Diane Senechal points out "Whole Brain Teachers" and their flimflam in comments on Daniel Willingham article from Washington Post, The Answer Sheet.
Willingham: How to guarantee active learning? (Or, manipulatives vs. PowerPoint)
Senechal writes, "Great piece. I cackled out loud when I came to the part about how "the latest cognitive research showed" that PowerPoint turns people into passive listeners. Maybe road signs turn people into passive drivers!
People are shameless in their claims that "research has shown" this or that. The "Whole Brain Teaching" website states, "Twenty years of education research tells us that the most effective learning takes place when a student engages the brain's primary cortices- visual, auditory, language production and motor-at the same time." Really? What is that "research?"
I went to their research page, and they cite only one specific study, which turns out to be a paper for an education course. The teacher used Whole Brain Teaching for one week and reported a 50 percent decrease in "negative behaviors."
I still haven't found any research supporting the idea that "the most effective learning takes place when a student engages the brain's primary cortices-visual, auditory, language production and motor-at the same time." Nor does such an assertion make sense. It might be true for certain situations, but there are plenty of others where a certain stillness is much more conducive to learning.
But when will schools get beyond the nonsense about "passive" learning? you point out, workshops are not suited to all topics; when misapplied, it can result in a great deal of passivity. Moreover, "participation" takes many forms, one of which is attentive listening and thinking."
Posted by: DianaSenechal | September 7, 2010 9:36 AM | Report abuse
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