Eclectic Technology

Do we teach our learners how to learn? Neuroscientists are often at the cutting edge of research, and much more is known about how we learn. Is it time for educators to up this mantle and teach their classes what is known?

This post is divided into the following sections.

* Technology and Distraction - We know that the Internet may be distracting to many learners. Did you also know that the science is showing that multitasking does not really exist? When one multitasks the brain is rapidly switching  between different tasks, which interferes with  forming memory.

This discussion continues and is followed by a number of Takeaways, concepts that you may want to share with your learners. These include:

* Stress is bad for learning.

* Classroom decorations can be distracting.

* Test for a reason.

* Spend more time teaching learning skills.

Additional information is available in the post.

How do we learn? This post explores this issue and provides some suggstions on some best practices for studying. 

The author of the post provides three "take-aways" from the book.

* "Forgetting isn't always bad."

* "The brain is a foraging learner."

* "We can be tactical in our learning."

A number of suggestions on best ways to study are also included.

* Rather than cramming study material for a shorter period of time everyday. You will retain more.

* Studying in different locations may be beneficial.

* Taking breaks after intense studying is good. It provides a break for your brain. This is called diffuse learning.

* Rather than rereading material quiz yourself on it to see how much you recall.

Additional suggestions are included in the post and there is more information. 

If this is an area of interest to you Coursera will be running another session of Learning How to Learn, beginning in early October. The course is free unless you want to receive a Certificate. I can vouch for this course as I am currently enrolled and at some point in the near future I will share more information about it. To learn more about the course go to Learning How to Learn. 

This radio documentary focuses on current research on how we learn. You may listen to the documentary, or you may read the transcripts. There are three programs that discuss:

* This is Your Brain on Language - This portion focuses on raising a bilingual child. It turns out that children whom are bilingual have higher executive functioning skills.

* Learning to Love Tests - That's right, we can teach students to love tests, but only if we use them correctly!

* Variation is Key to Deeper Learning - Trial and error is one way to learn, but it turns out that if you "build a level of desirable difficulty" into the learning process (and tests) students may retain more knowledge and skills.

Choose to listen to the interviews with experts in these areas, or read through the transcripts to learn more about this new research and how it may impact your teaching and your students.

Are there benefits to being bilingual? Current research says yes, and this infographic shares information on some of the benefits. Click through to the post to see all the benefits...and perhaps you will decide that it is time to study another language!