Gifted | theartoflearningproject.org/educate

Teaching The Art of Learning In a Rural Wyoming Elementary School (Part One)

April 7th, 2010 Categories: Elementary School, Gifted, The Learning Journal

Heather Danforth

Guest Blogger: Heather Danforth

Heather, an elementary school teacher in rural Wyoming, is working with The Art of Learning and sharing her classroom experiences…

As I read and re-read passages from The Art of Learning, I recognized the potential of many of the ideas in this book to help my students (and me) to be successful. I teach gifted students in a rural Wyoming town, and I have truly brilliant students. But as smart as they are, some of them struggle even to get passing grades. The statistics surrounding gifted students are unfortunate – for example, research shows that as many…

- “I cannot stress enough the extent to which The Art of Learning has equipped me with the ideas and values I need to succeed in any endeavor, but more importantly to enjoy any undertaking as an opportunity for learning. The book and its ideas gave me a lens through which to view my high school (and soon to be my college) education and also left me with a basic knowledge of the most important aspects of the learning process.” James Frick, high school student
- “This evening I contemplated the learning process, only to realize that my preconceived notions of school being the learning environment were wrong. Of course, school provides a foundation or knowledge. However, learning is not limited to the classroom per se. True learning is a natural process, a constant flow of energy.”Renee Schenkman high school student
- “In ways I could never imagine, Josh gave me a different perspective about how to learn. The Art of Learning opened the door to looking at how I learn best, and how I can improve teaching myself.” Stephen Pallone high school student
- “The Art of Learning challenged me to learn continuously, which I came to realize was in fact much easier, and less time-consuming, than my previous study habits. I no longer need to cram before tests, because the information had already been learned progressively over a span of time.” Courtney Caminiti high school student
- “With the aid of Josh Waitzkin’s The Art of Learning I have been able to utilize my intelligence and create a more intuitive sense of curiosity letting me become a more intellectual but open minded person.”Kate White high school student
- “After listening to Josh, and of course reading The Art of Learning I feel that I am more prepared to be present in my daily life, and to extract everything I can from my day to day experiences. Now, I focus on my “strategy” for learning, rather than just absorbing information. I want to be a student who can be mentally applied to my work at all times, and I feel that after listening to Josh, I can.”Ryan Shirtz high school student
- “I have involved not only students, but parents and teachers with the reading of The Art of Learning and
  something wonderful has developed from the seeds planted with the pages of your story.” Marilyn Cron middle school teacher