Finding Focus

Poor Mental Focus: The Universal Problem:

My last article reviewed how the average person can understand the mechanics of assessment, plainly known as “testing” or even “cognitive tests”. Many brain boost companies claim both recent and historic cognitive findings, some cloudy, not accurately clarified. And, most digital learning applications do not generate sustained focus.

The internet is awash with brain and cognitive articles and podcasts with many view slants. My articles are rooted as a parent of three, classroom and learning disabilities teacher, data analyst, researcher, and artistic program designer applying puppetry. 

To stay abreast with current popular thought/mind processes, and to offer understanding and desire for mental/physical wellness, I am visible on social media.

With that said, this article is on how deep learning with fixed focus affects our lives and identities.

Identity Empowerment through Focal Strength

There are many types of over- layers of our focal identities: on the family, religious, work, school, social, and emotional event-spending. 

Yet, the most important one to consider:  How to take on new tasks and ignore distractions.

My former articles have discussed how visual and auditory memory integration becomes elusive with too much addictive screen time adherence. 

It will destroy visual and auditory integration (necessary for deep understanding/comprehension).

Once you completely “understand” a situation, and apply rationale, your stress level lowers.

But, instead, we react impulsively. We all “obey” our screens with compulsivity. Marketing strategies depend upon our compulsive natures that we will react instantly to their clever lures. Ads pop up continuously, diverting our thoughts and concentrated attention. 

We apply cell phone “Focus” settings to turn out the distractive onslaught of visual images. But, even then, we still do not focus on new learning tasks optimally.

Engulfed by distractions, we multi-task that further diverts the concentration at hand.

Creating Purposeful Goals to Sustain Focus

We may additionally have weak visual and auditory working memory to focus effectively. Thereby, we may not integrate properly for good reasoning capability. This soon unites with mental depression, ignited by constant screen adherence.

Furthermore, instead of creating a unique personal identity to formulate the joy of our own being, we spend excessive amounts for concert entertainment.

This brief surge of excitement does not compensate for our lack of mental focus, or a sense of purpose, we sorely need for today’s survival. Yet, we become addicted to this sketchy lifestyle expenditure pattern.

We Search for this Elusive, Desired, Focusing

A recent neuroscience article stated findings re visual stimuli and fighting distractions called “Beta Bursts,”and how they appear from sustained, continued focus. [1] 

Brain frontal cortex neurons create “Beta Bursts” through visual movement and fixed attention. To personally obtain a visual Beta Burst, you must forcibly be directed towards a goal, rather than distractions.  Brain neurons can be re-directed to an important task, but it does take an enormous amount of determined energy to do so.

Okay, how do we create these goals for fixed focal attention?

Solution: Daily, Progressive Procedural Learning.

But, which one? 

There are many brain development choices: stimulation devices, (but will not improve current cognitive levels), medical drugs, pills, various digital, brain programs, (few will improve the critically needed auditory sequencing capability), diets, all designed to reduce brain fog and create learning prowess.

But, these varying choices do not necessarily make you adept in following and retaining sequential, skill-set procedures, nor last.

My digital solution is a worthy consideration: The Bridge to Achievement has 42 years in published, juried, Beta research and development. [2]

1.       Musical, rhythmical, facial focus with chunking – visualization – pattern finding operations, is a good option to obtain fixed attention for deep learning,

2.       Consecutive, determined practice is the next requirement.

3.      The lessons must then build on each other in difficulty level with purpose. 

4.      Then, the learner should recognize their progressive improvement, and keep going.            

5.      Finally, the rhythmic, timed, visual and sound adherence will re-formulate one’s brain cognition and integration. Improvement is “not a quick fix”, but you can see improvement gradually, peaking in a year or two, if you are motivated, and determined, with a goal-set.

UTube: Jankuypererland1111

 Now, you can recognize and resolve your insidious mental focus limitations, so you can take action to alleviate stress, depression, and confusion.

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[1]   Odorczyk, Kelsey. (August 11, 2023). Brain’s Traffic Directors: Neurons that Keep Us Focused on Tasks. Neuroscience News, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine.

 [2]  Erland, J. K. (© 2008). Downloadable, unpublished report. Five Generations, 27-years of iterative Brain-Based Accelerative Learning Experimentation Demonstrate Cognitive Skill Improvement Enhances Academic and Career Goals. (https://memspan/jalt).

Erland, J. K. (Fall 2000). Brain-Based Longitudinal Study Reveals Subsequent High Academic Achievement Gain for Low-Achieving, Low Cognitive Skills, Fourth Grade Students. Journal of Accelerated Learning and Teaching. 25, (3&4) pp. 5-48. ERIC ED # 453-553. & # CS 510 558. https://Books.Google.com/jankuypererland pages 41, 44

Erland J. K. (c 1989), Hierarchy of Thinking. Mem-ExSpan, Inc.Erland, J. K. (© 2008). Downloadable, unpublished report. Five Generations, 27-years of iterative Brain-Based Accelerative Learning Experimentation Demonstrate Cognitive Skill Improvement Enhances Academic and Career Goals. (https://memspan/jalt).

Erland J. K. (c 1989), Hierarchy of Thinking. Mem-ExSpan, Inc.

 

The Stuff Dreams are Made Of

 " Schemes and Dreams of the Chipper Chopping Chums"

My first marketing endeavor was to create and produce my first road show,  a theatrical puppetry company, while I was in graduate school.

It was a puppet show, named “Voco Poco Puppets” to match my extensive teaching experience in theatrical productions. As a family creative, team project, we performed a variety of seasonal shows at shopping centers.

Our ’Voco Poco Puppets’ back-to-school Fall promotionals was publicized as: “The Schemes and Dreams of the Chipper Chopping Chums”. 

The Script: Our featured ventriloquist puppets dreamed of being super stars like Wonder Woman and Superman. They thought they could reach those imaginative roles by dreaming about the fantasy world and that somehow it would become a reality.

And sometimes, dreams do come true.

Subsequently, Madeline and Wayne moved on to the Edutainment world to create better lives for many through instructional games to enhance cognition.

The family wrote and scripted the comedy and songs for each event. An electric piano was purchased for Mark, and as an advanced pianist by age 11, he welcomed a paid professional role performing current "Pop and Rock" pre-shows that attracted large crowds for the puppet dramas.

The shopping center’s marketing agents booked us regularly, as they remarked we were a “darling show.” After a 5- year performance stint, my children grew older, had formed new interests, and I had acquired my special education masters degree, ready to teach.

Progressing from public school teaching to my own company with a film studio, my lighting, and sound stage with a continuing coursework background, was included for the updated Bridge to Achievement film work. 

Interestingly, the featured Butch and Lily puppets had been early 1940s Hollywood figures that appeared as comedy nightclub stage acts in California and New York City. I purchased Lily from the retired performing artist, Lucille Elmore, who had become my vocal coach and mentor.  

She later bestowed Butch as an addition to my ongoing creative instructional film work. She explained that “I don’t want Butch ending up in a stored box”. 

And, indeed he didn't.

View Lily and Butch O'Malley below in Lucille Elmore's 1940's stage acts:

The characters'  vocal cadence have offered over 85 years of cheerful, comforting, reassuring glow to give a viewer a sense of well-being. 

The puppets had transferred themselves from 3-Dimensional stage players to a filmed 5-Dimensional rotating, instructional visual-sound system. These role models became successful tools for cognitive skills training.

Puppets as role models generate research outcomes

Data Outcomes Summary

Clinical Deep Learning Practice Applied

 No Magic Bullet or Quick Fix:  

Procedural Learning Objectives

 

Jan Kuyper Erland

 

 Summative Observations of a Data-Driven Framework:

Continuous anecdotal data science applications created some interesting observations. With perplexing longitudinal results with all ages showing gains of various cognitive functioning levels, I began to investigate these differences between individuals and yet, the results had mysteriously maintained not only post years latently through diagnostic follow up assessments, but maintained for decades, as evidenced by continuing circumstantial reports of impressive, continuing high career status.

 Yet, these data phenomena, under certain application-environmental provisions, would be routinely expected.

 Many of the following factors are routinely studied post treatment and verified by cognitive scientists, and should be under continued review at this juncture.

 Clinical anecdotal records revealed the following objectives initially and in subsequent years:

Both performance and mental attitude changed positively for many, not only during the course, but following due, most in all probability, to neuronal rapid, continued flexibility.

Results showed steady growth with all learning levels, but varied among individual subjects.

Results revealed larger growth by treatment groups than a gifted control groups and alternate media activity control groups.

Results were one-two years latent with challenging conditions, and these learners required immediate and semi-annual on-going refreshers.

 Average profiles varied in the outcome results. Some appeared to be suddenly “popped to the very high levels”, while others waxed according to their current brain’s proficiency wiring reflecting daily mental habits.

 As my master thesis indicated; puppets had the same “star” modeling influence power as did peer- team mates.[i]

 Long term memory transfer bridging to critical thought was the most difficult to improve, and required more intense, continuing working memory practice and, with reading and higher order thinking.

Results maintained when eagerly adopted and accepted by the client through the modeling routines.

Peer team models are the important factor for not only overall program acceptance, but for rehearsal spoken timing and pacing.

The deep phonological rehearsal verbal training may have affected the generalization outcomes reported in the research and published higher reading and math scores. [ii]

Intense verbal practice while viewing rotating, timed images and sounds impact working short term sequential memory leading to auditory-visual integration; a requirement for reading comprehension.

Subsequently, the reader must have a fundamental understanding, at the contextual level, for comprehending rigorous texts. To meet the top criteria of the Hierarchy of Thinking Model’s Critical Thought, [iii] this layer must be in place.

 

 

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[i]  Erland, J. K. (1980, October) Vicarious Modeling Using Peers and Puppets with Learning Disabled Adolescents. © 1980. The University of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas.

[ii]  Erland, J. K. (1999, Fall) Brain-Based Accelerated Learning and Cognitive Skills Training Using Interactive Media Expedites High Academic Achievement. The Journal of Accelrerated Learning and Teaching. 24, 3&4.

[iii]  Erland, Hierarchy of Thinking. Published in 1999 International Alliance of Learning’s monograph. Brain-Based Accelerated Learning and Cognitive Skills Training Using Interactive Media Expedites High Academic Achievement. 24, 3&4. pp.12-14.

 

 

Theatrical Puppetry Exercises with Musical Choral Speech Serve as a Tool to Enhance Memory and Learning Proficiency

Today, there are many brain exercise programs online that expect the client to have the motivation and interest to stay focused with an often tedious program. Many are random visual figure exercises to learn a series of images. The various types of visual and listening memory are not over-viewed, and, what is presented are visual memory exercises that are difficult to complete.

What is obviously missing from this paradigm is the crucial "listening-auditory memory" facet. Researchers have long written that auditory memory must couple with visual memory for the learner to understand or comprehend new information. Auditory/listening memory exercises must accompany the visual ones, and obtain effective results in the process. This challenge becomes a complex measurement and evaluation process to discover what is effective and works with all learning levels and capabilities. Following years of test-train-testing iterations, puppets were found to be an engaging, differentiating tool.

Yet, it can not be “any puppet, with any instructional purpose, or with any filmed procedure”, but should have a specific rationale and lesson objective in mind. Students are taught how to interface, react, and engage effectively.

To teach rapid auditory-visual memory, and to make the training palatable and exciting, I engaged a family of historical vaudevillian ventriloquist puppets that taught sequential learning to children age 9, up to the adult learner, who appreciated “the Charlie McCarthy – Edgar Bergen retro Hollywood radio days”.

Puppet characters offer the following beneficial qualities:

1) They offer a non-threatening, stress free, fun-like presence, and can become a “family affair” for the learning process. The learner remains in an abstract "one-up" position. Although they can challenge your capabilities to the next level, they do not intimate. When they back-talk, you are not personally offended, as they become your friend.

2) Their messages are rapidly understood. For example, they have been used in political cartoons and comic strips for decades.

3) Their vocal intonations penetrate the memory system.

Becoming an effective learning tool, we can learn from speaking puppets, but only when uniquely presented, are programmed effectively, and engage the learner.

Rather than fighting your way through a labyrinth of random, abstract memory lessons, as an alternative, instructional Mem-ExSpan puppetry games can improve our cognitive skills and memory uniquely and easily. We can learn visual and auditory factual names, words, and sequential memories, as in learning technical procedures, having jumped past outdated, rote memory systems.

And, if we find that these puppet characters do give us "guff," we really do not mind!

To find out more about Jan’s 5-Gen’s of classroom instruction backed by published, juried research, visit http://www.memspan.com