“Adults are by far more self-directed and antonymous learners than their younger counterparts.” Laurie Materna, (2006), the author of “Jump start the adult learner”. The blend of previous experiences and the new ones made the adult brain apply concepts directly and modify the application to fit their needs.
Adults posses an innate desire to construct meaning to make sense out of what they are learning.(Taylor , Marienau and fiddler 2000) From the brain compatible perspectives adults can be motivated on engaged by transferring the memorization of facts into acquiring skills. When that happens, a change in behavior will occur.
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Preparing the Brain to Learn:
The positive appeal to the learner’s emotion is the key for storing this information in the long memory, which transferred to the neocortex, or thinking part of the brain. On the contrary when negative emotions or fear is present, the middle brain refuses to transfer new information.
Oxygen helps the adults to learn, as oxygen is the energy needed for the brain to function. Pleasant smells can trigger emotions and motivate adults to learn .
Vitamins from healthy food are also important in functioning the brain.
According to Richard Nestake (2003), music helps to lower the blood pressure and dilates the blood vessels in the brain.
”Imagination is more important then knowledge.”(Albert Einstein) Visualization is the key of imagination, which promote creativity.
“Music exerts a powerful effect on the brain through intellectual and emotional stimulation”Sousa D.A.(2006),the author of “How the brain learns”
Anita Woolfolk (2007) in his book “Educational Psychology” states that it is impossible to separate intelligence from the genes to that of previous experience and knowledge. Consequently, differences in intelligence are the outcome of both.
Classroom applications and recommendations
"It is supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge"
(Albert Einstein) .Making learning fun and enjoyable will help adults’ brain emotion to work positively and be engaged as the long term memory turns on.
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Adult learning can be enhanced through brain –compatible learning strategies. By the use of visual, auditory and kinesthetic memory pathways. Consonantly, extraordinary amount
of information can be stored in the long-term memory through the variety of class activities.
Students cannot learn at the time of fear and negative emotion where the learner’s brain becomes defensive and protective of their own identities where information filtered out of the emotion brain and never reach the neocortex part.
Breathing exercises are very effective at the beginning of the learning session.
Use aroma and fragrance at the class to enhance cognitive processing.
Recommend healthy food to your students, enhance adult to learn.
Quite and light music may motivate adults learn.
Visualization can be used at the beginning of the teaching session to promote a positive learning state and stimulate creativity and imagination.
Movement exercises causes harmony between the left and right side of the brain, which made processing the information more smooth and efficient.
Finally, I would like to share my own philosophy of education which is always my classroom dream to peruse ;
My Own Philosophy of Education
My philosophy of education is open as I break the borders. I open the box, I read the lines, between and beyond of Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Existentialism, and Behaviorism. I learn, I add, modify and change. I apply, I fail, I succeed as I believe in the purpose of education is not to follow, copy and repeat but to explore, create and complete.
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My people are hungry in the box , I have nothing but appetizers. The main dishes are theirs to select, prepare, and cook, one green, one blue, one unique. All are ready to go out of the box after I inspire and not to demotivate.
After I
share rules and not to impose rules.
And after I
control and manage and not to ignore and relinquish,
use my watch and not his watch,
encourage and not to frustrate,
facilitate and not to transmit,
accommodate, devote and, reflect, and not to impede, hate and fade,
follow human rights regardless, and not to be in regard , to discriminate.
I will have the bridge for them to cross, day or night, hot or cold. I will not disappear
from the stage as the bridge is complete . I will talk and speak, write and delete if
the bridge is not treated with satisfaction, prevention, and perfection.
My philosophy Created by
Gamal Kalini
Chapman University
Monterey ,CA
Sep 2008
References
Materna, L (2007).Jump starts the adult learner. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Woolfolk.A. E., (2007).Educational psychology. (10th Ed)Pearson Education, Inc.
Sousa, D.A. (2006).How the brain learn.(3rd Ed) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Zull.J. (2003) . The art of changing the brain. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from
http://WWW.newhorizons.org/neuro/neu_review_zull.htm
