The Mysterious Brain

Starting Over.

That's what John Medina says we need to do with our schools and offices IF we want to live and learn in an environment most conducive to what we know about the brain.

I first read about Brain Rules, on Glen Weibe's site. But I wanted to know more.
Today, I spent some time reading John Medina's posts and watching his fascinating videos on his Brain Rules blog.

He says:

Though we know precious little about how the brain works, our evolutionary history tells us this: The brain appears to be designed to solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor environment, and to do so in nearly constant motion. I call this the brain's performance envelope.

If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a classroom. If you wanted to create a business environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you probably would design something like a cubicle. And if you wanted to change things, you might have to tear down both and start over.

In many ways, starting over is what the book is all about.

He also says I can't multi-task effectively....

And I need a nap at 3 p.m. Plus, teachers only have 10 minutes to keep their students' attention.

I need to read this book!