A very simple story to illustrate a larger problem. When I was a special education teacher I had a student who stated that he was unable to multiply. We were standing at the blackboard and he was struggling to decipher 6 X 4 = ? I explained that multiplying is really just a short cut for …
Tracking study techniques offers you 3 benefits. The first 2 benefits are the possibility of discovering which study actions are the most beneficial, and whether or not you need to try something new. If you make note of how you prepared for a test and then look over your techniques right after getting back the …
A professor and artist who lost the ability to draw and to speak through traumatic brain injury finds his voice as a proponent of creativity. In an inspiring and informative 15 minute lecture called, “7 steps of creative thinking: Raphael DiLuzio at TEDxDirigo” explores how the creative process unfolds and how that knowledge can help …
Frameworks for Interest Just like the absorption and re-deposition of calcium re-shapes a bone even after it is done getting larger, your students’ ideas and knowledge are constantly re-modeled. It is easier for them to utilize their new knowledge within a framework of what they already know, aligned with their current interests than it is …
The question can be more important than the answer…. at least if it is a question that motivates a student to find an answer. Learning nomenclature can be dull, there is no doubt but if questions involve more than pure fact, perhaps even a little imagination, the learner might just find things to be interested …
Questions to Spark Interest and Creativity in A&P Read More »
Help your students cast a net for enhanced learning by stringing ideas together into a network of connections and explanation. Both concept maps and mind maps are like graphic organizers but they emphasize much more inter-connectedness between the ideas and explanations portrayed. There is a simple and on-going exercise for using these tools in your …
Responding to Mistakes “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett – Why are some people so much more effective at learning from their mistakes? A new study by Jason Moser at Michigan State University is premised on the fact that there are two distinct reactions to mistakes, …
A Game called ‘Uses For’ This is probably not something Professors can use class time for, however it is a basic example of a brainstorming, creativity technique that might help your students to learn to think outside of the box. If students learn to think more openly and creatively they are likely to make more …
Memory Principles from Middle Tennessee State University Quick Reference Guide for Brain Compatible Learning Principles Below is a list of memory or learning principles with a brief definition of each. 1) Making an Effort to Remember * Interest–The brain prioritizes by meaning, value and relevance. To have meaning, you must understand what you are learning. …
Some memorization tips: – Make sure that you practice naming without looking at the back of your flash card. – Touch the part of your body where the muscle, bone or organ is found as you say it in your head. – Imagine yourself using that muscle, bone or organ as you say it. If …