SPARK - and BDNF

I spent a few hours with several groups of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders last week. They were being trained as part of the Gen Xe3 program in Generation FIT. The more time I spend trusting these young people with the role of leading Exerlearning in the school-classroom environment, the more bold I get in what content is included.

That week I decided to dig deep and include a comprehensive overview of what happens to the brain and it's ability to succeed at many cognitive tasks (using that vocabulary). Dr. John Ratey's book SPARK provided just what I need to understand the process clearly. Check out his blog here.

Once I understood the content myself, I was able to translate the message into a cartoon-heavy PowerPoint that made good sense to my eager young audience. For many, it was the first time that they understood why sitting still and concentrating was particularly difficult for them. In Generation FIT we request that the greatest percentage of our "Game Master" mentors be students who are either challenged or challenging in some way. Those very students are usually the best leaders of Generation FIT and ExerLearning in a very short time. The students eagerly returned to class chattering about "hippocampus" and "BDNF" - and ready to share what they understand with their peers - and their teachers!

If you'd like the PowerPoint file, simply send us an e-mail with your request, school, grade level and any comments.