Commenting on "Neuroscience Bases of Learning"

In late July and early August, I will attend an institute at Harvard called the Future of Learning (FOL).  Reflecting on the required readings prior to attendance and the Institute sessions will take up much of my leadership work over the summer. Unfortunately, Harvard has not given me permission to link to articles that I am reading for the FOL.

The following is a summary of some of the ideas from the following paper which is required reading for the FOL Institute:
Neuroscience Bases of Learning
M H Immordino-Yang, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
K W Fischer, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
ã 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Educators should pay attention to and understand the relatively new field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE).  In particular we need to understand more about the how nurture and nature interact to affect learning.  Below are a few of the topics discussed in this paper.

Nature v Nurture
We usually think of biology influencing the brain.  We are born with particular biological traits and these influence the way we learn.  This article states that the relationship between nature and nurture is much more of a two-way street where learning influences biology.  What we learn and how we learn changes the way our brain functions.  Our biological condition with regards to learning is not static.
Educators Beware
The information that advances in brain imaging and the field of neuroscience have provided will take time to analyze and understand.  Unfortunately, non-scientists have been providing their own analysis of this information which has resulted in some wrong conclusions.  Educators need to be aware of this and make sure that new ideas and interpretations of research coming from Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) can be scientifically substantiated.
Reality
It is important to understand  how memory affects our reality.  What we see and obtain through our other senses is strongly affected by our memory and the emotion tied to those memories.  “ . . . our prior learning, our neuropsychological predispositions,” strongly affect the our reality.  Our brains do not have an internal camera that captures precisely what occurs, as our past experiences and learning shape the reality. Educators must keep this in mind as every student approaches a new learning opportunity from a completely different perspective that strongly influences the manner that the lesson will be learned.

My Take

• Stay aware of advances in MBE by looking at clearinghouses of research coming from leading scientific institutions.  Rather than trying to figure out on my own how to access new advances in this area, I will ask the professors when I attend the FOL Institute.
• Reinforces the idea that everyone’s concept of reality is unique and this shapes the way they learn.  Educators must be flexible when approaching students.  While this is not news, it is good to get a reminder.