Mindful vs Mindless Learning
If you google “mindful learning” you may see a reference to Ellen Langer, a researcher at Harvard that coined the term “mindful learning” related to her work applied to K-12 education.
She says in part that, “When we engage in mindful learning, we avoid forming mind-sets that unnecessarily limit us. Many of our beliefs about learning are mind-sets that have been mindlessly accepted to be true. Consideration is given to some of the consequences that result from a mindful reconsideration of these myths of learning.”
What mindsets might be limiting your learners? How can we foster helpful mindsets in our learners?
Langer offers a five step approach to “mindful” learning. She says that we can adopt a mindful state when learning by following five steps:
1. Remain open to novelty
2. Be alert to distinctions
3. Adopt a sensitivity to different contexts
4. Have an implicit awareness of multiple perspectives
5. Be orientated in the present
Here’s a nice interview with Langer where she describes certain tactics we can use in learning:
Check out her work and see how it might help you be mindful in your learning!
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