We're Born to Learn
Using the Brain's Natural Learning Process to Create Today's Curriculum
- Rita Smilkstein - Western Washington University, Woodring College of Education, Bellingham, USA
In this book Smilkstein breaks down the physiological as well as the emotional development of learning into practitioner-friendly terms well-grounded in research, with special emphasis in this revised edition upon the use of technology in schools; strategies to reach gifted students as well as those who are diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders; and upon the 7 magic words—"see if you can figure this out"—that lie at the heart of curriculum development to engage all learners.
"I encountered Rita Smilkstein's work as I struggled with teaching entry level students on an Indian Reservation. The natural human learning process described in the book transformed my experience. My students were engaged, attending classes, and reprogramming their past from the frame of 'failure' to the frame of 'born to learn.' No teacher, new or experienced, should enter any class without a copy of this book."
"Dr. Rita Smilkstein has inspired thousands of students and educators with her practical application of the Natural Human Learning Process. This new edition brings us up-to-date, and maintains the clarity and generosity of spirit that is Smilkstein's trademark. Her enthusiasm rekindles the joy of learning that is hard-wired in all of us. If you read one book this year, make it We're Born to Learn, then put it into action."
"We're Born to Learn is one of the most valuable instructional tools teachers will ever use. Knowing 'how' students learn should be absolutely mandatory, yet is rarely taught in college prep. All teachers believe that they are teaching, but few know how students actually learn, and don't consider how the brain processes new information while developing their lesson plans. Dr. Smilkstein likens the learning brain to twigs on a tree; the twigs grow from a branch that is already there (prior knowledge). After reading this book, the most treasured seven words in every classroom will be, 'See if you can figure this out.'"
"Dr. Rita Smilkstein offers a prescription for what ails our developmental students: lack of critical thinking, lack of understanding of the learning process, etc. While the previous edition is a must read, this latest edition is teaching and learning’s pharmacology textbook…a collector’s item for developmental education."
"This book is a must read for anyone with ADHD or ADD students who are drowning in the public education system. The author presents recent research that opens the door for teachers to immediately create an environment conducive to helping these students learn."
"Packs in in practical methods for achievement and is a top pick for any education collection."
