Theory

This course is the proof in the pudding on pedagogy and a learning experience that supports the theory of involving the whole brain. The first official course of the graduate program looks at newly learned perspectives from the latest Institute as well as taking an inventory on how each brain of the cohort and the institute professors are geared. How eye opening this was to see for myself, as well as the members and instructors I would be working with. The Hermann Brain Dominance Inventory opened up opportunity to understand that each brain is wired to different strengths, tendencies, and unique ways of learning.

HBDI helped illustrate and explain the way people prefer to think, learn, communicate, and make decisions. This was both interesting, but crucial when thinking about the upcoming requirements of the Institute courses. IT also created a base line to refer to and reflect on when needed.

Ah ha's I can take into my classroom:

• School, traditionally, is set-up for one type of learner, but my classroom doesn't have to be.

• The value of knowing who you are as a learner makes you that much better as a student, co-worker, spouse, etc.

Strategies that I now use because of MWBLI:

• In grouping students in cooperative learning groups I understand, as a facilitator, that encouraging students to use practice weaknesses is just as important as practicing strengths.

• All students use different thinking styles because all brains have a different whole brain set-up. There is no right or wrong way, but understanding that everyone has differences also tells you that one "traditional" approach is no longer useful or effective in your classroom.

• Helping students learn about how they best function will allow them to maximize full potential in their learning experience and gain advantages of how to use meta-cognition in their own lives.

Where did this information come from?