Accelerated Learning|
Accelerated Learning |
Phillip A. Covington |
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| Personal Web Site |
| If you enjoy the process of learning and self-improvement this information will help you get even more out of it. If you don't enjoy or don't feel you've had much luck with learning, studying, taking tests, etc., then this information may just lead you to the breakthrough you're looking for. Either way, just speaking for myself, I love the learning process! |
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This page last updated 20-Apr-2001 |
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There were/are three main motivations behind putting this information on my Web site: 1. Many people are unaware of just how much is known about the learning process, and that the same abilities and resources are available to most of us.
When someone accomplishes the "American Dream," great work, nice house, car, etc., there are always those who say: "she was just lucky," "he was just at the right place at the right time," "she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth," etc. Likewise, when it is obvious that a person possesses a considerable amount of knowledge, there are those who say: "he just has more brain cells," "not everyone can be a genius like he or she is," etc. The truth, though, in both situations, is that it has been well proven that we are all born with basically about the same abilities. The primary reason some do better than others at various pursuits is as simple as the fact that they usually work harder at it! So, if you weren't born a "genius," don't worry. There is still hope!
2. That just as the headlines often inform us of the increasing problem of people not getting enough physical exercise, so it is with our gray matter. It's also been proven that the old saying applied to physical conditioning, "use it, or lose it," is just as applicable to our minds! There is growing evidence that what will determine the "have and have-nots" of future generations is simply the amount of knowledge they will have acquired, and their ability to turn that knowledge into marketable skills. Lastly, a "well-oiled" mind just plain feels better! Anyone who's maintained a consistent program of regular exercise knows that all of us feel far better when we're in shape than when we are not. Likewise, so it is with the mind. 3. It's never too late! For some reason we reached a point fairly quickly in modern society where, if one didn't know any better, they would think children are the only ones capable of learning! It is an acknowledged fact that children take to learning computers (and most other things) better than "adults." Many people seem also to have resigned themselves to feeling that, other than those who pursue academic and/or "intellectual" careers, all learning "stops" by adulthood, and certainly by the time college is done with. Not true! As pointed out above, it's simply a matter of use it, or lose it. After childhood many people just get out of the habit of learning new things and expanding on the knowledge they already have.
While on the subject, though, an integral part of my third main reason is that it's also never too early to start. Research has proven that even though we may all be born with the same ability those who make the most use of it earlier on are those who excel most. That's a whole separate subject that I won't get into here (although it's covered in the books recommended for reading below). I will say, though, that children are easily more capable than most adults give them credit for, and that I think more needs to be done to allow young people to achieve their full potential. In fact, when and if my "ship" ever comes in (meaning the time and money to do the things I can't do now), my major hope is to help provide accelerated learning and educational opportunities for young people. So, while I started off by saying "it's never too late," I'll end by again saying that it's never too early to start!
What Is Accelerated Learning? Well, I suppose some researchers and educators might have their own fancy terms for it, but it's simply what it says it is: learning faster! And not just learning faster, but also learning better. Remember the days before the Iron Curtain came down when athletes from the Eastern-bloc countries often seemed to be superior? Of course, now it is well known that those countries invested significantly in researching just how much the human body was capable of, and what training techniques could produce those optimal results. But what is still not well known is that those countries also conducted similar research, often in secret, on optimal learning.
Details of that research started reaching the United States in the 1970s and American and other researchers started trying to duplicate, and surpass, the results which had been achieved overseas. It was about that same time that I first learned about accelerated learning research from a New-York-based company called: "Superlearning," founded by Lynn Schroeder and Sheila Ostrander. I purchased a book published by the company called, appropriately enough, "Superlearning."
The book Superlearning, and other resources, were way ahead of their time, and probably still are. For instance, one of the techniques which can help to create an optimal leaning environment is simply the playing of the right type of classical music in the background while studying. It is only now, moving into the latter part of the 1990s, that the significance of the impact music can have on child development, and on adult learning, is hitting the mainstream media. Not just on PBS, NPR, etc., but several stories were featured in 1997 on such programs as ABC's 20/20 about the link between music and learning. But that's just one of many factors that have been found to improve learning ability. There are many others. In 1996 Win Wenger and Richard Poe published THE definitive book about the subject of enhanced learning: "The Einstein Factor." Their book acknowledges and references the enlightenment brought about by the Superlearning company and products by the same name. But in addition The Einstein Factor is a compendium of almost all known research and findings in the field of accelerated learning. I have personally benefited from the information in both books and would recommend them as the first place to start for anyone interested in learning more about "learning." By the way, if you are one of those people who don't exactly find reading to be a joy, then I can especially say you really owe it to yourself to buy these books. I both love to read and am a fast reader, but the information on improving reading skills found in The Einstein Factor will give you reading abilities you never even thought possible! (See the section on my Web site about "Reading" for more details.) Lastly, a book recommendation for those who are heavy readers: "Emotional Intelligence," by Daniel Goleman. The book has been reviewed and talked about extensively, and its author has appeared on numerous talk shows, so you may have heard of it. Daniel Goleman's research finally put into understandable terms the reasons for something that is quite apparent to most people: intelligence is not the only, or even the major, factor which determines success in life! As Daniel, and others have pointed out, if that were true then why is it that those who were the smartest in school often end up years later working for those who weren't?
Regardless of whether you are inclined to get the above book, the great thing is that you can become aware of almost everything known about accelerated learning, and start benefiting from it yourself, simply by getting a hold of a copy of The Einstein Factor, and Superlearning. If your experience is anything like mine, you'll be very glad you did!
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Accelerated Learning Resources Project Renaissance (The Einstein Factor) LSC (Learning Strategies Corporation) Superlearning |
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