Our Brain – What a Gift
The topic of meaningful learning and a good education are certainly worthy of discussion. This
is especially true when considering the reality that in schools, business training, sports
instruction, and other learning environments there are more individuals who do not reach their
potential, than do. Why? Is anyone or anything at fault?
Should approaches to learning be rethought by looking through the eyes of brain research that
shows meaningful learning and good education are influenced by expectations?
Should meaningful learning be seen as going from not knowing to knowing, or be seen as
developing the capacity to develop more capacity? Theodore Sizer said, “Estimating, imagining,
and reasoning are at the core of school work.”
Perhaps insights into why more individuals do not reach their potential than do and what
meaningful learning should accomplish lies in how different the following two statement are when
it comes to the brain based emotion of expectation.
First, there is the “classic” statement that the elected officials, educators, and at times parents
often use: “every child in America has the right to receive a good education.” Pause for a
moment and consider what expectations this statement creates about learning?
The second statement is an edited version of the first; “every child in America has the right to
have the opportunity and support to earn a good education.” What expectations does this
statement create about learning?
The term receive a good education creates a very different tone, mind set, and expectations
than the term earn a good education.
The hypothesis here is that meaningful learning and a good education are earned; that useful
lessons are acquired, not given. With the support of 21st century brain research some
approaches to learning are being enhanced by using brain compatible information delivery
systems.
Why talk about the brain... because it runs the show! The brain is a self-organizing organ that is
our gateway to expectations, learning, and just about everything else we humans do. All
behavior is a neurologically based process, including earning a good education.
As Renate Caine, a professor emeritus of education at California State University said, “It is time
to become familiar with the latest research on learning; it’s a positive message from
neuroscience for all of us.”
In the October 2008 issue of The Advocate, National Education Association stated, “The one
that does the work does the learning; life-long learners have learned to learn on their own; they
have developed the ability to evaluate themselves; they take control of their own learning; they
develop metacognitive skills.”
That acts of learning are brain based is an insight that is often overlooked, especially when the
expectation is that you are going to receive or be given a good education.
There are many important insights about brain compatible approaches for earning a good
education that are not being put to use at a speed equal to their value. Why? Perhaps
because some of these insights from brain research are counterintuitive and non-traditional.
But how can any approach for earning a good education and meaningful learning expect to
reach its potential without first taking into consideration the nature of learning and the biology of
human behavior?
In the February 2010 issue of Education Leadership – Daniel T. Willingham, a cognitive scientist
from the University of Virginia stated, “Ignoring research based on the principals of learning can
have negative effects on student learning.” Willingham also said, “Knowledge of students’
learning style is not a necessity; it should be lesson content that’s driving decisions about
teaching.” Lee Shulman said, “The basic requirement of the expert teacher is a cognitive
understanding of how students learn.”
Brain compatible information delivery systems always put forward information with the brain in
mind. These approaches help the brain to be fully engaged when making predictions, a
valuable tool for earning a good education.
On the other hand, the higher cortex of the brain will not be fully engaged in helping to develop
the deduction and reasoning skills of a self-reliant life-long learner when the expectations are
that learning environments have the responsibility to give individuals a good education. When
the expectations are that individuals are going to follow directions and receive rather than earn
and gain a good education, it is an approach that is not fully brain compatible for meaningful
learning.
There are no magical answers that can make acts of learning efficient all the time. But
enhancing higher order thinking is possible in brain compatible learning environments. The
“aim” or the “end” is always to create an environment where individuals can earn the kind of
sense making skills that birth flexible knowledge and portable skills for use in our real world of
ever changing environments.
The hypothesis being put forward here is; when earning good education and meaningful
learning have been guided in the direction for developing the capacity to develop more capacity
they are supporting the nature of learning and the biology of human behavior.
Copyright 2009, Michael Hebron, Learning Golf, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Neurogolf Learning and Neuro Learning for Golf are trademarks of Learning Golf, Inc.
