WHAT IS LEARNING?

[Rick Boutcher]

 

   Computers, as great as they are, without a program to tell them what to think about become nothing more than a machine with no purpose. But they do have purpose. They help mankind think his way through deep thoughts and expand his memory with incredible speed. Install a program in the hard drive or insert a CD and the computer knows what it is that you would like it to think about. Connect one computer to another with a couple of wires and the computers can transfer information back and forth thus expanding the programs contained within each of the two computers.

 

   Of all the computers that have been created, none come close to the capabilities of the human brain. The human brain allows man to gather information, correlate it, sort it, decipher it, draw conclusion from it, remember it, expand upon it and create new radical thoughts to improve on everything that is around us. But, like all computers, the human brain must also be programmed with information pertaining to the subject which will be the target of thought. Without knowing the basics of the subject, the brain will not know what to think about. In order to think new and radical thoughts, one must know all that already exists about the particular topic.

 

   Learning is the process of programming the brain with the basic information of a given topic, so as to be able to think within that topic. But learning is not just gathering information. Learning is knowing how all the gathered information relates and supports itself. The information must, therefore, be presented to the brain in such a manner that it, not only shows the relationship, but develops the understanding of the relationship within the brain that is learning.

 

   Of all the jobs throughout the world, the hardest is learning.  Every job has machines, tools and meters to help a person do the job. But when it comes to  programming the human brain, there are no machines, tools or meters that can install the information in the brain so that it can be called upon to think through a problem or develop new thoughts to expand the existing technology.

  

   So, if a person does not know something, but wants to learn, what tools can be used? Man has five basic tools used to gather information. They are the five sensors. Taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. But there is yet, one more tool that can be used. It is called, mental stimulation. Mental stimulation is where questions come from. Questions are how the human brain puts the information gathered by the sensors into logical order so as to understand the relationship and develop the ability to refer to it intelligently.

 

  Mental stimulation is the responsibility of the Teacher. He is the one who must present the information so as to reach out and grab the curiosity of the student,  stimulating his desire to know. To know is to understand. To understand is the ability to use the learned information.

 

   If you teach what you know from your heart, students will respond. Their interest will be stirred, their curiosity raised and the desire to learn falls right into place.

 

   Think about it!

 

 

Rick Boutcher

Teacher of Electrical Physics (Retired)