" I have found that “forgetting” is an important part of learning, particularly if I want to learn something deeply, gaining an intuitive understanding rather than just superficial facts. I immerse myself in studying something and then at a certain point my brain says “no more!” and it becomes stressful and I don’t seem to be making any progress. So I leave it for a few days (or weeks, or months) and then come back to it when it is no longer stressful (the right time seems to be when I start dreaming about it). Then I may have forgotten many of the surface details but I find it is so much easier to understand and remember the material and I can go further before I reach the “no more!” point again. It is as though my brain is doing a huge amount of reorganizing, unconsciously, during those interstitial times. Traditional learning does not usually give you the opportunity to take breaks when you need them."
-KAIA
" O gosh, that describes me too. I think it comes from my obsessive tendencies; I want to immerse myself, suck the marrow out of a subject so I know it thoroughly. But that’s a bit overwhelming, mainly because I get to the point where I don’t understand anything, so I snap back and say “okay, it’s time to spend more time playing play-dough with my kids.” Then, weeks later, when I find myself curious about the subject again, I discover that I’ve digested all this deep understanding of the subject without really realising I was thinking about it. (and that, incidentally, is why I was labeled slow. Not slow as in delayed, but slow as in I need to keep up with everyone else. Now as an adult I look back at that and realise how ridiculous it all was — here, in their class, my teachers had a kid who was actually interested in things (not always my own things either, often it was what they were teaching). I wanted to dig deeper, stay on a subject for more than just one block, and they interpreted it as daydreaming or difficulty applying myself or something. Crazy."
-PAUL d'AOUST
" ... Working with teachers I talk about slowing down, reflecting, savouring the ideas and enjoying learning."
-SAM GRUMONT
" ...deep learning is slow learning,
Watching others try to accelerate the learning of children in schools is what got me going on this idea initially. The results were often painful and fruitless. Deep learning over time, is the only way real learning seems to take place."
-PATRICIA KAMBITSCH
In short ,Slow Learning
- promotes deep learning
- crosses genres, disciplines
- is grounded in the interests of the learner
- champions the pleasures of learning
- promotes inquiry and dialogue
- lasts a lifetime
- allows for authentic learning
- seeks unmediated experiences
- supports, and is supported by learning in Community
SLOW LEARNER STUDY GROUP
Est. 1995
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