Elspeth Maconachie
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It's hard to recall what we did in the last session without my book at hand . Guess that means we'd better get back to more memory training next time.
Elspeth Maconachie Wordplays, networks of numbers and creative image possibilities kept the brain cells active in our April session. Although we were failures at the Islands quiz, we found a few Mensa puzzles easy enough to figure out- with a bit of teamwork, thanks Rae!
Elspeth Maconachie I hope you've been seeing new places, acquiring a new skill or doing mind /body exercise so you can keep up with the group when we meet on April 9.
Elspeth Maconachie Ten of Benalla's keenest brains gathered to tackle puzzles which exercised visual, verbal, numeric and memory skills. We talked brieful of the way long and short term memories are laid down and went home with a few extra neural pathways activated.
To allow for long weekend excursions, we will not meet again until April. I'm sure that will give two others plenty of time to return from travel and knee repair respectively. Elspeth Late news - Brain Games is going ahead in Semester 1 - but at a different time slot! It will be held on the 2nd Tuesday from 2 to 4 pm. Same place - same 'course description'...
'It is well established that new skills can help build brain pathways with benefits for memory, confidence, happiness and even falls prevention. Brain Games will offer a variety of entertaining and informative ways to challenge, inform and exercise your brain. Thus we might solve word, number, shape, picture or logic puzzles, take part in a quiz, brainstorm solutions to a dilemma, draw a picture or maybe even learn to juggle! There will be some time spent viewing DVDs or reading articles which explore such topics as illusions and tricks, dementia, brain repair, gender differences, optimism & pessimism, lateral thinking and creativity." Participants at the November session were keen, but numbered just three and with a timeslot proving tricky to find, the convenor has decided to go into recess for at least one semester.
Elspeth There was no session in October so I hope to have a good turn up on Cup eve to wind up the year.
Elspeth Maconachie There will be no October 1st session with the convenor called away. May I suggest instead a walk in the sunshine while counting backwards from 100 to 10 in 3s, or singing a foreign song, as such activities will enliven neural pathways?
In September we covered words, reasoning, memory and visual challenges. If you can't wait until November to check the Spatial and Matrix puzzles, the answers are on pp 149-50 of Workout for a Balanced Brain which is in the computer cupboard. Elspeth Maconachie We started with some mnemonics and discussed ways of improving memory retention such as clumping, pairing, associating - even humming. It is clear that techniques, like repetition and rhyming, can help, and that something not stored properly to begin with, will be quickly lost, while times- tables might stay forever (and be chanted in the same tone as we fish them out!).
Serious brain exercise was done with the Wordplay and, especially the Maslanka, sections of The Guardian's puzzle page. If you can keep up with Pedanticus your brain is in very good nick! We eased back with a few rather corny creative puzzles which demanded lateral leaps. Bring along any homework for checking on September 3rd Elspeth Maconachie The group spent considerable time on the Wordplay section of the Guardian puzzle section. and had some little time to hone memory skills.
Elspeth Maconachie |
About Brain Games
It is well established that new skills can help build brain pathways with benefits for memory, confidence, happiness and even falls prevention. Brain Games offers a variety of entertaining and informative ways to challenge, inform and exercise your brain. Thus we might solve word, number, shape, picture or logic puzzles, take part in a quiz, brainstorm solutions to a dilemma, draw a picture or maybe even learn to juggle! We may, at times, read or view material on topics such as dementia, brain repair...etc), gender differences, optimism and pessimism, lateral thinking and creativity. Convenor and contact detailsElspeth Maconachie
0418 621 764 Meeting Times
4th Tuesday 2 to 4 pm, U3A Meeting Room 1, Fawckner Drive.
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