Figuring it Out

[bedora]

I've been working with Rita Smilkstein on the application of how learning happens (i.e. the natural process of learning based on how the brain works [I started to say, "how the brain operates" but the close proximity of 'brain' and 'operates' gave me the willies!]) to academic learning, specifically in our current school systems. Part of what we know to be true about this is that the process of learning is the same for all learning so if you can learning one thing you can learn anything. If you are having trouble learning something, then you're being blocked. This week, a student said to me, "I hate math." I asked, "What happened to you? Something has to have happened to you because we are all born loving learning." "She said, "oh, wow, I can't even remember that teacher's name, but yes, something did happen." Then we talked about finding ways to prevent what happened in the past from limiting one's future. But it was a revelation. I then related the story to my orientation class and the students started making connections in themselves and at the end of class, when I asked them what they would do to apply the information we talked about in class, many of them said things like, "taking a course I didn't like in high school."

So now I'm thinking about what school did to my love of learning. I do remember hesitating to take classes in college in subjects I really loved because it might kill it for me... So, what do you think?