Great Learning State = Focus + Physiology

As I think we have mentioned in previous posts, the state of our learners is crucial to the quality of their learning and their state can be profoundly influenced by our state so this is as important for them as it is for us. (Nobody complained so I think we are on the right track.)

So how to change our and our learners state appropriately with poise and elegance and congruence.

Two ways: Focus and Physiology (sometimes written as Fizziology eh Kim?)

Focus

To understand the power of focus I often tell this story:

Can you recall a time when you were thinking about buying a new car. As soon as you had a particular make (and maybe model) in mind, you suddenly start seeing them everywhere.

Its not that there are suddenly lots more of them, its just that this is what you have focused on so you notice this make and model more.

To see this in action try this with a group:

• Ask the group to sit quietly (play some calm music at a low volume)
• Ask them to close their eyes and then tell them that in a moment you are going to ask them to open their eyes, look around the room and notice everything that is blue.
• Give them about a minute to look carefully around the room and then ask them to close their eyes again.
• Then ask people to put their hands up as you assess the levels of blue in the room.
• Ask them “Who thinks the room is about 50% blue?
• And who thinks its about 30% blue?
• And who thinks its about 10% blue?
• And finally who is taking anything that’s even vaguely blue (like purple and including that in their %?”

By now most of the room will have their hands up.

Now ask them “What % of the room is red?”

Very few will be able to answer because that isn’t what they were looking for and that’s the power of focus.

So we can change the groups state by changing what they focus on.

• If they have been focused on something technical, introduce a fun element.
• If they have been focussed on being creative give them a linear task to perform.

Physiology

Probably one of the best known physiology state changers is “Brain Gym”. There has been much written around brain gym; some of it interesting, some complete nonsense (in my humble opinion)

Ally and I subscribe to the view that it probably works but our jury is still out on why or how.

Changing the groups state by using physiology is all about changing the chemical compositions that are affecting their bodies and therefore their brains and by extension their learning.

We are aware that one of the drawbacks of long PowerPoint sessions is that people are static for a prolonged period and get bored. If you want to see physiology state change in action watch how fast they move when you tell them that was the last slide and they can now leave. Within seconds they are up, moving and smiling. Is it just relief or is it that moving around has released a new parcel of chemicals that changed their state. I believe this to be the case.

So this weeks call to action is this:

• Try experimenting with state changes around focus and physiology

• Experiment on yourself

• Identify what works best for you and your learners

camera image by George Rex
bored meeting image by markhillary

Hi thanks for coming back to our site. Paul and Ally will be running the morning session of the Brain Friendly Learning Group (Southern) in February. To find out more (and see what Ally looks like!), check out the video. Thanks for visiting again!

Related posts:

1. Watch out for that tree! or You get what you focus on
2. The teacher, the piano and modelling great behaviour
3. The ballet of state management
4. Hash Teabags, teenagers and great questions
5. Mix up learning: reflections on a Seth Godin post