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Collins Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language

Chapter 4

4.1

The brain depends on tiny cells called neurons. Neurons allow messages to move between
the brain and the body. Each neuron connects to other neurons through microscopic
branches. When you learn, electrical messages travel between these neurons. Then the
brain starts to create pathways, or connections, between the neurons, which is how you
learn and remember things.

The brain is responsible for feelings and emotions. Our emotions play an important role in
how we learn. When we feel stressed or worried, the brain releases chemicals such as
adrenaline and cortisol into the body. These chemicals can change the way we think and
behave and make it hard for us to take in new information. Scientists think we learn best
when we are happy and relaxed.

Physical factors also affect how the brain learns. The brain needs water to create neural
pathways – so when we are dehydrated we don’t learn as well. Dehydration can also lead to
higher salt levels and rising blood pressure, which in turn can cause stress.

The brain also needs a good balance of fats, sugars, proteins, vegetables and carbohydrates
to work effectively – so it’s vital to maintain a balanced and healthy diet, especially when
you are studying.

Other physical factors that affect how we learn include tiredness or hunger, or being too hot
or too cold. Any of these things can reduce our concentration levels. If we sit still for a long
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period of time this can also affect our ability to concentrate – so it’s a good idea to take brain
breaks and move about or exercise. This increases the oxygen in our bloodstream and helps
our neurons to fire.

To achieve the best conditions for learning, remember that the more you use your brain, the
more efficient it will become. Set targets for yourself, and try to have an imaginative and
curious mind. Stimulate your brain in different ways – for example, take in new information
via audio, video and movement. And finally remember the role of your emotions – try to
avoid studying when you are upset or stressed.

4.2

Welcome to how to make a Mind Map. In this clip I’m going to share with you the basics to
get you started with Mind Mapping. I’m Susan Gregory. Mind Mapping is a very visual way
to capture your thoughts and ideas so you can easily plan things, remember things and it’s
also great for taking notes. It uses lots of colour and key words so your brain is attracted to
it. Mind Mapping was invented by Tony Buzan, and the term Mind Map is a registered
trademark of the Buzan organisation in the UK. Mind Mapping is used all over the world in
studying and business situations. To start your Mind Map, begin by putting an image in the
centre of the page; this way it’s really easy to tell what your Mind Map is about. In this case
I’m making a Mind Map about a woman called Chrissie so I’ve drawn a picture of her in the
centre of the page. The next step is to add the main branches which organise your ideas
about your subject. So I’m doing a Mind Map about Chrissie and Chrissie’s life so the key
branches I’ve used are: children, her job, her husband Rich, her hobbies, where she lives and
also the last detail is her age. Now it’s the time to add more detail by adding smaller
branches, key words, pictures and always using colour. So if you look in the top right hand
corner of the Mind Map, you can see more detail about her children. And then going around
clockwise you can see that I’ve added more branches with detail under each category. I’m
not going to talk you through all of the details of this Mind Map. But what I want you to
notice is that I’ve used pictures and key words throughout as well as lots of colour. Notice
that the details are written on top of small branches which are connected back to the main
branches. This way there are lines and curves that flow through connecting all of the details.
I’ve used single key words and there are no cases where I have used any long sentences or
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long phrases. It’s much easier for the brain to remember single key words especially if
you’ve used lots of colour and pictures as well. So to summarise, begin with a central image.
Use colour throughout the whole Mind Map. Print the single key words on top of the
branches and make sure the branches are curved and connected. Also make sure you use
pictures throughout the whole Mind Map; it’s very memorable that way. Thanks for
watching this clip about the basics of how to Mind Map. I’m soon going to be adding other
Mind Maps that go into more detail and provide additional examples.

4.3

Welcome to a dream come true: iMind Map. One of the important points in structuring a
Mind Map is to have one word per branch because if you have one word, that one word with
all its associations is free. If you were mind mapping and you wanted to put ‘Tony Buzan’. If
you put ‘Tony Buzan’, you’ve stuck them together with glue, but if you put ‘Buzan’ and then
‘Tony’, you’ve got the freedom to radiate out: my father, my mother, my brother, the history
of the name etc. So the single word per line gives you much more freedom, much more
creativity, much more clarity. It’s a vitally important rule. Ideally the length of the word
should be the length of the branch so the two words are in space, close, i.e. they’re
connected. Studies at London University showed that people who use colour and image in
their imagination, when they are learning and trying to remember, inevitably do better than
those who don’t. The research showed that while they were doing that, using image and
colour in their minds, far more of the cortex was actually alight. So when you are using a
Mind Map, with colours, with images, with the key words, with the organic structure, you
are lighting up more of your brain. Linear note taking is like having this palace, which is the
brain, and in the basement there’s one dim little light bulb on; when you mind map *pyoom*
the whole palace lights up. Throughout a Mind Map there should be key words and key
images: the picture is worth a thousand words. So wherever you can get little images
wherever you can underline or emphasise in colour, do. Another important reason for
having images is that images are fundamentally the way human beings communicate.
Leonardo, did it. Darwin, did it Beethoven, did it. Every genius used image and associations
and the Mind Map is the process by which you can do that. It’s not the word that is
important; it’s the image that that word conjures up. So, essential to use images throughout.
And the other advantage of that, of course, is that if you are communicating with people
from any other language group, the Mind Map is actually their language as well. One of the
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other rules is clarity. So when you are, for example, making your Mind Map, if the printing is
clear, if the structure is beautifully organized, then the whole map will be more registerable
for you. One of the delights of the iMindMap programme is that it makes it all clear for you.
So you do scruffy writing, it clarifies it for you. So the Mind Map comes out as a beautifully
clear image and is therefore far more powerful as a thinking tool.
Created by OpenGenius, iMindMap is the official Mind Mapping software from the inventor,
Tony Buzan. www.imindmap.com www.opengenius.com

4.4

Adora Svitak is the world’s youngest teacher. From the age of 12 she has taught other
teachers about how children learn best in the classroom. Her approach is to use technology
to motivate students. As Adora says, 20th century methods don’t work so well any more, so
it’s time to use 21st century ones to keep up with the students. Adora also feels that adults
have a lot to learn from young children and their unique approach to solving problems and
creativity. She enjoys changing the minds of youngsters and teachers on reading and
writing.

When Adora isn’t teaching or studying she is also a published writer! She published her first
book, Flying Fingers, when she was eight years old. She has had another book of stories
published in the USA since then. Adora’s favourite school subject is, not surprisingly,
English.

In her spare time Adora likes hanging out with her friends. Adora says that she likes talking
and playing with her friends – and adds that they don’t spend their time teaching each
other! Adora is on Twitter and enjoys interacting with kids and adults from around the
world.

4.5

Jeremy: You know what? School is really getting me down these days. I know we’ve got to
get through these final exams and there’s coursework and so on, but we have
deadline after deadline and I just feel overwhelmed!
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Anna: I know what you mean. Don’t get me wrong, I like school most of the time and I
enjoy hanging out with you all. I love sports and break-times and school trips,
and I even like most of my teachers! But I wish everything wasn’t so strict and
time-bound.

Zara: Too right! You know I was listening to this really cool guy called Alvin Toffler.
He’s old – almost 70, I think – but he has the most radical, controversial ideas
about education. He says it’s all wrong and we should basically scrap it!

Anna: Really? A 70 year old thinks that? Wow! My gran is 70 and all she cares about is
how many ‘As’ I get in school! So what does this guy say?

Jeremy: See… I always knew there was something wrong with the school system! They
keep telling us we’re 21st century learners, but the system just doesn’t suit the
21st century, does it?

Zara: Exactly… so what Toffler is says is that the current public education system is
obsolete!

Jeremy: What does that mean, ‘obsolete’?

Zara: He means… old-fashioned, not working, not fit for today’s purpose.

Jeremy: That’s it! I knew it!

Anna: Hang on, is he saying scrap schools? I’m not sure I’d like that… imagine not seeing
you two every day? And being with my parents all the time… oh no!

Zara: No that’s not it. All he’s saying is that the current school system is based on an old
industrial revolution model. So in places like the USA and UK in the 18 th and 19th
century they needed everyone to be a factory worker of some type. People had to
show up on time, work according to bells, all do the same thing on an assembly
line… again and again and again!

Anna: So he thinks we need to come up with new ways of teaching kids like us?

Zara: Precisely! He argues that we need much more flexibility and creativity in the 21 st
century. And there are other experts, like Sir Ken Robinson, who think the same.
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Jeremy: So what does Toffler think a good school should be like then? As for me, I hate
bells and taking subjects I don’t like! Oh yes, and doing the same thing over and
over again, like 30 maths problems all exactly the same!

Zara: I think Alvin Toffler would agree with you! He thinks schools should be open 24
hours, have teachers and students organising their own schedules and working
with experts. Expert engineers, doctors, journalists, writers, managers… people
who really do the job in the community. Imagine learning directly from them
with a teacher there to just help out and fill in the gaps!

Jeremy: I like it! I want to design robots one day. Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a
robotics engineer tell us what they do and what they are working on!

Anna: Oh yes. I want to be an architect and I’ve never even actually met a real architect!

Zara: Toffler says we could work alongside people in the real world and they could
come in and teach us some of the time. And our teachers could go out there and
learn about how they do things in businesses and so on. This would help teachers
come up with practical skills for us to learn!

Anna: Wow… that sounds like fun. Not sure about the 24-hour school though!

Jeremy: Nope, I like the idea of the 24-hour school. I’m a night bird and at seventeen I
think I should be allowed to stay up and question a robotics engineer somewhere
else in the world about my design project!

Zara: Oh, and another thing, Toffler thinks we should have classes divided by interest
and ability rather than age. Imagine little ten- and eleven-year-olds in class with
senior school students!

Jeremy: Why not? If they want to work with robots too, I don’t mind!

Anna: I like the idea of this school… I suppose having much younger kids in my Art
classes could be a bit annoying, but if they really want to be serious artists, I
might put up with them! Can you imagine them running around and knocking
paint over each other?

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