3. Students need to have new information or skills connect with what they already know. Learning is much easier when new information has connections to prior knowledge. This makes new content more understandable because it fits into an existing context.

Neurological research tells us that our brain tries to make a connection between new sensory input and existing information stored as electric impulses. The brain takes only a few micro-seconds to determine whether new sensory input should be retained or discarded. If the new input makes a connection to existing memories there is a much higher chance it will be retained.

The stronger the connection is between new input and existing memories, the stronger the synaptic and neural connections become, and the stronger the retention. When we hear a song we like and we've heard many times better, or watch a movie, or repeat a physical motion - we feel positive about the experience and strengthen our mental connections because our brain is dealing with something positive and familiar. In other words- we are re-enforcing our learning. When we are exposed to something entirely new, our brain reacts differently- and likely negatively.

Go from the "known to the unknown" with your students: build connections to the new material. Make continual connections between what they know and what you want them to learn What do they already know that can help them make connections to your new knowledge. Use analogies or parallels between existing student knowledge and the new material to be learned:

To be successful with today's students we have to understand and accept that many students see education far differently than we do:

e.g. This means we need to find ways to connect our lessons to our students' interests. Can lesson content be connected to the NHL or other sports, to teen celebrities, to popular t.v. shows and movies, or to student day-to-day experiences? A fight at school helps explain how WW1 started, the Greek-Persian wars can be related to a hockey game between an underdog and a favourite, sizes and distances are related to local landmarks.