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ETH102L Prescribed Book

THE LEARNING REVOLUTION

CHAPTER 1 :TALENT REVOLUTION

 Everyone has it
 Everyone has some talent that is stronger than someone elses
 Talent does not equal intelligence/ knowledge/ skills/ specific abilities
 Talent starts with genetic inheritance
 Unique patterns of personality/ temperament/ behavioural traits play a big role in who we are/
become
 Always work on your students’ strengths not their weaknesses.

 MYTH 1 :All learn in the same way

 Each personal learning / thinking / working style is a style conducive to the person, & however
comfortable they are doing the task.
 Each has a different way of taking in info, storing, processing, retrieving & converting it into
knowledge
 Einstein said, imagination is more important than knowledge, he came up with his relativity
theory by imagining a ride on a moonbeam.

 MYTH 2 :Intelligence is fixed at birth & accurately determined by standard IQ tests

 Skills measured IQ are not all the skills a person possesses which constitute intelligence
 Only 20% of intelligence is analytical, 80% constitute all other intelligences.
 All people have individual strengths.
 Goals strengthen strengths & correct weaknesses.
 Excellence must be broadly defined.

 MYTH 3 :There Is only 1 form of intelligence

 There are many forms of intelligence / traits/ talents that a person possesses
 Howard Gardener mentions 8 types
 An educator should help learners choose a field of study that matches learner’s talent.

 MYTH 4 : Intelligence is inherited

 Need : Nature (inheritance) + Nurture(development through environment, experience, & culture)
= to gain intelligence
 Born with traits & propensities for learning & specific talents
 Home, schooling, living environment is vital to develop those talents you were born with, & to
build new sets of skills & abilities.

 MYTH 5 : Intelligence = Logical / Analytical Thinking

 Intelligence takes 3 broad forms a) Analytical
b) Creative
c) Practical

 MYTH 6 : Everyone can succeed at everything

 Not true – intelligence is based on aptitude
 Aptitude – is based on inheritance & experience
 Different aptitudes help people excel in different ways.
 Success & achievement is gained through this experience.
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 MYTH 7 : School is the best place to learn
 Not true - Children only spend +/- 20% of their waking hours in a classroom.
 Everything else they learn is from the WORLD as their classroom
 Most great talented musicians or sports players developed their talent well away from the
classroom
 To master something you have to work with / at it constantly.

 MYTH 8 : Standards are the real test of learning, & can easily be measured by standard
measured tests
 Some standards are important and can be tested, like arithmetic, chemistry symbols, geographic
data, historical facts etc.
 Many tests can only measure the ability to memorise
 These tests cannot measure individual talents, skills & abilities.
 The person may know the information well, but wont be able to apply it, e.g. knowing chemical
symbols but not being able to apply them in scientific method to analyse any specific challenge
they may be confronted with in life.

 The BIRTH OF INTELLIGENCE TESTING

 Intelligence testing began with a different agenda, - the belief that it was inherited.
 This gave rise to the “eugenics” movement & gave rise to “selective breeding” which lead to
Hitler’s holocaust .
 Edward Binet & Theodore Simon published the first IQ test
 The test was used to supposedly “sift geniuses from those only able to hold unskilled jobs.
 This IQ test is sadly still the test that dominates most of the educational world

 1st : WHAT IS THE HUMAN BRAIN?

 Consists of a trillion brain cells, of which 1/10th = 100 billion, are active cells called neurons.
 Have the ability to expand from birth throughout life
 Each neuron has the ability to sprout +/- 20000 dendrites from it like the branches of a tree.
 Brain takes in info at a phenomenal rate of 3 billion bits per second
 Information is stored in dendrites systematically, “like with like”.
 The more one is exposed to new learning experiences, the more the brainpower soars.
 .

 Education is not a passive accumulation of information passed on by a teacher / book, but

the way in which this information is converted to use in life creatively, and in practise.

 HOW DO PARTS OF THE BRAIN WORK TOGETHER:

 The Interlocking Brain Networks
 S – Sensory Networks –
= sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch
 P – Physical Movement Network
= including brainstem, cerebellum, motor cortex, vestibular system
 E – Emotional Network
= emotions & feelings
 C – Chemical / Electrical Network
= overall transition system
 C – Cognitive Network
= linking parts of the Cortex for thinking, reasoning, & interacting
 B – Biological clock Network
= such as those governing sleep, wakefulness etc.
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The brain has 3 sections which form a unit on 3 diff. levels, from the top to the brain-stem.
 . The brain has two sides. These sides are linked by an electronic and chemical relay-
system with millions of nerve cells.
 . There are at least seven intelligence areas in the brain.
 . Man has an active conscious brain and a subconscious brain.
 . The brain controls instinctive behaviour such as breathing.
 . The central part of the brain controls emotions.
 . The upper brain enables you to think, speak, reason and create.
 There are more than 100 billion active neurones in the brain.
 . Each is capable of sprouting between 2 000 and 20 000 branches, known as dendrites.
 . Neurones transmit messages to & from the brain along pathways known as axons.
 . Each axon is covered with a myelin sheath or insulation.
 . The better the sheathing of insulation, the more effective the transmission will be.
 . The dendrites are surrounded by glial cells.

 The two sides of the brain are discussed. Note how the different sections process diff
types of info. This info is taken in through our 5 major senses: by what we see, hear,
touch, smell and taste. The processing of info takes place in different areas of the brain.
Ensure that you know which sections process which types of information. The diagram
in the book can assist you in understanding this. The following facts are important:
 . Both sides of the brain are linked by the corpus callocum.
 This link is responsible for the flow of information from one side of the brain to the other.
 . The corpus callocum balances the incoming messages and links the abstract, holistic
picture with the concrete, logical messages.
 The emotional centre is very closely connected to the long-term memory storage system.
 That is why information linked to emotions is easily remembered.
 . The medulla controls the heartbeat and respiration.
 . The cerebellum is responsible for coordination and balance.
 . The visual cortex is responsible for sight and is situated at the back of the brain.
 . The limbic system is responsible for fear, rage, emotion, sexuality and passion.

 Study your prescribed book carefully as it contains much more information which you should know. It would
seem that all these functions and areas of the brain lead to three types of learning styles , namely

 . haptic learning (kinesthetic-tactile learners), relating to the sense of touch

 . visual or reading-oriented learning
 . auditive or sound-oriented learning
 Most learners combine these learning styles To learn effectively, the ff. must be considered:
 . how information is stored and made available
 . how information is applied to solve problems
 . how information can be applied to create new ideas
As a learner, its important to know how info is stored. The brain's ability to store & process information
This section deals with this ability of the human brain.
 Emphasis is placed on the formation of associations.
 Learning to store information in patterns and with strong associations is probably the first
step towards successful learning.
 Apart from the ability to store info, the learner must learn to use the subconscious mind.
 Brain receives and stores information on different wavelengths.
 Researchers believe that the brain absorbs most infowhen it is in a state of ``relaxed
alertness''.
 The hint is to start every learning session should with relaxation exercises.
 The brain needs energy to function optimally & to create the necessary energy, a
balanced diet is essential.
 The transmission of messages in the brain is promoted by a sufficient intake of oxygen.
 A correct diet to ensure that the brain functions optimally.
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 At Bottom Of Brainstem :
 Its components process basic instincts like breathing & heartbeat
 Instinctively triggers reactions, like fear at the sudden approach of a vehicle etc.
 Instincts are processed through different parts of the brain & not only the brainstem.
 Above The Brainstem : Midbrain or Limbric System
 Also known as the emotional brain – instinctive trigger of emotions & instant reactions, e.g.
lurking fear, joy, stress etc.
 Encloses some specific organs that record and telegraph emotions.
 At The Highest Level Of The Brain: Also Known As Association Cortex
 Sits at the top of he brain like a crumpled blanket
 3mm thick – is that part of the brain that allows us to do many of those things that are only
humanly possible e.g. speak, think, reason, read, write, communicate, compose, paint
 Each of those functions are processed in a different part of the cortex, but working in unison with
the other segments - & certainly with emotions
 At Lower Back of Brain: Cerebellum or “Little Brain”
 Plays a big part in storing muscle memory, e.g. golfer’s swing will be stored & reproduced; or
typist’s typing without looking at the keyboard, etc.
 Cerebellum is closely connected to the intricate mechanism of the inner ear.
 Together they make up the vestibular system: the body’s control system for balance.

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF THE 2 SIDES OF THE BRAIN

LEFT SIDE RIGHT SIDE

EMPHASIZES EMPHASIZES
Words Pictures CORPUS COLLOSUM
Logic Rhyme
Mathematics Rhythm
Numbers Imagination LEFT RIGHT
HEMISPHERE HEMISPHERE
Sequence Music
THE CORPUS CALLOSSUM CONNECTS BOTH HEMISPHERES
 2 Hemispheres of the Brain (Also known as Left & Right Brain)
 Left & right have distinct functions,
 in right-handed people, Left side processes written words, logic, numbers, sequence, mathematics.
 Right side deals with the more creative processes like music, rhyme, rhythm, pictures, imagination.
 Corpus Callosum
 Both sides are linked together by an electrical relay system that itself has +-300 millon operating
neurons.
 The Corpus Callosum shuttles information around like an international automatic telephone
exchange Brain works much better when using both sides together.
 That is why its easier to remember songs than text from a book, work better when both sides are
working in unison.

 6 MAIN PATHWAYS WE LEARN BY

 5 SENSES + OUR PHYSICAL ACTION
 Seeing >Tasting
 Smelling >Touching
 Hearing > What we Do, Imagine, intuit & feel
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 WHAT THE BRAIN DOES
 Acts as a parallel processing system, which stores, retrieves, processes billions of bits of info on
different levels, simultaneously.
 Unlimited ability to store info on billions of dendrites, retrieve, process & use it for all forms of creativity.
 Info comes to the brain through all our senses.
 The motor control centres of the brain send out messages to the rest of the body in a circular
automatic feedback route, if you place finger on a hotplate, instantly the nervous system will
telegraph the brain to immediately remove the finger from the heat.
 Brain stores incoming info by patterns & associations.
 Each dendrite “tree” & ”branch” on the neuron acts as a multi-sectioned library, e.g. info “fruit” will
be stored on the tree, and the info on each type of fruit will be stored on it’s branches
Brain can associate information & deposit it in the matching memory bank.
 Main centres of the brain are connected to rest of body by millions of axons or “super-neutral” highways.
 Each axon is covered by a myelin sheath, which serves as insulation from the electric current
running though them.
 The better the insulation the faster the messages are transferred.
 The brain network is surrounded by +-900 billion “glial” cells which “glue” the parts of the brain
together, and nourishes them.
 New research shows that glial cells may be as critical to thinking & learning as neurons are.
HOW THE BRAIN TRANSMITS ITS MESSAGES
AXON

CELL BODY

DENDRITE

MYELIN SHEATH SYNAPSES

 THE BRAIN’S 4 WAVELENGTHS

 BETA - Frequency used when wide awake, conscious – 13 to 25 CPS.
 ALPHA - Frequency when relaxed alertness – best learning frequency – achieved through
meditation, yoga, relaxing music – 8 to 12 CPS.
 THETA - Early stages of sleep 4 to 7 CPS – when the mind is processing the day’s info.
 DELTA - Deep sleep – 0.5 to 3 CPS
 BRAIN TRANSMISSION SYSTEM
 All information that comes through is relayed via mechanical or chemical impulses
 Each message begins as a mechanical impulse and reaches the first of a series of terminals, like
switching points, called synapses.
 AS the message crosses the synaptic gap, it’s transformed by chemical catalysts, into neuro-transmitters.
 Some of these are triggered by our food & drink.
 Healthy food & clear water can speed the transmitting process.
 Fatty foods, caffeine rich drinks, toxic sweetners or strong alcohol trigger adverse neurotransmitters.
 Some of the most powerful neurotransmitters are triggered by drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco.
 Other powerful transmitters are triggered by emotions and thoughts, best known may be
adrenalin, often triggered by fear, of maybe public speaking or danger.
 When you become frightened by a snake or shark, an alarm hormone called “noradrenaline” is
triggered, this then organises the brain to respond to danger by producing adrenaline and other
chemicals that prepare the body to flee or fight.
 Noradrenaline is a mood altering chemical, like serotonin, which is called the “brain’s master
impulse modulator” for all emotions and drives. It especially keeps aggression in line.
 There are 70 different types of transmitters , endorphins being the brain’s opiate or pain-killer.
 Dangerous impulses often arise from an imbalance of these chemicals.
 All affect learning, we are indeed what we eat, drink, think & do.
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 PROVIDING THE BRAIN’S ENERGY
 Energy is gotten from the food we eat.
 The brain makes up 2% of an adult’s weight, & uses 20% of the energy developed in the body.
 Low- energy diets hamper performance.
 Needs plenty of glucose, fresh fruit & veg.
 To generate electricity in brain for neuro-transmission > brain needs > food + oxygen.
 Deep breathing would best oxygenate the blood
 Exercise is good for the brain since it enriches the blood with oxygen.
 Unbalanced diets > reduce levels of certain transmitters & types of behaviour its responsible for.
 Senility occurs = production of Acetylcholine, important for memory in the brain., is reduced.
 Lecithin = improves memory
 Linoleic Acid = is needed to repair myelin sheath, & is not produced by the body.
 Iron = deficiency is major cause of poor mental performance.
 Neurons in the brain have sodium pumps which need a combined dose of sodium & potassium = to
make the pumps work. ( Normal table salt > Sodium Chloride is not recommended).

 Simple Tips On Brain Food

 Good breakfast > preferably plenty of Fresh fruit > including ½ banana for = potassium
Orange or kiwi = vitamin C
 Good lunch > preferably a vegetable salad.
 Make the ff. key parts of the diet
fish, vegetable fats / oils = nourish glial cells in brain
nuts, vegetable oils = Linoleic Acid to repair myelin sheath
 Regular exercise to oxygenate blood
 Cleans toxins out of the body with plenty of water
 Carbonated drinks & caffeine beverages dehydrate the body.

 What is the Human Mind? What is the difference between brain & mind?
 The mind is what the brain does; specifically the brain processes information, & thinking is a kind
of computation or calculator. The mind is organised into modules of mental organs, each with a
specialised design that makes it an expert in one arena of interaction with the world.
 Difference is Computers have limited connections, but the brain has trillions.
 Stephen Pinker explains the mind as what the brain does, e.g. Processing of info and thinking,
which works like a computer, or calculator; & the mind is divided into mental modules each with a
specific specialised design and job.
 It is built on or expanded according to what we do, eat, drink, think, hear, taste, feel, create; and
also with the impact of outside influences.
 Will Science Provide the answers?
 Revolutions are producing ways of looking at the very core of life, & the way the body, mind, &
brain work in unison.
 No part of the body works apart from the rest, “No wires holding together the molecules of the
arteries, just as there are no visible connections binding together the stars in the galaxy. Yet both
are securely held together in a seamless perfect design.”
 The discovery of opiate receptors called sensing molecules, & the discovery of peptides as the
basis of emotions is a magnificent discovery in that the peptides are not confined to the brain, but
through every system in the body, working as an integrated entity.
 Thus memories so important for learning are stored in all parts of the body, and not only the brain.
 Mind & body works as one for filtering, storing, learning, & remembering: the key elements of
learning.
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 HOW TO DEFINE INTELLIGENCE

 Genes help determine specific traits in a person: personality, disposition, & temperament.
 There is no 1 intelligence
 Intelligence is not fixed at birth, but many forms of intelligence.
 According to Sternberg : Intelligence takes 3 broad forms
a) Analytical – used in analysing, judging, evaluating & comparing – very much the heart of IQ tests.
b) Creative – used in creating, inventing, imagining
c) Practical – used in putting thoughts & ideas into practice, applying, using, & implementing.

 According to David Perkins the 3 different types of intelligence fall under the ff.
a) Neurological intelligence – intelligence linked to IQ tests
b) Experiential intelligence – linked to specialised knowledge and experience over time.
c) Reflective intelligence – what some call ‘metacognition” or thinking about thinking and the
ability to reflect.

Schematic diagram of PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT DEAL WITH DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS

FRONTAL LOBE

PREFRONTAL CORTEX MOTOR CORTEX- controls activity

Deals with thinking

PARIETAL LOBE- handles spatial ability

TEMPORAL LOBE-
Speech centre of brain OCCIPITAL LOBE- your visual centre

“THE GATEKEEPER”- CEREBELLUM – plays key part in posture & balance

Actually 2 gatekeepers : Acts as auto-pilot when we perform
Amygdala & Hippocampus- relay learned functions like riding bicycle

important messages to different
parts of the brain.
 .
Amygdala= emotional control cntre
Hippocampus=Gatekeeper to memory

 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
 Researchers have identified emotional intelligence as more important than academic brilliance
 IQ contributes about 20% to the factors that determine life success which leaves 80% to other
forces
 Hippocampus + Amydala = the Gatekeepers to learning.
 Hippocampus –the gatekeeper to memory - is the brain’s distribution centre to sort incoming
messages & send important new info messages to specific parts of the brain for long-term storage.
 Amygdala plays a key role in emotional intelligence- is the emotional control centre – emotional
messages such as stress, fear, anger, tension, fright – communicate themselves direct to other
major parts of the brain much quicker than same messages transmitted to “logical thinking” areas
of the cortex.
 The circuit does much to display the power of emotion to overwhelm rationality.
 Emotional intelligence includes self-control, zeal & persistence, & the ability to motivate oneself.
 Emotions are the gateway to real learning.
 Opening that gateway is the first successful teaching.
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 TEMPERAMENT
 All children are born with certain visibly different temperaments & personalities.
 Babies are born with specific individual dispositions.
 Hippocrates described 4 different personalities, namely,
a) sanguine b) choleric c) melancholic d) phlegmetic
 Researcher Carl Juang declares that people perceive information in different ways, each fitting
on a scale between 4 sets of examples:
a) What is the dominant way we receive information?
As an introvert or extrovert? By relating to outsiders or by delving into ourselves?
b) How do we take in information? Intuitively through our instincts or our senses or?
c) How do we make decisions? By thought and logic or by feelings?
d) What is our dominant lifestyle? Organised and purposeful or flexible and diverse?
 Myers & Briggs have come up with a “Type Indicator “ that identifies 16 different personality traits.
 Duty Fulfiller  Scientist  Giver
 Artist  Thinker  Inspirer
 Mechanic  Inspirer  Visionary
 Nurturer  Protector  Executive
 According to Jerome Kagan, The 4 most basic temperaments :-
a) timid b) bold c) upbeat d) melancholy
 Can biology fix emotional destiny? Yes, a timid child can grow into a confident adult
 Heredity is not destiny

 TALENTS
 Everyone is potentially talented but in different ways: One of the key tasks of an educator is to
identify & draw out those unique talents.
 Skills, knowledge, & talents are distinct elements of a person’s performance: skills & knowledge
can be taught, but talent cannot; instead they can be developed, placing differently- talented
people into an effective team.
 Talents are the major highways in your mind, those that carve out your recurring patterns of
thought, feeling or behaviour.
 Can be separated into 3 categories
Striving Talent  Thinking Talent  Relating Talent
 Achiever: strong internal driver  Focus: ability to set goals & achieve  Empathy: ability to identify with
 Stamina: Capacity for physical them. others
endurance  Discipline: A need to impose structure.  Team Person: ability to relate
 Competence: drive for mastery  Gestalt: need to see order & accuracy.  Interpersonal: good mixing skills
 Missions: drive to put beliefs into  Numerical: an affinity for numbers,  Relator: needs to build bonds that
action. accounting last
 Business thinking: financial talent.  Stimulator: ability to create
enthusiasm
 Schools should unlock potential talent of each & every learner, & develop skills & abilities,
 Nearly everyone learns by actually doing, eg. You learn a sport by playing it.
 Talent development shouldn’t restrict anyone to a “predetermined future”, because some children
are late developers compared to others, must expose learner to multiple different opportunities to
find that right fit.
 The ideal of working in multi-talented groups in school is great prep for successful careers later,
natural talents emerge with ease, & students learn respect & acknowledgement for each other.
 The task of education & training today, is to prepare people for a world influx, a world in which
everyone needs to exercise one’s full power of heart and mind, and act out a sense of mindful
creativity, not mindless predictability.
 Learners should be developers of their own talent, using whole body minds and selves to get it.
 They must become active creators of their own knowledge & skills.
 Focus on developing strengths not on correcting weaknesses
 Don’t waste time trying to “put in what was left out”
 Try to draw out what was left in.
 Develop & broaden people in multi-talented teams
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CHAPTER 4 : The Teach Yourself Revolution : LEARNING HOW TO LEARN
 Learning involves doing, participating…
 20 Steps To Better Learning >  T – Teach Others
 H – have fun & games
 Marks– Mind-mapping instead  F – Find 3 Books on Practical  R – Review & reflect
of linear notes Achievers  U – Use linkin tools eg.
 Get – Get a coach or mentor  A – Ask Memory pegs
 Set – Set goals & deadlines – take course in Accelerated  P – Practise Often
 Ready – Relearn how to read– learning  E – find Easy ways to retrieve
Reinforce with pictures &sound  S – Start with Big Pictures info
 Go – Go Digital  S – Seek out Main Principle  L – Learn by doing
 S – Start with lesson from  L – Learn art of relaxed
Sport awareness
 D – Dare to dream
 Do not take linear notes draw mind maps
 Modern researchers believe that to store information successfully in the brain, one must adapt to
the structure of the brain. This structure is more or less in the form of the branches of a tree. You
will find an explanation of how to design a mind map in the book. Certain tips are given which will
assist you in mastering this method..
 Get an enthusiastic mentor
 To realise this goal it is important to find a mentor who shares your goal and enthusiasm. If the
person has different skills to you, form a team. Gain from a specialist’s experience. Exchange
skills & knowledge with someone that can enlighten you in your goal, teach them something in
return for what you want to gain
 Set a specific goal and set deadlines
 Decide what you want to achieve. Then set a goal and work towards realising this goal. Break it
down into achievable bite sized pieces, set realistic deadlines for each step to achieve success.
 Relearn how to read faster, better, easier
 Very few people read effectively. The skill of reading with speed and understanding is a
prerequisite for successful learning. A number of hints are given here to assist you in mastering
this skill.
 Reinforce with pictures and sound.
 Learning can be reinforced if text is supported with pictures and music to convey the message.
Use audio tapes, dvd etc. to reinforce

 Find the 3 best books on the subject by practical Achievers

 Do not start with academic books on the subject; rather, find books which describe the subject in
easy terms so that you can understand the message. Learn from peoples successful
experiences first. As you progress, you can read more difficult books on the subject.
 Ask!
 Never be afraid to ask. If you do not know, find out! Use information sources to broaden your
perspective & gain more knowledge, understanding. Use the internet, libraries, Books,
experienced professionals, dvds, pictures, graphics, cds, audio-tapes etc.
 Take an accelerated learning course
 You might find it necessary to take a course in accelerated learning. Keep up with the times,
pursue empowerment & time management, by learning the tricks to absorb more information in a
lesser time span.
 Seek out the main principle
 In every area you will be able to identify a main principle for success. Find them out before filling
in the details, e.g. in photography, the rule is not to take a picture more than 4feet from the
subject. Find out the rules & tips for success.
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 Start with the big picture
 It is always important to know what the end product will be, like a jigsaw. It is easier to work towards
the end if one sees the whole picture first. By learning through subject integration, you’re learning
about the whole picture as opposed to bits of it which cannot be related to sister topics & defies the
goal of applying knowledge in reality.
 Start with lessons from sports
 . Sports achievers have dreams
 Set specific goals and break them down into achievable steps.
 . Combine thoughts, body and activities.
 . Get a vision.
 . Have a passion to succeed.
 . A mentor or coach is essential.
 . Create opportunity for practicing skills; do not see these as mistakes.
 . Have a positive attitude about mistakes.
 Teach others
 Learn to be a teacher to yourself. While you are conveying information to others, certain principles are
reinforced which are essential to learning..
 Have fun, play games
 When one refers to learning, most people associate it with negative feelings & reflections, like
boredom, examinations, a waste of time, homework, punishment, irrelevant content or fear.
 Fun filled atmospheres can lead to high creativity.
 Change learning into a game and make it enjoyable & welcome experience for learners.
 Generate variety & interest & different types of activities to generate encouragement & motivation.
 Review and reflect
 Repetition plays an important role in the learning process. When doing a mental physical skill, like
cooking you can learn by action.
 To gain other types of knowledge one has to review regularly in order to become familiar with it and &
to remember.
 Reviewing and reflecting should take place regularly, doing so just before an examination is too late..
 Use linking tools as memory pegs
 Due to the importance of associations, it is easier to learn if one relates the content to one's own life
experience or something you already know.
 Use associations that are familiar to you; they can be physical, tactile, or visual.
 It can rhyme, or be remembered by the first letter principle.
 Make the associations outlandish, funny, emotional, & link it to as many senses as u can.
 Practice
 Practice makes perfect; so any skill learnt, needs practice in order to reinforce it & become better at it.
 No matter what the subject area or skill, only regular practice will guarantee success.
 Easy ways to retrieve what you have learnt
 If the manner in which the information is stored in the brain relates to pattern formation and
association, it would be meaningful to apply these methods when recalling information.
 So use mind-mapping methods to master content & recall.
 Combine this with the different intelligence centres by adding music.
 Highlight key phrases & sub-headings, Re-skim immediately after you’re done, & redo mindmap.
 Learn the art of relaxed alertness
 Most of the activities which have been recommended up to now, are targeted at the logical left brain.
 To use the creative side of the brain you’ll have to focus on achieving a state of ``relaxed alertness''.
 This is the alpha frequency, a stage also acquired through meditation or yogic exercises, or deep
breathing exercises, since learning is best done on this frequency.
 Learn by doing
 Use all your senses to learn. The theory of any knowledge must be followed by doing what has been
learnt in practice. Demand hands on experience with most things you study. Apply what you’ve learnt.
 Dare to dream and imagine your future
 . This dream flows from the vision you have set for yourself. Do not be afraid to dream.
 11
CHAPTER 5 : The Creative Revolution : LEARNING HOW TO THINK CREATIVELY
The ff. 12 steps are proposed to stimulate creative thinking:
 Another characteristic of the brain, is its ability to apply stored info to new situations & problems,
& thus create new ideas.
 An idea is a new combination of old /existing elements.
 It might take time to grasp this concept, as most people tend to use existing knowledge to solve
problems, method:
- 1st step is to ascertain what needs to be achieved.
- 2nd you need to reorganize thoughts, and identify the unknown.
- 3nd you need to arrive at a solution.
 The challenge lies, therefore, in the unknown and not in the known.
 It would seem that the skills & knowledge used in this approach, are not encouraged by the
traditional school system and the instruction which it provides.
 The success in generating creative solutions lies in adopting Thinking Strategies, & Improvement
Strategies like the Japanese Kaizen; David Buffin’s Action Kit; & teaching thinking through
strategies like Edward de Bono’s, “Six Thinking Hats”.

 Why is there no revolution process in the educational field?

 The reasons lie in the structuring of the schools; most children are taught that all the answers
have been found, not developing a search for new ideas, & looking in new directions.
 Learners are programmed into believing that success lies in a limited range of answers absorbed
from a teacher in a classroom, which is fed back correctly to the teacher in an exam.
 Learners are not taught lateral thinking which refers to unconventional approaches to solving
problems as opposed to the traditionally logical approach.

 CHECK LIST FOR PRODUCING IDEAS :

Deaf Dave gathered break task ifs, used switch music, slept, eureka reflect.
D – Define & formulate problem
S – Switch off- let it simmer
DV – Define and Visualise solution
U – Use music or nature to relax
G – Gather facts
S – Sleep on it
B – Break the Pattern
E – Eureka! It pops out!
T – Try new combinations, & ask What if?
R – Recheck
U – Use all the senses

(1) Define or Formulate the problem

 Be specific but not limiting when formulating the problem.
(2) Determine the ideal solution and visualise it
 Determine the solution which you have in mind and then viisualize the ideal solution.
 Organise your thoughts to bridge the gap between where you are now & where you’d like to be.
 E.g. of Swatch watches
(3) Collect the facts
 If a new idea is really a combination of existing elements, then the next important step is to collect
all the relevant facts.
 You have to have a wide variety of information on the facts, to create a solution.
 Become a collector of information, a reader, someone who accepts challenges & who stores info.
(4) Break the pattern
 To find creative solutions, you have to open up new pathways, find new crossover points, discover
new linkages.
 To break the pattern, ask yourself questions that redirect your mind, “What would happen if….?”
(5) Go outside your own field
 Put existing preconceptions aside
 Find solutions to problems by using information from other different fields.
 People tend to seek solutions within their own knowledge, so the solutions remain the same.
 12
(6) Try different combinations
 Remember the key words: a new idea is a combination of old elements.
 Apply this in practice, try different combinations, join old combinations to new fields.
 Keep asking “What if ? ”
(7) Use all your senses
 Consciously use all your senses & the principle of mind mapping. Visualise your info.
(8) Switch off & think about it
 Sometimes it is helpful to set possible solutions aside for a while & to review them at a later stage.
 Remember that the subconscious mind will carry on trying to find a solution.
(9) Relax.
 Remember to relax while you are seeking a solution.
 Use nature, music, a long walk, a hot soak in a bath, anything that is soothing & relaxing to get the
brain working at the alpha frequency.
(10) Sleep on it
 While a person is sleeping, the subconscious mind works on the problem.
 Focus on using this technique.
(11) Eureka! The solution pops out!
 If you follow the above steps, the solution might come to you at a most unlikely moment or place.
 Remember to always set yourself a time limit.
(12) Recheck the solution
 Re-evaluate the solution you have found.
 It must be useful and meaningful.

CREATIVE THINKING STRATEGIES

BRAINSTORMING
Idea- Spurring Questions During Brainstorming Innovations
S – Substitute
-Use suggestive words to encourage innovation, e.g.
C – Combine
Multiply, divide, eliminate, subdue, invert, unify, freeze
A – Adapt
-Create a “bug list” of things that irritate you like the
M – Modify / Magnify
cork top breaking off in the wine bottle, & think of
P – Put to other uses
ways to fix / overcome the problem.
E – Eliminate
-Think up improvements on present technologies
R – Reverse or Rearrange
 The Kaizen Japanese Improvement Strategy:
 Involving all one’s staff in continuously striving to upgrade every aspect of performance in any
industry, or even a collaborative task.
 David Buffer’s Hexagon Think-Kit for Creative Ideas & Strategic Planning
 Staff or students are encouraged to fire new ideas.
 The teacher /facilitator writes each one on a different coloured hexagon & places on a large magnetic
board.
 The group then arranges the hexagons into various themes or activities, & agrees on main priorities.
 These are left on display as a continual spur to wards the agreed action.

 Edward de Bono’s Thinking Teaching Strategy : “Six Thinking Hats” Picafcalt

 Works on 5 Step Techniques.
Step 1 = PMI (plus, minus, interesting)
 Draw 3 columns, labeling them P, M, I,
 The learners are asked to think of outlandish ideas, or statements like, “What if computers ran the
government”
 Students must think of points to fit under the 3 columns.
Step 2 = CFA (consider all facts)
 In search of new factors, they should rewrite the points to draw out any that didn’t spring to mind
immediately.
 13
Step 3 = C & S (consequences & sequel)
 Logically both should be written above but de Bono says people don’t consider all the consequences
unless they’re specifically drawn to it.
Step 4 (alternatives, possibilities, choices)
 Again this list encourages you to speculate
Step 5 “6 Thinking Hats” (Summarising technique)
 6 hats are drawn in colour coded fashion.
 White hat = neutral – where neutral facts, figures & info goes
 Red Hat = person’s unjustified hunches, feelings, intuitions are placed
 Black Hat = all logical negative facts to be placed
 Yellow Hat = all logical positive facts to be placed
 Green Hat = all creative ideas, thoughts to be placed
 Blue Hat = is a control hat = which looks at the thinking itself rather than the subject, like aconductor
controlling the orchestra.
CHAPTER 7 : Early Childhood Revolution THE VITAL YEARS:
ENRICHING CHILDS INTELLIGENCE/ LEARNING ABILITY FROM BIRTH TO 8 / 10yrs
 Importance for Stimulation:
 Research shows that a person develops 50 % of ability to learn in the first 4yrs of life
 A further 30 % of that ability is developed by age 8 yrs.
 These vital years lay down the learning pathways on which all future learning is developed
 After the age of 10yrs the branches that don’t make connections that die off.
 Stimulating the child from an early age promotes brain growth.
 Bloom states that a child masters 33 per cent of literary skills like vocabulary, understanding in
reading & general school achievement, by age 6yrs.
 42% is acquired between 6 – 13yrs;
 25 % after the age of 13yrs.
 Youngsters are their own best educators, and parents their best first teachers.
 Thus the human brain is designed to receive stimulation & to build from it

 How to stimulate:
 Youngsters learn best by what they experience through all of their senses, so it is advisable to
stimulate the senses.
 Stimulation does not relate only to the formal school environment; our homes, beaches, zoos,
parks, museums etc. should constitute the child’s world- best school.
 The emphasis is that the young child learns by doing, so an enriched environment should be
structured to stimulate children as much as possible.
 Simple physical routines can make the child explode into learning.
 Teaching &Learning instruction should be done informally, with the emphasis on play and
exploration, emphasising learning as a source of enjoyment.
 Learning anything, including reading, writing & math can be fun & should be taught as such
 Infants grow in a patterned way, so learn to build on that growth pattern.

Basic Guidelines For Structuring A Stimulating Environment:

 Encourage step-by-step movement /
 . stress the art of communication
Patterned Exploring- very important for
 . parents are a child's first teachers
coordination, & convergence of eyesight.
 . parents should be active in pre-school centres
 . Encourage use of 5 senses & build on it
 . school should be fun
 . Use the whole world as your classroom

 Effects of Lack of Stimulation During Vital years’ 0-3yrs

 Children with problems during first 3 yrs of life are likely to experience problems throughout
childhood & adolescence.
 Lack of necessary health checks, where physical or mental defects are not discovered early
enough, usually leads to the infant suffering throughout their life, with not much progress
 Lack of developmental experiences also have a negative impact on growth rate in infants.
 14
 What Happens To the Brain During the Vital Years…
 @ birth a child’s brain contains +100 billion neurons, & each of these neurons has the ability to
expand throughout our life.
 An extraordinary amount of information is absorbed into them during the first 4 yrs of the child’s life,
much of it subconsciously.
 These cells are the raw material for the mind, but not the mind, while the mind of the child lives
between these cells, in the synapse, i.e. the connecting gap, at birth a child’s mind begins to reach out
for stimulation & connection, to build itself
 Each of the above neurons send out thousands & thousands of signals – making connections;
researchers say these connections multiply to about 1000 trillion within the first few years.
 This process from birth is compared to laying down an incredible mental highway system.
 There are 6 main pathways into the brain, the 5 senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, and the
sixth step of what we do physically, thus youngsters learn through all their senses.
 Everyday is a learning experience, & they love to experience, create, & find out how things work.
 Challenges are to be accepted, & adults to be imitated
 Most importantly a child learns by doing, e.g. learns to crawl by crawling, etc.
 Those roads which are used, widen for capacity, & those not used fall into disrepair, or die off.
 If information taken in by the brain is sifted and found to be new, new dendrites are formed to store
the info; otherwise it is filed, “like with like”, into existing dendrites.
 Each new experience opens up a pathway into the brain, adding a new category of info & experience.

 Growth & Development of Boys & Girls Brains

 GIRLS -Corpus Callosum in girls - matures earlier, enabling them to develop language skills much
faster, e.g. reading & speaking.
 BOYS -Develop distance vision & depth perception much earlier, giving them an advantage over girls
in some sports.
 Bloom’s research on height, general learning ability, school, achievement, aggressiveness in males,
& dependence on females between ages 0-17 / 18, found that development soared in the initial
stages & then tapered off.
 Development usually reached halfway age the age of 5.
 In boys, 54% of height was reached by 3; 32% more between 3 &12; and 14% by the age of 18.
 Stimulation & Intelligence
 Research was done on rats where 1 group were stimulated with toys, & another was not.
 Then they placed food in a maze and checked to see each group’s reaction.
 The stimulated group had no problem finding the food, while the group battled to get it.
 This proves the connection of stimulation and development of intelligence.
 Stimulation & Learning
 The key is to turn learning into a playful experience
 It must informal, & enjoyable, to encourage further development
 Enriching Activities Parents take for granted
 Scientists have proved that regularly rocking a baby greatly helps in promoting brain growth.
 It stimulates the vestibular system which is connected to the inner ear & is responsible for developing
balance, posture, and co-ordination, and is crucial for normal brain development.
 Infants given periodic stimulation are recorded to gain weight faster, develop vision & hearing earlier,
and also developing better sleep patterns at a younger age.
 Researchers have proved that fifteen minutes of rocking, rubbing, & stroking of a premature baby, 4 x
a day will greatly help its ability to coordinate movements & therefore to learn.
 Crawling has proved to play an integral role in developing eyesight, and convergence, by creeping &
crawling 300 million nerve- cell pathways that link both sides of the brain are being used & strengthend.
 Such stimulation for kids at kindergarten level have also proved the importance of stimulation through
simple exercises in targeting ever-increasing brain development.
 Children encouraged to do a routine of spins, rope-jumps, balances, somersaults, rolling & walking
on balance beams, stimulate their sense of sight, hearing, touch, & balance through the exercises.
 Helicopter Spins, with the arms of the child spread like rotors & spinning fast or slowly in one direction,
was an exercise that assisted children with severe learning disabilities to overcome their difficulties.
 It has been proven that specifically designed exercises can stimulate learning & academic
development, & the ability to take in knowledge faster.
 15
 HOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BUILDS A CHILDS OTHER ABILITIES

What a child does physically in the 1st few years of life plays a major role in how well other abilities will
develop. Here’s a simple model to show how it works:

The Activity Leads To

Grasping, Crawling, Walking Hand-Eye Co-ordination
1. The Brainstem Reaching, Turning, Touching Big-Motor Skills
Pushing, Pulling, Arm-Leg Movements Prewriting Ability
The Activity Leads To
2. The Balancing Balance, Sporting ability, Bicycle Riding,
Spinning, Balancing, Listening
Cerebellum Writing skills, Fine Motor Co-ordination,
Swinging, Rolling, Tumbling, Dancing
Reading Skills
The Activity Leads To
3.The Emotional
Love, Security, Bonding,
Brain Stroking, cuddling, playing together
Social Skills, Cooperation, confidence
The Activity Leads To
Stacking toys, assembling puzzles, Math, logic, Problem solving,
4. The Thinking
Recognising patterns, making patterns, Fluent reading, spelling,
Brain / Cortex
Playing Word games, repetitive play, Writing, painting,
Appreciating music. Good Vocabulary, Memory, Music Ability

 Using Common Sense to build on Stimulation

 When a baby is born into the world he/ she is essentially blind, cant hear very well, & their sensation is
far from perfect.
 Baby needs to see, outlined shapes & images, & stark black & white contrasts – not pastels-to make it
possible to recognize & see, thus developing stimulation & brain growth for the baby.
 Since baby only tastes milk & vomit as a baby, recommendations to offer taste of orange, lemon,
honey, or nutmeg is strongly advised:
 To develop Sound, mothers should speak loudly and clearly to the babies, telling baby what’s
happening or being done at hat moment; or by playing soft soothing music in the background.
 Babies who are exposed to instrumental music at this stage, often turn out to be master players of the
music they were exposed to at this stage.

 Encourage use of 5 senses & build on it

 Children learn from activities which are concrete & active
 For a child to understand the abstract concept of roundness, he/she must have many experiences with
real round things.
 .He/she needs time to feel round shapes, roll around balls, to think between similarities of round
objects, to look at pictures of round things,
 When children are at play, they like to push, pull, poke, hammer, or manipulate objects
 This combination of action and concreteness makes play so effective as an educational process.

 The World As a classroom

 Search for shapes, contrasts, & in buildings, houses, boxes, doors, etc. to point out to the child.
 Opposites can be experienced, like up & down on a see-saw in the park; similarly lights go off & on, etc.
 Playing throwing with a ball teaches the child “What goes up must come down”.
 Point out daytime turning into night-time as well to offer info about our planet’s solar influence.
 Open & close doors to give information about such physical action.
 A supermarket trip is a great learning experience, Before shopping ask the child to check what needs to
be replaced in the pantry etc., & at the supermarket encourage them to find the items.
 Learn counting by counting real things, like wooden blocks, or by setting the dishes on the table for a
meal, asking number questions like, “How many spoons did you place, 1 or 2?”; also by letting the
child count the change given by a cashier at the counter.
 To make a classifying activity fun, get the child to find matching pairs of socks in the laundry, or
separate shirts from other laundry in he basket, etc.
 16
 The Great Art of Communication
 Language is a unique human ability. Infants learn by listening to sound, learning to recognize it,
imitating it, and practicing it.
 So it is important to talk to them from the start; what you’re doing; also introduce them to relatives, and
read to them regularly, and orating nursery rhymes or poems, and singing to them as well.
 Many researchers even promote showing the babies colourful pictures, brightly illustrated books, and
words written in big type, so as to encourage focus on the illustrations & words to develop recognition.
 Babies need to hear adults laughing, talking, exuding warmth, and feeling.
 If you take the word “apple” for example & let the child interact with it through all the senses, the child
would be able to recognize and understand the word and make a connection through the senses; the
written word and fruit must be seen, the fruit must be touched, tasted, smelled, and the child would
soon be able to recognize, read, and finally speak.
Step1: By showing the baby colourful illustrations and words written in big type, you are motivating the
baby to recognize.
Step 2: The child must interact with the apple for instance, through all the senses mentioned above
Step 3: Begin labeling all the things the baby can see, like bath, chair, etc.
Step 4: Label all the things the child can now do, like, walk, sit, run, slowly, fast, etc.
Step 5: Play phonetic games with words that rhyme, making phonetic cards illustrating the words.
Step 6: Play with key words like, an but, fun, none, etc
 Training Parents in Child Development Skills
 Empowers parents
 Promotes interaction
 Promotes more brain development,
 Furthers growth
 Enhances longer span of learning instead of in a preschool environment only
 Montessori Method Ranks with Top in the World in the field of infant education.
 The Teaching method has developed ideas to facilitate achieving its goals.
 It combines activities & duplicating real life wares into miniature props to further its aims, eg, little tables,
chairs, etc. specially designed for small hands
 Fun-filled activities are planned to include singing, dancing, & playing with specificaims & goals set out.
 Advanced maths is taught using small wooden rods of differing lengths & colours to do decimals & nos.
 Among the many innovations, Montesorri promoted sandpaper letter cut-outs so infants could learn by
touch as well as sight, along with many other techniques. Live fish and animals are introduced to the
classrooms to help the learning process.
 The aim is to provide the child with as many age-appropriate and sequentially developed opportunities
in all of the areas of learning whether cultural, science, art, music, maths or language.
 Serving a meal according to a timetable would be incorporated into a lesson in nutritopn and diet.
 Children are introduced to writing & reading at a much earlier stage through pre-writing experiences,
which enable development of motor & other skills that lead to the self-discovery of writing; e.g. like
doing things from left to right, top to bottom, exposed to story telling, rhymes, and lots of different
talking.
 Children are encouraged to enact pouring activities and polishing, developing eye hand coordination.
 They are taught to develop pencil control, advancing to activities that include working with shapes and
patterns, and stenciling.
 The explode in learning builds self confidence and motivational skills
 17
Chapter 8 THE TEACHING REVOLUTION
 New- Century Guideposts For Teachers & Trainers
 Restore fun to the leaning process
 Use as wide a variety as possible with respect to teaching material, combining lessons from early
childhood, brain research, nature, show-business, advertising, television, music, dancing, movies,
sports, art & electronic multimedia.
 Strive to develop subject integration & to use new teaching methods to make it easier to learn maths or
a foreign language.
 Use teaching strategies that are fun, fast, fulfilling.
 Involve relaxation, action, stimulation, emotion, & enjoyment.
 Implement True learning using these 6 steps to more effective teaching.

1. The Best learning “State” : WARM ENVIRONMENT – Learning Atmosphere – welcoming

2. A Stimulating Format:
3. A Process That Builds
Thinking Skills
4. “Activations”
5. Real life experiences
6. Regular review & evaluation
sessions
atmosphere to the classroom
INTERACIVE METHOD – Inquiry & Discovery – varied, fast-
paced, involves all the senses, fun-
filled & relaxing
BUILD THINKING SKILLS – Special Creativity – including
creative & critical thinking
PLENTY OF ACTIVATIONS – Play with it to Reinforce – to
access material with games, skits,
plays, and plenty of opportunity to
practise
APPLY IT IN PRACTISE – Do it To Show You Know –so that
the students can put in into practice
to show they know.
REVIEW & CELEBRATE – To Retain the Principles –, & with
them opportunities to celebrate
learning

By using a combination of methods which involve all the senses, learning time or the time needed to
master learning content will be decreased.
Integrated accelerated learning techniques such as the following, are used:
. music
. movement
. relaxation exercises
. visualisation
. neuro-linguistics
. suggestopedia
Remember to keep the learning styles in mind.

The role of music

 .Research has shown that to learn faster, the brain needs to slow down.
 This can be achieved by playing Baroque music in the background during the learning process.
 Much research has been done in this area by researchers such as Lozanov.
 He found that the heartbeat, breathing rate and brain waves need to be synchronised and the
body relaxed, alert and ready to receive new information.
 Furthermore, it was found that this music manages to link the conscious and subconscious brain.

The following barriers need to be overcome to ensure effective learning:

. the critical-logical barrier (School is not easy, so how can learning be fun and easy?)
. the intuitive-emotional barrier (I am dumb, so I will not be able to do that.)
. critical-moral barrier (Studying is hard work, so I had better keep my head down.)
 18
Setting own learning outcomes as indicated in the prescribed book.
Erik Jensen suggests two ways of doing this, namely:
. visualise how you will use the new knowledge in future
. refer to your books for examples which you can use in learning situations

The key to good lesson presentation is

(1) Positivity and linking (association)

All good presentations are learner-centred, since they link learners' pre-knowledge and objectives.
The presentation should be positive. Attempt to present the lesson in a logical, ethical, enjoyable and stress-
free manner.

(2) First get the big picture

First give an overview of the work and use teaching aids.
Visits can also be used meaningfully for learners to experience the whole in practice.

(3) Involve all the senses

Remember that the effective teacher provides for the active participation of all learners.

(4) Step out of the lecturing role

A good teacher is an activator, facilitator, coach, motivator Ð not a lecturer.

(5) Always orchestrate `'nonconscious'' processing

It seems as though nonconscious impressions play an important role.
Promote learning by creating an environment conducive to learning Ð use posters, body language, voice tone
and a positive attitude.

(6) Role playing

Encourage the learners to act out the contents through role-play. ``Play'' is the most important item on the
agenda with regard to the young child and learning.

(7) Organising ``state changes''

The presentation should provide for music, activities, speech, visual activities, rhythm, mind maps and group
discussions.
These ``state changes'' aim to
. reinforce the information through the use of various learning styles
. break the lesson up into learnable manageable parts

(8) Make learning-how-to-learn part of every course

Teach learners how to learn in all learning situations.

(9) Utilise Lozanov's methods

. the inclusion of an ``active concert'' Ð presenting learning content to rhythm
. the ``passive concert'' Ð where content is conveyed & the learner must form an image of this in his or her mind

 Remember that learning does not only include remembering and memorizing specific content Ð
the content must also be thought through and reviewed.
 Thinking is an activity which must be acquired. Good learning programmes always provide for
activities as part of the synthesising process (putting together) of learning.
 Storing or memorising information is only one aspect of learning.
 The information which has been stored, must be made available or activated at some stage.
 The prescribed book discusses some ideas on how knowledge can be activated.
 The essence of true learning lies in applying that which has been learnt in the learning situation.
 It is therefore not,, a matter of whether the learner has remembered or memorised the content - it
must be applied.
 A few hints are given to enable this to happen, such as the use of mind maps or by learning in pairs.
 Getting an overview of the work and evaluating it are very important parts of the learning process.
 Self-evaluation can be seen as a high order thinking function which includes reflection, analysis,
synthesis and evaluation.
 19

