7/27 How Life Experiences Shape Our Brain

Welcome to Week 4 of our Summer Brain Fitness Class

BHQ site: (www.brainhq.com)

Lesson

This summer has been all about understanding what is it that makes you who you are. We have studied fascinating topics like neurodiversity and seen how our brain reacts to perception and becomes biased.

Now we will analyze how experiences shape our brain and make it unique and like no other. We will explore human history as well as personal human growth. We will examine internal and external forces in the development of the singularity of our brain. We will learn about trauma and ways to rewire our brain to a happier and healthier brain!

You can read and view the Interactive Lesson here, or download the Printable Handout here. When you're done reviewing the lesson, you can Take the Quiz. You can also see the Power point presentation by clicking here (Yael Lorberfeld's presentation). This is the PowerPoint presentation by Debbie Flores for her daytime Zoom classes.

The BrainHQ Connection

Life provides a combination of experiences. Each individual has a unique life in this world. That make each of us completely different. Dr. Merzenich (2017) emphasizes: “Every brain is massively specialized by brain plasticity process.” This is due to the variety of life experiences that each individual has, that results in the unique way the brain is wired.

The basis for all the work we do with the Brain HQ training comes from extensive research on brain plasticity. Due to this study, there is an optimistic view on the ability to rewire the brain even after trauma occurs. As this week's lesson teaches, our brains are modeled by the experience we've had in life. Most of these experiences come naturally through our connections with family, community, faith, and friends, but our brains are also capable of targeted and deliberate change for the better when we know how to train them. There are several articles on the BrainHQ website that help us to better understand the power of brain plasticity and skills we can apply to initiate positive change.

Watch these two short videos to learn more from Dr. Merzenich about brain plasticity:

Weekly Zoom Session

We will be having our first face-to-face, online Zoom session this week, on Wednesday evening, July 29th, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. It's really pretty easy to access and it's fun, so we hope to see you all there. Here's the schedule of events:

6:30 - 7:00 - Q & A about the exercises, the lesson, or the websites. Everyone is welcome to participate, help answer questions, and share your experiences.

7:00 - 8:00 - Summer Orientation for all students, followed by a presentation of this week's lesson - How Life Experiences Shape Our Brain

Getting on Zoom:

If you have been on Zoom before, you can go directly to the Zoom site by clicking here , Or...

Here is how you join the Wednesday evening Zoom session via the Zoom web address:

Just prior to the session, click here: https://cccconfernow.zoom.us/j/9191959460

Or, if you don’t’ have access to a computer, join by phone:

+1 408 638 0968 (US Toll) or +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll)

You may be asked the Meeting ID: 919 195 9460

Note: If it’s your first time participating in a Zoom session, you can try getting on the site early to see how easy it is to get it set up. We begin our BHQ Zoom at 6:45, so try getting on at about 6:30 and call 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! Call Pat’s cell at 619-818-3953. If you’ve been on Zoom before, you will appreciate this new Zoom Video that Mary created to help you learn about some of the features available to you while on the site. See you on Wednesday.

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

Contact Us

Need help? Contact us at:

Mary Burns (mburns@sdccd.edu) - Online classes

Debbie Flores (dsflores@sdccd.edu) - Online classes & Zoom Sessions for Practicum Students: Wednesdays 9:30 am - 11:00 am and 12:30 pm- 2:00 pm.

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

Yael Lorberfeld (ylorberfeld@sdccd.edu) - Online classes & Zoom Sessions for Practicum Students: Mondays 11:00 am- 12:30 pm and Fridays 10:30 am - 12:00 pm.

Pat Mosteller (pmostell@sdccd.edu) - Online classes and New Student help - Cell 619-818-3953