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August 23, 2010
Leadership is less about what we know and more about what we're willing to discover.
-Diane Branson
Recently, five brain scientists spent a week in May in a remote area of Utah, rafting the San Juan River, camping on its banks, and hiking the tributary canyons. A New York Times article "Outdoors and Out of Reach, Studying the Brain" described this as "a primitive trip with a sophisticated goal: to understand how heavy use of digital devices and other technology changes how we think and behave, and how a retreat into nature might reverse those effects."
The trip was organized by David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, who is studying "what happens when we step away from our devices and rest our brains — in particular how attention, memory, and learning are affected." Strayer observed...
"Attention is the holy grail. Everything that you're conscious of, everything you let in, everything you remember and you forget, depends on it.... On a day-to-day basis, too much digital stimulation can take people who would be functioning O.K. and put them in a range where they're not psychologically healthy."
Strayer and fellow trip participant Paul Atchley, professor at the University of Kansas who studies teenagers' compulsive use of cell phones, argue that "heavy technology use can inhibit deep thought and cause anxiety, and that getting out into nature can help." They planned the trip to prove their point.
Natural Playscapes: Creating Outdoor Play Environments for the Soul by Rusty Keeler, is an inspiring, yet practical resource on bringing outdoor playspaces to life. It describes how children relate to the natural world, gives many examples from around the world of how early childhood professionals and parents have planned and constructed natural playscapes. Included are blueprints, step-by-step instructions, and tip sheets such as "20 Ways to Create Natural Playscapes," and "15 Free or Low-Cost Things to Enrich Your Playscapes."
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Comments (3)
Displaying All 3 CommentsFamily Life Office
Omaha, NE, United States
I am really interested and what they found.
However I think they are rigth we can see it in our children behavior, their reactions, attitudes and more.
Shishu Vikash Kendra
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Thank for this article . I want to know about the brain research in early
childhood . Brain develops in 2 years to 3 years in high rate . So it is very
important to stimulate for brain development .
Early Head Start
Port Charlotte , Fl, United States
Thank you for your article about how and what affects our brains. It is a true fact that taking time to enjoy the beauty of nature that surrounds us is essential to our developmental growth as children and as adults. Recently I was in NYC and if you have ever visited that busy city, it depicts a very fast pace for everyone. So after walking many blocks and keeping entertained, my husband and I longed for a place to get away. After basking in the sun at Central Park we felt revived and refreshed! Yes we must take time for ourselves away from the busyness of life's pressures and allow time to breath and capture the moment that ends up rejuvenating us once again.
Thank you;
Amy Jean
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