Showing posts with label Cognitive Skills Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cognitive Skills Training. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Discovering an Arts and Science Film Model

Creating, implementing, monitoring continual data analyses, then evaluating, and publishing with the medical model is a lofty goal. Then converting this successful executive function application to mainstream understanding is even loftier.

My learning disability training came from renowned The University of Kansas’ instructional center, located at the main Kansas City, Kansas hospital. The rigorous medical model training was based upon the neuro-psychological construct.

As a learning disability specialist and classroom teacher, in the ‘70s & ‘80s, I applied science and art to the accepted accelerated learning construct.

At that time, creative instruction, was not a friendly construct with some public-school districts, administrators, and educators that depended on government funding.

Traditional teaching methods were inherent and cemented.

To my dismay, I soon discovered:

1)   Referred students required psycho-educational testing and evaluations to qualify, and many did not.

2)   Many students were not being identified, and fell through the testing requirement cracks.

3)   Furthermore, public schools could lose funding when the student was remediated. To maintain the funding stability, a newly referred student was needed to replace the vacancy.

4)   This meant additional after school staffing meetings with teachers, and administrators who were reluctant to lengthen their work-day.

5)   Auditory/sound/listening training was minimal, if any. (for creating auditory/visual integration for proficient logic and conceptualization).

These attributes created a large learning gap for everyone. Many concerned parents became desperate and sought private remediation resources.

Many instructional programs soon emerged. Some were cumbersome tutorials, whereas the individual traveled to a new setting/location.

This awkward construct opened the pathway for online leaning as broadband emerged, decades later.

Regrettably, many online auditory/visual training methods had their shortcomings with limited achievement results.

Then, there was me with my “arts in science” cognitive skills enhancement program with a phonological practice system that was working.

 



 Problem: My vocalized puppets, sitting on stools, demanded a filming interface. Moving them to distant states to film studios would be difficult, time consuming, and costly.

Subsequently, I created my own home laboratory complete with sound - recording, lighting, and video equipment to formulate procedural learning segments.

 Locating a talented sound technician who could work on small piece sound segments, plus learn a new looping system, was no easy task.

 Yet, one walked in from nowhere, as I interviewed many local candidates.

 My earlier blog discussions revealed the reluctance of current day individuals, faced with memory and cognitive deficiencies to rely on pills and concoctions as an easy quick-fix.

 And, with lots of Social Media time involvements over-riding educational learning.

However, hasty mental solutions will not produce efficient procedural upskill training.

Fortunately, looping, vocalized, puppet characters can realize and maintain their phonological sequencing results through continued science research, upskill implementation practice, and technology.

 

Thursday, January 25, 2024

Effective Wellness Reconsidered

Many are unaware that they operate below par with their mental wellness functions. Some are concerned, while many do not care.

Several cognitive, medical, and psychological predispositions comprise mental state relationships.

Trapped, disappointed, and living in a non-focus state, their fingers rapidly scroll their screens. When not scrolling rapidly, they rush between tasks and demands at hand.

Unfortunately, productivity is lost. Only one in five can execute, and then complete a challenging, technical procedure. Personal skills remain at a low ebb. 

Subsequently, work skills remain at a premium, and are in short supply.

Finding their work life in a static position, promotions or new jobs remain elusive, inflation stings. 

We may rush to find partners online to help pay the freight, whereas, it might be better to upskill for proficient, mental wellness enhancement.

It is time to contemplate your own situation, select effective researched, self-recovery methods, as marketing is having a hey-day at your personal well-being expense.

Follow my work with viewing pogram and lesson samples 

on YouTube under jankuypererland1111

https://youtu.be/0yBvAnGjJeI

Additionally, YouTube features one minute “shorts” to expedite the scrolling process, to complement their social media platforms that may promote ego boosting photos hinged with brief comments.

Utilize my research and developed applications, as it becomes cemented into ongoing and future medical, cognitive, and psychological research applications. 


Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Memory Development for Me

 


 Many would call my personal rewards luck. I call it my personal blessings, as evidenced by this recent November photo of myself enveloped in a rainbow by my kitchen window.

Never dreaming that my training initiative would benefit myself, as well as others, this realization came as a Christmas surprise.

The sudden rainbow of colors on me created a sense of wonderment.

Although Taylor Swift has recently discussed her early teen ambitions, my aim in assisting others developed early as a child. Not only did I want to help others, but I wanted to be a writer as the conduit element.

 There was an oxymoron problem: I did not have the cognitive ability to write with high acumen; let alone design and develop a memory program.

 Yes, like Taylor, I had ambition; but with limited talent to write effectively.

Now, with my own thrust with my own prescribed memory and cognitive auditory transfer training, the efforts have proved out in spades within three dynamic levels:

     1.                  the ability to manage my own
                complex health procedures for
                56 years to remain healthy.

2.                  the ability to team-work for complex film sound and video procedures to complete an arduous, demanding project.

3.                  to quickly understand, follow, and manage complex household    procedures, avoiding timely over-charge details.

Like many, I have much to be thankful for this holiday season, and offer this wish to the rest of you reading this commentary.


 



Saturday, September 23, 2023

Banging Your Head Against the Wall

 Sometimes it feels like we are “banging our heads against a wall” when people are not listening to us. They often ask questions just explained.

 We may experience this not only in skills training sessions or even in casual conversations.

 The confused may not “be day-dreaming”, nut unable to process incoming listening information, as the visual details at hand now take over their brain.

Unfortunately, many can only focus and follow one step holistically at a time, and cannot detect issues within the entire sequential procedure. Slow in procedural thought, “one unit at a time-piecemeal”, they become over-whelmed with step-wise instructions.

This unpredictable mind set creates a flow of errors that is both time-consuming and costly to reformulate properly.

Today’s work projects often employ three to five individuals, at high cost inefficiency, to accomplish a simple procedure. 

The following alarming story was recently related to me by a hospital book-keeper, as an incorrect coding entry had been taking a year of our involvement to resolve the accounting/mis-coded issue.

Without productive efficiency, projects fail with faulty detail. All work operations are a series of ordered details to be completed correctly, systematically, with full accountability. 

Any work chain with too many links can break down to error laden inefficiency.

Actual Medical Scenarios:

 It took a chain of five individuals in the hospitals’ book-keeping department to submit a Medicare claim adjustment in the year-long process. 

Inversely, there were several people at the Medicare side to conduct the same, expensive, time laden, data entry chain link process to finally correct the claim.

 That amounts to 8 monkeys working on one hospital charges data set.

 My Ophthalmologist routinely hires assistants to train from scratch, with few technical, if any, credentials. She falsely assumes that if they can run the ocular equipment that entering the machine data readings and input to the patients' records will be correct.

 Wrong.

 The assistant not only had entered incorrect data but mixed up the chart with another patient with a severe condition.

Then the doctor confronted with the dire results, requiring immediate surgery, lucky for me with my high listening-auditory-coding capability, I recognized the problem immediately, and confronted her with “these photos are not my newly filmed records”.

Of course, the doctor double checked my file, was embarrassed, and apologized, as I have nearly perfect eyesight.

Obviously, I could have gone through unnecessary eye surgery, not to mention, the time involvement, and the anxiety-stress incurred.

Subsequently, this circumstance could have been avoided by pre-testing the listening capability of future technician applicants.

 

 Erland, J. K. (1989, 1980). The Hierarchy of Thinking Model. Lawrence, Kansas.

Erland, J. K. (February 1986, 1989).Contrapuntal thinking and the definition of sweeping thinking).

 

 

 

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Understanding Cognitive Skills Testing: What Is It? Why Have It Admin? & Where To Find It?"

 I am reprinting an earlier version, 2010 article of mine, regarding the value of cognitive skills, standardized, longitudinal testing, still applicable today. 

Later, interestingly, in 2014, the University of Pennsylvania's Brain Behavior Lab created a simple, normed test, computerized, self-administered in one hour, called Mindprint Learning. It gives a direction for personalized learning plans in 10 skill levels.

While helpful for parent/teacher/student planning, the Mindprint Learning self-awareness test, therefore, differs greatly from the rigorous pre-post-post standardized test batteries I discuss, and administered at 13 learning sites.

 I work from the Guilford Intellgence model for backbone theory,  with a reformulated, brief, puppetry playbook model on downloadable film.


Lesson 1 preview is now available on Utube under "Jan Kuyper Erland".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yBvAnGjJeI    (paste link in your browser)

All of my lessons and content are original. The article goes well with my following July article on "Digital Transformation."


WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2010


We can now all move forward to new learning and achievement heights, providing we understand how our own information processing works. Our reluctance to be the very best we can be, can now be left behind us. 

My work is based upon the premise that “intelligence” is trainable, and that skills, like reading, writing, mathematics and problem solving are dependent on cognitive information processing basic blocks called “primitives.”

Why understand what these blocks are? Because all work proficiency, including academic achievement, depends upon how our “mind works” operate. 

The renowned psychologist, J. P. Guilford, identified 150 cognitive skills cubes, called the Structure of Intellect theory (SOI), which has been used as a foundation and measurement of general intelligence for decades. (See footnote).

Why should we care? Because our future endeavors, how we cope with everyday life and our achievements/life styles will depend upon our information processing capabilities. 

It will become our lifetime path we lead, and how contented we will be with what we end up doing as a livelihood.

How do we find out what capabilities we have? It is through standardized cognitive skills testing and evaluations can show information processing strengths and weaknesses of the individual.

Why is testing and evaluation not routinely prescribed? Why do we not know about it? It is because testing can only be administered by highly trained, state certified, professionals at the masters/doctoral degreed levels. 

These people include psychologists, school psychologists, and learning disability specialists. 

Testing companies will not sell testing materials to anyone other than these highly qualified and trained professionals, who are trained to do measurement and evaluations.

Subsequently, the testing requires trained expertise, money, and takes time. One set of cognitive skills tests usually runs from $2,500. - $3,000. 

Therefore, parents often go to physicians or psychiatrists who can prescribe medication to calm the learner, which may appear to be a quick, inexpensive solution. 

Yet, this intervention is not low-cost, and can run $100. a month or more depending upon insurance coverage. And, prescribed medication can become habit-forming.

There is little, scientific knowledge, summarizing the life-long effects of any kind of stimulant medication on the brain and body that is used to increase focus and concentration needed for learning new material.

Cognitive skills training and cognitive skills assessment has been available for some time. In 1975, Guilford's student, Dr. Mary Meeker, formed the "Structure of Intellect" (SOI) Institute and trained educators how to measure cognitive skills according to task. 

She and her husband, Robert, designed tests and materials. The SOI Institute exists today (as of July 2023) with clinicians in every state that have been trained at their "Advanced Level" out of four levels of experienced practice and training. 

The program has focused on reading, math, and learning problems, early childhood weaknesses, Gifted instruction with remediating missing blocks, and career counseling.

Yet, cognitive skills measurement and standardized testing has not been mainstreamed for the average, yet ambitious person, due to training, time, professional qualifications, and cost constraints. 

Generally speaking, individuals needing remediation were tested either privately, in schools, clinics, or within learning institutions.

Subsequently, many who who were fortunate enough to obtain low-cost assessments and training, or at no cost through their school, later felt embarrassed that they might be considered as "inadequate or a slow learner." 

Yet, they could subsequently experience giant steps forward in perceiving and learning new information faster and reaching greater career heights. 

Now, this sense of "being singled out as imperfect or having a problem " is no longer the case, as we move forward with a new dimension of identifying learning skills strengths and weaknesses to create the high performing, confident individual. 

We must all excel. Tomorrow's world is demanding it of us.

How can I get started with solid, eye-opening measurement of my own or my children’s cognitive skills if it is expensive and time consuming? Is this beneficial, and worth the time and trouble?

Soon there will be available online options that will offer access to finding the right professional in your area, who will now charge less for solid evaluations. 

And, the online options will give you the information you need and want, and point you in the right direction for not only testing, measurement and evaluations, but for instructional, learning solutions.

My dream is that most of us will want optimum mental fitness in the future for our children and ourselves the same way we want physical fitness and personal well-being. 

It will be our choice to move forward to higher levels. We can be competitive in the new, global world.

Footnote: Guilford, J.P. (1967). The Nature of Human Intelligence. New York: McGraw-Hill. In Guilford's Structure of Intellect (SOI) theory, intelligence is viewed as comprising operations, contents, and products. 

There are 5 kinds of operations (cognition, memory, divergent production, convergent production, evaluation), 6 kinds of products (units, classes, relations, systems, transformations, and implications), and 5 kinds of contents (visual, auditory, symbolic, semantic, behavioral). 

Since each of these dimensions is independent, there are theoretically 150 different components of intelligence.





Sunday, June 4, 2023

Creating a Video-Sound Stage

 "The Best Conditions Became Evident at the Right Moment"

 

My previous blogs offered my personal stories to encourage the application of creativity,  as I did successfully that results in enthusiastic, engaged learners.

 I have earlier related “How to Follow Oral Directions” was my masters 1980 experimental project. Puppets were shown to be as effective as peer role models. 

Then, obtaining unusual outstanding results with my students/clients, solid longitudinal data verification was deemed necessary authentication.

 The historical role model puppets emerged as the data catalyst. 

This outcome revealed any type of action puppet can be noteworthy for instruction to motivate current non-focused, screen-addicted, students having weak listening memory.

 My objective with this immense filming project was to condense, consolidate, and complement my unpublished instructional and training manuals (each lesson, research documented). 

And then, convert earlier filmed lessons, as a live data collecting prototype, to an easy- to- use, high-quality, stand-alone-deliverable product.

 The staging creation process was not easy to formulate, as there were many decisions and time delays locating and installing the needed equipment.

 Fortunately, I have had a life-long background for understanding staging requirements.

 By age 4, I existed on a home stage in our living room.  My earliest fond memories were those of acting in front of a home movie camera in bright lights. 

Now, everyone is in front of a cell-phone lens, taking multitudes of self-absorbed “selfies” every few hours.

Yet for me, it was not a spontaneous, reactive occurrence, because it was then 1941, and 8 mm silent movie cameras were rare, new, products, available only for the invested person. 

But, we became one, using Kodacolor movie film. Family members were often the subject matter in the home stage environment.

 This action involvement progressed eventually to my early 1960 teaching with classroom stage productions. 

The family 1970s puppet show staging followed naturally with lighting instruction offered by the University of Kansas theatrical department where I was enrolled.

           With 5- generations of filmwork development completed over decades of technical, upgrade hurdles, and finding that commercial film companies were not a realistic pursuit; the home stage studio became a work-in- process, trial endeavor.

 Now, let’s fast- forward to 2017. My grand-daughter was enrolled in film studies at Cal Arts and offered lighting and staging input to complement mine. 

A freshly engaged, novice, photographer and sound editor, put the studio production into slow, steady, forward gear, as there were many sound and lighting considerations.

 Subsequently, moon-lighting his day job, he could only schedule four hours weekly, as an up- skilling training project (2-3 hours filming, and 1-2 hours editing and producing uploads into Drop Box). Although he had his own rock band, was fond of comic action, he welcomed the opportunity to practice studio photography. 

He soon realized increased dedication to this immense, ongoing, project.

It was a high-risk endeavor, and I never thought we would get beyond the first 3 or 4 lessons. Subsequently, I was agreeable with the initial slow production set-up pace.

 We ordered the necessary lighting equipment and a 5’ camera slider that had serious shipment delays. Finally, the historical stage puppets were in place ready for the necessary action. 

I had become a multi-vocal puppeteer who could readily switch vocals with the required timed pacing. This aspect eliminated the need to hire several puppeteers with additional film production staff. 

And, most importantly, it would be the same photographer, not rotating ones trying to learn the complex choreographed, panning system.

 


My small filming-sound studio was now soon complete with computers/screens. As if my magic, we gradually finalized over 3 - 6,000 lesson segments through countless takes and retakes. An early-effort, 2 minute segment, had up to 13 retakes of my vocals with constant staging challenges. 

We re-filmed the first eight lessons several times, because the practiced filming and puppetry improvement was noticeable.

In a culture of pill-popping, as an easier solution than mental, action workouts, the re-filmed lessons run from a brief 10- minutes up to 24, averaging 16.  The participant applies resilient, cognitive, whole-brain responses and interaction. 

Workouts give feelings of exhilaration and pleasure

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) can imitate this complex staging with “faces and voices”, but, creating the same warm, comforting, interactive, appeal is questionable.

Hopefully, this article will encourage others to engage with in-depth, meaningful, projects that offer insightful well-being and accomplishment.

Thursday, May 25, 2023

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


Thursday, February 23, 2023

AI and the Human Mind: Our Third Brain?

AI and the Human Mind: Our Third Brain? [1]

 By Jan Kuyper Erland

 

Recently, having completed my 5-generational researched and developed puppetry film project, it is prudent to discuss the threat of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it might mimic The Bridge to Achievement’s (BTA) layered components effectively.

The Irony of The Bridge to Achievement’s lengthy project: How AI mechanical images and sound may affect any completed project output in unknown objectionable ways, yet could have assisted greatly with the long, arduous writing and procedural details process. [2]

Comparing our own vocal/musical sounds compared with Open AI mechanical sounds

 The mechanical written sentences and vocals can be easily captured through ChatGPT. Pitch, rhythm, and pace could be copied easily by AI; but intonation and emotional expression is questionable. Attitudes may be hidden.

Subsequently, unique talent can become difficult to imitate fully. The inner personality is not like the original spirit. Specialized talent’s feelings and nuances become  difficult to convey mechanically.

Spoken and musical phrasing is unique to the speaker’s voice. It can be interpreted a special way according to the mental rhythm of the intoned speech. Two singer’s or actor’s voices may replicate sound through AI similarly, but the replication would not create the same layered tonal quality, sensation, through emotional, meaningful intent.

 AI versus Human Language Considerations

For example, prosody and phonological awareness has adapted mechanical sound variations by Siri chat and in various listening pathology treatments for simple, direct communicative value. Yet, the BTA offers multiple, complex, dramatic looping variations for upskilling capabilities uniquely and artistically. 

 AI Written Work Productivity

CEOs are bombarded with tech app requests to streamline written work procedures and project demands with AI. Unfortunately, there are multiple constraints: algorithms take time to develop, are costly to build as each factor has variables. To complicate the situation, there are few data scientists available to fill the roles, let alone convey reasonable expectations and outcomes.

That being said, how will the written sentence convey consistent, intended messaging with logic and reasoning?  Unfortunately, ChatGBT platforms can convey misinformation leading to a myriad of personal and legal entanglements. This aspect will be determined in written evaluative discourse within future data outcomes.



[1]  Hao, J, Cutter, C., and Morenne, B, (February 20, 2023). From CEOs to Coders, Employees Experiment with New AI Programs. New York, NY, The Wall Street Journal. TECH. pp.1-7.

[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). 

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Scientific Hierarchy of Thinking Model

 Scientific Hierarchy of Thinking Model [1]


Seeking an Information Processing
Intervention Solution
through Deep Learning Cognitive Practice

By Jan Kuyper Erland

 


My earlier blog articles described my innovative, rapid learning process beginning as a parent wishing to give my own family members a learning edge for high cognitive, thought levels.

 The initial training was based on my master’s manuscript, “Following Oral Directions with Peers and Puppets” [2] that applied Bandura’s Social Learning Theory [3] and role models. Findings showed no significant difference between either peers or puppets as role models with junior high students with challenging conditions.

 Current brain research corroborates theses early psychological cognition brain functions/domain findings through fMRI brain scans. [4]

 Later, this initial research premise was conveyed by book chapter articles regarding 5-Dimensional layered thinking describing the unique application process, applying the Hierarchy of Thinking model.

 This scientific model update becomes thought-provoking research to any reader, as experimental psychology may apply multiple scientific models each uniquely arranged with the cognitive scientists’ viewpoint on brain activation functions and how they are applied.

 Rarely is an independent, experimental cognitive researcher also a school teacher, educational content developer, and dramatic artist, creating a scalable model with five generations of research and development pointing to a viable solution.

Research papers/projects often show little fidelity with actual treatments, as few researchers have been trained in applied learning procedures and resolve immediate student learning concerns similarly to experienced classroom teachers. Subsequently, unique methods of unusually innovative treatments are not routinely applied. [5]

 This investigator applied years of an unfamiliar treatment in multiple environments, with various age group samples, within several geographical areas, with four longitudinal data reports over an extended generational time span. Many 3rd party reviewers and independent testing companies were involved, and the longitudinal experimental trials were with the same intact treatment groupings, randomly applied with control groups, ultimately received an international award. [6]

 The Hierarchy of Thinking model was rigorously adhered to within actual practice by focusing on initial chunking rote memorization for patterned details, leading upwards to integrating multiple relationships of sequencing procedural information, then directed to Abstract Problem Solving – Critical thought. [7]

 This generational outcome indicated strong procedural sequencing mental ability for individuals, ages 9-99 desiring increased academic and career skill enhancement.

 



[1] Erland, J. K. (c 1989) Hierarchy of Thinking. Published in 1999 JALT research monograph.

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

[3] Bandura, A, (1971), Social learning theory, Stanford University: General Learning Corporation.

[4] Turner, J. A. M.D. (December 24, 2021). Re-conceptualizing domains in neuroscience, hopes, and utopias aside. Nature Neuroscience.

[5] Schueller. S.M. (November 2020) Scaling Evidence-Based Treatments Through Digital Mental Health. American Psychologist. Journal of the American Psychological Association. 75.  #8. 1093-1104.

[6] Erland, J. K. (2008) Downloadable, unpublished report. Five Generations 27-years of Iterative Brain Based Accelerated Learning Experimentation Demonstrate Cognitive Skills\ Improvement Enhances Academic and Career Goals. (https://memspan.com/jalt.html). Pages 19-20 Landmark study: International Alliance for Learning (IAL, June 2001).

[7] Erland, J; K. (1999). Brain-Based Accelerated Learning and Cognitive Skills Training Using Interactive Media Expedites High Academic Achievement. Journal of Accelerated Learning and Teaching. 24. (3&4) Monograph. ERIC: 437 650. ©1999.



Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Improving Learning Acquisition in the Classroom

Classrooms today are challenging for even the most experienced teacher, let alone new ones who are entering the field. Today’s classrooms are known for their diversification of students’ ability and knowledge base levels, which leads to a broad range of learning pace. This is on top of gender, economic, parental support, disabilities, advanced learners, and motivational differences.

To cope with this dilemma, the Response to Intervention (RTI) Model set three-tier assessment guidelines, including early individual and classroom-group screenings to detect behavioral and learning problems. These assessments are directed to helping each child learn and become a success in school. Many children fear failure in front of others. The slow or disabled learner then loses confidence and motivation to learn, and can become a behavior problem.

The differentiated classroom is a curriculum infrastructure model to add fluidity to instructing multiple ability ranges. Imagine what the teacher has to contend with trying to teach diverse student learners, many of them behavior problems.

Would’t be wonderful if most students learned and worked as one unit at similar paces, and broad cognitive ability ranges remained few to each classroom? There is a solution: this philosophy requires accelerating information processing with accentuated visual and listening memories for each and every child.

To begin, there must be group screenings tests to determine the pre-classroom student memory levels. Although this requires additional teacher involvement, it is worth the effort by knowing your student profiles. Then you can move forward to improve learning capacities and speed or pace of learning. Every student moves forward so they can then understand typical group instruction.

Step 1: Parents request a referral for school testing for their child. Schools are typically backed-up with multiple requests, but there are also private resources through psychologists and private practitioners qualified to assess. According to the IDEA (2004) mandate, if schools to not assess your child, they must pay for private testing. There are many cognitive skills tests that measure visual and auditory processing speed. Professionally trained diagnosticians must administer them. In schools, it is the certified, assessment team. Classroom screening procedures with simple checklists also are available for teachers to determine these ranges.

Step 2: Find a solution. There are many RTI products on the market. Find one with scientific, longitudinal findings. Although my product, The Bridge to Achievement, (BTA), is still in the BETA stage, it is a student-adult ability-charger. The 5-generational, scientifically documented e-Learning program includes five 1-3 year longitudinal studies with individuals, school students, and adults in business and college settings.

The program automates student pacing levels in the classroom or at home. It is taught by puppets as models, which increase student motivation, and removes the fear of making mistakes while learning. Students improve their information processing levels in a short period of time.

When students have improved their learning and pacing levels, instruction in the classroom becomes easier for the teacher. Teachers are relieved, as their teaching day becomes easier with an integrated classroom. Children and their parents become satisfied as they see their child transformed into active, happy learners.

I have a new research report, now in publication review process, showing the multi-tiered effects of my 29-years of Accelerated Learning research with various populations, ages 9 to adult. All but one experiment had one-to-three years post longitudinal tracking showing that my choral speaking with puppetry methods maintained. It is unique research that you will want to follow.

My dream is that most of us will want mental fitness in the future the same way we want physical fitness. It will be that easy to move forward to higher levels. We won't have to be left behind.

Monday, December 14, 2009

From Stress To Financial Mess: Acute Stress Affects Financial Decision Making

From Stress To Financial Mess: Acute Stress Affects Financial Decision Making








ScienceDaily (Apr. 2, 2009) — It is not surprising that as our economy continues its freefall, we are feeling increasingly more stressed and worried. Many of us are feeling extreme unease about the security of our jobs and being able to make our next mortgage payment. However, according to new a report in Psychological Science, stress could make our financial troubles even worse.

The results were consistent with a phenomenon known as the reflection effect - we tend to show increased conservatism when choosing between two potentially positive outcomes, but increase our risky behavior when choosing between two gambles that result in a loss. However, this study suggests that stress exaggerates this effect; while exposed to stress volunteers were more conservative when choosing between potentially positive outcomes and were riskier when choosing between gambles that could result in a loss.

The researchers propose that under stressful conditions, we fall back on automatic, lower-level thought processes and we "are less able to utilize more rational and deliberative thinking to assist in making decisions." They also note that these findings have implications for understanding how our environment might influence decision making. In financial decision making, where rational and deliberative thinking is essential, a stressful environment might hamper our ability to make decisions.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

"How Can Parents Identify ADD or ADHD?"

The question to be answered is; "Who can identify and remediate ADD - ADHD to help parents"? Is it a physician, a school psychologist, a brain scientist, universities’ special education or psychology departments, the school, the teacher, the parent, or a special education specialist?

Unfortunately, each has a small piece of the puzzle, and often, many of the pieces do not interface.

The author's qualifications: I am the parent of three children of whom I conducted auxiliary home schooling as I developed The Bridge To Achievement cognitive skills brain building program. They were: an ADD - ADHD student, an average grade school student, and a gifted student (all who later excelled remarkably and who are now VPs of major national companies (two of them), the third, a finance Director of an Irvine, CA company. They, and 2500 others seeking information processing acceleration, propelled to upper limits through cognitive skills retraining, which is applicable for all of us.

I have been a special education specialist/clinician heavily trained in measurement, assessment, and evaluation; a teacher with years of experience in 7 school districts, including a special education classroom, an Itinerant Learning Disability teacher, a researcher and private program administrator who set up 14 national testing sites observing that most people have deficient cognitive areas of their brain, and who conducted small group and school investigations for many years without funding support. I also set up a nonprofit parent-teacher literacy organization in 1980 to help all individuals learn more efficiently and be more productive.

According to J. R. Ramsay, "ADHD management usually involves some combination of medications, behavior modifications, lifestyle changes, and counseling. Its symptoms can be difficult to differentiate from other psychiatric or other disorders, increasing the likelihood that the diagnosis of ADHD will be missed. Additionally, most clinicians have not received formal training in the assessment and treatment of ADHD, particularly in adult patients." (Ramsay, J. Russell. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD. Routledge, 2007).

Brain scientists can verify that there is a physical problem with a lack of dopamine, and that with ADHD, the receptors and transporters are significantly less abundant in mid-brain "reward" structures. (Arias-Carrión O, Pöppel E (2007). "Dopamine, learning and reward-seeking behavior". Act Neurobiol Exp 67 (4): 481–488. A recent (October 2009) Dana Foundation's Brain in the News p. 6 article, "Brain Scans Link ADHD to Biological Flaw Tied to Motivation" offers some contemplative thought. The article reveals 4.5 million U.S. Children have received diagnosis for the disorder, and more than half of these children take prescription drugs. There is much controversy on medication (the long-range effects on the brain and behavior) and remediation, and "how to remediate" approaches. (National Institutes of Health (NIH) "Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)". NIH Consensus Statement 1998 Nov 16(2): Reason R (1999). "ADHD: a psychological response to an evolving concept. Report of a Working Party of the British Psychological Society". Journal of learning disabilities 32 (1): 85–91.

The Dana Foundation continues (October 2009, p.6) that these scientists are "years away" from a biological test for the disorder, but their studies are a step in the right direction. In the frontal lobes, dopamine controls the flow of information from other areas of the brain. "Dopamine disorders in this region of the brain can cause a decline in neurocognitive functions, especially memory, attention, and problem-solving. Reduced dopamine concentrations in the prefrontal cortex are thought to contribute to attention deficit disorder and ADHD" (Biederman J (1998). "Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a life-span perspective." Journal of clinical psychiatry 59, (Suppl. 7): 4–16.)

Waiting for a biological measurement is not necessary, as there are many high ranking psychological batteries, which will determine cognitive weaknesses. These include: The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised (WISC-R) and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho Educational Battery (WJ); Test 1 Cognitive Skills Test Battery and Test 2 measures Academic Achievement among others. In the 1970s- to 1980s, these tests were widely used by schools to identify learning disabled students in accordance to Public Law 94-142 in 1975. (the first predecessor was PL 89-750, 1966). Gradually, these tests gave way to simpler measurements, if any. Students were placed in remedial classrooms to receive tutoring. Abilities were not changed. The the learning deficient status quo was maintained, and often test scores stagnated. Lives became limited.

Who can administer these tests and how is it diagnosed? Tests can be given by any professional trained and certified at the master's or doctoral level having educational and psychological testing and measurement proficiency. This includes physicians, psychologists, special education clinicians, and university experts. Evaluators look for high and deficient or low cognitive areas, which can be improved through a specific therapy regimen.

What do they charge for a full battery? The fees usually run $2,500-$4,000 depending on how many subtests are given, and how many hours it takes to administer them. Since many object to these measurement fees, they prefer amphetamine medication.

However, you can request some of these tests from your school at no cost. Unfortunately, they are backed up with measurement requests, and are reluctant to do the WISC-R and in depth Woodcock Johnson Psycho Educational Batteries as they are labor intensive and time consuming, let alone the time it takes to score, evaluate, and report the complete results in special meetings.

Yet, according to the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement (PL 108-446) schools are required to furnish independent evaluations and evidenced-based management techniques (Turnbull, H. R., Stowe, M.J., and Huerta, N.E. 2007, Free Appropriate Public Education 7th edition, Denver, Co: Love Publishing Co. p. 362).

It was most unusual that I was conducting scientific inquiry testing since 1980, for overly nominal fees or for pro bono, in order to gather important data for thousands of individuals. For twenty years, a series of publications documented the progress. With the fortitude to continue the investigations, additional scientific reports are in publication process. Testing and reporting a specific protocol with various ages, abilities, and demographic groups for nearly three decades was deemed landmark in 2001 (International Alliance for Learning publication, June 2001). How can you find a program that will "actually work?" That will take research.

Examine the program’s research, and how long they have been practicing and collecting results that show academic achievement gains longitudinally. Longitudinal results are difficult to come by, as it takes roughly 7-8 years for any experiment to be administered, evaluated, concluded, and published. The good news is that everyone can step forward whether there are minimal or more serious cognitive skill deficits. Plus the consideration that behavioral remediation is possible as an alternative to medication!