ourbrainbuddies.com or send an email sandi@ourbrainbuddies.com        Posted Apr 28 2008, 02:08 PM by Sandi with no comments Filed under: Max Your Mind, Neurotransmitters, Emotions, Nature, Health, Well Being, Brain Coaching