OCEANA : Why do we teach neuroscience in class?

CURRENT SITUATION

Our society evolves as fast at new technological developments do. We want our commodities to be faster and more attractive. Teachers have difficulty with the lack of attention children display in class.

Schools are now faced with this question of how to improve attention and learning: the directors and teachers need to work together to come up with new solutions.  These school work in collaboration with experts in education, researchers, and teachers with innovative teaching methods (e.g., interventions by Francois Taddei or Stanislas Dehaene) to better understand learning processes, and to re-evaluate the teaching processes applied in class.

As a part of this approach, we at OCEANA are working on questions like:

How can we optimise the learning and concentration of students whose behaviour and concentration is being affected by today’s new lifestyle?

Which strategies should we adopt to optimise teaching strategies to facilitate students and teachers?

INPUT FROM NEUROSCIENCE

Today, these issues are rising to prominence and scientific research studies are being conducted within and across the fields of social, cognitive, and neuro-sciences. There are no miracles to improve education, but the conclusions from today’s research on education and learning will be able to facilitate education staff by supporting or rejecting existing teaching strategies and methods.  These research outputs can also guide and inform politicians and educational directors on the direction of education development. Over time, this guidance allows for more partnerships between researchers and educators to be put in place, allowing both parties to succeed and to achieve the goal of action research.

Many functions of the brain are involved in how we learn, these include attention, memory, the regulation of emotions and motivation, and dealing with stress. Naturally, these functions also affect an individual’s well being at school. Certain solutions to improve education and learning, based on cumulative scientific evidence, have already been proposed by researchers. One example is the necessity of sleep to improve retention of (new) information.  Unfortunately, this large demand from educational staff to make use of neuroscientific research to improve teaching methods  requires time. Here, at Cogni Junior, and all related projects, our aim is to begin planting the seeds to provide a fertile environment to test and determine which teaching methods are useful.  In parallel, we want to disclose which methods pretend to be based on neuroscientific knowledge but are in fact not scientifically validated. . Ultimately, for the improvement and education of our future generations,  we hope to minimise the expansion of these non-scientifically-validate teaching methods, while encouraging the growth of scientifically-validated ones.

 

We are taking support in research showing that:
  • teaching how the brain and learning work imrpove academic achievement: Dekker & Jolles, 2015; Paunesku et al., 2015; Claro & Dweck 2016
  • regulating stress and emotions matters in the developing brain: Hedges & Woon, 2010
  • understand how attention, executives functions, emotions work and can be regulated impact socio-emotional skills and latter professional outcome: Diamond 2010, 2011; Schonert-reichl et al., 2015; Deheane – 2014, Houdé – ongoing school program 2017
in info_en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

OCEANA : References

Discover our readings around the OCEANA program:

View my Flipboard Magazine.

Questionnaires:

Here is a list of questionnaires used in research to study meditation and education across the literature. If you wish to use them, you should verify the usage licence, if the questionnaire is use for clinical purpose or school purpose : question can be oriented and not adapted to what you want to lead, and if a version in the language that you need exists. Often, you can find short and long version of these questionnaires. At last, verify that question are adapted to you age group (complexity of the questions).

More details

AFTCC : french nonprofit organization for cognitive-behavioral therapy

INSERM Laboratory: Research Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (bordeaux university): ongoing study to evaluate the effect of “focus, it’s working!” on academic success and well being of students at school.

Adèle DIAMOND

Main References (see also questionnaires and features that we used)

In the letarature, we took a look at the review from SA Krawietz

Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Davidson, R. J. (2015). Promoting prosocial behavior and self-regulatory skills in preschool children through a mindfulness-based Kindness Curriculum. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 44–51. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0038256

Mendelson, T., Greenberg, M. T., Dariotis, J. K., Gould, L. F., Rhoades, B. L., Leaf, P. J. (2010). Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a School-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Urban Youth. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(7), 985–994. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010– 9418-x

Schonert-reichl, K. a, Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing Cognitive and Social–Emotional Development Through a Simple-to- Administer Mindfulness-Based School Program for Elementary School

Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52–66. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0038454.

Albrecht, N. J., Albrecht, P. M., & Cohen, M. (2012). Mindfully teaching in the classroom: A literature review. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(12), 1–14. http://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2012v37n12.2

Bei, B., Byrne, M. L., Ivens, C., Waloszek, J., Woods, M. J., Dudgeon, P., … Allen, N. B. (2013). Pilot study of a mindfulness-based, multi-component, in-school group sleep intervention in adolescent girls. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 7(2), 213–220. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7893.2012.00382.x

Black S. et Fernando, R. (2013). Mindfulness training and classroom behavior among lower-income and ethnic minority elementary school children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(7), 1242-1246. doi: 10.1007/S10826-013-9784-4

Britton, W.B., Lepp, N.E., Files, H.F., Rocha, T., Fisher, N.E., & Gold, J.S. (2014). A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children. Journal of School Psychology, 52, 263–278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.03.002

Demarzo, M. M. P., Montero-Marin, J., Cuijpers, P., Zabaleta-del-Olmo, E., Mahtani, K. R., Vellinga,  a., … Garcia-Campayo, J. (2015). The Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Primary Care: A Meta-Analytic Review. The Annals of Family Medicine, 13(6), 573–582. http://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1863

Diamond,A. (2010). The Evidence Base for Improving School Outcomes by Adressing the Whole Child and by Adressing Skills and Attitudes, Not Just Content. Early Education and Development, 21(5), 780-793.

Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., & Davidson, R. J. (2015). Promoting prosocial behavior and self-regulatory skills in preschool children through a mindfulness-based Kindness Curriculum. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 44–51. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0038256

Greenberg, M. T., & Harris, A. R. (2012). Nurturing mindfulness in children and youth: current state of research. Child Development Perspectives, 6(2), 161–166.

Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Improve Mental Health and Wellbeing? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mediation Studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 37, 1–12. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.006

Hedges, D. W., & Woon, F. L. (2010). Early life stress and cognitive outcome. Psychopharmacology, 214(1), 121–130.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion Books.

Kuyken, W., Weare, K., Ukoumunne, O. C., Vicary, R., Motton, N., Burnett, R., … Huppert, F. (2013). Effectiveness of the Mindfulness in Schools Programme: non-randomised controlled feasibility study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 203(2), 126–131. http://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.126649

Lillard, A. S. (2011). Mindfulness Practices in Education: Montessori’s Approach. Mindfulness, 2(2), 78–85. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-011-0045-6

Meiklejohn, J., Phillips, C., Freedman, M. L., Griffin, M. L., Biegel, G., Roach, A., … Saltzman, A. (2012). Integrating Mindfulness Training into K-12 Education: Fostering the Resilience of Teachers and Students. Mindfulness, 3(4), 291–307. http://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-012-0094-5

Mendelson, T., Greenberg, M. T., Dariotis, J. K., Gould, L. F., Rhoades, B. L., & Leaf, P. J. (2010). Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of a School-Based Mindfulness Intervention for Urban Youth. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(7), 985–994. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9418-x

Rempel, K. D. (2012). Mindfulness for Children and Youth : A Review of the Literature with an Argument for School-Based Implementation. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 46(3), 201–220. http://doi.org/10. 1080/0886571080214749710. 1 093/clipsy.bpg01510. 11 86/1477-7525-1-1010.117/153321010731162410. 1 093.clipsy/bph0771 0. 1 01 6/j.cpr.20Q5 .04.00710. 103 7/0022-3514.84.4.82210. 1080/0 16095 1080229096610. 10 16/j.chc.2005.06.00310.1111/i. 1475-35 88.2006.00430.x10.1 01 6/j.tsc.2006.06.00410. 1097/ PEP.0b013e31815fl2081 0. 1 023/B:TOTS0000022620. 1 3209.a010. 1375/bech.27. 1.110.1207/ sl5326985ep2801 410.1 11 1/1467-8721-0009910.1 11 1/0022-4537.0014810. 1 037/0022-006X.72. 1 

Schonert-reichl, K. a, Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., & Diamond, A. (2015). Enhancing Cognitive and Social–Emotional Development Through a Simple-to-Administer Mindfulness-Based School Program for Elementary School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 52–66. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0038454.Enhancing

Sibinga, E. M. S., Perry-Parrish, C., Chung, S., Johnson, S. B., Smith, M., & Ellen, J. M. (2013). School-based mindfulness instruction for urban male youth: A small randomized controlled trial. Preventive Medicine, 57(6), 799–801. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.08.027

Snel, E. Calme et attentif comme une grenouille : La méditation pour les enfants…avec leurs parents. Paris : Arènes.

Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, S., & Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools_a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(June), 1–20. http://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00603

in info_en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

OCEANA – Logbook – bonus

Novelty in the program

 The arrival of a 5 years old class in the program
We had the pleasure to give the start to a new class, a 5 years old class from Paris. So for them, it was the stage of the initial questionnaires. 
A challenge for such a young participant, they have to follow the row to answer, to understand the question. It takes some time but the teachers Isabelle and Marie-Odile are motivated and are looking forward to the results of the questionnaires. 
They are not the only one, children are answering conscientiously to the exercise. They want to understand the question very well to answer it as accurate as possible. A surprise!
 Start of the autoevaluation questionnaires
In the class, questionnaires of “activity autoevaluation” had been used for the first time. In Caroline’s class, it was after a math lecture and with Isabelle, it was after mental computing : subtraction of integer on a slate. 
A surprise was awaiting Caroline on next monday, children requested the questionnaire after another activity, an exam about math this time. Did they need to express their stress ? or to tell their teacher about how they felt ? 
And the tuesday, again. 
Now, Caroline is ready ! She have copies of the questionnaires on the corner of her desk to answer the request. 
In Isabelle’s class, 10 years old answered questionnaires already 3 times, it’s short and apparently, it’s appreciated. 
So, what sensitivity or needs are we puling the string with this questionnaires? 
On the team side, we are looking forward to analyse the questionnaires !
Take a look at some example of them : 

in evolution_en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

OCEANA – Logbook – Week 2

A stressful situation

This second week, it’s the first activity session : the face-to-face with a stressful situation. Our two pilot class work in partnership. Students are making oral presentations (about a talent) and make movie of themselves. Videos will be sent to the other class.  
… So unknown students, on the other side of france, are going to see their video This is quite a stressful situation (if only doing an oral presentation in front of their classmate was not stressful enough). 
Then, they analyse others’ performance. How they behaved ? How did they feel ?

Isabelle

Hi,

The programme started with the 10 years old. Stuents talked about this stressful situation because presentations were filmed and will be sent to another class, that they don’t know. I didn’t say anything about details of the other class from the south of France, we are waiting for their movies.

We began by the signature of a chart on our future well behavior, every one agree. I will send it as soon as I have a better wifi : it’s was a very solemn moment.

I will try to send during the day the sum up obtained after the three first speeches : the feeling of students that did the talk and the comments from the students in the audience … It was noted the sentences heard : my question:
– it seems to me interesting to make a table with all comments and count how often they come back .. what do you think?

Have a good day.
Isabelle

Caroline

Hi,

Here we are! We are relieve to have started the project.
We begun by the reading of the well behavior consent. Students had a lot of questions. But why? what is it for? Students were so excited when I announced that we are going to work with another class from Paris that I add to calm them down several time. Overall the session 1 was a success. To know that unknown students will watch their speech created a real tangible tension.

The presentation of the talent transformed in a presentation of “after school activities”. But the comments explaining “what I felt” and “what I observed” were anyway relevant. The word stress emerged quickly.

Four students did their presentation in front of everyone, all others filmed themselves in pair. We are looking forward to see the video from the Parisian students.

Vivement la semaine prochaine !

in evolution_en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

OCEANA – Logbook – Week 1

Between the 19 and the 28 f September 2016, Caroline and Isabelle (and Caire) give initial questionnaire to children to fill in. Theses questionnaire were testing the focus, empathy, or emotion perception skills of students. 

Rectifications
Firsts needed adaptations appeared quickly:
  • the idea to help student to answer with picture representing the Likert scale (5 choice between “I agree” and “I disagree” with the sentence) was a success. 
  • some sentences requested explanations. Both teachers choose to read the question and to ask all children to answer one question after the other, all in parallel. To avoid that explanations influence students answers and to be sure that we all talk about the same concept, we wish to define example to explain the question for the later the use of theses questionnaires (later in the year and year 1).
  • the last things to modify for later will be to realize a computerized version of the quizz to win time on the gathering of data.
Impatience
third years of primary school student (of Caroline) and fifth ones (from Claire and Isabelle) succeeded to answer, only the first years of primary school that will may be participate remains. We are looking forwards to see how hard it will be for them, we are thinking to remove 2 out of the 5 questionnaires that might be more complex. 
Dispite everything, third years students demonstrate a great difficulty to answer questionnaires in this begining of scool years, they are just out of second years. Let’s see later if this is due to a lack of knowledge about emotions, their physical and mental states or this difficulties is link to a lack of skill in answering questionnaires. The second questionnaire in few month will tell us about that. 
It would be tempting to look at results, but this could influence the behavior of teachers in the realization of the program. So, let’s be patient!
in evolution_en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

Donders Innovation Voucher

Cogni’Junior is very pleased to announce that the OCEANA program is supported by the Donders Institute, an major and international actor of the research in cognitive science.

The Donders Institute The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class research centre devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of human cognition and behavior in health and disease. The Institute is home to more than 600 researchers from 35 countries who share the common goal of contributing to the advancement of the brain-, cognitive- and behavioral sciences through investigator-driven research, and improving health, education and technology by applying advances in this field. The Institute’s mission includes conducting interdisciplinary research of excellence at the unique interface between genetic, molecular and cellular processes at one end and computational, system-level neuroscience with cognitive and behavioral analysis at the other end. Within this range we focus on four research themes:

Language and Communication
Perception, Action and Control,
Plasticity and Memory
Brain Networks and Neuronal Communication

Research conducted at the Institute has considerable potential for benefiting society. A key aim is to disseminate expertise and knowledge to a variety of stakeholders concerning four societal themes:

Education
Health
Technology
Food

Promoting the societal impact of the Donders Institute, the program OCEANA had been rewarded by the Donders Innovation Voucher.
Especially, the Donders will powered a physical version of the kit Cogni’Learner, found the pilot of the experiment (OCEANA years 0) and found the made up of a presentation video. The aim is to be able in one years to distribute the kit in classroom in the Dutch educational ecosystem.

The kit will contain:

A usb-key with all documents in Dutch, French and English:
– a tale about how neurons work (mimi lamicroglia),
– a series of comics about memory, attention, emotions, empathy, stress, and executive functions, explaining the physiological and neurobiological bases and how to control them
– a teacher and a children’s books with documents to realize the learning sequence
two most indispensable games designed especially for the physical kit in laser cut thin foam:
– a puzzle of the brain,
– a set of 10 learning-based interacting neurons.

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in evolution_en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

OCEANA : education materials

Designers, teachers and researchers are coming together to create a multidisciplinary team and to engage in a “neuro-responsible” project: tools and content get scientific validation steps by creators of the program.

The Teaching Kit: 3 goals

1) apprehend

Most children have some concept of the brain, and what it does, but not all of this information is based on scientific evidence. Therefore, the first part of the OCEANA program aims to make children aware  of and encourage them to ask questions about their current knowledge of the brain, and then build up to teaching them, real, scientific information about how the brain. This approach to teaching is a cooperative way that enables an active involvement in the task of interest. Children interact with each other and their teachers, and come up with question to share with the class. By doing this, we get children interested, and start training them to think logically and creatively – we’re making them (very) young researchers!

2) understand

Playful tools had been created to bring the scientific knowledge in a non magistrate way to children. Vocabulary is introduce inside comics, story and games so it is better memorized.
Remain to the teacher to make the reading interactive. Notes that we offer more information that is necessary for the kids but it helps a deep understanding of concept which strengthen a long term knowledge memorization. However it remain important for the teacher to pin point essential points that he thinks matter.

3) regulate

Practical exercises and tips are proposed inside the teaching kit to learn how to regulate ones’ mental state. They are of multiple type depending of the concept taught, but all were selected from studies showing a positive effect. Do not hesitate to makes children practice even after the teaching is over. 

Kit content

The teaching kit have 17 sessions of about 1h teaching (minimum). It’s up to you to adapt it to fit your way of teaching. You can make more sessions of shorter length. You can use session in a different order or choose those that matter to you. You can take more time between session to make practice tips longer before switching to another concept.

We offer you a guideline, but you can also see it as a menu.

In the kit we introduce:

  • stress
  • neurobiology: neurons, their communication, what is it to “learn”?
  • cognitive functions linked to learning: memory, attention, inhibition/control, emotions
  • needs of the brain: food, sleep, sport …
To do this we are using:
  • a tale
  • comics (11)
  • games (4)
  • collaborative activities of discovery
  • practical activities

After the completion of this program, we aim for children to have experienced a high level of neuroscientific knowledge, and to be better equipped to engage in exercises to apply this newly acquired knowledge.

 

in info_en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

Evolution of a speaking brain

evolution of a speaking brain

Did the ability to speak evolve out of the ability to sing? Take a look at this comic and learn more about science’s latest evolutionary hypothesis. This comics is a translation of a production done at the Donders Wonders.

OCEANA - Logbook - conference

Kids have the mic! Kids of year 7 succeeded in their challenge: to give a talk in a auditorium with 150 persons in the audience, at AgroParisTech engineering school in Paris. The topic of the talk what: how the brain work, how to optimize learning? All gathered by groups of 2 or 3, talking about […]

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OCEANA - Logbook - colaboration

8 years old children, with Claire Birotat-Moncet. Week mid March 2017 by Isabelle Malet   After introducing the brain to the kids in multiple sessions, we are preparing a conference. Activities that were done with the class will be presented to an audience of 200 persons. The school approved the invitation from Wax Youth that organise […]

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OCEANA : program validation

Our questions: The ability to detect a state of stress, of lack of attention or of emotional overload is not inborn, you need to learn how to do it. To improve it, children first need to be able to perceive such states. The OCEANA team is interested in the ability to transfer this knowledge, i.e. […]

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The team

External collaborators: CHARLOTTE CHEREL: young designer, she want to conceive product that engage users, here children, in an active use of their attention. She work today on the creation of object that would help the practice of attentive attendance in class.   OCEANA program roles: Team and project management: Roselyne Kit improvement / users feedback […]

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OCEANA - Logbook - visit of the lab

While on the french side, our 3 classes continue the teaching and are arriving to the end of it, our first dutch class testing the kit give the teaching a try since January. Kids seems really interested and happy of this knowledge. On the side of the OCEANA team, we are waiting for the detailed […]

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OCEANA - Logbook - memory

Week January, 20th 2017 by Isabelle Malet Do I have a good memory? Oh my memory fail me … New chapter with the 8-9 years old children, but how important. Learning, is it memorizing all lessons done in the classroom? So, to begin, all children are going to experiment situation of memorizing. Memory is at […]

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OCEANA - Logbook - cerebral plasticity and sessions about emotions

 

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OCEANA - Logbook - Starting with Neuroscience

After the introduction of what is the stress, we move to how the brain works. Children arrived to the question : why do we stress? It’s time to give them some basic information about the brain to see how this can be link to the cause of stress and how we can play on stress […]

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OCEANA – logbook – End of session about Stress

week 3 : frozen pictures In the OCEANA program, we are progressing slowly on the sessions about stress. After being confronted to a stressful situation : make a oral presentation, it’s time to look at video make during the week and the previous session. Will the children be able to catch stress signs ?   […]

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OCEANA : What is it?

OCEANA for ‘ Optimisation of Capabilities to Engage and Acquire, using neuroscientific methods’.   What is the program OCEANA? The objective of this program is to raise the awareness of students via their abilities to pay attention to and learn, in order to optimize their learning process. In this medium, where schools and researchers come […]

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OCEANA : Why do we teach neuroscience in class?

CURRENT SITUATION Our society evolves as fast at new technological developments do. We want our commodities to be faster and more attractive. Teachers have difficulty with the lack of attention children display in class. Schools are now faced with this question of how to improve attention and learning: the directors and teachers need to work together to […]

Read More ›

OCEANA : References

Discover our readings around the OCEANA program: View my Flipboard Magazine. Questionnaires: Here is a list of questionnaires used in research to study meditation and education across the literature. If you wish to use them, you should verify the usage licence, if the questionnaire is use for clinical purpose or school purpose : question can […]

Read More ›

OCEANA - Logbook - bonus

Novelty in the program  The arrival of a 5 years old class in the program We had the pleasure to give the start to a new class, a 5 years old class from Paris. So for them, it was the stage of the initial questionnaires.  A challenge for such a young participant, they have to […]

Read More ›

OCEANA – Logbook – Week 2

A stressful situation This second week, it’s the first activity session : the face-to-face with a stressful situation. Our two pilot class work in partnership. Students are making oral presentations (about a talent) and make movie of themselves. Videos will be sent to the other class.   … So unknown students, on the other side […]

Read More ›

OCEANA - Logbook - Week 1

Between the 19 and the 28 f September 2016, Caroline and Isabelle (and Caire) give initial questionnaire to children to fill in. Theses questionnaire were testing the focus, empathy, or emotion perception skills of students.  Rectifications Firsts needed adaptations appeared quickly: the idea to help student to answer with picture representing the Likert scale (5 choice […]

Read More ›

Donders Innovation Voucher

Cogni’Junior is very pleased to announce that the OCEANA program is supported by the Donders Institute, an major and international actor of the research in cognitive science. The Donders Institute The Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour is a world-class research centre devoted to understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of human cognition and behavior in […]

Read More ›

OCEANA : education materials

Designers, teachers and researchers are coming together to create a multidisciplinary team and to engage in a “neuro-responsible” project: tools and content get scientific validation steps by creators of the program. The Teaching Kit: 3 goals 1) apprehend Most children have some concept of the brain, and what it does, but not all of this information […]

Read More ›

Evolution of a speaking brain

Read More ›

Plushes

Nous vous présentons ici les différentes peluches que nous utilisons lors de nos interventions. Pour chacune d’entre elles, vous trouverez une fiche d’activité à télécharger, suggérant les “défis” à relever par l’enfant lors de leur manipulation, et expliquant les concepts scientifiques sous-jacents. Les peluches neurones Les premières peluches a avoir été utilisées dans le cadre […]

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Games

Une première série de jeux permet la fixation en mémoire des personnages et de leur rôle dans l’histoire. Ces jeux ne visent pas à apprendre des notions explicites, mais plutôt à revenir de manière ludique sur le conte. Ils peuvent donc être utilisés avec des enfants de tout âge. En voici deux exemples.     […]

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Brain Puzzle

Nous utilisons classiquement ce puzzle pour introduire les grandes questions sur lesquelles nous nous focaliserons lors des séances, à savoir : à quoi ressemble le cerveau ? A quoi sert-il ? Quelles sont ses différentes parties ? Le terme de “puzzle du cerveau” est en fait incorrect, car nous représentons ici l’encéphale, composé du cerveau, du cervelet […]

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Neurosciences and learning

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Parkinson

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the stroke

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Alzheimer disease

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Mimi - the comics - episode 4

   

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Mimi - the comics - episode 3

 

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Mimi - the comics - episode 2

 

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Mimi - the comics - episode 1

 

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The adventure of Mimi

Mimi the microglia is the first character created by Cogni’Junior. It’s a glial cell of the immune system traveling inside the brain and discovering how it works. The tale was created in september 2013. Mimi’s adventure developped in comics, with a target, this time, older. We let you discover the adventure and hope that you […]

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Mimi and the voluntary movement

Adventures of Mimi : Fronti, a neuron of the frontal cortex, is surprised that the order of movement that him and his colleagues sent to other neurons isn’t follow by confirmation of execution. He is a bit concerned. In the neighborhood, our friend Mimi the microglia decide to help to find where the movement order […]

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Mimi in the land of place cells

Mimi in the land of place cells Mimi, out little microglia, immune cell of the brain, will have new adventures. She is surprised that detailed information come from neurons of a brain region, the hippocampus, when we are searching for something. Neurons are always happy to call them for help, they never failed when it’s […]

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Robi the Robot

The story of Robi: Maya see her mother overloaded by responsabilities. With the help of her grand-mother, she build, hiden, a robot : Robi. She wish that this machine help her mother to have more time to rest and spend more time with her. During the creation of Robi, Maya came up with a lot […]

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Scientific explanation - Tale 2 Mimi and the voluntary movement

Today you can discover the new tale of Cogni’Junior : Mimi and the voluntary movement We are proposing you a review of the numeric litterature about scientific knowledge that are presented in the tale: le cerveau à tous les nveaux : This website is a gold mine. We are proposing the link to movement pathway. But […]

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A dopaminergic 2015 merry christmas

For 2015 end of year, Cogni’Junior is preparing few surprises and here is the first of them. We are offering a comic from our series about neurodegenerative disease: Parkinson. During this moment of family events, perhaps you have a relative that hold this disease. How to explain to children and old children ? We are […]

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Meeting Sinterklaas: a brain story

It is ‘present night’ in the Netherlands this Saturday night. Sinterklaas will bring presents to the good children. Did you behave well this year? Are you ready to meet him, and is your brain ready for this too?  this blog post is originally available in the donders wonders blog here

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What about you doing science ?

Original article can be found on the donders wonders blog   READ ARTICLE

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in uncategorized-en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

Plushes

Nous vous présentons ici les différentes peluches que nous utilisons lors de nos interventions. Pour chacune d’entre elles, vous trouverez une fiche d’activité à télécharger, suggérant les “défis” à relever par l’enfant lors de leur manipulation, et expliquant les concepts scientifiques sous-jacents.

Les peluches neurones

Les premières peluches a avoir été utilisées dans le cadre de nos interventions Cogni’Junior sont celles d’Alicia Lefebvre, artiste et présidente de l’association Emotions Synesthètes.  La peluche reprend l’anatomie d’un neurone (pour un parallèle avec un vrai cliché de cellule, voir ici).

> Le soma (2) contient le noyau de la cellule ainsi que ses gênes et chromosomes

> Les dendrites (1) sont des ramifications recevant les signaux électriques et chimiques en provenance d’autres neurones. Les perles en forme de tube illustrent les récepteurs de neurotransmetteurs. Sur la peluche ici en photo, les perles sont à cheval entre les dendrites et le soma. Par souci d’exactitude scientifique, les nouvelles peluches sont réalisées en plaçant les récepteurs exclusivement sur les dendrites.

> L’axone (4), lui, a pour fonction de transmettre le signal électrique du neurone, commandé dans le soma (2) et partant du cône d’émergence (3). Dans le cerveau, de nombreux neurones sont myélinisés : leurs axones sont entourés d’une gaine de myéline (5), surface lipidique accélérant la transmission de l’information. La peluche a des petits boudins représentant les différents manchons de myéline séparés par des noeuds de Ranvier, endroit où le tissu est plus resserré (6).

> Les terminaisons synaptiques (7), au bout de l’axone, contiennent des neurotransmetteurs permettant une transmission chimique de l’information d’un neurone à l’autre : ce sont les petites perles fixées sur la peluche.

De manière cruciale, les neurones en peluche sont équipés de scratch, ce qui permet d’illustrer la connexion ou formation de synapses entre deux neurones. La manière dont on peut joindre deux peluches correspond au sens de transmission de l’information neuronale : des dendrites aux terminaisons synaptiques. Ainsi, on peut seulement scratcher les terminaisons synaptiques d’un neurone avec les dendrites d’un autre ! On peut cependant scratcher plusieurs peluches ensemble, selon sa dextérité et créer ainsi des réseaux.

Télécharger l’activité

 

Inspirée par l’histoire de Mimi la microglie et par le travail artistique d’Alicia Lefebvre, Héloïse Théro a voulu prolonger cette initiative et créer des peluches représentant les cellules gliales.

 

Les microglies

Comme les véritables microglies, les peluches présentent un corps cellulaire allongé, dont partent de nombreuses ramifications. Au centre des microglies, la fermeture éclair s’ouvre, contenant de petits morceaux de scratch. Ceux-ci se retrouvent sur des mini virus et bactéries (eux aussi cousus main). Une fois le contact établi, les virus sont engloutis par la microglie : autrement dit, ils sont phagocytés !

 

Télécharger l’activité

 

Les astrocytes

Les peluches astrocytes ont une forme d’étoile (comme l’indique l’étymologie du mot !). Plusieurs dispositifs permettant d’illustrer les différentes fonctions de cette cellule gliale. La pince permet de les accrocher à un tube rouge représentant un vaisseau sanguin, tandis que des boutons de pression sont à apparier avec ceux d’un neurone ou d’une autre cellule gliale. En effet, les astrocytes puisent de l’oxygène et des nutriments dans le sang afin de les redistribuer aux autres cellules. Des aimants, placés sur d’autres parties de la cellule permettent aux astrocytes d’être connectées entre elles. En réalité, elles forment des connexions physiques appelées “jonctions communiquantes”.

Télécharger l’activité

 

 

Les oligodendrocytes et cellules de Schwann

Ces cellules permettent de créer la gaine de myéline, qui s’enroule autour de l’axone des neurones. La myéline accélère la transmission des messages électriques qui parcourent les neurones. La peluche figurant sur l’image fait partie de la famille des oligodendrocytes : ses différents prolongements permettent de myéliniser plusieurs neurones dans le système nerveux central (composé du cerveau, du cervelet, du tronc cérébral et de la moelle épinière).

Les cellules de Schwann assurent la même fonction que les oligodendrocytes, mais dans le système nerveux périphérique. Elles ne peuvent en revanche myéliniser qu’un seul neurone. Nous avons donc des peluches semblables à celles des oligodendrocytes, mais n’ayant qu’un seul prolongement.

Télécharger l’activité

 

 

> Au fur et à mesure que nos peluches rencontrent enfants et scientifiques, nous continuons à les améliorer. Notre unique objectif est d’arriver à amuser les premiers tout en représentant fidèlement les découvertes des seconds sur l’univers fascinant qu’est notre cerveau. Nous sommes ouverts aux suggestions.

in uncategorized-en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments

Games

Une première série de jeux permet la fixation en mémoire des personnages et de leur rôle dans l’histoire. Ces jeux ne visent pas à apprendre des notions explicites, mais plutôt à revenir de manière ludique sur le conte. Ils peuvent donc être utilisés avec des enfants de tout âge. En voici deux exemples.

                                 

D’autres jeux permettent de revenir directement sur les concepts appris en cours, sur leur définition et orthographe. Ils sont donc plus difficiles et à utiliser avec des enfants en fin d’école primaire. Des grilles de mots-croisés on par exemple été créées. De plus, certaines écoles achetant des peluches neurones peuvent proposer la fiche ci-dessus aux enfants afin qu’ils associent ce matériel avec un vrai schéma de neurone.

Lors de la semaine du cerveau 2015 à Lille, nous avons conduit des ateliers avec des élèves de 6e et 3e. Nous avons élaboré pour eux un livret de jeux reprenant les notions véhiculées dans nos contes, et contenant des résumés des principales notions scientifiques abordées. Vous pouvez le télécharger en cliquant sur le bouton ci-dessous.

 

Télécharger le livret

 

 

in uncategorized-en  by Roselyne CHAUVIN 0 comments