Unit 1: An Exploration of the Science of Learning: The Philosophical and Conceptual Foundations for Our Teaching Style and Practice

There is a universal question that all teachers ask at different points in their career. How can I best teach my subject?  It is an important question. Yet, it is not necessarily the most important one.

There are more fundamental questions that lie at the heart of the issue of what makes for quality and effective instruction. However, contrary to what one might first suspect, these are not questions about teaching. Rather, they are questions about the nature of learning.

This unit offers a conceptual foundation for understanding what we mean by learning, and how it occurs based on various theoretical approaches. In addition to these models, or paradigms, we provide an overview of specific research findings and leading thinking into how the brain and mind work and the implications for classroom practice.

Chapter 1: Exploring Our Personal Teaching Philosophy: Teacher, Know Thyself
Chapter 2: An Exploration of the Science of Learning: Metaphors for the Mind
Chapter 3: Learning with the Brain in Mind‚ A Brief Exploration of the Thinking and Research in the Neuroscience, Cognition and Educational Psychology