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Hello, all!

Here is a request:

If you were to describe the optimal learning state in a few short words, what words would you use?

How would it feel?

What would be visible signs that someone else is in an optimal learning state? What would you look/listen for in another person?

Have a great Friday! I look forward to your answers!

Phil

Hey Phil, I only have 2 minutes to reply so I'll keep this brief.

My answer in short would be that the optimal learning state is the same state as the learning will be utilised. i.e put the information IN in the same state that you want the information OUT.

If we were to talk about learning for exams, I'd simply say that whatever state you take in the information (hungover, tired, caffeen fueled) then go do the exam in the same state. Ideally you'd want the person studying in a state where they were alert, had plenty of rest, nicely hydrated and for them to then go into the exam in the same state. I've studied and I remember the real world :p

Jamie

Jamie,

Thank you for that insight, as I had not been thinking that much about how state of input and state of output corellate, but they do, don't they? And I suppose that this has to do with anchoring, which in some cases is quite complex!

Thanks again for your comment, and I look forward to more when you have the time.

Phil

I think I learn best when I'm utterly fascinated by something. To me it's a state of focused attention (like trance) that carries with it an emotional charge - particular sensations in the body that may not be the same for every learning situation, but usually feel a lot like happiness and anticipation of something positive.

And I agree with Jamie that learning and using (or in the case of tests / exams regurgitating specific content about) what's been learned are best done in the same state. So it would seem that for me I also require a state of happy anticipation and focused attention to usefully apply what I've learned. And to function well (whatever "well" means in a given context) I need to be applying the many things I've learned in the many years I've been learning, so happy, focused anticipation needs to be an easily accessible state. Which it is. I think I anchored it to a smile and a laugh well over sixty years ago .

No wonder - if any of that is true - so many kids hate going to school at various times in their lives. I've mentioned in another thread that I have clear memories of teachers who made me love learning, and nearly no memory of those who didn't. The exception is Mr Rose, who made every schoolday so dismal that I'd sometimes fake being sick to keep from going to school, and my mother would often go along with it just to afford me a break from him. And it wasn't that he picked on me, 'cause he didn't, particularly. He picked on a select, unhappy group of children whom I hope have forgotten his very existence. A teacher that horrible can make a child equate learning with misery, and I know more than a few adults who seem to hold that view.

So as well as optimal learning states, there are a plethora of sub-optimal non-learning states, or perhaps anti-learning states. How I wish teachers learned this before being turned loose on a classroom full of unsuspecting children.

It all depends on context

My own feeling is purely retrospective. Which leads me to believe that the best state is a situation where you are totally engrossed, not just in the subject though, but in the activity and the subject.

Its that game of mental football where you search for the ball, watch with awareness and set up the best receipt and drive forward. There is self awareness, but only at the level of monitor. You steer, switch round problems, keep pace and correct.

But there is no awareness of the specifics of the strategy or approach. You know what the goal is already. You know what you have to do, there is no reason to think about it when in play. If you want to change strategy, you have to go to the changing rooms. The outcome is at the level of mindset.

Awareness is on the activity. Its not an analysis, just a step, mistep, correct.

You can debrief in the changing rooms if you really want to evaluate. Thats where we are now.

Rich

Thank you Bridget and Rich, for your responses.

Bridget, your last statement about anti-learning states is the stuff that I see from some teachers on a regular basis, and it breaks my heart. We have one teacher, in one of my buildings, who does incredible work with her students, and I swear, I can teach that class more than double what I teach other students at the same level! They love to learn, totally buy into whatever I give them, have a good time with it, work hard, and progress quickly. I find myself being able to laugh so much more with that class because of just how much fun we have learning together. As you can guess as well, I have no behavior issues with any of those children!

I think what I want to do is to take a personal day, and just shadow her all day long one day, in hopes of finding out exactly what it is that she does that puts those kids in such an amazing, open state for learning. Sounds like some good old fashioned modeling is in order!

Thank you again for your responses, and I look forward to more!

Phil