Hello everyone! My name is Ashley Watts and I will be
leading our weekly discussion. This week we will be reading chapters three and
four from the book, The Art of Changing
the Brain. These chapters discuss brain connections and motivation of the
learner. Along with reading these chapters, you will also need to read the
article on possible effects of the Internet on the adolescent brain. This article,
along with a review of the article, can be found on Moodle. Below are some
topics for discussion. I am looking forward to hearing from everyone!
1. Before reading the article, what were your thoughts on
how the Internet impacted adolescents in the classroom?
2. Did your thoughts change after reading the article? If
so, in what way(s)?
3. In chapter 8 of Zadina’s book, she discusses how
technology is rewiring the adolescent brain. Some ways positive, some negative.
It is stated that learning games can be motivating, but multitasking can impair
learning. How would you create an equal balance among your students?
4. In chapter four of The Art of Changing the Brain, Zull
discusses motivation. He states that extrinsic motivation is usually aimed at
the wrong target and intrinsic motivation leads to learning being the reward.
Do you think the use of the Internet in learning motivates the students
extrinsically or intrinsically? Have you seen examples of these types of
motivation in your own classroom?
