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Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System
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70 master basic maths principles
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Mental maths at the fingertips
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An ancient device becomes handy for modern maths
In the last few centuries a lot of research has been carried out to study the structures and workings of our brains. It is known now about 95 percent of all information about the human brain.

The study has given us a clear idea about the component part of the brain
-> Information processing
-> Important (main) function of the brain
-> Skill centers and their distribution through the brain
-> How do we learn and what do we recall most easily?
-> What technique is adapted by those extraordinary yet normal people who are able to remember so much more than others?

The Brain cell:
The human brain consists of one million brain cells. Each brain contains a vast electrochemical complex and a powerful micro - data processing and transmitting system. Each of the brain cells has a central body and thousands of branches radiating from the center or nucleus. These branches are called dendrites. One of them is large and is called the axon. This transmits the information from the cell.

Each dendrite spine button contains bundles of chemicals which and the major message - carries in our thinking process. A dendrite spine / synaptic button from one brain cell will link with a synaptic button from another brain cell. When an electrical impulse travels through the brain cell, chemicals will be transferred across the minute, liquid filled space between the two. This space is called the synaptic gap.

The chemicals move into the receiving surface creating an impulse that travels through the receiving brain cell where it is directed to an adjoining brain cell.

A brain cell may receive incoming pulses from hundreds of thousands of connecting points every second, acting like a vast telephone exchange. The sum data of all incoming information and will redirect it along the appropriate path.

As a message is passed from brain cell to brain cell, a biochemical electromagnetic pathway is established. Each of these neuronal pathways is known as a 'memory trace'. These memory traces or mental maps are one of the most exciting areas of modern brain research and have given some startling conclusions.

We can show that each of the ten billion neurons in the human brain has a possibility of connection of one with twenty-eight noughts after it! If a single neuron has this quality of potential, we can hardly imagine what the whole brain can do. What it means is that the total number of possible combination / permutations in the brain, if written out, would be followed by 10.5 million km of noughts.

No human yet exists who can use all the potential of his brain. This is why we don't accept any pessimistic estimates of the limits of the human brain. It is unlimited.

Cerebral hemispheres:
The two sides or hemispheres of the cortex tend to divide the major intellectual functions between them. The right hemisphere appeared to be dominant in the following intellectual areas: rhythm, spatial awareness, gestalt (wholeness). Imagination, daydreaming, color and dimension. The left hemisphere appeared dominant in a different but equally powerful range of mental skills: words, logic, numbers, sequence, linearity, analysis and lists.

Although each hemisphere is dominant in certain activities, they are both basically skilled in all areas, and the mental skills are actually distributed throughout the cortex.

Learning - Remembering:
Research has shown that, during the learning process, the human brain primarily remembers the following

--> Items from the beginning period (the primary effect)
--> Items from the end of the learning period (the recency effect)
--> Any items associated with things or pattern already stored or linked to other aspects of what is being learned.
--> Any items which are emphasized as being in some way outstanding or unique
--> Any items which appeal particularly strongly to any of the five senses
--> Those items which are of particular interest to the person

Human mind is sometimes compared to computer or rather computer is sometimes compared to human mind. Mind, however is infinitely superior to computers. First of all computers remember the basic or fundamental instructions could into it which enable it to function. This memory may be compared with our intuitions and instincts and perhaps the way we interpret the sense data. Computers have however, another memory. If we type or draw something on computer and then give it a command called 'save' our typed material or drawn picture goes into computers memory and we can bring it back or recall it as and when we desire.


So also the memory created in our brain could be recalled as and when we require. But the memory in our brain cannot be recalled when the information has not been registered in the first place or registered imperfectly.The information to be registered is obtained through the sense organs. The sense organs such as eyes, ears, taste buds and pain nerves in the skin receive impression from the environment. They serve as input channels which gather information from the environment. Each sense organ is however a very specialized instrument attuned only to one type of stimulation.

Sensory Integration:
The information processing of human perceptual and cognitive activities are useful in imaging how we experience the perceptual world how we recognize object, how we remember, and how we understand. In other words, it all refers cognition which deals with the processes through which in formation coming from senses is transformed, reduced, elaborated and recovered. The total time from stimulus onset to the occurrence of the response can be divided into intervals, each characterized by different operation. Each process can be assigned a duration.

It is the identification of process along with determination of their position and impact in sequence, which provides the major task for informationprocessing.

Learning and integration of senses:
Learning is a steady and gradual process. Learning pace can be accelerated by involving maximum number of senses. Sensory experience forms the foundation of intellectual activity within and formal school situation and learners differ in the effectiveness of t5heir sense reception. Besides cognition and conceptualization depend on a chain of events which begins with the learners perception of stimulus. These initial learning experiences can be accurate, dependable and understandable unless the learners initial sensory impressions are accurate.

Sensory Integration:
Sensory integration means 'activation and integration of senses by enhancing attention and organizing the stimuli in order to process an information in a desirable manner' Integration of senses can be enhanced by attracting attention with the help of attention activators. Aristotle was the first man to use this concept of sensory integration to 'senses communes or common sense' to integrate the information from the various senses into a single perception. Sensory integration attracts attention of the students, motivates and thereby enhances the learning process as it facilitates information processing. Hence integration of senses plays a vital role in learning and information processing.

Sensory integration in information processing:
Sensory integration integrates all the five senses and helps in the processing of information. It identifies all the sensory stimuli from the outer environment, integrate and orient them properly to register in sensory register leading to perception. This integration attracts the attention of the learners and creates motivation among them facilitating information processing.

Sensory integration and Attention:
Sensory integration enhances attention and helps to process the information in a desirable way with the help of stimulus determinants of attention. Attention can be enhanced which are nothing but characteristics of the stimuli itself. According to James F. Engel, Roger D. Blackwell and Paul Minard, the stimulus determinants of attention are the following:

1. Size: In general, larger the size of the coming stimuli the more likely, it will attract attention.

2. Color: The level of holding and retaining the stimuli from environment for registering it in sensory register can be sharply increased by the use of colour.

3. Intensity: Greater intensity of the stimuli gains more attention than less intensity.

4. Position: Stimuli may be more noticeable by certain locational properties.

5. Directionality: Our eyes will tend follow any signs within the stimulus that indicate direction.

6. Movement: Stimuli in motion elicit greater attention than the static stimuli.

7. Novelty: A stimuli which is novel in character will facilitate attention.

Media:
Proper and selective use of the media can also direct and control learners attention and create readiness for participating in the learning experience. It also enhances positive attitude of the students towards what they are learning and to the learning process and enrich the quality of learning.

Conditional Stimuli:
Conditional stimuli can also attract student’s attention.

Oral lectures:
They draw the listener’s attention due to voice modulation.

All the determinants take their role in different ways, visual, audio, olfactory, taste and feeling experiences. By integrating different senses with attention determinants, we enhance the information processing and quality learning.

Media for sensory Integration:

Media acts as effective tools of learning. Learning media have several definable functions:

1. Media presents the stimulus effectively.
2. Directing and controlling student’s attention
3. Creating readiness in the learner for participating in the learning experience
4. Providing clarity and accuracy of the information to be processed
5. Enhancing positive attitude of the student towards what they learnt and to the learning process and enrich the quality of learning.

Kinds of media used for sensory integration:

Visual: Pictures, Photographs, Video Cassettes, real objects etc.,

Audio: Audio cassettes, radio, integrative use of audio and visual aids

Taste: Vegetables, fruits, chemicals etc.,

Smell: Chemicals, food items, smell of flowers.

Touch: Feeling type writers, machines, tools, instruments etc.,

Memory:
Can you imagine life without memory? Human beings must have some system for retaining what they just did so that they behave in a proper sequence. The system which carries out this task, the abilityto store details of what we have perceived, for further reference is 'memory'. Human memory has extra ordinary capacity to mix, intermingle and combine information in a way that no artificial memory system can approach. It is a complex and exiting process.

Memory as part of the cognitive system:
Earlier studies looked at human memory in terms of association, connections between stimuli and responses. The current trend in the study of memory is to emphasize cognitive processes, through which information coming from senses is transformed, reduced, elaborated, recovered and used modern study of memory emphasizes the mental processes involved in storing information and retrieving it from memory apart from cognitive system.

Significance of Memory in classroom:
One of the aims of education is to help students develop information, skills, learning strategies and attitudes that they can call on when they need them. Learners are not mere empty vessels to be filled with information.

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