Whole Brain Learning

1
Whole Brain Learning

• Twelve Principles

2
1. Brain is a parallel processor

• Imagination, thoughts emotions operate and
  interact simultaneously
• teachers need to use variety of approaches to
  reinforce brains holistic approach

3
2. Learning engages entire physiology

• Stress, threat and boredom limit the brains
  ability to learn
• teachers should invoke sense of excitement and
  contextualisation

4
3. Innate search for meaning

• Can only be channelled and focused
• lessons need to be meaningful and contextualised

5
4. Search for meaning through patterning

• Brain resists meaningless patterns
• students should be allowed to create meaningful
  and personalised patterns

6
5. Emotions are critical to patterning

• Emotions and cognition cannot be separated -
  essential for storage and recall of information
• caring emotional climate needed
• students need time to engage in reflection and
  metacognition

7
6. Brain process wholes and parts simultaneously

• Neither should be overlooked
• vocabulary and grammar best in genuine holistic
  experiences
• equations and science/math principles in living
  context
• social studies in community context

8
7. Learning involves focused attention,
peripheral perception

• Class environment, enthusiasm, community, family
  and technology all affect learning

9
8. Learning involves conscious and unconscious
processes

• We learn more than we understand, remember what
  we experience, not just what we are told
• teaching should emphasise active processes of all
  acquired information

10
9. We have different learning systems

• Spatial - instant memory of experiences
• Rote - deals with facts and skills in isolation -
  requires more practice for recollection
• memorisation is sometimes useful
• too much interferes with understanding

11
10. Understanding and Memory

• Best when facts and skills embedded in natural,
  spatial memory. Experiential learning sets
  spatial memory in motion
• teachers need to use real life activities with
  complex interactive experiences

12
11. Enhanced by challenge - inhibited by threat

• teachers should create state of relaxed alertness
  and anticipation
• provide students with life-relating
  intellectually challenging problems

13
12. Each brain is unique

• Each set of systems (stem, emotional and
  rational) integrates differently
• teaching should be multi-faceted to allow all
  students to express their visual, tactile,
  emotional and auditory preferences