Saturday, February 20, 2010

How to Learn and Mentally Prepare to Succeed in the Internet World, by Ken Nourolahi

Have you ever wondered why some subjects are just difficult for us to learn?  Is it because they are too complex or does the subject lack meaning for us?  Research has shown that making meaning of information is a complex process that involves many areas of the brain (Jensen, 1998).  From a constructivist point of view, we build our understandings as a result of our experiences and interactions with the world around us, (Dewey, 1929).

We are able to make meaning of content when it has a particular “connection” with our background, either cognitively, emotionally, or spiritually.  However, the structured environments of most learning institutions do not provide opportunities for learners to explore and develop their talents based on their interests or their past experiences.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1989 called for a restructuring of the way students learn.  Researchers recognized that the United States was falling dangerously behind other countries in the education of its youth, particularly in math and science. According to Scott Grabinger and Joanna Dunlap at the University of Colorado at Denver, “We treat students passively for 12 to 16 years, rarely giving them the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning, to explore ideas of their own
choosing, to collaborate with one another or with teachers, or to make valuable contributions to the learning of others. They do not learn to take charge of their own learning nor do they learn the skills necessary to become life-long learners and daily problem solvers.”

In today’s global economy, workers are challenged to assimilate over a thousand times more information in a day than workers twenty years ago.  Just the sheer volume of information available on the internet makes it imperative that workers are able to create mental patterns that translate into meaningful and useful information that can be shared with others.  In this “information age”, we are challenged to use the “pattern-making” areas of our brain to associate and organize all of the new information that comes our way daily (Healy, 1994). 

Since these pattern making tasks require different areas of our brain, involve the connections to past experiences and evoke emotional response to situations, it is important that we collaborate and share our learning experiences with others.  This allows us to incorporate these patterns into our own mental framework without having to sift through another thousand items of information.  That is why it so important to open our minds to the ideas of others, select an experienced mentor, learn from him/her, and not limit ourselves
to only one way of thinking.

Utilizing these principals, we are able to take our new associates by the hand and teach them the necessary tools and skills that are essential requirements for success in the Internet World.  The "4-Step System" teaching method includes mental preparedness, written, video, and audio media as well as multiple weekly webinars by the experts in their respective fields.  Through collaboration and interaction with others, we not only share our interests, but we gain insight into the cognitive patterns of others.

To Your Success,

Ken Nourolahi

Scroll to the top of this page and let me know where to send full details on the "4-Step System" and your FREE E-book.
  
Visit my website below and learn more about me and my team's training services: 
http://www.whoiskennourolahi.com

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