Limitless Mind - Multidimensional Learning

I have been reading Limitless Mind by Jo Boaler. As a professor of Mathematics Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, her research brings together neuroscience and mindset and has significantly impacted our understanding of the ways we learn.

The fourth chapter of Limitless Mind is titled "The Connected Mind" and the key idea is that "neural pathways and learning are optimized when considering ideas with a multidimensional approach". What does that mean? We know that the brain is divided up into regions with different functions (ie. working memory takes place in the prefrontal cortex etc.). In fact, when we solve simple arithmetic problems, 5 different brain areas are involved! Boaler cites research that shows that "communication between different brain areas enhances learning and performance" and that "mathematics learning and performance were optimized when we ... learn mathematical ideas through numbers, words, visuals, models, algorithms, tables, graphs, moving and touching". In short, the more brain parts that are connected when we are learning, the stronger the neural pathways become!

In practice, what I hope to provide online over the next few weeks are multidimensional learning challenges that encourage opportunities for creativity and seeing things in multiple ways.

The whole book is full of brilliant research and strategies that apply to all of us as learners. I have scanned 2 chapters of the book for you to read (chapter 4 is in 2 parts). Click on the images below to access the scanned text.

If you want to learn more about how we can all have "limitless minds", I highly recommend Jo Boaler's book. You can find it on Amazon here