A Quiz on Neuroscience and Neuromyths

From the Marshall Memo #440

In this Education Week article, Sarah Sparks reports on the nascent field of mind, brain, and education. It appears that many K-12 educators are being exposed to bits and pieces of information, some of it true, some half-true, and some simply wrong. Paul Howard-Jones, a senior lecturer in psychology and neuroscience at the University of Bristol (UK), says, “In the absence of legitimate neuroscience in education, a neuro-mythology has arisen in schools.” 

How good are you at separating fact from fiction? Test yourself on these statements and then check the answers published on SL 2.0 on June 19.  Click here for answers.

1. Students learn better when the instructional format, such as visual or kinesthetic, matches their learning style.

2. A learning disability associated with genetic differences in the brain can be remediated by educational interventions during the school years. 

3. Except in cases of extreme injury or trauma, the brain no longer makes new connections after the age of 18.

4. Boys’ brains are hardwired to be better at spatial tasks than girls’ brains.

5. If a child does not learn a language before a critical window closes, he or she will never become fluent. 

6. Emotion hinders reasoning and memory in the brain. 

7. Cognitive and physical exercises can help integrate the hemispheres of a student’s brain. 

8. Most people do not use their entire brain, but it’s possible to bring more of your brain “online” with cognitive training. 

9. A student with a dominant left-brain hemisphere is likely to be more creative, but also may have difficulty with spatial skills. 

10. Students use different memory systems to ride a bike and recall a phone number.

11. Drinking less than the equivalent of six glasses of water a day causes the brain to dehydrate and shrink, impairing learning.

“Teachers Need Lessons in Neuroscience, Experts Say” by Sarah Sparks in Education Week, June 6, 2012 (Vol. 31, #33, p. 16-17), 

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/06/06/33teachers.h31.html