How 30 Minutes a Day Can Increase Your Intelligence If you ask me, where humans go wrong is with their lack of patience. That, and their recent acquired taste for instant gratification. The reality is that things take time. Richard Branson didn’t become a millionaire overnight. Madonna was not an overnight success. David Beckham was not born a superstar footballer. That said, it’s actually pretty easy to improve yourself. Because most people don’t bother. The majority of people don’t do a single thing to improve themselves. So I’ve come up with a new theory: The Half Hour Theory. I love it because it’s actually pretty easy to integrate into your life. This could take the form of half an hour’s reading every day. You may even want to improve the speed of your reading so you can learn faster. This theory could even rely on you taking a half an hour every day spending time on the Internet, researching into something that really interests you. Here’s how to implement The Half Hour Theory: (Photo credit: Post-It Note on Screen via Shutterstock)
How The Memory Works In Learning How The Memory Works In Learning By Dr. Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed. Teachers are the caretakers of the development of students’ highest brain during the years of its most extensive changes. As such, they have the privilege and opportunity to influence the quality and quantity of neuronal and connective pathways so all children leave school with their brains optimized for future success. This introduction to the basics of the neuroscience of learning includes information that should be included in all teacher education programs. Teaching Grows Brain Cells IQ is not fixed at birth and brain development and intelligence are “plastic” in that internal and environmental stimuli constantly change the structure and function of neurons and their connections. It was once believed that brain cell growth stops after age twenty. High Stress Restricts Brain Processing to the Survival State Memory is Constructed and Stored by Patterning Memory is Sustained by Use The Future References Ashby, C.
The Fear of Values The Fear of Values by teaching_kids_art , January 31, 2009—12:00 AM Topics: Drawing, Mistakes, art education, fear, shading, teaching, teaching art, values The title of this article might suggest that I__™ll be exploring some kind of compelling Freudian doctrine concerning moral phobias. Beginning drawers are exceedingly timid creatures who often only make their initial progress in the tiniest of steps. I find that in the early weeks of a class I must choose my words ever so carefully when providing constructive criticism. However, once they start to recognize actual improvement in their own work, the pace of progress takes on a more confident stride. Interestingly enough, this trend of latent shading is even more specific in that most students are surprisingly resistant to dark values. Over the years I__™ve had my assumptions about what might fuel this illogical fear of dark values. ~Michael Mize
Praise versus Encouragement Most of us believe that we need to praise our children more. However, there is some controversy regarding this point. If we always reward a child with praise after a task is completed, then the child comes to expect it. However, if praise is not forthcoming, then its absence may be interpreted by the child as failure. According to Naomi Aldort, "Children who are subjected to endless commentary, acknowledgment, and praise eventually learn to do things not for their own sake, but to please others." One of the main differences between praise and encouragement is that praise often comes paired with a judgment or evaluation, such as "best" or "highest" in these examples. According to Bolton (1979, pg 181): Evaluative praise is the expression of favorable judgment about another person or his behaviors: "Eric, you are such a good boy." According to Ginott (1965): Evaluative praise.....creates anxiety, invites dependency, and evokes defensiveness. According to Taylor (1979): "Mr. "Bravo! Mr. Mr.
How being called smart can actually make you stupid | Neurobonkers A few months ago I posted a piece which has become my most popular blog post by quite a landslide. The post covered various techniques for learning and looked at the empirical evidence for and against their efficacy based on recent research. This post is my follow up, in which I look at the case for one tip for learning that it seems really could have a big impact. A growing body of evidence from the last two decades suggests that our attitude towards our own potential for intelligence has a considerable impact on our lives, furthermore we are incredibly vulnerable to having this attitude or "mindset" moulded for better or worse, by how people praise us in a way that is both shocking and problematic. Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck has presented a range of startlingly fascinating findings on the topic which have been broadly supported by further research. References: Blackwell L.S., Trzesniewski K.H. & Dweck C.S. (2007). Kamins M.L. & Dweck C.S. (1999).
Still Life Techniques - Pencil Drawing Still Life Pencil Drawing Still Life is the best subject in art for learning and teaching the skills of drawing and painting. It teaches you how to look at objects and see them like an artist - with a perceptive awareness of their outline, shape, proportions, tone, color, texture, form and composition. Our step by step still life lesson will teach you the drawing techniques used to create the still life above which was done with a 2B pencil on cartridge paper. You can see an animated version of this lesson in our Still Life Pencil Slideshow. Steps 1 to 4: These steps demonstrate how to draw the shapes and proportions of the still life objects using line. Steps 5 to 8: These steps illustrate how to render the three dimensional form of the still life using tone. Art Materials for our Still Life Pencil Drawing For this still life lesson you will need: a 2B pencilan eraser an A3 sheet of stiff cartridge paper, or a paper of similar quality around 180+gms. Step 1: Starting the Still Life Drawing
Formula for success in learning If you have found this place in the vast cyberspace of the web, you are probably not the one to convince that knowledge is power, and that solutions to most problems facing humanity could be found if we were armed with more understanding of how the world works. While knowledge is power, information can be overpowering. An increasing proportion of the population suffers from Information Fatigue Syndrome, i.e. from stress related to being overwhelmed with an unmanageable glut of information. This text introduces you to simple steps toward managing information and toward rock-solid knowledge. I have been working on the problem of effective learning for 16 years now since, as a student of molecular biology, I first understood how I could greatly change the quality of all my actions were I able to improve the recall of what I studied for exams (and not only). You may find the first three points obvious. This is the shortest path to empowering knowledge: Further reading
How your brain likes to be treated at revision time If you're a student, you rely on one brain function above all others: memory. These days, we understand more about the structure of memory than we ever have before, so we can find the best techniques for training your brain to hang on to as much information as possible. The process depends on the brain's neuroplasticity, its ability to reorganise itself throughout your life by breaking and forming new connections between its billions of cells. How does it work? Your hippocampus is forced to store many new patterns every day. So what's the best way to revise? Forget about initial letters Teachers often urge students to make up mnemonics – sentences based on the initial letters of items you're trying to remember. The mnemonic is providing you with a cue but, if you haven't memorised the names, the information you want to recall is not there. Repeat yourself Pathways between neurons can be strengthened over time. Use science to help you retrieve info Take regular breaks Avoid distractions
Sketch Study – How To Draw An Awesome Eye Step 1: Blank Slate Let me start by saying that everyone’s style is different. I personally have a messy style of drawing. Take what you want from this tutorial and leave the rest. Step 2: Draw the Outline Lightly draw the outline of an eye. Step 3: Add More Outlines Draw a circle for the iris, the tear duct, the upper eyelid crease, and the edge of the lower eyelid. Make sure the iris is not dead center. Step 4: Outline the Pupil and Highlights Most eyes have a reflection of the light source. Step 5: Add Texture To Iris Every eye has a unique pattern, so add yours. Step 6: Darken Around Iris and Around Pupil Using the same stroke style as step 5, you should darken the edges. Step 7: Fill In the Pupil and Darken the Outer Edge Now you fill in the pupil and trace the outer edge. Step 8: Shade the Top of the Iris and Around the Highlights Darken the top of the iris (see below) and around the highlights to provide contrast. Step 9: Give Shading to the White of the Eye Gently add lower lashes. Durba
The Science of “Chunking,” Working Memory, and How Pattern Recognition Fuels Creativity by Maria Popova “Generating interesting connections between disparate subjects is what makes art so fascinating to create and to view… We are forced to contemplate a new, higher pattern that binds lower ones together.” It seems to be the season for fascinating meditations on consciousness, exploring such questions as what happens while we sleep, how complex cognition evolved, and why the world exists. Joining them and prior explorations of what it means to be human is The Ravenous Brain: How the New Science of Consciousness Explains Our Insatiable Search for Meaning (public library) by Cambridge neuroscientist Daniel Bor in which, among other things, he sheds light on how our species’ penchant for pattern-recognition is essential to consciousness and our entire experience of life. To illustrate the power of chunking, Bor gives an astounding example of how one man was able to use this mental mechanism in greatly expanding the capacity of his working memory. Donating = Loving Share on Tumblr
Teaching Expert Learners Harrisburg Presentation Resources Here are some resources from my presentation in Harrisburg. Defining and Exploring Gamification from Karl Kapp Here is some additional information. Articles and Blog Entries of Interest 8 Types of Stories to Effect Change Storytelling and Instructional Design Eight Game Elements to Make Learning More Intriguing Games, Gamification and the Quest for Learner Engagement Gamification, […] Continue Reading → 2014 DOE Symposium Conference Resources Here are my resources for the 2014 DOE Symposium Conference. Continue Reading → Great fun at ITEAA Conference & Introduction of Exciting Game-Based Learning Modules Last week I had a chance to attend the ITEAA Conference which is the conference of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. Continue Reading → Instructional Games and Narrative Instructional games work best when there is a narrative that provides the learner with the proper context for the learning that needs to take place.