Learning

Learning How to Promote Responsibility

On January 31, 2013   /   Discipline, Learning, Responsibility  

There is a story about an old and wise martial arts master who invited his new student to share tea and conversation to begin the teacher-student relationship. The student, who already had much training and learning from other teachers, looked eager and ready to learn. He said, “Teach me, master, how to be a great fighter.”

The wise master reached over with the teapot and began to pour the tea. He continued to pour even after the cup filled to the top. Tea began pouring down the sides. The student panicked, “It is already full. Why are you still pouring?”

The master responded, “So too, is your mind. It is filled with previous knowledge and experiences. You must empty your … >>>

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Stephen Covey on Learning

On January 29, 2013   /   Effectiveness, Learning, Relationships  

Being positive with oneself and others, being aware that we always have a choice in our responses, and using reflection to actuate behavioral change is, for most of us, a paradigm shift in learning. Implementing these three noncoercive practices promotes responsibility, increases our effectiveness, improves our relationships, and reduces stress.

In a way it is, as Stephen Covey says, like being fitted for and wearing new glasses. It takes a little learning and getting used to, but the brain adapts by making new neural connections. The more we practice, the stronger the reinforcement, the more glial cells our brain manufactures, and the easier and more creative we are in the use of the principles.

So as not to … >>>

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Posture Training and Discipline

On January 22, 2013   /   Effectiveness, Learning  

Posture training, in which teachers are taught to correct their children’s manner of sitting, is considered a “traditional” approach to education.

A classic example of the importance of learning the self-discipline of posture training is described in a Master’s thesis by Ann Matthews, entitled Implications for Education in the Work of F. M. Alexander. (The “Alexander Technique” is a famous approach to good posture.) Matthews worked with teachers and students in a school in New York State. She wrote the following:

“A teacher calls her six- and seven-year-olds to gather around her on the floor and listen to a story. Most sit cross-legged with their spines collapsed into a curve and their heads pulled back onto their necks as they … >>>

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Stress and Learning Theory

On January 3, 2013   /   Effectiveness, Learning, Parenting  

Stress may be silently sabotaging kids’ success in school. 

A little stress is good. It heightens alertness and improves performance. But as stress exceeds a certain level, distress emerges and has a negative effect on both learning and performance.

Here are a few examples of how stress can turn into distress according to learning theory:
1. Continually speaking to kids in negative terms
2. Relying on rules and imposing punishments, rather than teaching procedures
3. Continually promoting obedience, rather than promoting responsibility
4. Using coercion, rather than encouragement, empowerment, and inspiration

Reflecting on how your communications effects teaching and learning can help reduce distress.… >>>

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Mindsets Foster Responsibility

On January 2, 2013   /   Learning, Responsibility  

Mindsets are attitudes, dispositions, intentions, and inclinations. If Johnny’s mindset is one of little or no interest in learning (and this includes learning appropriate behavior), Johnny will not learn much. Therefore, a major task of adults working with young people is to promote mindsets that promote learning and appropriate behavior.

James Sutton is a psychologist in Pleasanton, Texas, who trains child service professionals. Jim emphasizes how perceptions are as important as reality. If a child is afraid, behaviors will reflect that fear, regardless of whether there is anything to be afraid of or not. Jim’s experiences have led him to conclude that there are youngsters who are damaged more by their perceptions of their lives than by the realities … >>>

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Conclusions about Finland’s Educational System

On December 20, 2012   /   Learning  

Students in several Asian nations continually outperform their U.S. counterparts on international tests for science, reading, and especially math. Finland is the only Western nation near the top of those rankings year after year.

The Finn’s don’t approach education with the drill-and-kill ferocity employed in Korea and Singapore or with the emphasis on endless testing familiar to U.S. students. In fact, Finland has become an educational star by doing the opposite of what’s happening in many U.S. schools and school districts. 

Since the 1970s, Finland has changed its traditional education structure into a model of a modern, publicly financed education system with widespread equity, good quality, large participation, and all of this at reasonable cost.

More than 99 percent of … >>>

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Motivating a Student

On December 18, 2012   /   Learning  

This post is about a communication I received from a teacher in Pakistan and my response to help her motivate a student.

Her communication:
“Thank you very much to enlighten us with your great thought-provoking ideas. I am a very regular reader of your newsletters. My question is: As a teacher, one cannot inculcate any skill to a child if there is no will. How can we work on will of a student?”

My response:

Excellent question!

You are right when you refer to not being able to inculcate a skill in a child who has no will. Therefore, the question becomes, “How can you create interest so that the young person will WANT to do what you would like?”… >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 10

On December 11, 2012   /   Learning  

Finland is more advanced than most other countries because they teach skills necessary for the 21st century.

There’s little doubt that society and commerce have changed. The jobs suitable for the industrial age are fast disappearing. Low-level routine jobs are being taken over by machines and other countries due to their lower labor costs.

We have entered a new age due to technology and globalization, and as such, our society needs to develop a mentality for creating jobs—not just finding and “doing” a job.  This means that education needs to adjust if our young people are going to have successful and meaningful lives after they leave the basic education years.

Finland is in the forefront of this adjustment because … >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 9

On December 4, 2012   /   Learning  

The teaching profession in Finland is very competitive. Only one of every 10 applicants is accepted into a teacher preparation program. In fact, it is harder to get into a university to become a teacher than it is to get into a university to become a lawyer or medical doctor.

The target of the teacher preparation program is to have the teacher do more than just teach subject matter. The Finnish people believe that teaching is about helping children to see for themselves what the meaning of life is. Teachers learn and think along these lines so that both the talented and weaker learners are equally acknowledged.

Teacher education is divided into five general categories: preschool teaching, general classroom… >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 8

On November 29, 2012   /   Learning  

People in Finland believe that human interaction is the most important aspect of learning; therefore, face-to-face communications are more important than relying on technical devices. This is an exceptional perspective compared to other countries, especially the U.S., and may be one reason that Finnish schools have a more relaxed atmosphere in their classrooms than is found in many other countries; yet, their schools achieve great results.

In an elementary school I visited, for example, more than half of the students were immigrants from such countries as Somalia, Iraq, Russia, Bangladesh, Estonia, and Ethiopia. Even with such a diverse group, the teachers’ focus is on supporting and guiding students. This is in contrast to the more common approaches of comparing and … >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 7

On November 27, 2012   /   Learning  

Finland’s culture of trust enables the schools to have almost complete autonomy, and the system relies on the proficiency of teachers in their efforts to meet educational objectives. While the Finnish National Board of Education determines the national core curriculum, specific school guidelines are established by the local educational agency and are largely school-centered.

Everything from annual plans, budget, and the recruitment of teachers to decisions on group forming, daily work, and other practices are all made at the local school to be sensitive to local jurisdictions. In fact, central approval for textbook and other materials was abolished in 1993. The system is characterized by pedagogical autonomy of teachers, even to the point of voluntary participation in national development programs.… >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 6

On November 22, 2012   /   Learning  

Childhood education and care begins in Finland at a very young age.

Assessments start when kids are infants and, if necessary, are given remediation assistance until the age of seven (7), when they enter school.

From the age of eight months, all children have access to free full day care. Children can attend various centers, smaller family day care groups, or at private homes—all of which charge fees related to income of the family. The cost of day care is at most a few hundred dollars a month. 

Although preschool is optional, most parents choose to send their children there because many parents work outside the home.

Finland believes that it is the child’s right to have day care and … >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 5

On November 20, 2012   /   Learning  

In Finland, special needs education is provided primarily within mainstream education. Children of all levels study together in the same classroom. The Finnish education system uses this approach to make sure that “no student is left behind.”

How is this effective? Finland’s teacher education program includes an extensive course on how to recognize different needs in different pupils. They stress that teachers are always teaching individuals, not a group, because each learner is different.

As such, teachers create individualized study plans tailored for each child. The aim is to have each child receive the right amount of challenge as well as a sense of learning and achievement. When the exercises are appropriate for the students’ skill levels, even … >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 4

On November 15, 2012   /   Learning  

Comparison of Education in Finland vs. Other Educational Approaches 

FINLAND

Flexibiliity and diversity  

School-based curriculum and development
networking through steering by students
information and support

Broad Knowledge

Focus on broad learning; equal value to
all aspects of individual’s growth in
personality, moral, creativity,
knowledge, and skills

Trust through Professionalism

Culture of trust that values teachers’
and principals’ professionalism in
judging what is best for students and in
reporting on progress in their learning 

OTHERS

Standardization

Standards for schools, teachers, and
students to improve the quality
of outcomes

Literacy and Numeracy

Basic knowledge and skills in
reading, writing, mathematics, and
science are prime targets of 
educational reform

Consequential Accountability

The school performance is closely
tied to “inspection” using narrow
metrics

… >>> READ MORE >>> →
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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 3

On November 13, 2012   /   Learning  

The transformation of the Finnish education system began some 40 years ago as the key component of the country’s economic recovery plan. At the time, educators had little idea that their approach would be so successful, as indicated by the results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). This is an international assessment that focuses on 15-year-old students’ skills in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy that is administered every three years.

In 2000, the first results from 40 global venues revealed Finnish youth to be the best young readers in the world. Three years later, they led in math. By 2006, Finland was first out of 57 countries in science. In 2009, the nation came in second … >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 2

On November 8, 2012   /   Learning  

At a very young age, children in Finland are brought up to be responsible. This is in contrast to parenting and schooling toward obedience. In addition, trust is a fundamental characteristic of Finnish society.

For example, in one of the high schools I visited, the student lounge had “pin-up” pictures, reminiscent of the 1950s, prominently displayed on the walls. The pictures were not pornographic, but they could be considered somewhat erotic to boys. When asked by my wife, the girls said that the pictures did not bother them. Nevertheless, the principal was informed about the pictures.  

The principal’s response was, “I will talk to them. I am sure that they will make a responsible decision.”

Notice the implicit characteristics … >>>

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Learning and Discipline in Finland – 1

On November 7, 2012   /   Learning  

This is the first in a series of articles about learning in FINLAND, which is based upon my visiting a number of Finnish schools in October 2012.

According to numerous studies, Finland is one of the best educational performing countries in the world. However, aside from international tests, Finland has no standardized testing of its own. They do not believe that achievement gains improve the lives of children.

So how do they score so high—especially considering that students start school at a later age (seven), take fewer classes, have a three-month summer break, spend less time in school per day, have barely any homework, and are rarely tested? 

The following are a few key elements about the educational approach in … >>>

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Additional Suggestions for Remembering

On October 30, 2012   /   Learning  

To improve memory, I use a simple acronym, “SAVER.”  

The “S” refers to seeing the image in the mind’s eye.

“A” refers to associating the image to some action.

“V” refers to being vivid. The more colorful and clearly defined the image, the easier recall will be.

“E” refers to exaggerate. The more extraordinary the better!

“R” refers to reviewing the image periodically. Reviewing assists long-term retention.

Visualization should be encouraged regularly. It is a simple technique to improve performance in reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and other areas. Most important, because imaging increases comprehension and recall—two of the most tested skills in schooling—it gives students considerable confidence and faith in themselves.

Take every opportunity to simplify the … >>>

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