tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44245539508631517902024-03-08T04:28:02.787-08:00Firsthand LearningFirst Hand Learning, Inc. is a New York nonprofit corporation founded in 1998 to promote inquiry-based teaching, learning from direct experience, and closer links between cultural institutions and schools.FHLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03045216400495858035noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4424553950863151790.post-21175277949056288132012-05-25T13:00:00.000-07:002012-05-25T13:05:34.369-07:00Reality in reading<style>
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<i><span style="color: #6600cc; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">"The <span class="il">brain</span>, it seems,
does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and
encountering it in real life;</span></i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt;">.." <i><span style="color: #6600cc;">-- Annie Murphy
Paul</span></i><br />
<br />
A recent opinion piece in the Sunday NY Times reported on <span class="il">brain</span>
research that suggests reading about an experience is almost the same as the
experience itself. This is an intriguing finding, but it raises
questions. If true, what are the implications for firsthand learning,
which in most cases involves significantly more time and effort than simply reading
about an experience? Is there evidence that direct encounters with the
real world produce learning that is in any way better than watching movies or
reading books?<br />
<br />
The piece is available at the following URL: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=all">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-<span class="il">brain</span>-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=all</a><br />
<br />
Please feel free to comment and review other ideas at: <a href="http://firsthandlearning.blogspot.com/">http://firsthandlearning.blogspot.com/</a></span>FHLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03045216400495858035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4424553950863151790.post-28635954706433605182012-03-16T08:54:00.000-07:002012-03-16T08:56:10.648-07:00The value of learning from direct experienceKudos to Bill Rogers, Director of Out-of-School Programs for spotting this article in Science News. It describes research that provides hard evidence of the educational value of firsthand learning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/335907/title/Skateboarders_rock_physics" target="_blank">http://www.sciencenews.org/<wbr>view/generic/id/335907/title/<wbr>Skateboarders_rock_physics</a><br /><br />What other evidence exists? Please post your comments and suggestions.FHLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03045216400495858035noreply@blogger.com0