Post by Michael Endicott, Art Teacher, North Middle School, Grants Pass, OR
NW Noggin recently trekked along a few snowy, icy roads to the beautiful southern Oregon community of Grants Pass (“It’s the Climate“).
We were guests of North Middle School Art Teacher Michael Endicott and his wife Jill, who generously housed and fed our grateful volunteers delicious homemade posole while we talked neuroscience and made brain-related art with over 300 curious 6th, 7th & 8th grade students. Our volunteers were Angela Hendrix from NW Noggin, and Cam Howard and Aaron Eisen from Portland State University.
More from Michael below…
On February 26th, the Northwest Noggin outreach group came to North Middle School in Grants Pass and conducted a hands on activity filled symposium for 280 sixth graders, 30 seventh graders, and any number of drop-ins from our special-ed and general-ed community at large.
The short story is that it was a fantastic experience for our students who were clearly riveted to the presenters and completely engaged in the activities.
We would love to have them back next year.
The NW Noggin group is composed of undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors in Art and Neuroscience…
It was possible for our students to see a clear educational pathway from where they are in middle school to where they might want to go in college through their interactions with the presenters…
They also were able to see connections between the arts and the sciences both as a way to learn and as inspiration for creating art.
One of the most powerful facets of this symposium was that it was student centered.
It was the students’ questions that drove the direction of the presentations, and our students, through their many thoughtful questions, created a very powerful learning experience for themselves…
Because it was information that they wanted they were able to absorb some pretty technical language that they might otherwise have passed over.
It was very gratifying on a personal and professional level to see our students engaged in meaningful conversations about the brain with university professors and their students. Some of the one-on-one conversations they were having were on topics very personal for students who were struggling to understand some difficult situations in their lives.
Another powerful facet of the symposium was the hands on nature of the learning. After a question and answer period students were off to the interactive portion of the event, where they would ask further questions as they participated in activities.
They were able to see and handle real brains while one of the presenters answered their questions and told them a little about the functions of different parts and networks in the brain.
They were able to create neurons with pipe cleaners while one of the presenters answered their neuroscience questions.
They were able to ask questions and create neuron gel plate prints using leaves and other plant material.
They were able to do pen and ink drawings of neurons or other brain related structures.
LEARN MORE: NW Noggin STEAM Resources
They were able to make and label brain hats.
MAKE YOUR OWN: Ellen McHenry’s Brain Hemisphere Hat
They were able to control a mechanical claw and their neighbors’ arm through electrodes connected to their own arms.
LEARN MORE: Brain Hacking is Electric!
Our principal came to one of the sessions and later wrote, “The engagement level for all kids was amazing.” We can say, as the teachers involved, that this was true for every class and that even our toughest kids were completely engaged in this event.
Many thanks to the NW Noggin outreach team, you really made an impact on our students and gave them knowledge and memories that will last a lifetime!
