Accelerated Learning = 42

For those old enough - or just sad enough - to know that 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything (hitch-hikers guide) this may already make sense.

But for those of you looking sideways at your screen - frowning - with your clicking finger poised over the "Back" button, let me explain...

I have become passionate about Accelerated Learning. It's the "killer app" we've been waiting for.

We've learned an amazing amount about the way the brain works - and plays - at it's best in recent years. In fact, over 90% of what we now know, we have discovered in the last 5 years.

The great Egyptians had no idea where the human brain was.

The Ancient (and cunningly clever) Greeks didn't know.

Not even the Romans with their great empire and greater ingenuity knew where the brain was.

We only found out 450 years ago that it was in our head! Of course, people knew that there was something grey and squidgy up there, but not what it did. They knew it wasn't a good thing to be without one(!) and that bad things seemed to happen to people who had the misfortune of getting something stuck in it, but they had no idea why it was there!

Amazing. But true.

And so what about the way we teach our children?

Well that too has hardly changed in the last 400 years. A little more interaction maybe, slightly better food (no, scratch that) but essentially chalk and talk.

Well, it's time for a change.

Imagine being in charge and having two choices; two instructions for your people:-

• Tell them to learn everything and then learn how to best learn things, or
• Tell them to learn how to best learn things and then learn everything

What would it be?

Of course. It's not even close to a trick question. It's obvious.

And yet, in schools around the world, we are just taught stuff, rather than taught how to learn stuff!

It's an important distinction.

It's a crucial distinction.

It's the kind of change in thinking that could affect generations.

If we could understand and then deploy effective tools techniques and strategies for accelerated learning in our schools (as well as in the work place) we will truly help ourselves to move closer to the answer to life, the universe and everything.

42.