Starting Over.
That’s what John Medina says we need to do with our schools and offices IF we want to live and learn in an environment most conducive to what we know about the brain.
I first read about Brain Rules, on Glen Weibe’s site. But I wanted to know more.
Today, I spent some time reading John Medina’s posts and watching his fascinating videos on his Brain Rules blog.
He says:
Though we know precious little about how the brain works, our
evolutionary history tells us this: The brain appears to be designed to
solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor environment,
and to do so in nearly constant motion. I call this the brain’s
performance envelope.If you wanted to create an education
environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at
doing, you probably would design something like a classroom. If you
wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to
what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something
like a cubicle. And if you wanted to change things, you might have to
tear down both and start over.
In many ways, starting over is what the book is all about.
He also says I can’t multi-task effectively….
And I need a nap at 3 p.m. Plus, teachers only have 10 minutes to keep their students’ attention.
I need to read this book!