Valiant, Etc.

News and Resources for Thoughtful Educators





305 Views

Brain Research and the Great Debates of Learning

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 6:47 pm on Monday, January 10, 2000
Learning and the Brain

The debates rage on.

Nature versus Nurture. Phonics versus Whole Language. Reductionist versus Constructivist. Traditional versus Progressive. Once the conversation begins lines are quickly drawn and, as educators, we either withdraw or begin to espouse our current position. We have heard it all before. Parents and others in the public take sides as well, taking their cue from their own experience or from someone they believe and respect. Meanwhile, politicians use whichever position they believe will further their own agenda, whether in the best interest of children or not. After all, who are they to believe?

(Read on …)

298 Views

Creating a New School of Thought

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 5:33 am on Monday, February 4, 2002
Learning and the Brain

THINKING IS NOT A FAD!

Leading futurists agree that success in the work force of the future will REQUIRE critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Although these topics are included in the benchmarks and essential academic learning requirements of virtually every state in the country, only a small number of schools can claim any real progress.

(Read on …)

359 Views

Growing Your Child’s Brain

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 6:01 am on Friday, August 9, 2002
Learning and the Brain

A growing body of research is helping us understand not only how the brain works, but what we can do to enhance learning. Parents and teachers now have available much of the information they need to help guide the development of their children. In this article we will review some of the areas cognitive researchers in many fields agree are important findings regarding the brain and learning. More information is provided elsewhere on this web site for those interested in pursuing the topic. Our procedure will be to provide a brief narrative description of each finding followed by some suggested strategies for the adult caregiver including learning activities directed specifically to the finding.
(Read on …)

450 Views

New School of Thought / Personal Intelligence Management

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 7:21 am on Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Learning and the Brain

Watch this page for articles introducing a new topic to our selection: PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE MANAGEMENT. First to appear will be a presentation given to the Washington ASCD Conference in Seattle by Dr. Robert Valiant and his son, Bob Jr. This will be followed by a more comprehensive article that describes the components of a “New School of Thought” and details of what it takes to construct and manage one’s own intellect.

To read an earlier article on this topic “CLICK HERE”
(Read on …)

475 Views

Personal Intelligence Management

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 7:17 pm on Saturday, March 10, 2001
Learning and the Brain

Introduction

Recent advancements in brain research, cognitive psychology and other cognitive sciences have created a new climate for understanding intelligence and learning. Theories of cognitive modifiability, multiple intelligences, and constructivism emphasize the uniqueness of each brain and its ability to grow connections throughout one’s lifetime. The people who support the model currently in vogue, standards-based learning, are oblivious to this momentous research and base their programs on a prescribed set of outcomes that all students are expected to master, in sequence, by a particular time.

(Note: An updated article on this topic can be found HERE )

(Read on …)

333 Views

Responses to Growing Your Child’s Brain

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 6:07 am on Sunday, September 1, 2002
Learning and the Brain

Several people have responded to the article “Growing Your Child’s Brain.” We include here one response from a former student of Bob Valiant, Kristine Ellingson, who has had an extremely successful career in jewelry design and management, She now lives in the Yucatan where she and her husband operate a new Bed and Breakfast as well as other business interests. We remember her as a bright, hardworking student who always looked at things from a variety of angles and wouldn’t stand for “pat” answers. The second response is from a long-time teacher in the Kennewick, Washington School District, Dennis Sandmeier, who is a friend and colleague of Dr. Valiant. He is the kind of teacher we seek out for advice when tough decisions need to be made. As you will see, he thinks deeply about what he does professionally.
(Read on …)

490 Views

Using 21st Century Skills

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 8:33 am on Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Learning and the Brain

Elsewhere on this web site we document what experts believe will be the basic skills of the 21st Century. For example the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory has identified digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, and high productivity as the new basics. Closer examination of these four skill areas indicates a concentration of skills generally categorized as higher-level thinking and their use in real-world situations. Several articles on this site identify these skills and even include teaching activities to help students master them. It turns out that knowing the skills and being able to use them is not enough, however.
(Read on …)

322 Views

Using What We Know About the Brain To Design Learning Environments

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 6:25 pm on Friday, August 11, 2000
Learning and the Brain

Recent research on the human brain is providing new understanding of how we learn, information which is helping us to redefine intelligence. This new information, which is now being translated into classroom applications with the goal of increasing learning for all students, has broad implications for the design of learning environments since it is the facility which must support the educational program. As we explore facility designs for the 21st Century and beyond, we need to keep abreast of developments in the field of brain research, being mindful that their influence on the teaching/learning relationship will forever change the way we build and renovate school facilities.

(Read on …)

376 Views

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE SCORE? by Bob Valiant

Filed under: Learning and the Brain — Dr. Bob Valiant at 6:57 am on Thursday, July 3, 2003
Learning and the Brain

Ed news is dominated these days by testing and test scores. Articles abound promoting testing as an important school/teacher accountability measure with a recent backlash surge of items lamenting high-stakes testing and its impact on student drop out rates, etc.

At VALIANT, etc. we care little about test scores (other than as an indicator of a sample of the student’s knowledge and as a guide to further instruction) and are more concerned with what we call “Life Scores.” A high life score indicates that a person can cope with the things life presents at various stages of development. The individual knows how to confront the problems that arrive on a day-to-day basis, has a plan for learning the new things that will help them grow in a desired direction, and so forth. Others have called an education leading to the knowledge and skills required to achieve a high life score a “liberating education.” We advocate this type of education and are constantly on the lookout for instructional techniques and curriculum that promote it.
(Read on …)