“Tuning” to New Requirements
WHAT'S TUNING? The brain is adaptive, and responds to an individuals needs, habits, and experiences—becoming tuned to their life.
“Tuning” is a metaphor.
Just like a violin produces specific notes when struck in a specific way, neural responses are strongest “when the stimulation is at an ideal level”.
Over time, neurons adapt to produce specific responses to familiar stimuli—based on how the learner has reacted in the past.
Individuals’ brains are organized differently because of this neural tuning!
Different regions of the brain are specialized in response to different stimulus (and how the individual responds to the stimulus)!
What's an example of "tuning"?
In literacy: The brains of people who can read are more specialized for interacting with written language, compared to people who cannot read—and the latter group uses a different, broader set of brain regions to read when they do learn!
Another way—neurologists measured brain activity in violinists, and found that there was more activity in their sensory cortex for their left (fret) hand, than their right (bow) hand—because the fingers on their left hand must be controlled individually!
How is this relevant to middle and high school classrooms?
LITERACY: Individuals learning to read are in the process of establishing the neural responses that will propel them in the future—they’ll need lots of practice!
Think in terms of conditioning! Our brains become tuned to certain stimulus by repetition—more chances to practice classroom procedures and relevant skills may be of benefit!