The Power of Mindful Learning
Remember those all-nighters back in college--staying up till all hours  memorizing the plu-perfect form of the verbavoiror the names and dates of  succession of all the kings of England? Now remember facing that final exam and having  your mind go blank? According to Professor Ellen J. Langer, author ofThe Power of  Mindful Learning, those sleepless nights and agonizing memorization were probably  for naught. In her book, Professor Langer seeks to prove that real learning takes place in a  "mindful" environment, one that provides a context for the subject we are  studying and allows us to bring something of ourselves into the process. As an example,  she points to a study of two groups of piano students, one of which was taught through  repetition and memorization of scales, while the other was encouraged to respond to their  own thoughts and emotions. The second group became more competent and more  creative.Professor Langer espouses a more holistic approach to teaching than is generally in  vogue today. For example, she believes that forgetting can be an essential component to  learning: just as smokers who have attempted to quit before have a better chance of  succeeding in future attempts, so people who have forgotten information and skills and  then relearn them may remember better the second time.The Power of Mindful  Learningis sure to raise a great deal of debate among educators, and this is a good  thing; after all, what old dog couldn't stand to learn a new trick or two?--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.