Rather than react with negativity to the student who is unmotivated , a cognitively flexible educator will look for the root causes of the student’s behaviors and work to find solutions. Subscribe to Dr. Alice Boyes' articles. Practice thinking creatively. For children, many of the above-listed testing methods also double as exercises that can improve their cognitive flexibility. Jan 14, 2016 - Executive function is an umbrella term that includes a variety of brain processes that help students to carry out goal-directed behaviors to complete a task (ie., following multi-step directions). If we think about the rats driving … Building the Skillsets for Cognitive Flexibility Students need explicit instruction and opportunities to practice the flexible thinking that will make the most of their brains' fertile adolescent development stage. They can be taught to see a situation, such as misusing a word, as something other than an error. Younger learners can practice sorting (similar to the playing card example used earlier), while teens can start journaling and volunteering to collect their thoughts and face new situations. Few people actively seek out to live a life full of confirmation bias. “However, when it is overactive, there is a tendency for people to get stuck.”. These include: As you can see, many of our cognitive flexibility blocks are subconscious or unintentional. Developmental cognitive flexibility can be delayed, but it can also be taught and developed at home and in the classroom. "Mental flexibility is not arbitrary or whimsical,” Koutstaal says. Actually, obtaining greater cognitive flexibility helps children learn, both in and out of school. They also share the food with others or store it for later, showing proof of significant social circles and future planning. Many of us just stay in the mill pond or go farther down the rabbit hole rather than stepping back and trying to sway things in a more interesting direction. Cognitive flexibility is part of our nature, but it can also be learned. Engaging Cognitive Flexibility Classroom Activities Show Creative Examples of Cognitive Rigidity. Everyone has different abilities, but teachers can create a classroom in which all students can improve their cognitive flexibility. Sometimes these are called “problems with flexibility” or “cognitive and behavioral rigidity.” Certainly these differences can get in the way of many day-to-day situations such as social interactions, transitioning to less preferred activities, managing differences/change, and flexible … The ability to easily shift perspective and recognize when the rules change allows us to think in … These activities will also release serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins in the brain, making students feel happy and dispelling fears and anxiety around change. Cognitive flexibility varies during the lifespan of an individual. While some games falsely claim to improve cognitive skills, these three games have actually proven to help users boost memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, the new research shows. As an educator, you need to give students opportunities to practice their cognitive flexibility in a safe and structured environment. Blogger Nicole Day, founder of the blog Raising An Extraordinary Person, encourages parents (and teachers) to create new rules for games. Have a structured predictable classroom schedule, as much as possible. Challenge Students to Play Games Differently. More importantly, it can also be taught to students who are very rigid in their thinking and in their views of the world. Cognitive flexibility allows students to combine ideas and concepts creatively and to integrate major themes with details. 3. You’ve been added to our mailing list and will now be among the first to hear about new arrivals, big events, and special offers. The person might not realize they are stuck, but their brain is sending all kinds of warning bells about a topic or situation. Cognitive flexibility is being able to flex a brain muscle and push the curtains aside and look out the window toward a more interesting conversation topic. When we are mentally agile, we do pursue goals, but those goals may sometimes be changed or modified as … Ozobot is a robotic platform that empowers coding & STEAM education for K–12. Cognitive Flexibility: Cognitive flexibility is the ability to think flexibly and to shift perspectives and approaches flexibly. Let’s use household chores as an analogy for cognitive flexibility. Fortunately, cognitive flexibility can actually be a fun future-ready skill to develop in the classroom. People who are cognitively flexible are … Building Case, Cognitive, and Lesson Flexibility Students today are learning and interacting with the world in different ways than previous generations due to new technologies and Web 2.0 Tools. This reflects their level of cognitive flexibility. One is to bang them against a tree, which is similar to the way they open coconuts. Try this clas­sic brain teas­er, fun for kids and adults alike. Quick! They recommend maintaining a structured classroom schedule and minimizing change so as not to overwhelm students. cognitive flexibility: the ability to adapt when rules or circumstances change You can probably understand why those are important for, well, pretty much everything we do! But other kids who learn and think differently can also struggle with flexible thinking and executive function. There are multiple types of set shifting, but they all require the ability to let go of one idea to consider another. Flexible thinkers let go of their first thought to make a correction. “Flexible thinking allows us to come up with ways to tackle problems,” says education writer Peg Rosen. Warn students of transitions or changes. While other students move easily between subjects, some stay rigidly focused on one idea, assignment, or problem. We define cognitive flexibility as the ability to think flexibly and to shift approaches easily. For Toddlers and Preschoolers “When the ACG works well, it allows us to focus on something, let go, and then shift to focus on something else,” Amen writes. In other words, a similar solution is applied to a new situation. The unique anatomy and chemistry of this transitional state comprises increased dopamine receptors and accelerated neuroplasticity. Teachers can share this example as a way to show cognitive flexibility outside of the classroom — and even the human world. Beck promoted these therapies in the 1960s. Like any other skill, cognitive flexibility can be improved if you work at it and practice. Simply put, the ACG is the part of the brain used for shifting attention. She explains that the young brain is more open to exploration, passion, and interest than older brains. Reduce the number of transitions or changes that you announce at one time. While the concept of cognitive flexibility can be difficult for students to grasp, teachers can use fun ways to explain the concepts of “getting stuck” or focusing on the wrong information. As students learn this, they will better be able to cope with neutral changes or even negative changes in their lives. There’s something for every learner. Science writer Peter Hess says chimpanzees, who eat tortoises, use different strategies to crack open shells. Shifting, or cognitive flexibility, is one of the key components of executive function and a cornerstone of the SMARTS program. Quick! Test your cognitive flexibility with this fun brain teaser. Do something you know how to do, but do it differently (and often). Below is a list of possible strategies to support students with cognitive flexibility issues. August 20, 2019 by SharpBrains _____ Ready to test your con­cen­tra­tion pow­ers and cog­ni­tive flex­i­bil­i­ty? Cognitive flexibility refers to the brain’s ability to transition from thinking about one concept to another. For example, the Research Institute for Learning and Development shared some humorous examples of students misreading directions because they only focused on one word or one particular meaning of the word. It also refers to the ability to process multiple concepts simultaneously such as the color and shape of an object or perspectives of republicans and democrats. “Students who exhibit strength in cognitive flexibility and can handle transitions easily, can shift between subjects and tasks in stride, and may have success in tasks that require them to apply learning in one arena to problem solving in another context,” the team at C8 Sciences writes. For example, in the game of Chutes and Ladders, you can reverse the rules where you slide down the ladders and go up the chutes. In any given class, you will have students who get excited about new challenges and topics alongside those who struggle to cope with these changes. Trouble with these skills is common in kids with ADHD. It demonstrates using the same materials to do something different. Research Institute for Learning and Development. © 2020 Ozobot & Evollve, Inc. United StatesPatent Nos. It is difficult for concrete learners to let go of what they learn and imagine or follow logical reasoning to devise a new solution. Physician and psychiatrist Daniel G. Amen, author of “Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades,” says that the area of the brain known as the anterior cingulate gyrus is often overactive in people who have low cognitive flexibility. The next step is to be clear that challenges with cognitive flexibility are natural in many students, and issues at a young age will likely change over time. Do you have students in your classroom you can’t pull away from a task? You can get an email alert whenever Dr. Alice Boyes writes a … Help them learn how to switch gears quickly and find new solutions to problems when circumstances change without warning. Cognitive flexibility comes into play when something unexpected happens and you are … This is especially true for students with […] The final step is to show how you are taking steps to help students with low cognitive flexibility, while encouraging them to grow their skills at the same time. Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to transition thoughts between multiple concepts or perspectives. When asked to draw a plant cell, for instance, a student drew a flower sitting in jail — focusing on the criminal definition of the word “cell” instead of the biological one. We all have our own unique mental blocks that hold us back sometimes. defined as the ability to switch one’s thinking (cognition) (or train of thought) as an adaptation to the demands of stimuli All eLearning content should feature interconnected knowledge … Another way to build cognitive flexibility is to make an effort to think in … As you start to explore concepts of cognitive flexibility and bring them into the classroom, it may be difficult to discuss this life skill with your students or their parents. This process is crucial for students’ ability to learn new concepts. Michelle Liew at Learning Mind says being humorous and having a quick wit is a great way to develop cognitive flexibility. Kids who struggle with flexible thinking often have trouble coping with change. 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