taken from amazon.com
Wisdom in a
Nutshell
Key Ideas
All information enters the brain through one of the
five senses. The majority of this information processing is through touch
(kinesthetic), sight (visual) or sound (auditory), and most people rely more
heavily on one of these methods, (kinesthetic - 40%, visual - 35%, auditory
-25%). It is best to use all three if possible (multi -sensory learning). For
example you could read the learning material out loud (auditory), view graphic
images related to the topic (visual) and feel actual samples of a related item
(kinesthetic).
Professor Howard Gardner of Harvard has identified
seven intelligences, or aptitudes. These include: Linguistic intelligence, Math
and logical intelligence, Visual/spatial intelligence, Musical intelligence,
Interpersonal intelligence, and Bodily intelligence. Unfortunately, traditional
education only uses a few of these intelligences. Gardner recommends using at
least two to three of them whenever possible to maximize learning.
Effective Reading
taken from third party
Each time you read, use a different color highlighter
to go over the main ideas. Add question marks, exclamation points and other
markers to help you process the information easier.
Occasionally try reading the material dramatically to
help remember it or summarize it out loud in your own words. Think about the material just before bed to
help your subconscious act on it while you sleep.
Write key ideas on post-it notes and lay them out in
order, or devise some other way of recording the key ideas.
Paraphrase any notes in your own words. This requires more concentration and can help
you memorize the material better.
Use of a buddy system. Get a partner and discuss, debate and defend
the material from various points of view.
Get the big picture first. Think
about what will you be able to do differently when you learn this material? How
will you benefit?
Browse the material. Read
the author's bio, write out what you already know about the subject. What would
you like to learn more about? Do you have any other questions?
Make a mind map diagram of the key points.
Write the main idea in the center of the diagram and connect all of the related
concepts.
Review the notes several time. Within 24 hours, again within a week, again
within a month.
Apply the material on a daily basis if possible.
Test, practice and use the material in your everyday activities.
Mental rehearsal. Build a full and detailed picture of yourself
performing the skill. Use of role play with another person to "lock
in" the skills. Use the material independently and away from the learning
site to make sure that you have mastered it.
Use a learning log. Keep a record of keywords, thoughts about the
learning process, etc. Realize that
success often comes when you are able to move beyond your comfort zone.
Speed Reading Techniques
taken from third party
One rapid reading technique is to read several words
together in a group instead of each word individually. Start reading two to
three words from the edge since your peripheral vision will pick up the
additional words.
Sweep with your hand across and down the page at a
steady speed, use a pencil to keep your place.
Scan read the first chapter in three minutes to find
the main ideas and decide if the material is really relevant to your needs. If
so, continue skim reading the book for about 15 seconds per page and mark the
main ideas and questions.
Force yourself to read rapidly for a full 20 minutes
to develop the skills necessary.
Get an overview of the author, table of contents,
structure, etc. Write down what you already know about this topic before you
start reading. Set up questions for yourself - what are the main ideas? What is
the supporting evidence? Are the facts up to date? What's new about this? What
can I really use?
One rapid reading technique is to read several words
together in a group instead of each word individually.
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Memory skills
taken from third party
Realize that it is possible for an average person to
memorize incredible amounts of information. A guy with an average intelligence
and IQ was able to memorize an entire page of the Los Angeles phone book.
Eventually he memorized the entire white pages and could match names with
numbers and vice versa.
Information needs to be repeated or used to transfer
it from short -term to long -term memory. Practice the ability to form
associations between new and old data. For example - if you meet a Robert, try
to match part of his appearance to another Robert that you already know.
Use frequent beginnings and endings to your learning
sessions (ideally with many short sessions) since people generally remember the
most from the beginning and ending of a presentation or study session.
Think about how you would present this information to
a group. How would you write up this material for a handout to give to
students? How would you write an article with this material, using a new
viewpoint? How would you reorganize this material for best results or impact?
Try to link items to funny and unusual things. Add action if
possible - seeing the item you are trying to memorize flying through space,
etc.
Review the material frequently after you have learned
it: once again within 24 hours, again within a week, and again within a month.
Certain types of music (classical) helps you relax
while learning and may actually help retention of the material.
Memory flashing. Take notes and try to re -create them
from memory. Compare your attempts with the original notes and try again if
necessary. Make a determined decision to remember.
Use mind map diagrams of the material.
Compress the material into keyword chunks so that
eventually one word will trigger off the memory of the whole paragraph.
Mnemonic devices. The
use of first letters of words to develop a trigger word. For example, if you
wanted to memorize the Great Lakes, you could use the word HOMES (Huron,
Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) as a way to help memorize them.
Over learning. Go beyond the basics so you have a surplus of
material to compensate for any loss of memory.
Additional notes from the book
Calm your mind before learning with the use of deep
breathing, classical music, stretching, shaking off tension, etc.
Organize the study area with inspiring quotes, photos
or drawings of the rewards of learning, etc.
Critical success factor - focusing on the most
valuable subjects first - fundamental core skills. This is mentioned more below
in the section on effective reading.
Bring as much interest and enthusiasm as possible to
the learning experience. Develop clear and intense goals. Verbalize, visualize
and emotionalize your learning goal as if they were already accomplished.
Use affirmations to help focus on
the learning experience. They should be positive, personal and present -tense.
Examples: "I learn any subject easily," "My job is more secure
with my expanded learning capacity."
Learning is not the
storage of information, but the
creation of meaning, knowledge and value by the mind of the learner.
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Explore the information from different angles using
the techniques that are best suited to you.
For example, you might read it out loud while thinking of practical
applications. Get the big picture first - what will you be able to do
differently with this new material? How will you benefit by learning this new
material?
Auditory learning. These learners benefit from reading out loud,
by telling someone what they just experienced, by remembering jingles and
rhymes, by listening to audio cassettes, etc. Ask learners to paraphrase what
they have just learned into a tape recorder. Interview - ask learners to
interview people in the organization about some aspect of what they are
learning about. Have the learners create mnemonics such as raps, poems, word
associations, etc. Most information was transmitted
to generation to generation auditorially before the Gutenberg press. When we
make our own sounds, several significant areas of our cerebrum are activated.
Visual learning. The human mind is more of an image processor
than a word processor. Images are easier to hang onto than words.
Here are some ideas:
Course map
- provide people with a pictorial map of the course to give them the "big
picture." They could add to it, color it, etc.
Picture
language - use language rich in analogy, metaphor, and imagery to
describe concepts, terms and processes.
Real world
observations - ask learners to go and observe how something is done
outside the classroom. They have them type their observations into the computer
or record in verbal or pictorial form. Icon job aids - provide learners with
icon job aids or have them create their own.
Intellectual
learning - involving the mind to create it's own learning. Learning
is not the storage of information, but the creation of meaning, knowledge and
value by the mind of the learner.
Information
retrieval - it's best to teach people how to access information
rather than how to merely store it.
Problem
solving - it's often better to spend more time exploring problems
rather than giving answers.
Conceptual
mapping - ask learners to build a map or flowchart out of what they
are learning, combining the various components of what they are learning
together into an integrated whole. Also - 3D models.
Question
creation - give learners answers and have them create the questions
Jeopardy -style.
Determining
desired goals and outcomes 1. Talk to a few key people from a number
of departments within an organization. Ask them: "From your perspective,
what do we need?" Make a quick composite of what they tell you.
2.
Revisit these same people with your composite
and have them give you their feedback and reactions to it.
3.
Other questions - What attitudes, skills, and
knowledge will help people perform these tasks successfully? How will we
determine how well the goals have been a c h i e v e d ? W h a t e n d r e s u
l t s ,
accomplishments, and values does this program need
to create? What structures, beliefs, assumptions, practices, cultural habits,
and barriers are currently inhibiting the growth of learning and creativity in
the organization? How can we remove, reduce, isolate, or get around these? What
benefits can accelerated learning bring to the organization economically,
culturally, and humanly?
Four - Phase Learning (for teachers)
Preparation. The goal is to
arouse learners' interest, give them positive feelings about the forthcoming
learning experience, and put them into an optimal state for learning, remove
learning barriers such as no sense or personal benefit, embarrassment, boredom,
distractions, etc. Be sure to include: meaningful goals, calm fears, remove
barriers, arouse curiosity & questions, get people involved from the start.
Presentation. The goal is to help the learners encounter
the new material in ways that are interesting, enjoyable, relevant,
multisensory and appeal to all learning styles. Be sure to include: pretests,
whole brain & body involvement, colorful props, team -based projects, real
- world learning experiences, problem -solving exercises.
Practice. The goal is to help learners integrate and
incorporate the new knowledge or skill in a variety of ways. Be sure to
include: trial/ feedback/ reflection/ retrial, action learning exercises,
teach-backs, etc. Performance. The goal is to help learners apply and extend
their new knowledge or skill on the job so that the learning sticks and the
performance continually improves. Be sure to include: real -world applications,
action plans, reinforcement activities, on -going coaching, performance
evaluation and feedback, etc.
Positive suggestions. After you master this material, you'll be
able to... You'll find this fun and interesting. This is going to be extremely
valuable for you. You'll love what you will be able to do with this. I know
that you are going to be successful in learning this because we've seen people like
you master this material before quite easily.
Calm your mind before learning
with the use of deep breathing, classical music, stretching, shaking off
tension, etc.
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Avoid negative suggestions, such as: We have a ton of
material to cover; this is a complex subject; I know this is boring, but stay
with it; If you don't learn this you won't have a job; You have to remember all
8 of these steps; This may not make sense to you, but try to learn it.
Music and memory are
physiologically connected in the brain. The Brahman priests or India used
rhythm and music to memorize volumes of Vedic texts. The Iliad and Odyssey of
Homer were poems.
Music humanizes and energizes the learning
experience; relaxes the brain and creates positive feelings and associations
for the learner.
As a prelude to learning while people arrive, during
breaks, include with presentations - during stories, dramatic readings,
demonstrations, etc. During the wrap-up and exit.
Question Party. Put
the questions on cards and create a game - Hot potato, etc.; ask learners to
post their questions they have about the learning material.
During a break, have them pick off those that they
can answer. Anything leftover can be answered by the facilitator.
Games. They should teach people how to think, access
information, react, understand, grow, create real -world value for themselves
and their organization on a continuing basis. They should be as enjoyable and
engaging as possible without being silly or superficial. (See handout for
specific games).
Stories. From ancient times, stories have been used.
They are one of the best methods you could use to make the abstract concrete
and memorable. They can be used to illustrate: How a technique or methodology
has been successfully (or
unsuccessfully) applied. How an order is processed
through the system. How various manufacturing processes work.
Body language. Facial expressions, exaggerated gestures and
bodily movement can give people a concrete picture of what you are talking
about.
End result imagery. Have learners sit and imagine a perfect
result to a challenge (sales reps could imagine a perfect sales call). After
doing the imagery, ask everyone to talk with a partner about their experience
and what they learned form it.
Other issues mentioned by Tracy & Rose
Lighting. Exposure to natural lighting has a positive
effect on human health and emotional well being.
Fragrance (aromatherapy). It can have a positive effect on learning.
Priorities. Start by asking: what activities might the
learners engage in that will get them thoroughly involved in the learning? Only
then ask: What presentations and materials will I need to support these
activities?About the Author
Colin Rose
Colin Rose is one of the
world's foremost experts on learning. He is the British master who took
Accelerated Learning Techniques out of the theoretical realm of university
research and introduced them to the public at large. Beginning his career as
a successful international businessperson, he became interested in
contemporary education theory and wrote the best-selling book, Accelerated
Learning.
Founder of Accelerated Learning Systems,
Ltd. and a consultant to many corporations and universities on the latest
learning techniques, he is also a member of the Royal Society of Arts.Hope you can learn easier with it, Happy Learning.
Also you can read other Book Summary in my blog with just click here.
