Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change, adapt, and reorganise itself by forming new neural connections and pathways in response to learning, experience, adaptation to life and injury. If that sounds a little complex then think of it this way, the brain can be changed through practise and memories, with constant repetition or practise you can form and strengthen new connections which if done correctly it can lead to more efficient learning and info retention.
Neuroplasticity is very important for developing therapies for helping people recover from injuries and illnesses such as stroke,
brain injuries and helps create new ways of functioning and behaviour for those experiencing autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, depression and addictions.
When it comes to healthcare and rehabilitation, the results are very positive and they speak for themselves as the neuroplasticity practises are carried out more and more regularly the more research and awareness is exposed.
As for the learning purposes, neuroplasticity can be be really helpful in many ways too, for a very long time we have been told that our skills and personalities are fixed and that we all have a set list of skills and that we were born with them.
But neuroplasticity teaches us that the brain's ability to reshape makes the acquirement of new information and new skills possible. Studies have been done and they show that people learning a second language have their brains readjust and reconfigure to allow for learning to take place.
Understanding the way the brain works is extremely important in most aspect of life. If we know how our brain learns we can help mould it to adapt better to what we learn and experience and make better practises and routines in order to carry out a better path of learning or even better your lifestyle altogether.
After learning about neuroplasticity i realised that its going to be crucial during this course,
i am aware that i need to set some sort of plan or routine to try and improve my learning and how my brain adapts to it.
Attention and generation are a couple of the things that i want to improve during my time in Dev Academy.
My attention span is not terrible and i try to minimise as many distractions as i can during my learning periods but i find the generation part of my learning can do with some work.
I find it hard to relate things to other things in order to retain the information.
I want to try and improve this aspect of my learning to get more efficient results in retention.
Repetition is also very important, as consistent practise is key to building new synapses and solidifying new skills.
Even though i already practise this principle i like to express how important it is for improving your learning by repeatedly practising and exercising the same or similar tasks.
The changes in the brain happen from incremental, progressive challenges that push the brain to adapt, this is called Intensity.
You want to push your brain so that the activity is challenging enough to draw out a positive response but not too hard that it leads to failure.
Another principle i would like to improve for my benefit of the study is time.
In most circumstances the changes happen over an extended period of time, the time depends on the complexity and foreignness of the new behaviour we want to invoke.
I want to get into a schedule where i constantly improve my learning skills to where learning something takes a little less time due to using better practises and procedures.
Music: listening and playing music may have several benefits such as boosting your mood, immune system and ability to learn. It is very helpful with movement, coordination and balance. It can also help with audio and perception skills as well as memory skills.
New language: Research shows that learning a new language may help increase gray matter volume. Gray matter contains many important regions of your brain such as language, attention, memory, emotion and motor skills. Studying a new language can lead to stronger problem-solving and creative thinking skills, improved vocabulary, greater comprehension and increased ability to multitask.
Travel: Travelling is well known to be helpful when it comes to inspiration and opening your perception. Experiencing new scenery and surroundings could also help us learn about different cultures and therefore become better communicators. Visiting new countries and places can give you a new perspective on things like career goals and personal values.
Exercise: Regular exercise can provide several physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits both short-term and long-term. It can help us improve fine motor coordination, brain connectivity and cognitive abilities such as learning and memory.
Play Games: Most people will think that playing video games is not beneficial, but i believe that playing video games has many benefits and every game is different so they might have different influences and benefits like motor coordination, visual recognition, memory, reaction time, reasoning, decision making and problem-solving skills. Gaming can even help you to improve your ability to bounce back from failing and setbacks.
📰 Here is a link to the thinking matters article i read this week 📰
The tern growth mindset is the belief that our mind is not fixed therefore our intelligence, abilities and talents can be moulded and developed through hard work, effort, persistence and repetition. I believe a growth mindset is relevant because it encourages learning from challenges and mistakes, it fosters resilience and it enhances personal and academic achievement by showing individuals that their abilities can be developed. Instead of telling people that they are gifted, talented or that they are born with the skills, it tries to reinforce the idea that if you work hard and practise and repeat an action or activity, you can improve your skills and abilities
Saying that i was surprised by growth mindset is not entirely accurate as i already had learnt about it when i first began studying in tertiary level but i am certain that something has changed for me. I want to attempt to practise neuroplasticity and try and help my brain reach higher levels of learning.
One of the most important things i am trying is listening to music while i study, playing music in the background, a mellow chill beat with low volume so it is not too powerful but enough to be able to hear it and keep my mood mellow and happy when i am doing my work and i hope this will keep my creativity and energy high while i am studying. I have also started doing the breathing exercises before i begin a session of study, i have found that this exercise helps me relax, as well as feeling more focused and sharp for a period of time. Some days i do it twice or three times if i feel tired or even if i feel like i am losing concentration. Doing regular exercise is something that i was doing before i joined the course and i plan to carry on with it all the way through as i believe it will help me with my learning, clearing my head and feeling good about myself.
📰 Learn more here in this Education Hub link 📰