Teacher Education Institute
Call/Text (800) 331-2208 | Fax (407) 536-6000 |   
Teacher Education Institute Register Now
Courses

Whole Brain Learning

The purpose of this course is to provide teachers with the brain-based tools and understanding necessary to assist students in reaching their full potential for test-taking, increasing overall focus, enhancing reading and math skills, improving general study skill techniques, and building self-confidence in today's classrooms. Participants will become familiar with the brain's developmental stages and how they affect learning and behavior, how the body and brain are integrated, and the physical components of learning. Teachers will also be presented with specific movements that can assist with balancing the vestibular system in the brain. The course will describe in detail the states of learning, stress at school, conscious vs. implicit learning, and how to manage a creative and calm classroom along with the means to incorporate these ideas into everyday routines. 

 

Carlow University ED 608 • Madonna University EDU 5960.15 • Mercy University EDUT 561

The required text for this course is Brain-Based Learning: Teaching the Way Students Really Learn, Third Edition, by Eric Jensen & Liesl McConchie.

ISBN: 978-1-5443-6454-4


Graduate participants earn 3 semester hours of graduate credit and will receive a transcript from one of our partner institutions below. Professional development participants will receive a certificate of completion for 45 hours of professional developments credit for face-to-face classes and 60 hours of professional development credit for online classes.

Register Here

Course Schedule

  • 2/13/24 - 5/14/24
  • 4/9/24 - 7/9/24
  • 6/11/24 - 9/10/24
  • 8/13/24 - 11/12/24
  • 10/8/24 - 1/14/25
  • 12/10/24 - 3/11/25

Session 1: Basic Structure to Whole Brain Learning

Contents:

  • Introduction/Pre-assessment: Purpose of the course/Goals and objectives of teachers
  • Introduction to brain-based learning
  • Introduction to parts and functions of the Triune Brain
  • Introduction of movements for focus
  • Developmental stages from conception to age 21+
  • The Vestibular System
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 2: Right and Left Hemisphere Function

Contents:

  • Review Session I
  • Characteristics of hemispheric dominance
  • How to assess your students hemispheric functionality
  • What hemispheric function means to your classroom
  • How to teach to the whole brain
  • Non-conscious learning
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 3: The Physical Component

Contents:

  • Review Session 2
  • The importance of movement
  • Learning is child's play
  • Why every BODY needs water for optimum brain function
  • Chemicals and reactions in the body
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 4: Specific Movements, Specific Results

Contents:

  • Review Session 3
  • The genesis of the Movement movement
  • Movements to enhance spelling
  • Movements to enhance listening abilities
  • Movements that keep the brain alert
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 5: The How, When, Why, Where and What of Stress

Contents:

  • Review Session 4
  • The phenomenon of stress/impact of threat
  • The physical components of stress
  • Emotional Stress
  • Academic Stress
  • Coping with stress in the classroom
  • Methods for heading off the stress response
  • Reflective activities, assignments
  • *This cursory review of stress is expanded upon and covered in an extensive course on stress offered by TEI.

Session 6: Bonding and the Importance of Routines

Contents:

  • Review Session 6
  • Routines in our lives
  • Classroom routines
  • Community bonding
  • Bonding and attachment
  • Bonding rituals
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 7: Emotional Intelligence and Discipline

Contents:

  • Review Session 7
  • What is emotional intelligence?
  • Feelings and emotions are not the same
  • Emotions and the learning process
  • Putting emotions into words and gestures
  • Fear and discipline are incompatible
  • Conflict
  • Discipline strategies
  • The journey to self-control
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 8: Motivation, Making Meaning and Rewards

Contents:

  • Review Session 7
  • Respect and reframing
  • Motivation and demotivation
  • Learned helplessness
  • Meaning making
  • Motivation and rewards
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 9: Lesson Planning

Contents:

  • Review Session 8
  • Brain-based lesson planning part I
  • Brain-based lesson planning part II
  • Review for final exam
  • Reflective activities, assignments

Session 10: Final Exam/Evaluation

Contents:

  • Mind-Brain learning principles
  • Brain metaphor exercise
  • Final integration project
  • Evaluation
Curriculum

Whole Brain Learning is a 13 week 3 credit graduate level or sixty hour professional development course taught online. Modules 1 through 8 will be completed week by week. Modules 9 and 10 will be completed over a five-week period so students will have the opportunity to complete the final integration project.

Partner Universities

Our Partners are well-established regionally and nationally accredited colleges and universities, recognized for academic excellence and their commitment to teachers.

Important Information

Online 3-graduate credit courses are 13 weeks in length.

On-site weekend courses are held Friday evening from 6:00pm-9:00pm and Saturday/Sunday, 8:30am-5:30pm.

Weekday courses are Monday-Friday from 8:00am- 6:00pm.

It is the responsibility of the student to check with their state, county, district, or school to ensure that all requirements are being met by the course you're taking.  

Check the Partner Universities page for specific university information as well as course numbers which are specific to the university partner. 

Students are required to purchase their own textbook, the information for which can be found here. If no book is required it will be specified on the list. We have copies of many of the textbooks should you wish to purchase directly from TEI. 

Professional development (PD) participants receive a certificate of completion from TEI for 45 hours of PD credit for face to face classes and 60 hours of PD credit for online classes. These certificates are mailed within one week of the end of the class and reflect the course title, dates of attendance, and credit hour information. 

Student Academic Integrity
Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.