Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Brain Rule #2

The Human Brain Evolved, Too.

Brain Rules, which I am now reading, by John Medina, is cleverly written, entertaining and at the same time very informative. I guess he took his own advise in terms of how we learn and understand while writing this book.

The second brain rule describes how our brains evolved, in a unstable, outdoor environment. It was our brains that allowed us to survive the harsh, changing climate of the day, not our bodies. Our brains' greatest strength was its ability to understand other humans and ability to try to understand what they were thinking and feeling. This allowed us to come together and act collectively in our own self-interests as well as the groups.

Along these same lines, when it comes to learning, a person needs to feel safe and secure as well as understood. Therefore a good teacher will try to understand his or her student's desires and motivations and use those as a means of conveying information to promote learning in a secure, emotionally stable and enjoyable environment.


Lauren said...

Sounds like a very interesting book. When you are finished with it you'll have to let me know if it's a must buy.

I love stuff like that.

Gabi said...

I've been teaching for almost 20 years now and this was my "golden rule", although I could never put it into words like this. I'll definitely buy this book. Thanks for the tip!

Howie Brewer said...

Lauren, Gabi,

This is the first book in a while that I actually look forward to reading.

Check out the website

This chapter goes on to discuss how sitting stationary at a desk all day long is the worst learning environment for a student. Our brains are more active and inclined to learn when we're active. Same applies to adults. Working all day while sitting in a cubicle is terrible for being creative or productive!