Movement Matters
Have you ever worked at a standing work station? Or taken a movement break to recharge when you were feeling sluggish? These simple activities work and can prime the brain for learning and boost well being. Dr. John J. Ratey, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Spark: The Revolutionary Science of Exercise and the Brain states that “What it means is that you have the power to change your brain. All you have to do is lace up your running shoes”.
In his Ted Talk, Dr. Ratey shares research showing that movement, simply put, is like Miracle Gro for learners’ brains. It increases neuorplasticity, which cultivates brain cell growth. Exercise also releases a protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor), which also activates the growth of new neurons.
How does this translate to the classroom? Here are three ways that I am going to add movement into my learning design.
Add movement to multiple choice review questions. Put a daily review question on the projector and ask learners to stand. Then ask learners to answer by doing the specific movement for the option they are choosing. For example option a. could be waiving their arms in the air, b. could be tapping their head, c. could be touching their shoulders, and d. could be putting their hands on their hips. Then put the optional answers up on the projector and ask learners (when you say go) when I say go to show which they chose for the answer.
Part-way through class, at about 25 minutes after the start of class, put up a stretch break slide and ask learners to stand up, stretch, and walk around for one to three minutes.
Put large paper with warm up or this-or-that type questions into corners of the room. Ask learners to bring a writing utensil and answer each question and then respond to another student’s response.
How will you incorporate movement into the classroom?
