Brain Based Experiential Learning

Brain Evolution 

Dr. Mark Waldman is a leader in brain research.

Listening to this neuroscientist yesterday and when he listed the ten steps to evolve the brain, it amazed me how similar it was to the work we do with Dyslexics:

Recommendations:                              What we do:

1. Relax –                                                 We have a Release exercise that starts every activity

2. Take pleasure in what you do –       Motivation and making it as fun and interactive as possible is vital

3. Be brief as only 10 words stay –      Lots of small breaks to allow for the new information to be processed

4. Allow yourself to daydream –           Dyslexics have no problem with that one!

5. Use your intuition –                          Dyslexics already have great intuition and we draw on it

6. Write it down –                                 We don’t write it in pen and pencil  initially, but in clay – even more powerful

7. Visualize it –                                     Absolutely everything becomes a visual clue: words, meanings, reading, writing

8. Rehearse it in new & original ways   I encourage unusual, funny, original clay models  for the brain to retain the image

9. Remain optimistically engaged       How else would you be engaged

10. Mindfulness bell                           We are using the ‘ting’ for that (similar to a tibetan bell)

It is wonderful to hear that science has come around to embrace meditation, mindfulness and brain activities that go way beyond the mechanical model. Dr. Waldman also kept emphasising that the brain needs VISUAL ANCHORS – and he is talking of every brain, not about Dyslexic individuals, who learn from the right side of the brain and are visual anyway.