"Unfolding the Blackbox and Embracing the Universe?" How assertive or rhetorical it may sound to you when you think that this is all about the human brain. But I must confess it exactly fits how I feel about it. Just imagine how little we know about how we think, how we learn, how we remember, how we forget or even how we love. The human brain is still a blackbox or a mystery to us with its limitless potentials. It's estimated that we use less than 1% of 1% of our brain's projected processing capacity (It's not a repetition - that's the correct ratio). What does it mean? That capacity - that number far exceeds the number of known particles in the universe...How amazing it is!!! A universe within us...What I've learned from the brain research made me understand how the brain learns best and it's no longer a black box. At least I began to leave the doors ajar and I encountered a brain with an amazing system on its own...
I'd like to share with you what extend brain-based learning has changed my teaching view as a teacher. I realize that we're doing harm to ourselves by imposing our learners brain-unfriendly educational techniques and policies. The world has a lot of problems today and educational policies should be reorganized to produce good problem solvers. If we educate them in a brain-friendly way, then, they'll be able to not only cope with these problems, but solve them as well...
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16 comments:
Hello Sibel
What a nice post! I really like your blog and the topic you have chosen to start it! The educational system determines he way most of us teach, and the techniques we use in the classroom. Sometimes we don't give our students choices or opportunities to think creatively that's why I am a big fan of blogs. Blogs can be used as a space for free expression and that's something our students miss today in the classroom.
Hugs
Erika
Dear Sibel,
You've chosen a very interesting topic for your blog. I'm sure many insightful discussions and ideas will develop here.
I once read a very interesting article in Spanish that stated( approx. translation) that the Web 2.0 is already with in us. Therefore, Web 2.0 based learning could be "brain-fiendly" as you say because it helps us associate and connect information in a "natural" way although after years of "brain-unfriendly educational techniques and policies" it seems we have to learn how to do it all over again.
Well, just some ideas! ;)
I'd love to hear more about your research experience.
Best regards from Argentina,
Carla R.
Dear Sibel,
Your blog is both visually and intellectually appealing! From the title and the quote, to the post and the graphic, you have a fabulous start on your new blog. I am eager to hear more about how your teaching has changed as a result of learning about brain-based learning. Thanks for introducing me to a this topic,
Mary
What a cool blog... and really cool topic! The brain is, indeed, a HUGE universe onto itself. We understand so little... yet the little we do understand can be powerful!
See you in the blogosphere!
Gina
http://webgina.edublogs.org
Dear Sibel,
what a great text. Thank YOU SO MUCH for contributing to my knowledge. I had no idea that we are using less than 1% of the brain.
And really... I am really fascinating about your perspective, which I have no prior knowledge or background about. Please continue sharing. I am sure I will learn a lot from your posts.
thank you so much.
Hi Sibel,
this is an absolutely fascinating subject and one I'm very interested in. I'm certainly coming back to your blog to learn more about it!
Um abraço,
Mônica
I am so glad you did a post on brain research. That is something I really want to focus on in the upcoming year. I love the part about a universe within our brain and the fact that we only use !% of our brain capacity. That's amazing! I see that you have a quote by David Sousa. I know that he is one of the foremost scholars. I was wondering if you could recommend some books, articles or websites that were especially informative for you about brain research.
Yvonne
What a great first post, Sibel! It's great you've started by stating your mission... and you plan to discuss an issue no teacher should ignore!
Good for you! Keep rocking!
Gladys
Hello Sibel,
What an interesting and important topic! I must confess I don't know much about it but acknowledge its importance. I hope you'll be telling more about it soon. I would appreciate it if you left a message about it in my blog about teachers' beliefs.
http://teachersbeliefs.blogspot.com/
Angela
Maybe Sibel you should aim to one day have input into the education system policies here in Turkey....
Nice post!
Hello Carla,
When I first started to learn about Web 2.0 tools, I realized that connection you have mentioned with the brain-based principles. Web 2.0 based learning seems to be very brain-friendly indeed. maybe because of this reason, I am planning to write my MA thesis on blogging in ELT and I think there will be a chapter where I discuss that connection.
After a while, I mean, after discussing some brain basics and functions, I'd like to put up a post on my blog regarding what makes Web 2.0 tools brain-friendly.
Looking forward to your comments,
Hugs,
Sibel
Hi Yvonne,
Glad to see that you are also interested in brain research. As you can guess, it's a big challenge for us to catch up with the latest reseach findings. As i am not a neuroscientist or doctor, being just a researcher in teaching, I try to follow the on-going discussion among scholars paying attention to how we can apply this knowledge into our teaching. There are so many books and articles but the ones coming to my mind - especially interesting ones for the beginners in this fields- are as follows:
Dhority, L.F. 1998. Joyful Fluency, the Brain Store, Inc., CA.
Jensen, Eric, 1998. Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development
Sylwester, Robert – 1995. A Celebration of Neurons, Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development
Tileston, D.W.- 2004. What Every Teacher Should Know About Learning, Memory and The Brain, Corwin Press, California.
Best regards,
Sibel
Hello again Sibel,
What an important comment you've left in my blog. Thank you.
You know, motivation is something that really intrigues me. Sometimes you do something just so simple, and your students are blown out of their minds, and you don't understand why. Sometimes you prepare a class and you're sure that is going to be the best class of the year... and then... well, the students were just not motivated.
Our minds are really a huge mystery, but I guess it's important to make the class a pleasant, fun place to be. Vygotsky said that our memories remember something better when that something is related to good emotions, right? And that seems to work, although we don't know exactly what a good emotion will be for those particular students in that particular day. But it is the challenge we have to face in our jobs and it is certainly fullfilling when we get it, isn't it?
Hope to hear more of your meaningful insights.
Angela
http://teachersbeliefs.blogspot.com/
Hi Sibel! I'm very interested in the topic you've started to discuss, and will be looking forward to your 'unfolding of the blackbox'.
Even though you are not a researcher,as you said, I'm sure we'll profit from the next posts.
Good start!
Dear Sibel,
I'd like to congratulate you for creating such a nice and interesting blog.I'll definitely keep reading it to learn more about your research.
Best wishes
Beyza
Dear Sibel,
What a Blog! So many warm and wonderful words have been already said to your baby-blog! I do too amazed with your great idea about the research you have been doing soon. I am sure your MA theses will be a great success.
Thanks a lot for the valuable ideas you share with us.
With warmest regards,
Nina Lyulkun
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