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Learning to Learn - 7/20/2009 11:25:39 PM
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TMeeks
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It's interesting; but, I was a Biblical Education major and learned all sorts of things about teaching like using visual aids, etc. And, I taught in Christian schools for a number of years.
But, in none of these did I ever really learn about how the brain thinks in relation to developing the best way to learn. The information just wasn't available at that time. But, things are different now. SPECT Scans and other technologies can literally watch people learn. And, out of this have come some methods of learning that aim to use this knowledge to help ensure that what we learn one day is with us forever.
As you are reading this. You are actually GROWING your brain. You are adding molecules to the existing memory trees in your mind on BOTH sides of your brain, both left and right at the very same time. If you are paying close attention to these words, the bonds that form will be strong. If you are just browsing the words, the bonds for the molecules that store these words might be weak.
Overnight, the weak bonds are cleared away. So, some of the things we store in short term memory are lost to long term memory. The trick to effective learning for your children to first learn how to develop strong bonds rather than weak ones in performing their classwork.
Some of you know how much I admire the work of Dr. Caoline Leaf in helping us to use the Bible more effectively to tranform past painful memories into to positive memories. The Bible calls this RENEWING our minds.
Now, she has released a new DVD/Workbood series called "Switch On Your Brain" which presents how to learn more effectively by applying 5 steps as we study. It's beautifully produced with excellent graphics showing how the brain processes new infomation and how to form the strongest bonds to ensure short term learning becomes long term learning.
When you are teaching your children at home, you are literally GROWING their brains. I honestly think these materials will make your job way more effective because it will reduce the loss that occurs when the child's new learning growth is formed with loose bonds.
You know the drill. They knew it on Monday. But, by Friday they only remembered about 20% of Monday's material!  (See... I WAS a teacher! )
Dr. Leaf's technique is designed to up that percentage considerably! I'm very excited to apply it to my own life. I LOVE learning for I find that it enhances my appreciation for God's Glory. But, at almost 66, I've found it more difficult to hold on to things I've taken in than it was 20 years ago. But, I do NOT think that has to be. All the research that I've done in the past 2 years declares that we can grow our brains until death. Very exciting stuff.
At any rate. If I were a homeschooler, I think it would be something that I'd definitely check out. My grandchildren go to a Christian School. And, I plan to donate a copy to the school and give a copy to my daughter.
_____________________________
http://focusonliberty.blogspot.com
Is "Left" vs. "Right" really accurate?- Check out the Liberty Dial!
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/21/2009 5:36:42 AM
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RJR_fan
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quote:
Overnight, the weak bonds are cleared away. So, some of the things we store in short term memory are lost to long term memory.
I know it's true in language learning. Stacking up vocabulary words in the short-term memory buffer is a lot easier than pushing them into long-term storage. It takes a certain amount of energy to push 'em over the threshold. Work. Repetition. Motivation.
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Blogging my way through the Turkish New Testament
Meet my beloved mentor, RJR
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/21/2009 5:42:19 PM
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his_chosen
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Wait--adolescents HAVE brains???
Seriously, I don't need research on this stuff. Working with my kids one-on-one, I know how they learn. And what works for one probably won't work for the other. That's the joy of home schooling!
_____________________________
You have a choice. You can throw in the towel or you can use it to wipe the sweat off your face.
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/22/2009 12:10:57 AM
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TMeeks
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Actually, not quite complete ones. The final brain development doesn't happen until about 18. And, that is the cognitive part of the brain. The part that says, "Say! This isn't a very smart thing to be doing!!!"
Having been trained as a teacher and having been a teacher and a trainer of adult trainers I thought I knew too. But, all I knew was the obvious surface stuff.
I'm not talking about doing pretty well at learning. Or, this one learns by doing this or this one learns by doing that.
I'm talking about finally knowing exactly how to willfully grow our brains by forming purposefully integrated, strong memory bonds. Yes, each child learns in a different way and that is because each child stores their memories in a different primary learning area of the brain. (For instance, I learn best by walking around or moving while thinking.)
But, that is not what this material covers. What this material covers is how EVERY brain uses chemicals and connections to create either weak or strong memory bonds. EVERY brain stores memory in EXACTLY the same basic processes. Knowing those processes, at the BRAIN STORAGE AND INTEGRATION LEVEL is a good thing for anyone that wants to teach their child to learn better. And, that is what this material is all about.
If you didn't take the time to look at the link, it might be interesting to do so. 
For instance, did you know that for your child to RETAIN information in its most useful and accessable form that it must be stored on BOTH sides of the brain. On the left side of the brain, from detail to big picture and on the right side of the brain from big picture to detail... and, then these two different views of the same new information must be synthesized together for a strong bond to be formed?
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ORIGINAL: his_chosen
Wait--adolescents HAVE brains???
Seriously, I don't need research on this stuff. Working with my kids one-on-one, I know how they learn. And what works for one probably won't work for the other. That's the joy of home schooling!
_____________________________
http://focusonliberty.blogspot.com
Is "Left" vs. "Right" really accurate?- Check out the Liberty Dial!
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/29/2009 3:00:36 PM
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W.O.F.
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interestingly enough....science has proven over and over again that the adolescent mind as we see it is actually a product of expectation, not of nature....
In cultures where there is no recognized adolescent period...where a child goes from being a child to being an adult...there are not the chemicals even present in the brain, not to mention the fact that there are different synopsis, etc.
That does NOT mean that there aren't children who linger longer in that wisp of time between child and adult......
A lot of what Dr. Leaf teaches is right on the mark, and a lot of it is not.
For example...do you KNOW why we lose about 1/2 our brain's capacity at age 2? Because that half of the brain is in control of involuntary, MAJOR and FINE muscle control...we don't lose it....it just has completed its development and can run on auto pilot. WE no longer need to teach ourselves how to pick up tiny pieces of lint.....we can just do it now...on auto pilot.
It is not that we lose half our brain...but rather that that part is now pretty much fully programmable and is now able to run without constant input...it may need updates now and again...but it is not gone.
Another way to look at it is to see your brain as the hard drive of a computer.....when you first buy it....it is mostly empty...but once you start putting your operating systems on there....the hard drive uses up some memory. To say that you have lost that memory capacity is partially correct....but you didn't lose the use of it.....it is those blocks that make it possible for your computer to do all the things that it does with the remaining blocks.
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Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/30/2009 8:27:34 AM
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TMeeks
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quote:
ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
interestingly enough....science has proven over and over again that the adolescent mind as we see it is actually a product of expectation, not of nature....
In cultures where there is no recognized adolescent period...where a child goes from being a child to being an adult...there are not the chemicals even present in the brain, not to mention the fact that there are different synopsis, etc.
This is a fascinating claim. What do you mean that there are not the chemicals even present in the brain? What puzzles me is that I would expect to be able to find plenty of citations dealing with this if scientists have proven it over and over. It may be there. But, I can't find it.
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A lot of what Dr. Leaf teaches is right on the mark, and a lot of it is not.
It would be interesting for find out from you what, specifically, is NOT on the mark and why.
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For example...do you KNOW why we lose about 1/2 our brain's capacity at age 2? Because that half of the brain is in control of involuntary, MAJOR and FINE muscle control...we don't lose it....it just has completed its development and can run on auto pilot. WE no longer need to teach ourselves how to pick up tiny pieces of lint.....we can just do it now...on auto pilot.
It is not that we lose half our brain...but rather that that part is now pretty much fully programmable and is now able to run without constant input...it may need updates now and again...but it is not gone.
Dr. Leaf only mentions the topic in passing in "Who Switched Off My Brain" and not in Switch on Your Brain at all. My citation was from other sources. From everything I have read, it is loose, unneeded connections that are lost. I have never seen anyone describe the process as you have. And, I certainly have not seen anything remotely claiming that it is primarily about muscle control. It would be interesting to see citations for that information. I simply can't find any.
This is more typical of the information that I find on synapse pruning
Over the first few years of life, the brain grows rapidly. As each neuron matures, it sends out multiple branches (axons, which send information out, and dendrites, which take in information), increasing the number of synaptic contacts and laying the specific connections from house to house, or in the case of the brain, from neuron to neuron. At birth, each neuron in the cerebral cortex has approximately 2,500 synapses. By the time an infant is two or three years old, the number of synapses is approximately 15,000 synapses per neuron (Gopnick, et al., 1999). This amount is about twice that of the average adult brain. As we age, old connections are deleted through a process called synaptic pruning.
Synaptic pruning eliminates weaker synaptic contacts while stronger connections are kept and strengthened. Experience determines which connections will be strengthened and which will be pruned; connections that have been activated most frequently are preserved. Neurons must have a purpose to survive. Without a purpose, neurons die through a process called apoptosis in which neurons that do not receive or transmit information become damaged and die. Ineffective or weak connections are "pruned" in much the same way a gardener would prune a tree or bush, giving the plant the desired shape. It is plasticity that enables the process of developing and pruning connections, allowing the brain to adapt itself to its environment.
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Another way to look at it is to see your brain as the hard drive of a computer.....when you first buy it....it is mostly empty...but once you start putting your operating systems on there....the hard drive uses up some memory. To say that you have lost that memory capacity is partially correct....but you didn't lose the use of it.....it is those blocks that make it possible for your computer to do all the things that it does with the remaining blocks.
I was quite surprised that I was seeing this from someone challenging, with such assuredness and authority, a learning researcher that has made studying the brain her life's work.
This analogy seems like a throwback to the 1980s.
Our brains never even come close to running out of capacity. And, they are absolutely NOTHING like a computer hard drive. Hard Drives have a fixed capacity. Brains grow. In fact, your brain is growing as you read this. We do not use up our capacity, we CREATE NEW capacity with memory building and lose some of what was gained by the process by which the brain cleans up loose connections. That doesn't happen in a hard drive... where the bits are either on or off and capacity is fixed.
The difference between brains and computers is that brains have a marvelous ability to restructure itself known as "plasticity".
If I were to present an analogy of the human brain, without using trees and forests, it would be a coral reef that is constantly in flux, growing and waining in density as nourishment and external factors affect it.
_____________________________
http://focusonliberty.blogspot.com
Is "Left" vs. "Right" really accurate?- Check out the Liberty Dial!
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/30/2009 9:05:16 AM
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TMeeks
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quote:
ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
Interestingly enough, most homeschoolers are well tuned into working these things out with each individual child.....we have to be.
Intuition is a wonderful thing. Intuition with knowledge is a LOT better. 
If new information is now available regarding how the brain works that would refine the intuition to result in more effective learning, I can't understand resistance without an indepth exploration of the findings.
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First of all, we recognize that each child is an individual...and regardless of what anyone says...each person learns differently. We all have to learn the same things...but we absorb and utilize it so differently.
That is at the heart of Dr. Leaf's presentation on learning and the foundation of her methodology.
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Second of all...we recognize it is our HEARTS that God desires....while our brain takes in the information, and processes it...until we absorb it into our HEARTS and SOULS...we are useless. The most intelligent person on earth who knows how to learn the most effectively is nothing more than clanging tin cans if they cannot love and be the hands of God to those around them. NOT saying that learning is not important...it is....but loving and caring and being active in serving God are far more important.
I don't see how this reality is affected by simply learning how to learn in a brain friendly way. Please explain how the heart and soul would have anything to absorb without the brain having first taken it in through our senses. Without the Bible, which we READ, we could not know anything about God at all. You could not love, care or be active in serving God without the brain. Try encouraging a brain dead patient to get up and serve God. This sounds so spiritual; but, is really rooted in shallow thinking and poor theology.
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I have no doubts Dr. Leaf has some great techniques...but even Dr. Leaf's techniques do not fit every child or every situation.
The point isn't that it works in every situation. But, having actually evaluated the materials, my assessment that if any method supports all learners, then it is this one. Of course one could find a child that has some extraordinary special needs that might not benefit; but, that's a given for learning itself. How can you be so sure of the limitations when you haven't watched the DVD or read a single word in the workbook? If this attitude isn't completely counter to learning, then I don't know what it.
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But I agree....to stop learning is to shrivel and die.....
I would have continued to learn until my death with or without these materials. But, I can assure you that the rate and effectiveness of that learning is going to be enormously affected by what I've learned from Dr. Leaf's research... and, the additional information I've gathered from studying this whole topic while verifying her claims.
For instance, mind mapping, a similar methodology like this, and this is being used at video game companies to organize and turn the results from brain storming session into usable video game specifications. But, while it APPEARS to be the same, a cursory comparison shows significant differences in effectiveness for actual LEARNING and not just organizing. Metacognitive-Mapping is more specifically brain friendly for learning than Mind Mapping.
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Is "Left" vs. "Right" really accurate?- Check out the Liberty Dial!
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/31/2009 5:16:06 PM
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W.O.F.
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Apparently my analogy was not clear enough for you. It was not implying that the brain has a fixed capacity, but rather to counter YOUR assertion that we "lose" have our brain capacity at age 2. We do not.
As to my other assertions....I would strongly recommend checking into OTHER authorities.
As to why I so strongly choose not to buy into Dr. Leaf's mind-mapping as whole heartily as some would like.....I am always VERY leery of ANY authority who says that this is how things work.
As to homeschooling...it works because it is done one on one. It works for each child as it should...without having to listen to any one authority or source. Why? Because it is about applying the scriptural mandate to "teach a child in the way he should go...".
Homeschooling as shown as much , if not more, results as Dr. Leaf...and without having to buy an authority's books or attend their seminars.
Not saying what Dr. Leaf has to offer is not worth it....just saying that it is NOT as needed in the homeschool front as in other educational arenas.
_____________________________
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Learning to Learn - 7/31/2009 10:26:35 PM
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TMeeks
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quote:
ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
Apparently my analogy was not clear enough for you. It was not implying that the brain has a fixed capacity, but rather to counter YOUR assertion that we "lose" have our brain capacity at age 2. We do not.
Checking back on what I said, 'capacity' WAS a poor choice of words. 'Neural' connections would have been a better choice of words. We don't get less intelligent. We simply lose what is no longer being used.
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As to my other assertions....I would strongly recommend checking into OTHER authorities.
Actually, I have, and will always do so when evaluating new materials. It's called due dilligence and it's been one of the consulting specialities that I've performed over the years. I'm very cautious and seek out validation from many sources... including the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine where my wife works. So far, I have not found anything that is not validated. Nothing.
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As to why I so strongly choose not to buy into Dr. Leaf's mind-mapping as whole heartily as some would like.....I am always VERY leery of ANY authority who says that this is how things work.
As you should be. So am I. But, rather than simply dismiss new things, I choose to go the route of 'due dilligence' and additional research to see what others have to say on the subject. Certainly, we might find this or that that must be fine-tuned because we are always learning more. But, sitting still simply because someone says they have come up with a new method that WORKS is not a great option. When it comes to a learning theory it's easy to check it out. All one has to do is to assess the results. If it works, there will be results. If not, the results will demonstrate that.
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As to homeschooling...it works because it is done one on one. It works for each child as it should...without having to listen to any one authority or source. Why? Because it is about applying the scriptural mandate to "teach a child in the way he should go...".
I'm sorry. But, this type of blanket statement is FAR worse than an expert that has studied and tested a method for years saying this is how something works. Yes, I would expect most home schooled children to do very well because they have parents who care. But, read these very threads and you will find plenty of evidence that argues forcefully against your blanket statement. To me, that is a very close-minded, anti-learning attitude because it accepts no challenges to seek better.
Frankly, my granddaughters in a Christian School are quite a bit ahead of some of the children that I personally know that are home schooled. Some are advanced... some are not. It's intellectually dishonest to declare that 'it works for each child as it should.' For some, it, no doubt, doesn't.
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Homeschooling as shown as much , if not more, results as Dr. Leaf...and without having to buy an authority's books or attend their seminars.
Now, how can you possibly make a claim like this without an intimate knowledge of the results of her work in South Africa? Have you quantitatively compared one against the other so that you can speak with authority. Or, is this just an unfounded opinion?
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Not saying what Dr. Leaf has to offer is not worth it....just saying that it is NOT as needed in the homeschool front as in other educational arenas.
Uh... this may sound a bit rough. But, who died and made you the absolute authority on the thousands of families that home school? You are one person with one background. But, you make the outrageous blanket statements as if all the thousands have exactly your experience. 
With so little actual knowledge or understanding on your part of what she has to offer, I fail to see how you or anyone else could make that claim??? You seem to think that she has a cookie cutter system and that is not at all the case. It is THE most individualized approach to learning that I have ever seen.
Certainly, it's OK to review a learning approach and dismiss it. But, without exploration and thorough review, I find dismissing what she has to offer counter to everything that the home schooling movement stands for... the freedom to use the best method for a child and the wisdom to keep looking for the best learning method for one's children.
This is just one of many alternatives that might be beneficial to explore. I know that it has been for me. And, I assume that it could be equally beneficial for others... including home school children, in spite of your adamant dismissal of something you know so little about.
_____________________________
http://focusonliberty.blogspot.com
Is "Left" vs. "Right" really accurate?- Check out the Liberty Dial!
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/1/2009 7:47:43 AM
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W.O.F.
Posts: 1653
Joined: 4/11/2005
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TMeeks
quote:
ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
quote:
As to my other assertions....I would strongly recommend checking into OTHER authorities.
Actually, I have, and will always do so when evaluating new materials. It's called due dilligence and it's been one of the consulting specialities that I've performed over the years. I'm very cautious and seek out validation from many sources... including the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine where my wife works. So far, I have not found anything that is not validated. Nothing. Then I assume you have read the works of Dr. Epstein and also studied the sociological studies done on the Lost Boys of the Sudan as well as the original model of Boys Town?
Jay Giedd of the National Institute of Mental Health puts it this way when discussing brain develoment (in reference to the statement that the first three years of brain development is the most important, as well as the teenage brain)...."“I would just say that so are the next three and the next three and the next three, and the next three...."
He specializes in brain imaging and mapping here in the US.
Recent brain research, however, relieves hormones of much of the blame for this period of “storm and stress,” as psychologist G. Stanley Hall, father of adolescent research, called it.
Each adolescent brain is as unique as each adult brain, and the chemicals ascribed to adolescent brain are present in varying degrees throughout each person's life....in other words...what is stereotypically called the adolescent brain...may be present in someone as young as 4 and as old as 95.
What is referred to as adolescent behaviour and a result of the "adolescent" brain, is stereotypically only present in certain cultures...and, according to most psychologists and socioloigist, is amazingly missing in cultures, both historicially and in the present, that do not acknowledge the adolescent state.....
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As to why I so strongly choose not to buy into Dr. Leaf's mind-mapping as whole heartily as some would like.....I am always VERY leery of ANY authority who says that this is how things work.
As you should be. So am I. But, rather than simply dismiss new things, I choose to go the route of 'due dilligence' and additional research to see what others have to say on the subject. Certainly, we might find this or that that must be fine-tuned because we are always learning more. But, sitting still simply because someone says they have come up with a new method that WORKS is not a great option. When it comes to a learning theory it's easy to check it out. All one has to do is to assess the results. If it works, there will be results. If not, the results will demonstrate that.
I go much farther than that...MOST methods will show results at first....do the results last? do they work across the board (meaning more than one specific grouping of people or culture, ages, etc)
quote:
As to homeschooling...it works because it is done one on one. It works for each child as it should...without having to listen to any one authority or source. Why? Because it is about applying the scriptural mandate to "teach a child in the way he should go...".
I'm sorry. But, this type of blanket statement is FAR worse than an expert that has studied and tested a method for years saying this is how something works. Yes, I would expect most home schooled children to do very well because they have parents who care. But, read these very threads and you will find plenty of evidence that argues forcefully against your blanket statement. To me, that is a very close-minded, anti-learning attitude because it accepts no challenges to seek better. I am sorry that you found this offensive. Do all homeschooling parents fully employ the opportunity to teach each child as the they should? Of course not.
You don't "know" homeschooling, and yet you assume that we are in dire need of Dr. Leaf's studies.
I always expect better and am constantly evaluating my children and how each one of them learns....so to assume that my attitude is anti-learning is arrogant in the least.
I am aware that a lot of people struggle with homeschooling...here on these forums and elsewhere....when homeschooling is not working...it requires the parent to evaluate whether or not they are teaching the child as they should be....or whether it is a discipline issue. Sometimes it is both, or only one.
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Frankly, my granddaughters in a Christian School are quite a bit ahead of some of the children that I personally know that are home schooled. Some are advanced... some are not. It's intellectually dishonest to declare that 'it works for each child as it should.' For some, it, no doubt, doesn't. and frankly, all the homeschool children I personally know are several grades ahead of children in some of the best Christian and private school in our area. Not knocking those schools...just pointing out that personal experience and anecdotes do NOT necessarily fit...especially when nationally done research and evaluation shows the opposite of your personal experience.
How am I to know whether those homeschooled children have learning disablities or not? I have a friend in another state whose son is severally autistic. He is WAY ahead of the expectations for HIM...yet he is a little behind his peers. So according to your measurement...he is not learning. He is...at his pace..the way HE needs to. His doctors, and psychologists have all said it is amazing the progress he has made and they expect him to be "on track" by his mid to late teens if not before.
I guess the difference between homeschooling and "inside the schooling" community thinking is that it is not so much about grade levels, but rather skills mastered by each child, on the child's time table.
Do all parents take full advantage of this....no. Just as most teachers in school do not take advantage of that either (and this is said without reproach as I studied to be a teacher).
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Homeschooling as shown as much , if not more, results as Dr. Leaf...and without having to buy an authority's books or attend their seminars.
Now, how can you possibly make a claim like this without an intimate knowledge of the results of her work in South Africa? Have you quantitatively compared one against the other so that you can speak with authority. Or, is this just an unfounded opinion?
Partially unfounded, and partially based on the statistics and the fact that most of her work has been in South Africa, with underprivileged (and under care for) children, teens and adults.
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Not saying what Dr. Leaf has to offer is not worth it....just saying that it is NOT as needed in the homeschool front as in other educational arenas.
Uh... this may sound a bit rough. But, who died and made you the absolute authority on the thousands of families that home school? You are one person with one background. But, you make the outrageous blanket statements as if all the thousands have exactly your experience.
and conversely I could say the same as you. I am sorry, but for the past two years, you have tried to push Dr. Leaf in the homeschool forum, and it borders on worship of her and her methods.
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With so little actual knowledge or understanding on your part of what she has to offer, I fail to see how you or anyone else could make that claim??? You seem to think that she has a cookie cutter system and that is not at all the case. It is THE most individualized approach to learning that I have ever seen. Again assumptions that I know nothing about Dr. Leaf and her methods. And again...based solely ON YOUR experience. I am sorry that you have been seen so little in the approaches to learning.
Again...Dr. Leaf has a lot to offer, but conversely...she is not the only one. That is the main point of MY posts.
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Certainly, it's OK to review a learning approach and dismiss it. But, without exploration and thorough review, I find dismissing what she has to offer counter to everything that the home schooling movement stands for... the freedom to use the best method for a child and the wisdom to keep looking for the best learning method for one's children. So I assume that you have spent 10 to 20 years exploring and reviewing Dr. Leaf? Because without that, there has not been the time spent to have done throrough research and review on her and her methods.
I have not dismissed her...I have merely stated that she is not the end all...and that if someone uses the Biblical principle for teaching one's children...one never stops evaluating how one's child learns, what one's child needs emotionally, etc. It may lead some to Dr. Leaf.
But to constantly try to PUSH Dr. Leaf down the throats of homeschoolers shows a full dismissal of what homeschooling stands for, and shows the ignorance of one who has never spent a lot of time within the homeschooling community (which stretches FAR beyond what you see here on Crosswalk....).
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This is just one of many alternatives that might be beneficial to explore. I know that it has been for me. And, I assume that it could be equally beneficial for others... including home school children, in spite of your adamant dismissal of something you know so little about.
Yes...it would be beneficial to explore...as you have ad nauseum have tried to tell us for the past year or so.
Offering it as such would be much better received than assuming that someone who disagrees with you has no knowledge of Dr. Leaf and her studies.
I have spent a lot of time studying Dr. Leaf since your original post on her books last year (and had actually read a couple of her books prior to that).
Have I attended one of her seminars? No. Have I bought into her theories without any reservations whatsoever? No.
Do I worship the ground she walks on? No.
Do I accuse you of ignorance of a subject matter just because you disagree with me? Perhaps I do.......but not based on your disagreement with me.
_____________________________
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh no, she's awake."
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/1/2009 8:38:45 AM
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TMeeks
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quote:
ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
I have spent a lot of time studying Dr. Leaf since your original post on her books last year (and had actually read a couple of her books prior to that).
That's great.
Since I haven't read those books, knowing only about "Who Switched Off You Brain" and the newer "Switch On Your Brain" DVD/Workbook, it would help me a great deal in my due diligence assessment to know about the others by Dr. Leaf that you have read.
The great thing about the internet is the shared experiences of others and finding out that Dr. Leaf has a couple of other previously published books that you have read is a great find!
< Message edited by TMeeks -- 8/1/2009 9:20:43 AM >
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/1/2009 9:11:09 AM
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TMeeks
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quote:
You don't "know" homeschooling, and yet you assume that we are in dire need of Dr. Leaf's studies.
quote:
But to constantly try to PUSH Dr. Leaf down the throats of homeschoolers shows a full dismissal of what homeschooling stands for, and shows the ignorance of one who has never spent a lot of time within the homeschooling community (which stretches FAR beyond what you see here on Crosswalk....).
Please don't let the fact that I have never homeschooled to color your view of my intentions.
My intentions are only to help parents find resources that help them further their child's progress as far as they can go. The prospect of finding the secret to a child being able to retain, forever, more than 90% of what they learn is one that excites me. And, it lays to rest the nonsense that one needs a degree in education to effectively teach one's children.
At least some on these forums can verify my commitment to their own homeschool efforts by my help in obtaining microscopes at cost for them. I'm on these particular threads because my own belief that nobody can teach a child better than a parent who is committed to their child's education and is willing to grow along with their child.
< Message edited by TMeeks -- 8/1/2009 3:43:03 PM >
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/1/2009 3:43:24 PM
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cynthia
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Some educators may find this information to be unimportant and for some homeschoolers it may be, however, I find this kind of information adds to my overall understanding of what may help my children to retain information. Right now, my eldest will be finishing up her last two years of high school and preparing for college. I am interested in helping her learn study strategies the will help her to retain the information and do well on tests in college. On a side note, my father has a serious brain injury. He transfers almost nothing from short term memory to long term memory. I am hoping to find some way to help him overcome that issue, as it makes it impossible for him to live on his own. His short term memory is also impaired.
I can understand if some think this information is unimportant and they already feel confident that they are using effective strategies for helping their students get information from short term to long term memory, but some of us are interested in this type of information and believe it can be helpful in choosing resources and programs. Not everyone is going to find it helpful, but some of us will.
Meeks has been a great help to my family’s homeschooling. Last year he not only helped me choose a great microscope, but he sent one to me at cost! My kids and I (and the neighbor kids) have benefitted greatly from his generosity in this gift. This is not a rinky dink microscope, but a beautiful piece of scientific equipment that has greatly enhanced our home education.
This is the homeschool support folder. I come here to give and get support and welcome others to come and share and be supportive to. If someone starts a thread that doesn’t interest me or I don’t think applies to our homeschool, I ignore it unless it peaks my interest and I think I have something positive to contribute. I have been interested in this thread, but have been really busy and put it aside and was hoping for a chance to read more due to my reasons of TL being close to college and my dad’s brain injury. I am hoping to learn some helpful things for my family.
quote:
ORIGINAL: TMeeks
But, the two year old mind is the most fascinating to me. It is at that time that we literally LOSE 1/2 of our brain capacity!
This is an excellent article about the brain pruning that goes on in BOTH age groups.
It is so strange. Yesterday I was running errands and hear a brief portion of the Michael Medved show. He had some guy on there (no idea who he was) that was talking about how the brains of children around six or seven have a “brain pruning.” He said that if children are taught to read prior to age seven it has a negative effect on the balance of how their brain works regarding the creative and logical sides of the brain and somehow this has to do with the “brain pruning.” He said if the logical side of the brain is overdeveloped prior to age seven, it leads to more violent societies. He had reasons for saying that and backed them up with historical “evidence.” I’m so sure I agree with his conclusions, but the basis of what he said is interesting.
quote:
ORIGINAL: TMeeks
quote:
ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
Apparently my analogy was not clear enough for you. It was not implying that the brain has a fixed capacity, but rather to counter YOUR assertion that we "lose" have our brain capacity at age 2. We do not.
Checking back on what I said, 'capacity' WAS a poor choice of words. 'Neural' connections would have been a better choice of words. We don't get less intelligent. We simply lose what is no longer being used.
I think you two seem to be saying the same thing, but not connecting.
quote:
ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
As to my other assertions....I would strongly recommend checking into OTHER authorities.
Meeks has posted links to articles by various authors. Did you have something specific in mind? Dr. Ruth Beechick has written a very interesting book on thinking and the heart (the actual organ). I started to read it, but it’s sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish it along with a growing stack of books. lol I have a problem with being interested in an unlimited number of things, but only having a limited amount of time.
For those of you who don’t know who Dr. Ruth Beechick is, she is now around 90 years old, but she is passionate about homeschooling. She was a public school teacher and due to her bent towards research, so went on to get her PhD. When she retired from teaching, she decided to write for homeschoolers and to encourage homeschooling. For the last about 30 years, she has been writing for homeschoolers. She still publishes pieces in homeschool magazines. She is really an amazing woman. I want to be like her in so many ways.
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ORIGINAL: W.O.F.
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This is just one of many alternatives that might be beneficial to explore. I know that it has been for me. And, I assume that it could be equally beneficial for others... including home school children, in spite of your adamant dismissal of something you know so little about.
Yes...it would be beneficial to explore...as you have ad nauseum have tried to tell us for the past year or so.
Offering it as such would be much better received than assuming that someone who disagrees with you has no knowledge of Dr. Leaf and her studies.
I have spent a lot of time studying Dr. Leaf since your original post on her books last year (and had actually read a couple of her books prior to that).
Have I attended one of her seminars? No. Have I bought into her theories without any reservations whatsoever? No.
Do I worship the ground she walks on? No.
Do I accuse you of ignorance of a subject matter just because you disagree with me? Perhaps I do.......but not based on your disagreement with me.
I love you two. Really I do. But this is making me sad. Can we just talk about Dr. Leaf and about memory and learning; nicely? I’ve been looking forward to getting involved in this thread, but it’s kind of uncomfortable in here at the moment. I’m going to go get some stuff done, then come back and do some reading on these links and thinking about this interesting topic. Hopefully things will cool down in here so whomever is interested will be able to discuss the actual topic of this thread. 
< Message edited by cynthia -- 8/1/2009 3:55:43 PM >
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/1/2009 4:02:10 PM
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TMeeks
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quote:
Hopefully things will cool down in here so whomever is interested will be able to discuss the actual topic of this thread.
Consider it cooled!
quote:
On a side note, my father has a serious brain injury. He transfers almost nothing from short term memory to long term memory. I am hoping to find some way to help him overcome that issue, as it makes it impossible for him to live on his own. His short term memory is also impaired.
My brother had a stroke that left him in a similar situation. He's an opera tenor and remembers every single piece he learned before the stroke and finds it almost impossible to learn new pieces by memory. I, too, look forward to seeing if this will help him.
quote:
Dr. Ruth Beechick has written a very interesting book on thinking and the heart (the actual organ).
I hadn't read Beechick; but, Dr Leaf talks about the mini-brain in our physical heart in the first book I read from her. In fact, I was so surprised by that claim that it was one of the first things that sent me off in search of confirmation or denial. Once it was confirmed, it answered for me why so many patients suffer depression after heart surgury or translants. Again, it confirms the validity of the Bible's origins since it made this very claim, by inference, more than 2000 years ago!
After reading just a few online pages of Heart & Mind by Beechick, I expect that their views are VERY compatible with each other. This is an exciting find for me.
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/1/2009 7:16:02 PM
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cynthia
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From: Beautiful Puget Sound Region
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I just watched the June 23rd broadcast here. It was an interview with Dr. Leaf and she mentioned the heart/brain connection. This is the basis of Ruth Beechick's book. It is very interesting. It is amazing the interconnection of God's word. For example, Dr. Leaf was talking about negative memories and how they cause problems with how we function, if they are not dealt with biblically.
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/1/2009 10:41:07 PM
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TMeeks
Posts: 1532
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quote:
ORIGINAL: cynthia
I just watched the June 23rd broadcast here. It was an interview with Dr. Leaf and she mentioned the heart/brain connection. This is the basis of Ruth Beechick's book. It is very interesting. It is amazing the interconnection of God's word. For example, Dr. Leaf was talking about negative memories and how they cause problems with how we function, if they are not dealt with biblically.
I'm actually looking forward to reading Beechick's book. Somewhere in the older threads you'll find where I mention the heart-brain connection because it was one of the great demonstrations of the Bible having been written by God, the creator of the heart/brain, through men. NOBODY in that period would have had a clue about it unless they were inspired by God.
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/2/2009 2:43:03 PM
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Sunnymom
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I read a wide variety of sources about brain function, and one could play "My sources trump your sources" all the live-long day. As Boortz would say, don't believe anything you hear or read unless you can verify it through study or it is consistent with what you already know to be true.
The primary measuring stick for me is the Word of God. The Lord tells us quite a bit about how the heart and mind function, and when science veers from that to try to justify some errant behavior or thought process, science can take a flying bite at Mars.
I've read Dr. Epstein, and much of what he says rings true for me. Ditto certain aspects of Dr. Leaf's work. Drs. Schlaug and Winner just finished a study on how music training affects the brain, and I recently read Musicophilia by Dr. Oliver Sacks (author of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat).
There is so much out information out there that one could spend all day studying and never actually get around to teaching. It's good to read some recommendations and get an idea of what may or may not be helpful when it comes to finding ways to help our kids learn more effectively. I like understanding what is 'under the hood', but children that are inspired to be curious and diligent in their studies will do instinctively what some of us agonize over- "Am I covering all the bases", "Are there needful skills my kids are missing?", "Where are their learning gaps?"
Good character and a work ethic are as essential to education as providing quality materials and individualized learning methods. That is why so many parents who used to be doubters can see the inherent benefits of home education- it is something that may start out as an educational method, but soon become a lifestyle. One can benefit from the information gleaned from all the scientific studies out there on brain function in children, but it certainly isn't a necessity.
I think I recommended a book here awhile back- Why Gender Matters by Dr. Leonard Sax. It's official- boys and girls are different.
Bet that just knocked you on your butt, didn't it? Who knew?
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RE: Learning to Learn - 8/5/2009 7:28:42 PM
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W.O.F.
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I felt I needed to publically state that I do not think that Dr. Leaf is wrong or bad. I failed to communicate clearly as to what I meant.
I just simply do NOT believe that her way is the only way, and while it is very good, I do not feel that it has the......hmm...not sure how to put it....scientific criteria needed for ME to buy into it all the way.
Is it useful? It can be.
Is it harmful? NOT in the least!
Will it "work" for every child? no........but that is where the Biblical verse to train up a child in the way they should go (according to their natural bent) comes in.
There are a lot of educational philosphers out there...and most of them are right....even though they disagree with each other.
How can that be?
Because there are so many different types of learners, and different personalities.....
AGAIN...just wanted to clarify that I do not believe Dr. Leaf to be wrong. I just personally do not buy 100% into her methods....maybe because they wouldn't work for my kids...but that doesn't mean they won't work for you or your kids.
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