7/29 Intelligence & Navigation

BHQ site: (www.brainhq.com)

Welcome to Week 5 of our Online Brain Fitness class.

This week we will be learning about Intelligence and Navigation skills and the BHQ exercises that target them. If you haven’t tried these categories of exercises yet, you may want to give them a try after reading about them here. You may find them a little more challenging than some of the other exercises - it’s a great workout for your brain. But first, read these lessons to learn how a few simple attitude adjustments and some easy lifestyle changes just might make you more intelligent. Then join us on Wednesday evening’s Zoom Session to talk about the lesson and more (see details below).

After you've followed any of the links below to read a lesson or view a feature, you can use the drop down menu above (under BF Basics) to return to this week's entry (look for 7/29), or simply close (X-out of ) the lesson page and this one will pop back up.

Intelligence is a complex subject. In this reading, we learn about two types of intelligence; one which can grow throughout life (crystallized), another which tends to decline with age (fluid). Our reading looks at ways that we can improve fluid intelligence which includes lifestyle and focused work. We also learn about the 9 types of intelligence, which demonstrates the complexity of intelligence (you may have great musical intelligence, but lack interpersonal intelligence). We will also learn of specific, research based ways that we can improve our intelligence. At the conclusion of the reading is a link to Queendom, a site which has a number of non professional tests that you can do on the computer to see how intelligent you are. Click here to read and view the lesson on the interactive website, or read and print the handout here! You may also View the Power Point here. We will go over the lesson using the Power Point at our Zoom Session on Wednesday – hope to see you there.

Then: Take the quiz

Navigation is an area in which some people excel, while others struggle. This week we learn what systems in the brain are involved in navigation, and how these systems work together to help us find our way. Besides learning the difference between allocentric and egocentric visualization, you will learn about the area in your brain which is important for navigation, and how the cells work together to help you find your way. Although this initial part of the handout may seem a little scientific, we eventually get to the technology part, and the impact of GPS on our own navigational methods, and ultimately on our brain health. After reading this handout, you will have a renewed respect for the navigational exercises of BrainHQ in possibly restoring some of the functions lost by relying too much on GPS. Click to read and view the online Interactive Lesson here. Or download and Read the printed handout here. If you find the handout to be a little scientific, you may enjoy this presentation. Here is our presentation.

Then: Take the quiz

The BrainHQ Site says: “With age, most people get wiser—but certain types of complex thinking get harder. When you have to manipulate multiple pieces of information quickly, you can get slower and more frustrated. With our Intelligence exercises, you can improve that [and other important] skill[s] to feel at the top of your game.”

Click on Intelligence learn how each one helps you to improve your complex thinking skills; by improving your working memory, your recall and decision-making speeds, your ability to manipulate information in your mind, and your proficiency at shifting your focus to that which is really important, while ignoring irrelevant sensory input. All of these skills are important to your overall intelligence, and all can be improved through BHQ brain training. If you are interested in a little focused training, there’s even a BHQ Personal Training Focus called Train My Intelligence that you can try for a few days.

I highly recommend watching the Mind Bender video for anyone who has never played “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. It’s the last demo on the video, but it will help to clear up the rules of the game if you are not familiar with it.

This week we also learn more about the skills we need to hone in order to maintain and improve our navigational abilities. “To feel comfortable with new experiences, we have to be able to navigate the world confidently.” Finding new places, figuring out mass transit, following maps and/or even planning out our week or a vacation, all take good navigation skills. In addition to the visual spatial skills you read about in your lesson, focus and memory (targeted in many BHQ exercises) help us to notice, remember and utilize landmarks in navigating unfamiliar places. Processing speed (as targeted in Optic Flow) helps us to see and recognize that landmark in time to respond to it. Mental manipulation (Mental Map) keeps us from getting lost when we enter or observe a place from a different direction. And Right Turn can improve our ability to find our way back home from an unfamiliar location by being able to mentally reverse the directions in our head. True North helps us practice holding all of this information in our heads as we follow complex instructions while simultaneously keeping track of ever-changing directions. Can you now tell which of these exercises might improve your allocentric, egocentric, spatial and/or object navigational skills? We’ll talk about it at our Zoom session on Wednesday.

Zoom Session: This week's Zoom Session will be on Wednesday, July31st. Take a look at our lessons for this week, to see if you might like to join us for both sessions, or drop in to whatever sessions work best for you. Here’s our schedule of events:

6:45-7:00: For ALL! Q&A time about any of the BHQ exercises or navigating the BHQ or class websites.

7:00-7:30: We will focus on the Weekly Basics Lesson on Intelligence and Navigation

7:30–8:00: We will focus on the Weekly Topics Lesson– Cannabis and Brain Health.

First time on Zoom? Just follow the instructions on this Home Page to learn how. Returning students click here to connect directly.

If it’s your first time participating in a Zoom session, you can try it by getting on the site early to see how easy it is to get it set up. We begin our first BHQ Lesson at 7:00, so try getting on at about 6:30-6:45 and call Pat at 619-818-3953 if you have any trouble. You can participate by video and audio, or just listen in by phone. Please let us know if you need help!

Enjoy the lessons, and have a brain-healthy week.

Need help? Contact us at:

Pat Mosteller (pmostell@sdccd.edu) Cell 619-818-3953 - Online class

Mary Burns Prine (mburns@sdccd.edu) - Online class

Debbie Flores (dsflores@sdccd.edu) - Online class & Monday & Wednesday mornings at the Kroc Center

Janet Blair ( blusdbits@gmail.com ) - St Pauls Plaza. Contact for Support and Lesson Review

Marilyn Kessler (marilynk@ifssd.org) - M &W’s at the College Ave Senior Center and support Online class