The Workings of the Brain:
Powers of the Mind
How can I
improve my
learning?
BRAIN
It is a 3-pound organ.
It is responsible of the overall functioning
of our body.
It is like a capsule of our consciousness,
of what we know, and of our memories.
Because of its critical role, it's important
to care for it and nurture its gifts.
Key Parts of the Brain
Hindbrain
It is responsible for our instinctive, autonomic behaviour that
serves survival functions.
Mid Brain
It is the conduction and switching center of the brain that
enables responses to happen.
Forebrain
It is in-charge of our intellectual activity and consciousness.
Medulla – controls vital functions like respiration,
blood circulation, digestion, and heart rate
Cerebellum – regulates posture, balance, and
muscular coordination
Pons – acts as a bridge between the medulla and othe
r parts of the brain; regulates movement, sleep and ar
ousal.
Reticular activating system – regulates attention,
movement, sleep, waking, and reflexes.
Hearing, vision relay point
o It is important that you are able to make sense o
f what you see by accurately perceiving
letters, words, and symbols.
o Following verbal directions: not only hearing
the words but recalling following the
sequence of instructions
Pain registered
Cerebrum – acts as “executive center” of the brain res
ponsible for remembering, learning, and thinking as
well as taking charge of language and emotion
Thalamus – relays sensory information
Hypothalamus – secrete hormones and controls physi
ological functions like temperature, hunger, and thirst
Corpus Callosum – connects the two hemisphere
Pituitary Gland – the master gland that secretes
hormones and controls the endocrine system
LATERALIZATION OF THE BRAIN:
The Two Hemispheres of the Brain
Are you a LEFT or a RIGHT brain person?
Joseph Bogen &
Roger Wolscott Sperry Brain surgeons and
researchers.
They investigated
the brain's function.
They found out that
there are different
ways of processing
information that
occur in the two
hemispheres.
Left Hemisphere Right Hemisphere
o Controls the right o Controls the left
side of the body.
o It is responsible for the side of the body.
intellectual, logical, o It takes care of the
functions necessary for creative, intuitive
understanding, writing, and emotional
and speaking. aspects.
Assessment:
Brain Dominant Test
Whole Brain Theory
William Edward “Ned” Herrmann
(1922-1999) He studied results of EEG or
electroencephalograph scans
and discovered four major
types of thinking:
Analytical
Practical
Relational
Experimental
He developed Herrmann Brain
Dominance Instrument (HBDI) to find
out one's preferred thinking style.
Whole brain thinking pursues a
holistic approach by making use of all
thinking abilities available to you.
ANALYTICAL PRACTICAL RELATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL
Rational Organized Feeling-oriented Creative, artistic
Logical Procedure count, Intuitive Holistic, integrative
Step-by-step
Factual Action-oriented In-tuned with other Imaginative
feeling
Objective Detailed plans are Communication is Follows “gut feel” in
important important solving problems
Quantitative Consistent Values relationship Likes to try new things
with others
Focuses in the here & Practical in solving Nurturing Takes risks
now problems
Takes logical approach Teamwork to solve Future oriented
in problem solving. problems.
Developing Your
Creativity
It is an expansive way of driving y
our thoughts to venture into the r
ealm of possibilities.
It is thinking outside the box.
It does NOT rest on intelligence
alone.
TECHNIQUES
Associative Thinking
It is a mental technique that lets you
explore an idea by considering all pos
sible areas related to the topic.
TECHNIQUES
Mind-Mapping
It is a creative way of exploring ideas th
rough a graphic or visual presentation.
It uses words, numbers, colors and spat
ial awareness that expand your brain.
Winning Attitudes:
Optimism, Persistence, and Imagination
The epitome of optimism,
persistence, and imagination.
“Genius is 99% perspiration
and 1% inspiration.”
“I haven’t failed. I’ve just f
ound 10,000 ways that
won’t work.”
- Thomas Edison
