Covid Kids
and the Pixel Pandemic
Community Based Project Based Learning with limited screen time.
And the Need for Brain Balanced Therapy
Covid Curriculum: Balanced Brain Learning
(Children of various intellectual delays)
Judith Marie Eckert M.Ed
Mission Statement:
Covid Kids and the Pixel Pandemic
Our Mission is to inform students, parents, and educators about online education hazards while bringing academic and medical communities together. These hazards include screen pixels, screen time, and educational games that create neurological brain imbalances in children and steal their childhood, culture, and community. We will provide solutions for healing through brain balance therapy and community-based project-based learning that will heal their minds, hearts, and souls for this generation and future generations to come.
Our Approach:
Students address the root cause of their challenges and move toward meaningful change that improves their life experiences. This approach is rooted in Project-Based Learning and an authentic life project based learning that includes Expository Text Reading, Writing Science and Social Studies Curriculum with measured Lexile Levels and layered morphology.
World Psychiatry. 2019 Jun; 18(2): 119–129.
Published online 2019 May 6. doi: 10.1002/wps.20617 PMCID: PMC6502424 PMID: 31059635The “online brain”: how the Internet may be changing our cognition
Joseph Firth, 1 , 2 , 3 John Torous, 4 Brendon Stubbs, 5 , 6 Josh A. Firth, 7 , 8 Genevieve Z. Steiner, 1 , 9 Lee Smith, 10 Mario Alvarez‐Jimenez, 3 , 11 John Gleeson, 3 , 12 Davy Vancampfort, 13 , 14 Christopher J. Armitage, 2 , 15 , 16 and Jerome Sarris 1 , 17
Neurocognitive changes:Some emerging evidence indicates that disengaging from the “real world” in favor of virtual settings may similarly induce adverse neurocognitive changes.
For example, a recent randomized controlled trial (RCT)13 found that six weeks of engaging in an online role playing game caused significant reductions in grey matter within the orbitofrontal cortex – a brain region implicated in impulse control and decision making.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502424/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3vfIH7OflWL8KPbcDV0GvLD7O57eNmPOE99iuuQelVfwiW5lVi2PtXLv0_aem_AcSwHMCFEFQJn67S8E6MWk-boql5JHBr_NE_cPOle5mFedAYPFGIxOcXwuZ5i_cFTgRZPnIIBQWG7GW9mhBNJ2C0
However, the study did not address the extent to which these results were specific to online gaming, rather than general internet usage. Nonetheless, this raises the possibility that various types of Internet usage could differentially affect the brain and cognitive processes – in both adverse and beneficial ways. This may be of particular relevance to the developing brains of children and adolescents, as many cognitive processes (particularly those relevant to higher executive functions and social cognition) are not entirely innate, but rather are strongly influenced by environmental factors14.
“Tech Titans”send their kids to Waldorf schools. This is why:~Judith Eckert
"Waldorf teachers appreciate that technology must assume a role in education, but at the appropriate developmental stage when a young person has reached the intellectual maturity to reason abstractly and process concretely on his or her own, which is at around the age of 14. Society might challenge this principle, as many young children are well able to complete sophisticated tasks on a computer; the Waldorf perspective is that computer exposure should not be based on capability but on developmental appropriateness. While many applaud adult-like thinking in young children, we observe that a child’s natural, instinctive, creative, and curious way of relating to the world may be repressed when technology is introduced into learning environments at an early age". ~ Excerpt from NYTimes Opinion, 5/2014, Author, Beverly Amicoa https://youtu.be/eAZ-fuWdz8M?si=7Evmf0Vr8eKrqcXp
The Waldorf teaching philosophy is used at more than 1,000 institutions in 91 countries, including 136 schools in the U.S. Technology and screens aren't used at all through 8th grade, and are scarce even in high school. CNBC gets an inside look at what it is like.
In most public and private schools across the nation, Chromebooks, iPads or Windows devices are everywhere.
But things look very different at Waldorf Schools, where technology and screens aren't used at all through 8th grade, and are scarce even in high school. The Waldorf teaching philosophy is used at more than 1,000 institutions in 91 countries, including 136 schools in the U.S.
Watch the video to see what a Waldorf School is like, and why parents are seeking them out in places like Silicon Valley.
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Alaska Senator Contact Information:
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan – Alaska�302 Hart Senate Office Building
(202) 224-3004
Christopher Brown
Legislative Correspondent
Email: Christopher_Brown@sullivan.senate.gov
Phone: (202) 224-3004
Sara Berkekmeir-Bell Policy Advisor/Education
Cassidy Hobbs Legislative Assistant/Health
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski – Alaska�522 Hart Senate Building
Cassidy_Hobbs@murkowski.senate.gov
Senator Brian Schatz: United States Senator Hawaii
722 Hart Senate Building
Washington D.C.
(202) 224-3934
Veronica Winham: Legislative Correspondent
Email: Veronica_Winham@SCHATZ.SENATE.GOV
Health Policy Advisor: Gabrielle Schechter
Email: GABRIELLE_SCHECHTER@SCHATZ.SENATE. GOV
The Physical
It all comes down to the way the human brain functions. When reading printed text we access both the visual and kinaesthetic regions of the brain. When reading on screen that tactility and stimulation to the brain is reduced.
Research indicates that modern screens and e-readers fail to adequately recreate certain tactile experiences of reading on paper. They also prevent people from navigating long texts in an intuitive and satisfying way. This, in turn, affects reading comprehension. There are two reasons for this. one based on the physiological aspects of the brain, and the psychology of the reader. The other is the sensing and processing of the information we read.
Critical Thinking Skills, Community Based, Project Based Learning
One of the best ways to evaluate critical thinking skills is to use authentic tasks that require students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world situations. Authentic tasks are meaningful, relevant, and engaging for students, and they allow them to demonstrate their understanding and creativity.
To create both learners and citizens, the Coalition for Community Schools advocates strategies that engage students in learning through community-based problem solving. Collectively referred to as community based learning, these strategies include academically based community service, civic education, environmental education, place-based learning, service learning, and work-based learning. It draws from research on peer-assisted learning, project-based learning, and experiential learning.
Example: Community Culture Based Project Based Learning Model:
Victor Elementary School District Model Each School Unique to its Culture
Each of our 18 different school sites is a “School of Choice” with individual focuses such as health and fitness, drama and the arts, technology, music and science just to mention a few.
The district is broken into four areas called quadrants. Students have the opportunity to choose any school within the quadrant in which they live based on their interest AND still have transportation provided.
VESD works consistently to meet the needs of 12,000 students through providing quality professional development for our staff, collaborating with parents and community members, listening to students and benchmarking best practices across the nation.
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2003/profiles/brentwood.pdf
Project Based Learning and Comprehension
– Deeper learning
PBL leads to deeper understanding and greater retention of content knowledge. Students are better able to apply what they know to new situations.
https://amplify.com/stimulus-funding
https://www.ecksteinlearning.com/making-math-real-based-approach
https://www.ecksteinlearning.com/making-math-real-based-approach
https://www.ecksteinlearning.com/making-math-real-based-approach
Blood pressure, heart health, anxiety with video game format:
The displacement of sports and other physical activities by television and video may contribute to the associations among television viewing, obesity, and reduced physical fitness. Because video games are widely played by children and adolescents, we assessed the metabolic and cardiovascular responses to video game playing. Heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption were measured serially over 30 minutes in 32 males and females aged 16 to 25 years (mean +/- SEM, 20 +/- 1 years) while they played the "Ms Pac-Man" video game under standard laboratory conditions and compared with measurements made in a standing but inactive position. Playing the video game significantly increased heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and oxygen consumption. Energy expenditure increased from 6.08 +/- 0.24 kJ/min while the subjects stood inactive to 10.94 +/- 0.49 kJ/min while they played. The increase in metabolic rate and cardiovascular stimulation was similar in magnitude to mild-intensity exercise.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1877563/
At Brain Balance, we’re dedicated to grounding our program in a solid foundation of evidence. Drawing on decades of external research exploring brain development and neuroplasticity—the brain’s remarkable capacity for change—we’ve crafted our program to focus on what drives improvements in the areas of behavior, social and academic success.
A mounting body of evidence supports the efficacy of the Brain Balance Program®. Our published research underscores significant improvements as reported by parents, clinicians, and teachers, spanning crucial domains such as focus and attention, ADHD symptoms, cognitive skills, and mental well-being.
https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/brain-balance-program-research-and-results
SUMMARY Effects of a 15-week at-home training program consisting of up to 75 sessions of Brain Balance exercises and Interactive Metronome sessions (BB/IM) was evaluated in children of either sex between 8-14 years of age recruited from the community and confirmed to have ADHD through structured diagnostic interview. Clinical response was assessed based on parent ratings on the revised Conner’s parent rating (CPRS), clinician ratings on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for DSM-IV rating scale (ADHD-RS), the Quotient ADHD System (which provides objective assessment of hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity), and on computerized neuropsychological tests. Overall, n=57 participants were enrolled, and nine participants were disqualified as they did not meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD and were not typical developing controls. Over the course of the study N = 23 participants (59%) with ADHD and one control (11%) discontinued treatment or withdrew. Hence, complete pre-treatment / post BB/IM treatment data were available from n = 16 ADHD participants and from n = 8 typical developing controls. ADHD participants consisted of 14 males and 2 females with mean age of 10.8 ± 1.7 years. Controls consisted of 4 males and 4 females with mean age of 11.0 ± 1.8 years. In addition, data were also included from n = 19 participants, who closely matched the ADHD participants in their pre-treatment Quotient ADHD System pre-treatment indices. These individuals received treatment with morning light therapy to address issues of daytime sleepiness, but this intervention was not intended to ameliorate symptoms of ADHD. These participants were included in some of the analyses to highlight the potential effects of BB/IM via comparison to a contrast group receiving a treatment believed to be less efficacious.
Parent Ratings. Treatment with BB/IM was associated with a mean reduction of 7.4 points in ADHD symptoms on CPRS-R in children with ADHD (p < .0002) indicative of a large therapeutic effect size (Cohen’s d paired = 1.29). BB/IM did not however fully normalize scores. Prior to treatment ADHD youths had ADHD Index scores that were, on average, 21 points greater than typically developing controls. Following BB/IM treatment their scores were about 12 points greater than re-test scores in controls. There were large therapeutic effect size reductions in oppositional behavior, inattention and hyperactivity
Impact on the Brain: - Cognitive Function: Excessive gaming can lead to cognitive changes, such as decreased attention span, reduced ability to concentrate on other tasks, and difficulties with problem-solving and decision-making.
Keywords: experimental video gaming, cognition, brain structure, brain function, critical reflection, challenge, plasticity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829166/
Like many parts of the brain's limbic system, the hippocampus is involved in memory, learning, and emotion. Its largest job is to hold short-term memories and transfer them to long-term storage in our brains. It also plays a role in emotional processing, including anxiety and avoidance behaviors.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3548359/
Effects of computer gaming on cognition, brain structure, and function: a critical reflection on existing literature
Simone Kühn, PhD
Simone Kühn, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany;
Jürgen Gallinat, MD
Jürgen Gallinat, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany ;
Anna Mascherek, PhD
Anna Mascherek, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany ;
Like many parts of the brain's limbic system, the hippocampus is involved in memory, learning, and emotion. Its largest job is to hold short-term memories and transfer them to long-term storage in our brains. It also plays a role in emotional processing, including anxiety and avoidance behaviors.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3548359/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829166/
Hippocampus:
This part of brain has been one of the most extensively studied, and atrophy[3–4] of this region has clinical consequence; both potential and real.[6–8] It is the earliest and most severely affected structure in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), epilepsy etc.[9] 9. Frisoni GB, Fox NC, Jack CR, Jr, Scheltens P, Thompson PM. The clinical use of structural MRI in Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Neurol. 2010;6:67–77. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]
Papez (1930) proposed that emotional response is organized in hippocampus and is expressed in cingulate gyrus via mammillary bodies.[2] It has also been now implicated in recollecting the past experience and imagining future.[10] Additionally though, known to play a major role in learning, memory and spatial navigation studies also indicate that this is increasingly emerging as a part of ‘moral brain.’[11]
The general conclusion might be along the lines of “video gaming has an effect on brain structure and function,” although the underlying mechanisms that drive these effects might not be inferred. To start with, including studies in reviews differing in design does have its place, but needs to be supplemented by studies or reviews allowing for more causal inferences on the long run. Nevertheless, it seems that in brain regions particularly related to attention and to visual spatial skills, an improvement in terms of brain function and brain structure due to video game training can be observed.
Video gaming as a popular form of leisure activity and its effect on cognition, brain function, and structure has come into focus in the field of neuroscience. Visuospatial cognition and attention seem to benefit the most, whereas for executive functions, memory, and general cognition, the results are contradictory. The particular characteristics of video games driving these effects remain poorly understood. We critically discuss major challenges for the existing research, namely, the lack of precise definitions of video gaming, the lack of distinct choice of cognitive ability under study, and the lack of standardized study protocols. Less research exists on neural changes in addition to cognitive changes due to video gaming. Existing studies reveal evidence for the involvement of similar brain regions in functional and structural changes. There seems to be a predominance in the hippocampal, prefrontal, and parietal brain regions; however, studies differ immensely, which makes a meta-analytic interpretation vulnerable. We conclude that theoretical work is urgently needed.
https://youtu.be/97n5SVs4zrA?si=42CELme0uHrKDBO4
Sec. 300.101 Free appropriate public education (FAPE) link below:
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/b/300.101
IDEA Section 1416: Monitoring, technical assistance, and enforcement link below:
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-ii/1416
IDEA Discretionary grants:
https://sites.ed.gov/idea/discretionary-grants/
IDEA Discretionary Grants: New OSEP Funding Opportunities
https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/osep/new-osep-grants.html
Outline for meeting for proposed legislation:
Senator Sullivan and Senator Schatz Staff
I Legislation for community-based, project-based learning.
*Tribal Compact Model AK(Proposed legislation)
* Decrease in Screen Time for classroom instruction
* Funding for the University of Alaska Curriculum development for community-based project based
learning
* Efficacy of current Reading, Writing, and Math Curriculum (Data Review)
II Funding for neurological evaluations with the ability of School psychologists to evaluate students to relieve neurologist caseload.
* Funding for effective balanced brain therapy for students with Individual Educational Programs with diagnosis of neurological disorders
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan – Alaska
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3004
Legislative Correspondent: Christopher Brown
Email: Christopher_Brown@sullivan.senate.gov
Policy Advisor/Education: Sara Berkemeier-Bell
Email: sara_berkemeier-bell@sullivan.senate.gov
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski – Alaska�522 Hart Senate Building
Washington D.C. 20510
Legislative Assistant: Cassidy Hobbs
Email: Cassidy_Hobbs@murkowski.senate.gov
References:
https://amplify.com/pdf/uploads/2023/06/A_American-Rescue-Plan_Infographic-TwoPage_052423_v1.pdf
https://amplify.com/stimulus-funding
https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/hs-search-results?term=brain+balance+program+results&type=SITE_PAGE&type=BLOG_POST&type=LISTING_PAGE
https://www.ecksteinlearning.com/making-math-real-based-approach
Kardaras, N. (2016). Glow kids: how screen addiction is hijacking our kids--and how to break the trance. First edition. New York, St. Martin's Press
https://metametricsinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Empirical-Lexile-Measures-for-Words.pdf
Lexile & Quantile Hub
https://hub.lexile.com/
Nat Rev Neurol. 2010;6:67–77. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3548359/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829166/
Melillo, R. (2009). Disconnected kids: The groundbreaking brain balance program for children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurological disorders. Penguin Publishing Group
References:
Effects of computer gaming on cognition, brain structure, and function: a critical reflection on existing literature
Simone Kühn, PhD
Simone Kühn, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany;
Jürgen Gallinat, MD
Jürgen Gallinat, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany ;
Anna Mascherek, PhD
Anna Mascherek, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany ;