Adventure with Henry

<<大腦解鎖：史丹佛頂尖學者裘．波勒以最新腦科學推動學習革命>>

Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers

作者：Jo Boaler

延伸資源： youcubed - Inspire ALL Students with Open, Creative Mindset Mathematics

喬·博勒（Jo Boaler）是英國教育作家，也是史丹佛大學數學教育系教授。會知道這本書，是看洪蘭教授最近一本著作時她提到的。作者是數學教育領域的專家。對於人們一直以來認為的天賦論，提出了不同的見解。她提倡遺傳並不能決定人生之路，讓大家了解大腦具有令人驚異的可塑性，每個人都有無限潛能。這真是振奮人心。在幾年前看過<<刻意練習>>後久了似乎又淡忘了。這兩本書還有洪蘭教授的一些文章裡都有同樣的見解。讓我們能有所反思。也能調整自己對於孩子教育的方式。

Key #1: Every time we learn, our brains form, strengthen, or connect neural pathways. We need to replace the idea that learning ability is fixed, with the recognition that we are all on a growth journey. 

Anders Ericsson has studied IQ and hard work for decades and concludes that the people regarded as geniuses — people like Einstein, Mozart, and Newton — “are made not born,” and their success comes from extraordinary hard work. 

學習金鑰 #1

每次我們在學習，大腦中的神經路徑就會成形，強化，或連結。我們必須認知 ：我們一直在成長之路上，不要再對學習能力抱持固定型思維 (Fixed Ability Thinking)。

所以，重點是＂努力＂，而不是天生很聰明。學習會讓大腦路徑有所變化和成長，遭遇越多挑戰，大腦就會成長得越快。

Key #2: The times when we are struggling and making mistakes are the best time for brain growth.

Ｗhen people made mistakes, brains were more active, producing strengthening and growth, than when people got work correct.  In the moments when they turned to us, looking forlorn or despondent and sad things like, “This is too hard,” we would say “These are the greatest moments of brain growth — that feeling of it being too hard is the feeling of your brain growing. Keep going. It is really important and valuable.” And they would turn back to their work.  It is in the handling of failure that the quality of being limitless really shines… It is easy to feel open and free when things are going well; it is when things are going badly and challenges or aggression stand in our way that it is most important to be limitless.

學習金鑰 #２：每次掙扎 犯錯，都是大腦成長的最佳時期。

讓孩子在學習過程中能理解他遇到難題是好的；犯錯也是好的。這可能很難做到。要提醒自己不要因為孩子犯錯就發怒或處罰。鼓勵他多練習，在當中犯錯，修正，再練習，再犯錯，一直下去，就會變成專家。所以適度的困難是重要的。太簡單的內容對大腦成長幫助不大。另外在學習過後用自我測試的方法比重新唸一次來的有效。

可以用努力的階梯來跟小孩解釋，不要遇到困難就放棄。每次克服困難，就可以爬上更高一階。站在最下面一階的人看起來難過，或是氣呼呼的。站在最上面的那個人因為已達成目標，興高采烈。＂不一定要站在最高一階，但可以站在中間，不是嗎?＂

另一個更為生動的說明是James Nottingham提出的Learning Pit 學習之洞。讓他們知道有時會有卡住的感覺就是在洞裡。那我們可以適時的給孩子幫助。努力不放棄最後就能走出這個洞了。鼓勵孩子是很重要的。

Key #3: When we change our beliefs, our bodies and brains physically change as well.

One of the obstacles to a positive change in our beliefs is our own self-doubt… a natural part of our lives. What is not natural is a “true, dead-stop obstacle, one that is impossible to get around, over, or through.” In all of his years of research studies, Ericsson has found it surprisingly rare to find any real limit on performance — instead he sees people become limited because they give up and stop trying.

Teachers and others should praise the learning process, and if students are not making progress, help them find other strategies and different approaches. Crucially, praise should be linked to effort that leads to something important… Teachers hold an incredible amount of influence. They can change the pathways of students… when they communicate to students that they believe in them, that they will value times of struggle and mistakes, and that they will honor different types of thinking and ways of approaching life.

學習金鑰＃３：如果我們改變自己的信念，身體和大腦本身就會跟著改變。

要相信自己能學任何東西。別用消極的想法限制住自己。改變信念的最大障礙就是自我懷疑。以正向話語和思維來激勵自己或孩子。＂老師相信你" ＂媽媽相信你"。

Key #4: Neural pathways and learning are optimized when considering ideas with a multidimensional approach.

學習金鑰＃４：如果你能從多個層面來思考，神經路徑和學習成效皆能不斷增強。

手指的感知能力和數學相關，所以學習音樂的孩子對數學理解上也會有幫助。不要阻止孩子用手指頭算數。如果數學習作全是同類型的題目，那對於增進頭腦各區的溝通沒有幫助。建議只給孩子三四個不同的題型。並且鼓勵他們用不同的方法去得到答案。

Key #5: Speed of thinking is not a measure of aptitude. Learning is optimized when we approach ideas, and life, with creativity and flexibility.

學習金鑰＃５：思考速度並不是衡量才能的標準。如果我們能以創造力和靈活來面對想法和人生，就能有最佳的學習成效。

數學重靈活，不必拼速度。數學計時測驗就是幼兒數學焦慮的來源。另外，從父母表現出來的數學焦慮可以預測孩子在學校的數學學習成就。父母會不會數學並不重要。重要的是他們有沒有數學焦慮的問題。不要幫孩子做家庭作業，讓孩子獨力完成。因為如果幫助孩子做作業，或許會讓孩子覺得數學很難或是自己數學不好。更糟的是還擺放計時器，要孩子在限定的時間內做完題目。也不要對孩子說自己以前數學不好這種話。告訴孩子慢慢想，提升思考深度才是最重要的。

Key Idea #6: Connecting with people and ideas enhances neural pathways and learning.

學習金鑰＃６：

與人連結，接觸各種不同的想法，可強化神經路徑，增進學習成效。