Check this out: Going Mental

I haven't had a chance to read all of them yet, but I just found out that Big Think is doing a month-long series on brain research findings.  If you are interested in learning (and other things related to what happens in the skull), check it out.  The series is called "Going Mental" and can be found here:  http://bigthink.com/ideas/23922.

Why I *heart* Illeris (2007)

Illeris, K. (2007). How we learn: Learning and non-learning in school and beyond (M. Malone, Trans.). London and New York: Routledge.

Introductory Review
I first encountered this book in a class on Adult Learning.  I loved it.  Most of my colleagues did not.  As with the writings of many European intellectuals, Illeris is not an easy read.  Phraseology and sentence structures will feel foreign to most American readers, and it is sometimes difficult to identify the common thread that ties the various sections of a chapter together, especially at the beginning of a chapter.  However, readers who stick with Illeris will find that seemingly disparate thoughts come together in creative and convention-challenging ways. 

Allard (1991) on Program Planning

Allard, P. B. (1991). Why they didn't learn what we wanted them to learn. In T. J. Sork (Ed.), Mistakes made and lessons learned: Overcoming obstacles to successful program planning (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, vol 49) (pp. 55-66). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Type of Work

• Book Chapter

Problem Addressed

• Planning errors that limit learners’ ability to learn

My Notes

• Great list of things to do/not do.
• Highlights the importance of clarity, buy-in, and keeping the focus on the learning (which requires an understanding of and a commitment to the learner).

Great Quote

• “Education can be imposed, but learning cannot” (p. 65).