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Introduction:

(The following is taken from Judy Willis: &amp;quot;Rebooting the Brain&amp;quot;, www.p21.org) 
 
&#39;&#39;Understanding how the brain turns sensory data into memory and understanding is 
illuminated by neuroscience research. An important area of study relates to student 
boredom and frustration as stressors that interfere with the brain&rsquo;s successful 
processing sensory data into learning. 
 
What takes place in the brain when we experience stress? From neuroimaging 
studies, we see an emotionally sensitive switching station, the amygdala, on each 
side of the brain, deep in the limbic system. In the absence of high stress, fear, or 
perceived threat, the amygdala directs incoming information to the prefrontal cortex 
(PFC). It is only in the PFC that information can be mentally manipulated into long- 
term memory or processed through the highest cognitive and emotional control 
networks of executive functions. The ability to evaluate one&rsquo;s emotions before 
either responding to an emotional trigger or choosing to ignore it is a uniquely 
human trait that also requires communication between the PFC and the lower 
reactive brain. 
 
However, this reflective response cannot take place during the high-stress emotional 
state which blocks the flow of information to and from the PFC. We now see, that 
prolonged or frequent frustration or boredom are associated with the high stress 
state in the amygdala. 
 
Boredom and frustration are frequent intruders on brain function in today&rsquo;s 
classrooms. Boredom can come from lessons that have little personal relevance, and 
from instruction and drills that cover information students have already mastered. 
 
Frustration can result when students do not understand instructions and feel they 
lack the capability and access to the support needed to succeed, especially when 
they have previously tried to understand a topic and repeatedly failed to achieve the 
required goal mastery. 
 
When boredom and frustration persist or intensify, the amygdala stress state is 
sustained and information taught or practiced is blocked from reaching the 
prefrontal cortex for memory construction, as students eventually fall behind. A 
cascade of tuning out builds to decreased academic success,&nbsp;and negative reactive 
behavioral consequences disrupts both memory construction and reflective control 
of behavior. 
 
Whenever the amygdala is highly activated by this stress response, it sends 
incoming information to the lower, involuntary, quick-response brain, where the 
behavioral reactions are limited to the primitive fight/flight/freeze survival 
mechanisms. In humans these involuntary behavioral reactions to stress can 
manifest as &ldquo;acting out&rdquo; or &ldquo;zoning out&rdquo; and memory cannot be constructed. With 
failure of input to be constructed into long-term memory, students&rsquo; lose confidence 
that their efforts applied to school will result in achieving the required goals. They 
acquire a fixed mind set and spiral further into effort withdrawal and school 
alienation.&#39;&#39; 
 
Boredom and frustration in other words block the motivation and learning with the 
students. In this task you will understand more about the neuroscience. 
With a background in neuroscience you will see that DMM is a method that can 
generate more motivation and learning at the students. DMM is one such way 
because DMM gives the student motivation with the student as pilot in his own 
education.

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