Accelerated
Learning Techniques
Much research has been done in this area, and that is an understatement, but
we will reference our materials through these techniques in order that one
can
move quickly through them and choose which technique one may like to consider
working with. They can vary from time to time depending on your situation,
and
the clarity with which you choose to direct towards the learning.
You may use the medicine wheel as a tool to analyze the various accelerated
learning techniques and to assist in determining where to use the technique.
Each Tool will be presented as a general idea, and as an exercise.
Equipment Required.
1. Active Listening,
(see parallel listening)
General Definition:
Active Listening is a process whereby the listener feeds back information
to
the person speaking. This feed back is done with permission and should not
be
used to interrupt. One should be careful when using this technique as it may
offend the presenter as it is intended to get to deeper meanings of
communications. On another level the listener listens with more than his/her
ears. You listen also with your eyes, you watch for communication signals
other than just what you hear. You watch body language, become aware of the
other persons breathing patterns. It is a conscious attempt to focus
attention on the speaker to hear on as many levels as you can imagine. The
process of active listening is an exercise itself which takes the form of
a
dialogue and an exploration into developing the technique. It must be
practiced.
The exercise:
Break into groups of two. Identify persons as Presenter and Listener.
Presenter talks about a subject that s/he is familiar with. It could be about
an experience, some bit of knowledge, or something that occurred at a certain
moment in time.
After two minutes the leader asks the Listener to feedback to the presenter
what s/he heard, but using different words to convey the same ideas that were
heard. The Presenter listens and determines whether or not s/he was heard,
and if not attempts to clarify before going on.
The Presenter goes on to explain the idea in deeper terms referring to a
feelings or an emotions using body language and tonal qualities to amplify
the
meaning. The Listener attempts to "hear" this feeling
2. Animal Role Playing,
(link Idea
Book)
This is an exploration that can serve a number of purposes and is valuable
for
every age group. The process can be used for problem solving as well as for
developing imaginative skills, interactive skills, communication skills,
behaviour modifying skills. This can be a group activity or an individual
activity. There are a number of outcomes achieved using this technique, each
one always being an interesting learning. Outcomes may vary depending on
cultural bias, or slightly different techniques used.
Two examples: see idea
book - see thinking like a mountain
3. Backwards learning:
Backwards learning can take place in a number of different constructs. When
learning any skill, after you have tried to develop it as best you can, then
try and learn it backwards. Some skills - writing, running, skating, talking.
This technique works well for people with dyslexia.
An exercise: (see Jean Houston's book on kinesthetic behaviour.
Breathing in while one talks is an exhilarating experience of developmental
learning. Once developed, the individual is able to demonstrate the power
of
behavioral changes.
4. Ball
A three dimensional teaching of the circle.
5. Big Picture/Little
picture/fit/context
6. Breaks,
7. Breathing,
(link breathing)
8. Cause and Effect,
9. Chunking information,
10. Circle,
Demonstrates perfection, inter-connectedness, mathematical teaching,
11. Colors,
As many colours as there are, each of us perceives colour as a sense
experience. We will deal only with the basic colours of the Rainbow. The
colours are RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, INDIGO and VIOLET. (ROYGBIV)
There are many, many ways colour can be used as learning experiences, and
we
are choosing to use only one, which we find to have the affect of opening
our
understanding at a deeper level.
We note as well that colour
therapy bears a relationship to this observation.
Colours of the chakras
A general relationship
exists between colour, sound, smell, and form as
demonstrated in the Indian tradition of the mudras. (see video)
The exercise:
12. Co-operative Learning,
13. Dance,
14. Diet,
Diet refers to more than just food, it refers to whatever we ingest into our
bodies whether it be through sight, sound, or food ambiance, entertainment
etc
The diet that we have
should be balanced according to our bodies needs. To
be sensitive to this need it is necessary to slow down and give attention
to
what is actually needed. Over stimulation of the sense experience depletes
the energy of the being.
15. Feeling: (emotion)
Construction of an emotion, (link Sept
30 Voyage)
16. Four E's /Ten Transformers,
(link to
model)
17. Games,
18. Habits, (link
to "how
to quit smoking")
19. Intent,
My intention is to get your attention. Once I have your attention my
intention is to have you pay attention to my larger intention. I have the
will: it be of me: and you?
20. Left/Right,
- cross brain exercises
- see brain gym book - write out ideas
21. Medicine Wheel,
(link to
model)
22. Metaphor,
23. Mind Mapping,
This is a technique that has a variety of applications and formats. In
general, as either a brainstorming technique, or as a tool for keeping notes.
Instead of keeping notes in a linear top down frame, put the central core
idea,
and then position other relating ideas either closer to a central theme or
other ideas. In some "maps" you can use colour as well to identify
relating
ideas, constructs etc. When you are finished, you sometimes come out with
a
piece of artwork. It is helpful to attempt this in a number of different
scenarios in order that you can explore its value for yourself. You may find
a
new way of keeping information that it may be more helpful to you. Sometimes,
for example you could integrate the four E's into this technique and identify
relationships to your central theme by noting these as specific categories.
Of
course you could also try the medicine wheel. It is probably better to do
your
first few maps without any overlaying filter until you get used to the
technique.
Exercise: In either a
lecture, or a presentation of information, even using a
newscast start with the first major idea (of title) of presentation by writing
it in the centre of the page. As new ideas are presented, write the new idea
near the first idea. As new ideas are presented, determine whether they are
really new, or explanations of the ideas already presented. Group ideas as
presented with common qualities - or at least qualities that you either hear,
or intuit. If you are planning to have this "map" as a piece of
art, then you
may use colours, size or shape to convey the meaning that you are receiving.
Some maps take on the shape of a circle or an ellipse, or a spiral, or whatever
feels right according to the information being presented. When exercise is
complete, you may want to redraw your map according to the overview that you
have of the subject presented.
24. Movement,
25. Mountain Climbing,
26. Music,
27. Musical Instrument,
28. Mythology,
29. Questioning
(5) (link to Framework
Teachers page Conspiracy)
30. Relaxation,
(link to
breathing)
A simple technique to use any time you are experiencing stress or anxiety.
Also can be used during any activity.
Exercise: Do the breathing
exercise in the middle of some other routine piece
of work. If you are painting, or writing, or whatever, do the breathing
exercise as part of the experience. Use it in the middle of a classroom
session. See if you can make some distinctions in the experience from what
you regularly experience in this routine.
31. Review,
This is a simple technique, but is often over looked. Review the previous
days material. Look at the material you have learned in a previous session
and
look at it through a different perspective. This idea is noted in the
"conspiracy " booklet as a method of not only reviewing the previous
days work,
but by looking at it through a particular lens will enable you to not only
determine if you learned the work, but also it will give you an opportunity
to
make the ideas more relevant.
32. Role playing,
(see animal role playing) see Jean Houston's work
33. Rope Climbing,
Interview Bill Roberts
34. Sense Experiences
(NINE)
We have come to think of our senses as being 5. We have agreed on these
because we have equipment to measure them. We have also agreed that there
is
some sort of "sixth" sense. That is not one sense that we agree
on, nor does
our notion of NINE deal with this "sixth" sense. We do have some
ideas to
play with that may come into the domain of this "sixth" sense, and
we will
refer to it as the "sixth" because that has notion is generally
accepted. We
have added four particular sense experiences which we would like you to explore
in the same manner that you deal with your other senses. The exercises are
contained in the Vision Changer Program weekly exercises. Additions are
35. Balance (Sense
Experience) (see Rope climbing,)
36. Hearing (Sense
Experience) (see Active Listening)
37. Feeling (Sense
Experience) See touch.
38. Tasting(Sense
Experience) ( see
39. Temperature
(Sense Experience)
40. Time (Sense
Experience)
Teaching about time seems to be a difficult experience. We know how to "tell"
the time. And after we learn this notion, our experience of time is shaped
according to a number of different criteria according to ones' culture
experience. Building models around time is not easy either, again because
of
the thinking that we all experience time the same way.
Exercise: This could be a classroom exercise. Have everyone in the class
shut their eyes. Ask the students to raise their right arm when they think
30
seconds has past, and their left arm when a minute has gone by. You can also
try this with a two minute time frame. Just note results. Try again the
second day. Note results. Try again the third day. Note results.
By exercising this sense, is it getting closer to structured time or further
away. Ask students to try this exercise on their own.
41. Smell (Sense
Experience)
See vision Changer Project (Lesson #
42. Sound (Sense
Experience)
See vision Changer Project (lesson #
43. Space (Sense
Experience)
We have not recognized that this concept is a sense experience yet every one
has a different sense of space, and has a very distinct reaction to space.
Often culturally bias have determined this perception, but understanding this
sense can give one a broader sense of self.
The exercise:
Break into groups of two. Tell people to stand facing each other and begin
talking to each other. Note comfort zone for distance from one person to
another. After the first experience, have each person begin to talk in a lower
tone (softer and quieter) and watch how space between people changes. It will
be different for each person, and of course there is no right or wrong. Now,
taking pen and paper, or crayons, and draw pictures to convey the information
learned in the experience. How do you convey the ideas learned through
picture. Compare one groups interpretation to another groups.
Flip charts, paper and
coloured pens and pencils.
44. Sexuality,
We recognize that there are two sexes, and each sex is identified by certain
general behaviour patterns. This does not preclude the notion of a male
having female characteristics, or females having male characteristics. These
characteristics are not to be confused with roles in society or cultural bias.
We note that our brains have three sections: the left side, the right side
and
the central core part of the brain. The left and right side are generally
identified as having male and female tendencies. These tendencies vary
according to each being and the tendency is determined by a number of factors
one of which is left-handedness or right-handedness. These qualities sometimes
have reversed the observed tendencies. While this analysis is slightly
superficial as the studies of these concepts are less than fifty years in
exploration., it is evident that every male has some female characteristics,
and that every female has male characteristics - or at least the potential
for
exhibiting these characteristics. The bodies tendency to manifest a certain
physical tendency i.e. male or female - causes the societal bias towards a
particular gender. A healthy body, mind, and spirit have these qualities in
balance.
45. Smooth Words
The idea of Smooth Words to develop positive relationships and an attitude
shift. See list of words (link
to smooth words)
46. Story, (link
to stories)
47. Sweat Lodge,
(link to Gabriola
article)
48. Team Learning,
49. Time. see
sense experience
50. Timeline techniques,
(NLP) (link
to Sept 30th Voyage)
51. Ten Transformers,
(link to
model).
The ten transformers are a distillation of information from the Tree of Life.
The presentation included here is a mere tip of the ice-berg that can be
understood at what ever level you choose to bring to it
52. Visualization,
(link
to page in vision changers manual)
(see Vision
Changers Project (Link)
It is a fundamental learning that each of these accelerated learning
techniques can be used to demonstrate learning in each of the four quadrants
of
the Medicine wheel - one learns how to apply the technique through experience
and meeting teachers as you walk your path.
How time works is and
the Timelines structural learning (see Peacemakers
Voyage September
30th) facilitates many of the other learning experiences.
Probably that is why the NLP practitioners like Tony Robbins have been so
successful. This is not intended to be a complete list, and we welcome
additions with examples. We will try over time to write our own experience
of
each of the techniques and to recommend teachers in each of the areas.
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