The Holistic Brain

Self-Directed Learning by Brittany Masching Self-directed learning is a movement empowering individuals to lead their own educational journey based on their own curiosity and interests. While many of us think the traditional school system is “education”, we forget that that is simply a path or an option to education. In self-directed learning, the individual likely isn’t in a class setting. The life learner chooses what activities and experiences they want to explore. They are drawn to these activities naturally as we are each unique and hold different interests. The overarching goal is that the individual grows their knowledge through experiences to create a meaningful and satisfying life for their given culture.     What is Self-Directed Learning? Infed: Self-Directed Learning Why is Self-Directed Learning Important? It’s natural!  There are Four Educative Drives that children naturally possess. These include curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and planfuln

I would like to give some of the neuroanatomy to you in this blog.  It will allow you to have some visuals, and spend a bit of time delving in, if you so choose. MEMORY There is a wealth of information in the neuro and cognitive sciences about memory and learning that can be useful for understanding the most effective forms of education. Memory is not a single construct. There is short term and long term memory.  We will talk about short term memory later, which is also not a single construct. LONG TERM MEMORY Long term memory is divided into Explicit (conscious) and Implicit (non-conscious) Explicit memory is also called Declarative Memory.  Think about the fact that you can explain, or declare what you remember.   It is further divided into Semantic Memory and Episodic Memory. Semantic Memory is all about categories of information. Episodic Memory is memory for events.   We can also think of memory as passive and active.  Active memory processes require the frontal lobe, while pass

The title of this entry is a T-shirt I had when I was about 9 years old.  The "I LOVE SCHOOL" was in big letters, and when you got up close you could read the ending "(when its closed)".  I loved that T-shirt, because it just was so true. For those struggling with the assignment, I thought I would share a bit of my own personal narrative.  Of course I could give so much more detail, but this is the short version.  Feel free to make yours as long as you like. Good Schools:  A Personal Narrative The suburb I grew up in was supposed to have g ood schools.   However, I can say with certainty that 99% of the content presented in the schooling I experienced did not contribute in a meaningful way to what I believe about who I am, and what I am meant to be in this world.  Rather than helping me understand my place in the world, the schooling I encountered was a zero sum competition. That meant some won, and some lost.  From kindergarten to high school I found myself on the

 I absolutely love the work of Ivor Goodson .  Truth be told, I asked him to interview as part of my doctoral thesis process.  He declined, probably because he did not see himself as a part of the whole neuroeducation movement.  However, I could clearly see the connections. When we think about the brain and how it learns, we must understand the primary purpose of the brain is to serve the individual.  This includes the way in which it organizes itself to protect against harm, both physical and emotional and the way it learns. My favorite professor when I was at Rutgers Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience was Gyorgy Buzaki .  He has done beautiful work in the art of electrophysiology.  This is the area of neuroscience that examines and measures the electrical activity of the brain.  He had this rather humorous way of asking the class a question and then giving the answer that was unexpected.  It did seem to help with creating a memory.  The startling, unexpected answer, alw

Why Mind, Brain and Education?  Why Now? Hello EAF Leaders! I am using this digital format of a blog to provide additional forms of communication and content sharing.  Here I will provide you with links to talks and resources, as well as a bit of content that is not available in our books.  Much of what I share here, and in the class is my personal perspective, developed over many years of research and practice.  Class goes quickly and I do not expect you to recall everything we cover on a first exposure.  I think of much of what I present in the class as "priming" the brain.  When you prime something, you prepare it to run.  First exposures to these concepts and new content is a way to create the questions that will lead to self-directed learning. I have a deep-seated belief that all learning is self-motivated!   From a neuroscience perspective this is related to a basic principle of how the nervous system works.  We may ask ourselves: "What does the brain care ab