Research supports style of learning

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Research supports style of learning

* MARTINA SIMOS, NIE MANAGER

* March 22, 2011 10:40AM

NEUROLOGICAL research is proving what the two great thinkers of child

development, Montessori and Piaget, believed in.

Clinical psychologist Fuller said research had found children's minds

develop in fits and starts, followed by periods of consolidation.

Mr Fuller, who is author of the Brain Based Learning Manual and Fellow of the

Department of Learning and Educational Development at the University of

Melbourne, said the development of the mind does not occur in a neat sequence of

events.

He said the processes were described by Piaget as assimilation and accommodation

- or cycles of learning by Montessori.

Piaget, a Frenchman, was a psychologist and philosopher who placed great

importance on the education of children. Montessori was an Italian physician and

educator who set up a school in Rome in 1907 based on her teaching philosophy.

There are now more than 200 Montessori schools and centres across Australia.

" In terms of brain development, there appear to be times of overproduction or

exuberance during which we may be highly receptive to new information and able

to gain specific skills more easily, " Mr Fuller said.

" During childhood and adolescence, this seems to be the way the brain develops,

overdoing it in terms of production and then cutting back on what is not needed

later. "

Mr Fuller said between the age of 10 and puberty the brain " ruthlessly destroys

its weakest connections " , preserving only those experiences that were shown to

be useful. The ages of nine to 18, as a result, are very important.

" The brain at this time is restructuring to become more clever and efficient, "

Mr Fuller said. " It is important to capitalise on this by helping young people

to create patterns of thinking and habits of learning that are productive. " Five

weeks ago, 20 Year 7 and 8 students started in the Hills Montessori School's new

middle school at Stirling.

Principal France said brain research by Mr Fuller, British creativity

expert Sir Ken and adolescent psychologist Carr-Gregg had

influenced some of the structures of the school.

Research on sleep patterns of adolescents, for example, determined their

starting time of 9am.

The adolescent program at the school also separates the day into two or three

large blocks of time with three key areas of study - occupation time, community

building focus time and independent work focus time.

Students also take part in creative and physical expression lessons.

Ms France said their aim was to make learning " real and meaningful " with major

project work involving explicit learning situations. For example, students are

paving an area of the school because they identified a need for a larger paved

area. The project incorporates such curriculum areas as maths and physics.

" It's about engaging in meaningful work, trying to integrate and weave as many

connections as possible between the formal curriculum and the project work and

the occupations students are working on, " Ms France said.

" Students are (also) making decisions about the master plan of the property and

where they will plant organic gardens, so they will research into the best

placement, what plants they will grow, what the soil is etc. "

Ms France said Montessori believed learning should be challenging, involving

hands-on activities for adolescents, giving them responsibility, life skills and

debating philosophical questions.