Some of My Favorite Brain-Based Bloggers and Web Sites

            When I first started this blog, I was just starting to find web sites and blogs that contained information about Learning Theories and how they impact Instructional Design. Since then, I have gained more experience and found bloggers on the web as well as organizations that provide, free of charge, the kind of information I am looking for in the program. I previously mentioned Eric Jensen and Judy Willis. What I did not point out was that they are both contributing members of ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.) By joining this one professional association, I have attended numerous webinars (free to members) by the leaders in the field of learning theories and instructional design. They always follow up with transcripts and additional links for further research on my part.

            While our text book stated that “brain-based research give us many clues about how we can best help learners acquire important information and skills” (Ormrod, Shunk, & Gredler, 2008, p. 46), I disagree. Perhaps this was truer in 2008 than now. In just one of the webinars I attended, “7 Discoveries From Brain Research That Could Revolutionize Education” I learned seven of the newest discoveries from brain-based research and how to specifically apply these findings in either classroom teaching or instructional design, or both. (Jensen, 2010).

            Additionally, I just received another set of documents from a webinar held by Thomas Armstrong on Integrating 'Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom', held on November 9, 2010.  This webinar was very enlightening about the most current ways to develop lesson activities that incorporate most of the multiple intelligences as defined by Howard Gardner.

            Then there is Dr. Kathie Nunley’s website and blog about Layered Curriculum. She provides a wide variety of resources each week, as well as making past postings available. For instance, this week she has the following items available on her home page:

·       Avoid Internal Tracking,

·        Hot Topic: Listening to Music while studying. 

·       Parts 1 and 2 of a four part series for designing a Layered Curriculum Unit.  

For a quick overview of the concept and ideas of how to apply it, read web page "An Overview of Dr. Kathie Nunley’s Layered Curriculum" at http://help4teachers.com/how.htm. It sounds like a lot of lesson planning and designs, but there are teachers around the globe contributing lessons they designed so you can start with those. I like the idea of providing the students with their choices up front, and then allowing them to decide what they will work on, knowing how many points they can earn. Each of the three layers (A, B, and C) provides a variety of assignments for them to choose from to earn points. Assessment is done one-on-one with the teacher, verbally, with the student explaining what they learned and how they learned it. At the end of each unit (usually a two week time frame) each student knows how many points they earned, and therefore, what grade they earned. There are no surprises and each student decided for themselves what grade they wanted to work for. This is a great approach to teaching students self-motivation and responsibility for their decisions. 

           My last web site/blogger/author to introduce you to is Dr. Judy Willis. She has an interesting approach to how to use the discoveries in brain-based research in math classrooms. The blogs are currently going through selections from her recent book “Learning to Love Math”. This week’s entry is entitled “Why Feeling Good Can Help You Get Good at Math”.  (Willis, 2010)

References:

Armstrong, Thomas, 9 Nov 2010. Integrating Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. ASCD Webinar, Retrieved from http://ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/thomas-armstrong-webinar.aspx

Jensen, Eric, 7 Dec. 2010. 7 Discoveries From Brain Research That Could Revolutionize Education ASCD Webinar, Retrieved from http://www.jensenlearning.com/pdf/10MostEffectiveTips.pdf

Nunley, Kathie, 1998. An Overview of Dr Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum, Retrieved from http://help4teachers.com/how.htm

Willis, Judy, 2010.   Why Feeling Good Can Help You Get Good at Math.  Learning to Love Math.  Retrieved from http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/2010/12/why-feeling-good-can-help-you-get-good-at-math.html)

Welcome Walden University Learning Theories Classmates!

     I created this blog in the fall of 2010 to share my thoughts about learning theories, as well as web sites, authors, and other resources about learning theories.  My favorite theories are brain-based as developed by Eric Jensen, multiple intelligences as developed by Howard Gardner, and layered and differentiated learning as developed by Kathy Nunley.  Of course, I am biased in my thinking that we should familiarize ourselves with Jean Piaget’s seminal work The Origins of Intellect. 

      Check back Sunday night for additional information about each of these authors.

Kate Eskesen

References:

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. (20^th –Anniversary Ed.).  New York, NY: Perseus Books.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: new horizons.  New York, NY: Perseus Books.

Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: multiple intelligences for the 21^st century.  New York, NY: Perseus Books.

Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Phillips, Jr. J. (1969). The origins of intellect: Piaget’s theory. San Francisco, CA: Freeman.

Reflections on My Personal Learning Network

Hi classmates,

I apologize for not participating for the last couple of weeks. I am having some medical problems involving pain and pain medications that interfered with my being able to get much done other than lie in bed in pain or lie in bed asleep. But I hope I am back enough now to keep up with the rest of you.

As I read through the discussion posts in class, I wondered about how detailed we were supposed to be. For example, I keep a "Favorites" list with numerous categories. It is a dynamic list, one I update every time I am on the web. It is also one I use every time I need to be on the web.  Each of your blog websites is in that list. Each of the more valuable web sites we told each other about during week 2 is also in that list. Other web sites I found since then have been added to that list.  So My Favorites List from IE should be a prominent feature of my mind map.

There are also the people I know or am introduced to, either in person or via the phone or Internet. These people can be a wealth of informative learning experiences for me. For instance, I was trying to find a friend of mine and her husband who moved to San Francisco a couple of years ago for some social networking jobs. I found that she was going to be in town at a free conference CENPHOCAMP - Central Phoenix Camp. The purpose of the "camp" was to provide central Phoenix business owners, workers, and residents a chance to get together and either develop more of a sense of community, or to discuss ways to do so.  Social networking was scheduled to be facilitated by my old friend Kathy. Since I wanted to reconnect with her and find out about how social networking helped build communities and business opportunities, I signed up. (It was free, thank goodness.) I met and networked with several people from downtown Phoenix, students at ASU, one of the anchors/reporters for ABC 15 who is really into Twitter, Facebook, etc. Most of the reporters and anchors on their morning news show all have iPads that they are using throughout the broadcast. Amazing! I now get about 6 tweets a day from him, with interesting and relevant news items for me to know about.

Which brings me to an article I read about a teacher using Twitter to keep her students and their parents informed on a daily basis about what is going on in the class, what the homework is for that night, and easy access to her for either a student or a parent, etc? I never thought of using Twitter to create a community and quick communication for a class. It reminded me of a parent who told me in front of her son and the class to call her as her work number (as she handed it to me) if I had any problems with her son's behavior in my class. He was only a problem once after that -- after all, he was a teenager and HAD to test the boundary. But Tweeting a parent is much more immediate - the class and you are not waiting for someone to answer the phone; the whole class is not listening to your conversation with someone else's parents, etc. It reminds me of when I was growing up in a small town. If I did something an adult disapproved of, my mom knew about it before I arrived home. The "small town grapevine" had ensured she was apprised of the situation. These days, she would have received several tweets instead of phone calls. We have another part of the Personal Learning Network - Twitter.

You may have noticed a blog posting for Dr. Judith Willis' webinar on "Strategies for Maximizing Students' Memory". It was a great learning experience which reinforced some things we have already learned via this class, as well as new information that connected well with this "prior knowledge". The slides she used for this webinar are now posted on her web site if you are interested (http://bit.ly/aBZPBS . Her web site is available here: http://www.radteach.com/  RAD stands for

• Reach (Reticular Activating System,)
• Attitude (Amygdala )
• Develop (Dopamine)

I really encourage you to check that site out. I fits right in with our brain-based learning unit.

So far, I have

• information made available in my class,
• information and thoughts from my classmates and instructor (class materials, emails, blogs, and discussion groups),
• face-2-face seminars,
• online webinars,
• iTunes U,
• all the various websites on the internet worldwide,
• information from friends via phone, texts, tweets, and personal conversations,
• My Favorites list on Internet Explorer,
• Google Reader's list of blogs I am following updates on,
• Twitter updates pointing me to where to get breaking news,
• emails from more sources than I have the ambition to count right now,
• Television with numerous channels with actual, real learning to be obtained (Discovery, History, BBC for America, the Learning Channel, PBS, etc.),
• books - both printed and eBooks,
• Libraries - both online and brick-and-mortar local versions,
• bookstores (again, both online and brick-and-mortar),
• past colleagues and friends I connect with via
• Facebook.com,
• Classmates.com,
• Alumni.com,
• LinkedIn.com,
• MyLife.com.

There are also useless information sources that don't really have anything to do with this class. For instance, I just found the link to the wondrous Microsoft WorldWide Telescope that is circling around Mars right now and I can see what they are finding on the ground with those little robot rovers. Or I can find very useful information not really connected to this class: I can use my cell phone to navigate me intersection-by-intersection to where ever I need to go. (I used to get lost and/or take double the usual time to get anywhere.) I can also use that same cell phone to find information on the internet if necessary.

To be honest with you, there are so many directions information is coming and going, that I sometimes feel like I am overwhelmed with information. I remember back when cuddling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate was the highlight of my day. Now I read my books online, go to school online, shop online, email instead of snail mail, check the weather online, etc.

So, what does my mind map look like when drawn? It looks like a spider web with no overall, symmetrical design. Have I told you how much I can't handle asymmetry?

Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers

Ever since week 1 in this class, when we found interesting blogs that contribute to our knowledge and skills in Instructional Design, I find blogs that are just too good to not share. I found this one chaining links from Inspire2Learn. I ended up at "Creating Passionate Users" which had the Top Ten Tips for New Trainers/Teachers. The author(s) wrote 2 lists, actually: "Eleven Things to Know", and "Ten Tips for New Trainers". Each point made is relevant and needs to be applied to designing online classes as much as to face to face learning situations.

Take the time to read through it and see what I mean. Those of you who have taught in the classroom, think back to whether or not you knew any of these things, or if you received any coaching matching these items. Let me know what you think after you read through the article, please.
Eleven Things to Know, and Ten Tips for New Trainers

Kate Eskesen

Free Webinar: Ask Dr. Judy Webinar:Strategies for Maximinzing Student Memory

PODCAMP AZ 2010

It’s that time of year again – PodCamp AZ is coming to the University of Advancing Technology November 20th and 21st! PodCampAZ is a FREE networking media unconference, dedicated to blogging, video blogging, podcasting, social networking, and all other relevant media. At the heart of the unconference is the opportunity to have a conversation at large with those innovators which have created a successful blend of relevant media and put it to work for them. Speakers will address emerging trends and best practices on everything from print and radio to mobile, interactive web, and in real life information exchange. During PodCamp sessions, attendees are free to drop in, listen and learn about what is relevant to their needs, and if they choose to, move on to other sessions. You can also become an interactive part of the experience by sharing your knowledge as a speaker or stimulating ideas and asking questions as an active attendee.
If you are an established or aspiring blogger, podcaster, video blogger, or social media advocate and want to meet hundreds of people with the same interests, head over to podcampaz.org to get more information about this exciting event. And above all else, register to attend PodCamp AZ!

Resources Available on the Web for Learning Theories and Instruction

     One of my favorite authors in Brain-Based Teaching is Eric Jensen. I read his book Teaching with the Brain in Mind (1998) several years ago and was inspired. So I checked for any newer publications. As it happens, he published an updated, second edition of the book in 2005. You can access Eric Jensen’s book via the Walden Library (http://site.ebrary.com/lib/waldenu/docDetail.action?docID=10089220).  The book starts off with an overview of the brain and how it works, as known in 2005.  Its chapters range from Meeting Your Amazing Brain and Preparing the Brain, through to Emotional Stress, Motivation and Engagement, Critical Thinking Skills, Memory and Recall, and Brain-Based Teaching. I found it extremely interesting and enlightening when I read the first edition and am looking forward to reading the second edition.  Additionally, Eric Jensen has published a few articles on the subject of understanding how the brain learns and how to modify teaching to take advantage of those facts.  He is a member of the Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD), whose web site is http://www.ascd.org/. You can join ASCD Edge for free and participate in any of the numerous groups, as well as follow any of the member’s blogs, including Eric Jensen’s.

     I found that Judith Willis also posts some very insightful blogs in the area of brain-based learning and teaching on this web site. For instance, Dr. Willis is hosting a Webinar on Thursday, October 14, 2010, 3:00 p.m. ET, entitled “Ask Dr. Judy Webinar: Strategies for Maximizing Student Memory”. This is just one of several free Webinars available. The description of this webinar refers to reducing student resistance and “how you can use the newest research about neuroplasticity, the dopamine-reward system, and active student participation (including making mistakes) to increase long-term memory.”  This web site’s list of groups is extensive. In the interests of this class, I joined the following groups: “Brain Compatible Learning”, “How the Brain Learns”, and “Social Networking”. I also added both Dr. Judith Willis and Eric Jensen to my Blog RSS list. There are also videos, audios and lesson plans posted to this web site as well as a list of publications you might find interesting.  I was able to link to a chapter in Dr. Willis’ book Learning to Love Math (2010), http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108073.aspx . I found many of my own attitudes about what is wrong with how math is taught in the United States reflected in Chapter 1: Reversing Math Negativity with an Attitude Makeover. The fact that most students’ parents admit to their children they were not good at math, and they don’t see the need for it in their lives, causes a negative attitude as well as a low expectation of performance by their children in the subject. Dr. Willis points out that “71 percent [of parents] could not calculate miles per gallon on a trip, and 58 percent were unable to calculate a 10 percent tip for a lunch bill.” (Willis, 2010) As a math teacher, I have been faced with many of these people during parent-teacher conferences. They still say they don’t see any use of math in their everyday lives. (Willis, 2010) She makes several suggestions on how to relate math to our students’ lives. Ideas like demonstrating the importance of remainders in life being simulated with index cards and toothpicks substituting for people and pizza pieces give powerful examples of how to link math skills to things the child values.

     Other subjects were eye openers for me. For instance, Dr. Willis pointed out that since stress interferes with learning by blocking the “flow of information through the amygdale in the brain’s limbic system … to the PFC [prefrontal cortex], and it diverts sensory input into the automatic, reflexive parts of the lower brain.” (Willis, 2010) She goes on to explain this as unconscious and primitive responses akin to the “fight, flight, or freeze.” One way she suggests de-stressing test situations is to allow students to retake tests they do poorly on. This gives them a chance to “regain some sense of control” over their learning and the test itself. (Willis, 2010) I did this with all my classes and many students who previously had ‘test-phobia’ were able to relax when taking tests by the end of the semester.  Another I had not heard of before was allowing students to grade her on a report card. The students and she selected areas to grade her in, such as “kindness, organization, fairness, friendliness, knows material, funny, listens, and explains material well.” (Willis, 2010) She used the results to improve her performance and rapport with her students. While I am unable to read the entire book online at this web site, the chapters available online are interesting and prompt me to purchase the book for my own library.

References

Jensen, Eric. 2005. Teaching with the brain in mind (2^nd ed). Alexandria, VA : Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development  http://site.ebrary.com/lib/waldenu/docDetail.action?docID=10089220

Jensen, E. (2008). A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(6), 408-417. Available from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/ktoc.htm

Willis, Judith. (2010). Learning to Love Math: Teaching Strategies that Change Student Attitudes and Get Results. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Viewed online at http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108073.aspx