COMPONENTS OF HOLISTIC LEARNING
By Dave Till and Christine Lines
This is the thirteenth article in our series on Holistic Learning, to read the introduction and view the other components to follow please click here.
13. Mental Learning
There have been many breakthroughs in recent years regarding the mental task of learning information. Conventional education is quite focused on mental learning however there are new ways of using the mind to utilise more of its full capacity.
The whole field of study around Accelerated Learning (AL) suggests that we each have a preferred learning style — a way of learning that suits us best. If you know and use the techniques that match your preferred way of learning, you learn more naturally. Because it is more natural for you, it becomes easier. There are a number of AL techniques e.g. teaching someone else what you are learning, practicing the accelerated learning system in short bursts of 30 minutes of study, and taking frequent rests. And there are many more ways of practicing AL.
In addition, the traditional linear structure of learning with listed and numbered notes has been expanded in recent years by the process of Mind Mapping. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid to studying and organizing information, solving problems, making decisions, and writing.
The elements of a given mind map are arranged intuitively according to the importance of the concepts, and are classified into groupings, branches, or areas, with the goal of representing semantic or other connections between portions of information. Mind maps may also aid recall of existing memories.
Add to these such things as memory enhancement tricks, learning and note taking techniques, and subliminal techniques for the rapid absorption of information and it becomes clear that boundaries of mental learning are expanding all the time.
Each week we will introduce a new topic. Please feel free to add your views and comments to expand on it more fully.
To view the full working document on Holistic Education or share information please email christine.lines@findhorn.org
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