ThoughtGallery.org > NEUROPLASTICITY — Friday Night Conversation / TED Circle [Online]

NEUROPLASTICITY — Friday Night Conversation / TED Circle [Online]

NOTE: THIS FREE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE ONLINE VIA ZOOM.

Subscription to Zoom is not required; when you register on Eventbrite, a link will be provided that will take you directly into the discussion.

Presented by Conversations New York (www.conversationsnewyork.com)

FREE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED ON EVENTBRITE

TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK FOR THIS ONLINE EVENT:

https://brain-science.eventbrite.com

FEATURED TED TALK:

“After Watching This, Your Brain Will Not Be The Same,” by Lara Boyd:

https://youtu.be/LNHBMFCzznE

HOST:

Nikki Johnson, Founder, Fibonacci Events (https://fibonaccievents.com) and Enlightenment Wisdom (linkedin.com/company/enlightenment-wisdom)

NEUROPLASTICITY: THE BRAIN SCIENCE OF LIFELONG LEARNING

Until the 1990s, it was believed that the brain’s structure shifted very little after puberty to facilitate learning as an adult — a mindset reflected in the well-known cliché: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

However, recent research has shown that nothing could in fact be further from the truth. Numerous studies — enabled by modern technology — have now demonstrated that the brain is ever-evolving, based on the behaviors that we express and the experiences that we encounter in every single moment of our lives.

Before logging into this online discussion, take a quick look at this 14-minute TED Talk from neuroscientist and physical therapist Lara Boyd — the Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology and Motor Learning: https://youtu.be/LNHBMFCzznE/. In this brief video, Lara describes the three types of changes that the brain actively engages in throughout our lifetime to support learning and continuous growth — among many other aspects of this subject.

Then join us to share your own thoughts, insights, and experiences related to this topic, including:

1. In general, how easy do you find it to learn new things as an adult? Thinking back to your childhood, what degree of difficulty do you see in learning new things as an adult, compared to when you were a child? What factors help enable our ability to acquire new skills and knowledge as adults? What factors hinder our learning capabilities as adults?

2. When was the last time that you tried to learn a significant new skill? How easy or difficult did you find it to acquire this new ability? What tips or tricks did you discover during the process, enabling you to learn with greater speed or overall effectiveness?

3. What types of things do you find it easiest to learn? Why do you think they come so easily to you?

4. What types of things do you find it most difficult to learn? What makes them so challenging?

5. What is your preferred learning style? As one possible model for reference, Howard Gardner proposed nine types of learning as part of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences: (1) visual / spatial; (2) rhythmic / musical; (3) logical / mathematical; (4) verbal / linguistic; (5) bodily / kinesthetic; (6) social / interpersonal; (7) introspective / intrapersonal; (8) outdoor environmental / naturalist; and (9) cosmic / existential. How do you prefer to learn? What approaches and techniques tend to work most effectively for you? How do learning styles relate to the topic of neuroplasticity?

6. During the TED Talk, Lara mentions that CHEMICAL changes within the brain are primarily responsible for short-term improvement of a skill (e.g., getting significantly better at playing a particular piano song over the course of day-long practice). Can you think back to a time when this type of neuroplastic change may have helped you to learn something, through repeated practice during a single day or individual session?

7. During the TED Talk, Lara mentions that STRUCTURAL changes within the brain are primarily responsible for long-term improvement of a skill (e.g., refining piano-playing ability over the course of weeks, months, or years). Can you think back to a time when this type of neuroplastic change may have helped you to learn something, based upon continuous practice over a longer period of time?

8. During the TED Talk, Lara mentions that FUNCTIONAL changes within the brain could be responsible for additional improvement of a skill, by shifting patterns of activation for particular regions of the brain. Can you think back to a time when this neuroplastic change may have helped you to learn something, which seemed to be very difficult to learn in the beginning, but got dramatically easier after a certain point?

9. Have you ever had any direct experience in coping with learning disabilities and / or any type of mental impairment or brain injury — either personally or via loved ones or friends? How did you / they learn to adapt to these challenges?

10. Many studies have shown the degree of influence that enriched learning environments have on neuroplastic change and the ability to acquire new skills. How do you feel about the quality of education that you received during grade school, college, and / or postgraduate training? How do you think these early experiences have influenced your ability to learn as an adult? How conducive is your current home-office environment toward learning?

11. During the TED Talk, Lara stresses the impact of our behavior and habits — both positive and negative — on neuroplasticity. What are some healthy habits that you can adapt into your daily routine to support your brain’s ability to learn and retain desired skills? What are some unhealthy habits that you can drop to optimize your brain’s ability to learn all that you wish?

12. Is there a new skill or subject that you would really like to learn? How do you envision your approach toward learning it? What would be the easiest and / or most effective way to get started?

We will be joined by members from a number of different Meetup groups for this discussion.

Looking forward to seeing all of you! In the meantime, stay safe and well!

This event is part of Friday Conversations New York (FCNY), which occur every Friday evening at 6:00 PM, sponsored by Conversations New York (www.conversationsnewyork.com). These free gatherings provide you with opportunities to share your thoughts and experiences on topics that matter, as a powerful way to evolve your mind continually!











When: Fri., Jun. 12, 2020 at 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

NOTE: THIS FREE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE ONLINE VIA ZOOM.

Subscription to Zoom is not required; when you register on Eventbrite, a link will be provided that will take you directly into the discussion.

Presented by Conversations New York (www.conversationsnewyork.com)

FREE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED ON EVENTBRITE

TO RECEIVE THE ZOOM LINK FOR THIS ONLINE EVENT:

https://brain-science.eventbrite.com

FEATURED TED TALK:

“After Watching This, Your Brain Will Not Be The Same,” by Lara Boyd:

https://youtu.be/LNHBMFCzznE

HOST:

Nikki Johnson, Founder, Fibonacci Events (https://fibonaccievents.com) and Enlightenment Wisdom (linkedin.com/company/enlightenment-wisdom)

NEUROPLASTICITY: THE BRAIN SCIENCE OF LIFELONG LEARNING

Until the 1990s, it was believed that the brain’s structure shifted very little after puberty to facilitate learning as an adult — a mindset reflected in the well-known cliché: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

However, recent research has shown that nothing could in fact be further from the truth. Numerous studies — enabled by modern technology — have now demonstrated that the brain is ever-evolving, based on the behaviors that we express and the experiences that we encounter in every single moment of our lives.

Before logging into this online discussion, take a quick look at this 14-minute TED Talk from neuroscientist and physical therapist Lara Boyd — the Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology and Motor Learning: https://youtu.be/LNHBMFCzznE/. In this brief video, Lara describes the three types of changes that the brain actively engages in throughout our lifetime to support learning and continuous growth — among many other aspects of this subject.

Then join us to share your own thoughts, insights, and experiences related to this topic, including:

1. In general, how easy do you find it to learn new things as an adult? Thinking back to your childhood, what degree of difficulty do you see in learning new things as an adult, compared to when you were a child? What factors help enable our ability to acquire new skills and knowledge as adults? What factors hinder our learning capabilities as adults?

2. When was the last time that you tried to learn a significant new skill? How easy or difficult did you find it to acquire this new ability? What tips or tricks did you discover during the process, enabling you to learn with greater speed or overall effectiveness?

3. What types of things do you find it easiest to learn? Why do you think they come so easily to you?

4. What types of things do you find it most difficult to learn? What makes them so challenging?

5. What is your preferred learning style? As one possible model for reference, Howard Gardner proposed nine types of learning as part of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences: (1) visual / spatial; (2) rhythmic / musical; (3) logical / mathematical; (4) verbal / linguistic; (5) bodily / kinesthetic; (6) social / interpersonal; (7) introspective / intrapersonal; (8) outdoor environmental / naturalist; and (9) cosmic / existential. How do you prefer to learn? What approaches and techniques tend to work most effectively for you? How do learning styles relate to the topic of neuroplasticity?

6. During the TED Talk, Lara mentions that CHEMICAL changes within the brain are primarily responsible for short-term improvement of a skill (e.g., getting significantly better at playing a particular piano song over the course of day-long practice). Can you think back to a time when this type of neuroplastic change may have helped you to learn something, through repeated practice during a single day or individual session?

7. During the TED Talk, Lara mentions that STRUCTURAL changes within the brain are primarily responsible for long-term improvement of a skill (e.g., refining piano-playing ability over the course of weeks, months, or years). Can you think back to a time when this type of neuroplastic change may have helped you to learn something, based upon continuous practice over a longer period of time?

8. During the TED Talk, Lara mentions that FUNCTIONAL changes within the brain could be responsible for additional improvement of a skill, by shifting patterns of activation for particular regions of the brain. Can you think back to a time when this neuroplastic change may have helped you to learn something, which seemed to be very difficult to learn in the beginning, but got dramatically easier after a certain point?

9. Have you ever had any direct experience in coping with learning disabilities and / or any type of mental impairment or brain injury — either personally or via loved ones or friends? How did you / they learn to adapt to these challenges?

10. Many studies have shown the degree of influence that enriched learning environments have on neuroplastic change and the ability to acquire new skills. How do you feel about the quality of education that you received during grade school, college, and / or postgraduate training? How do you think these early experiences have influenced your ability to learn as an adult? How conducive is your current home-office environment toward learning?

11. During the TED Talk, Lara stresses the impact of our behavior and habits — both positive and negative — on neuroplasticity. What are some healthy habits that you can adapt into your daily routine to support your brain’s ability to learn and retain desired skills? What are some unhealthy habits that you can drop to optimize your brain’s ability to learn all that you wish?

12. Is there a new skill or subject that you would really like to learn? How do you envision your approach toward learning it? What would be the easiest and / or most effective way to get started?

We will be joined by members from a number of different Meetup groups for this discussion.

Looking forward to seeing all of you! In the meantime, stay safe and well!

This event is part of Friday Conversations New York (FCNY), which occur every Friday evening at 6:00 PM, sponsored by Conversations New York (www.conversationsnewyork.com). These free gatherings provide you with opportunities to share your thoughts and experiences on topics that matter, as a powerful way to evolve your mind continually!

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