Brain-Compatible Teaching & Learning
Vol. 1, No. 1, Teacher Card Series
© Ronald Fitzgerald

Why Bother Using a Brain-Compatible Approach?

A. INTRODUCTION: A teacher can present information to all students in the same traditional ways - - lecture, discussion, demonstrations, reading, homework. Results will be traditional - -
Notice the traditional normal curve shape through the top of the score bars.
A teacher can use well-researched, brain-compatible techniques that accelerate learning for students of any age. The results will be higher achievement and less variation - -
Brain-compatible or accelerated learning teaching techniques improve student learning.

B. EXAMPLES: In a high school course entitled English for the Entrepreneur, instructor Sebastian Paquette converted a unit on Creating a Business Lease from use of traditional teaching techniques to use of accelerated learning techniques. Here is a graphic showing the changing achievement scores from 1996-97 (traditional techniques) to 1998-99 (accelerated learning), each group being evaluated with the same scoring rubric on quality standards for design of a professional business lease - -
Note the changes in both the median mark and the s.d. or standard deviation (high quality, less variation).

C. WHAT EACH TEACHER CAN DO: Each teacher can learn or constantly expand knowledge of brain-compatible techniques and apply them in the classroom. These additional topic cards are available in Volume 1 of the Teacher Card Series - -

  1. Organizing a Teaching Unit for Accelerated Learning
  2. What You Need to Know about Students
  3. A Preference Test on Styles and Talents
  4. Giving Attention to Different Learning Styles
  5. Allowing Different Activities for Processing and Gaining Meaning
  6. The Critical Importance of Visual Organizers
  7. Time, an Important Factor in Structuring Teaching
  8. Using the Principles of Mastery and Continuous Improvement Learning
  9. The Special Roles of Cooperative Learning and Emotional Intelligence
  10. Schoolwide Checklists for Strengthening Use of Accelerated Learning
  11. Resources for More Information on Brain-Compatible Teaching and Learning

For more information on these and other topic cards or associated seminars contact

Dr. Ronald Fitzgerald • Educational Service • 26 Forest Road Acton, MA  01720
OR EMAIL rf-edsvc@verizon.net