We met the cerebellum a post or two back. It’s deeply integrated with other parts of the brain, and “provides feedback to the cortex for fine-tuning not only motor output but also processes such as decision-making or emotion recognition”, constantly making subconscious adjustments as it fine-tunes our motor, associative and limbic systems.
What does this help us understand about learning?
Well, given our brain integrates movement, emotions, and decision-making at a deep, subconscious level, it helps us understand that learning is personal but in a way we haven’t really thought of before - entwined with a fine-tuning of identity.
It’s this aspect of personalised learning that computers can’t capture.
Play or other pedagogical approaches that encourage kids to be active doers interacting with the world, themselves, and others, are ways of learning that connect with this understanding.
It’s a much fuller, much richer understanding of learning than the ‘manage yourself, stay focused, and get stuff into your memory’ model that dominates educational pedagogies.
There’s an onus on us to move on from this outdated model.
But when we move on, there’s also an onus on us to realise we have a part to play too.
Today’s message from Pluto
“Learning recall was easy because ❤️. Woof!!!”
Something to try that might make a difference
A great way to reinforce the outdated model of learning is to have a block in the week where kids have free time (or whatever you call it) as a reward for a busy week of learning - it separates how learning actually happens from what school values as learning.
So, if you do that, and you want to shift things …
Carry on with the free time, but
Help them see the learning that’s in the free time experience.
Take some photos of interesting things they’re doing. At the end of the session show and talk about them, including the kids’ voices in the talk.
Basically, get metacognitive.
The point here is to get you to see things differently, including the kids.
+ If you can’t find anything interesting to show, you’re not looking closely enough.
+ If you don’t know what to talk about, you don’t know your curriculum well enough.