Natural Learning Principles – Critical for Education

Jun 16, 2011 Posted by Renate Caine In Brain Based Learning, Educators, Featured, Gurus Tagged brain based learning, curriculum, learning Comments 1

Have you ever heard the word “research based” and wondered what exactly it means? Today, research based tends to mean that someone used a particular strategy and demonstrated that students were able to recall more information and do better on tests.

But hidden in that definition of research based are deeply held beliefs, biases and assumptions about what it means to learn. And if you look closely, there is no real definition of learning here. From our point of view, the meaning of learning is assumed.

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Using Natural Learning to Teach Basic Math

Jun 16, 2011 Posted by Geoffrey Caine In Brain Based Learning, Educators, Featured, Gurus, Parents Tagged brain based learning, curriculum, geoffrey caine, natural learning Comments 0

One way to substantially raise standards across the board is to identify and tap into learning capacities of students that are not already being used. Natural learning (formerly “brain based learning” as we originally defined it) is beautifully positioned to provide guidance. The reason? Natural learning takes for granted that a learner is a whole person – a living system – and that every aspect of a person contributes to his or her learning. Body, brain, and mind are all interacting (though they may not be operating every effectively). What does this mean in practice? Let’s look at basic math as an example. We will take it step by step, from the very general to the quite specific. …

The Three Elements of Great Teaching

Jun 15, 2011 Posted by Geoffrey and Renate Caine In Brain Based Learning, Educators, Featured, Gurus Tagged brain based learning, curriculum, geoffrey caine, learning Comments 0

The 12 Brain/Mind Learning Principles describe several processes that are all happening at the same time. The body is active. Senses are engaged. Students are searching for meaning and trying to understand. The way that they connect with others powerfully influences what they are thinking and feeling. And so on.

Notice that the Principles rely on teaching that is dynamic, i.e., experiential, project based, challenging and largely student directed.

There is just too much going on for each element to be addressed separately by teachers as they teach. However, some general patterns emerge from the principles that become a very useful frame of reference for teaching. We just refer to them as the three core elements of effective teaching. Here they are.

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Books by Renate and Geoffrey Caine

Jun 3, 2011 Posted by Funderstanding In Brain Based Learning, Educators, Gurus, Parents Tagged Books, brain based learning Comments 1

Below is a list of books published by Funderstanding contributors, Renate and Geoffrey Caine. The Caine’s books are available for purchase through Amazon by clicking the below links.

Natural Learning: The Brain Based Principles

Jun 1, 2011 Posted by Geoffrey and Renate Caine In Brain Based Learning, Educators, Featured Tagged brain based learning, geoffrey caine, natural learning Comments 5

Education and educators are in the spotlight as never before. Parents, politicians, business, and the media are calling for better “results.” And yet almost no attention is being publicly paid to how people learn naturally, and what sort of teaching best addresses natural learning.

We first visited this issue in 1990 with an article in Educational Leadership, and in 1991 with out book Making Connections: Teaching and the Human Brain, both of which introduced the notion of brain based learning and 12 our Brain / Mind Learning Principles.

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Learning Styles

May 27, 2011 Posted by On Purpose Associates In Educators, Kids, Other Learning Theories, Parents, Theory Tagged learning styles Comments 0

Definition

This approach to learning emphasizes the fact that individuals perceive and process information in very different ways. The learning styles theory implies that how much individuals learn has more to do with whether the educational experience is geared toward their particular style of learning than whether or not they are “smart.” In fact, educators should not ask, “Is this student smart?” but rather “How is this student smart?”

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Intro

May 17, 2011 Posted by Funderstanding In Intro, Theory Tagged learning, learning theory Comments 0

Welcome to the Theory section. Its rich with information about well known and lesser known learning theories.

Emotional Intelligence

Apr 26, 2011 Posted by Sarah Lipoff In Educators, Emotional Intelligence, Kids, Parents Tagged emotional intelligence Comments 2

Your child is super frustrated about something, but isn’t able to communicate clearly what has gone wrong. You feel your emotions getting the best of you as you also become aggravated trying to help. Instead of getting to the root of the issue, tempers rise. With a younger child, an extreme temper tantrum may erupt or an older child may resort to yelling or even crying. Sometimes our emotions get the best of us, but they are essential to our development and ability to deal with social situations.

Emotional intelligence, also knows as EQ, has been discovered to be an important aspect of how we respond to social situations, such as our child throwing a temper-tantrum. A child

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Review Category : Theory

Definition

Self-Efficacy: Pervasive in All Aspects of Life

Definition

Discussion