Response to Embodied Learning

When I first started reading this chapter, I struggled with the body being part of the learning process. As far as intellectual pursuits go, the body wasn’t really part of the process – it was all in the mind. But when I started thinking about my personal situation, I realized that while a lot of what I learn is by reading or watching videos, for me to really retain something I need to write it down. Even if I never look at the paper I wrote it on again, something about the physical act of writing just helps to solidify what I am learning. When I realized that, I went online to do some research to see if that was a common thing, or just me. I found an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about the connection between handwriting and learning. It talked about everything from how brain imaging has shown that finger movement can activate regions of the brain involved in thinking, language and working memory to using handwriting in journals as diagnostic tools for neurological disorders. I strongly believe that there is a connection between the brain and the movement of our bodies.

A little more digging turned up a very interesting web site called Science Choreography that takes incorporating the body into learning into more than just handwriting. It is a program at Wesleyan University that uses physical movement in the science classroom. The program is designed for 7^th grade through college level students and they give examples of the program, and an entire Toolbox showing any teacher how they could use these tools in the classroom. Below is a video from the toolbox called “Ask a Question,” but the entire web site is worth checking out.

Sources

Bounds, G. (2010, October 5). How Handwriting Trains the Brain. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704631504575531932754922518

Weir, M., Appel, L., Grabel, L., Lerman, L., & Johnson, E. (n.d.). Sciencechoreography. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://sciencechoreography.wesleyan.edu/toolbox/ask-a-question/