I.E. and LEARNING RESISTANCE

A recent newsletter from International Renewal Institute in the Chicago area, an Authorized Training Center for Instrumental Enrichment, has a worthwhile lead article by Falik and Bellanca on Learning Resistance. A good analysis of the problem of students who resist learning and how mediated learning experiences can successfully address this misunderstood situation in children, the article makes relevant reading for anyone who has experience with or interest in cognitive modifiability; click here to access the article and the newsletter.

Closing the Educational Achievement Gap

WHY HAVE THE EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT GAPS NOT BEEN ELIMINATED IN AMERICAN  SCHOOLS?

 

FOUR KEY FACTORS THAT HAVE LIMITED THE LEARNING PROCESS, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY

For those of us who are concerned with the direction of education reforms, which include lack of academic progress within many school populations, the factors below are especially true in many urban areas.  There has been little or no academic improvement in so-called “turn-around “schools, after thirty-plus years of school reform.

Many “charter” schools indicate that they have made remarkable academic achievements with their students.  It should be noted that these schools have selected their students by lottery and/or interviews.  Our U.S. schools have always had students who have done “very well” in public community schools and would do the same in all educational environments, whether they be public, charter, secular, private, or religious schools.  At the present time, many students, particularly minorities, have been left behind.

The authors of this document have identified four major reasons why many of our children are underachievers. These are: (1) Poverty, (2) Corruption, (3) Misuse of Education Funds, (4) Lack of Research which would benefit Classroom Teachers.

1. Poverty: Related areas could include dysfunctional families; limited horizons for children; and a host of other factors related to poverty. Results: Low academic performance of students within the classroom.

2. Corruption: The media (radio, TV, newspapers, etc.) have focused on school districts: Washington, D.C. Public Schools (June, 2014, Education Week),Chicago Public Schools (June, 2014 Education Week), Hartford, CT. Public Schools (June, July, 2014) Hartford Courant, Jonathan Pelto’s Blogs, and other school districts. Results: Redirection of taxpayer monies to corporations and individuals rather than public schools.

3. Misuse of education funds obtained from local, state, and federal funding. Results: Funds are redirected to charter, magnet schools, and voucher plans.  There is NO ACCOUNTABILITY to public input, with seriously reduced funds for instructional materials, programs, special needs, etc.

4. Lack of research that would benefit the classroom teacher. Results: Ignoring of what has already been researched by educational institutions to improve classroom learning.  Teachers therefore have a limited range of strategies for use in the classroom.

The combination of the above-mentioned factors have an overall negative effect on teachers, students, and parents.

Solutions:

The retraining of teachers as well as all support staff to become more effectively trained in cognitive education as the real foundation across all subject matter, increasing both understanding and retention:

1. Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment Program (FIE), a cognitive-development curriculum, developed by the late Professor Reuven Feuerstein, an Israeli cognitive psychologist.

2. Research-based program used in 70 countries; published in 18 languages; over 1000 research studies completed, over more than 60 years, indicating that this program dramatically improves learning.

3. Specific Learning Outcomes from the FIE Program for Students, Teachers, and Parents, found in THE THINKING ACADEMY book.

4. THE THINKING ACADEMY also provides a concrete plan to turn around failing schools and the procedural approach to do so.  These schools then become “Thinking Communities” with a strong foundation of cognitive skills for all areas of school, life, and a potential bright beyond.

Refer to the website www.ictaweb.org: Thinking Academy page

Co-authors: David S. Martin, Ph.D., Irv Schein, MA

2010 Urban Issues Forum a HUGE SUCCESS!

highly successful 2010 Urban Issues Forum that held at the CT State Legislative Office Building. We are pleased to report that citizens from 26 Connecticut cities participated. was successfully sponsored by 14 CT Organizations and State Agencies.

This historic state-wide non-partisan forum was a collaborative event that offered U.S. Congressional Elected Officials, CT State Constitutional Elected Officials, CT State Elected Officials, CT State Candidates running for office, Urban Issues Experts and State Agency Leaders the platform and opportunity to meet “face to face” with concerned citizens for a series of “interactive dialogue sessions”. Discussions that focused on Educational, Health, Social Justice and Political / Electoral Process issues that impact on communities throughout CT were key themes at the forum.

Click here to view 2010 Urban Issues Booklet with Photo Collection and Survey Result.

We were pleased to have both Dr. David Martin present on the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment Program as an effective initiative to Close the Educational Achievement Gap and Edwin Vargas to participate as an a candidate for the CT State Senate. (Check out Ed on Page 25 of the attached booklet or in the online link above. Dr. Martin is located on page 9).

An Important Report on IE

Dear Friends,

The linked document represents a unique, important, and explicit illustration of a cognitive education program for parents and teachers in progress.

The first document was written by the individual who implemented this program in San Jose, CA., Dr. David S. Martin. The second and third were unsolicited reports by parents who were full participants in the program and have leadership within the organization that sponsored and partially funded this program SVDSN (Silicon Valley Down’s Syndrome Network) in collaboration with the Valley Medical Center Foundation, San Jose, CA. Also included are research reports by IRI in Alaska (preschool progress report on IE Basic) and a summary of an international research study on the effects of Instrumental Enrichment (IE) on children with
developmental disabilities. The IE Basic and IE Standard Programs could be the basis for true educational change. The IE programs also promote improved social interaction between participants and others.

This information is being forwarded to a diverse constituency of parents, educators, and non-educators, etc.

We invite your response.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

As a new feature of this Blog, we will from time to time be posting questions for discussion, related to cognitive education within the general American educational context. We invite you to ponder these questions and to post a Comment on them; in this way, we can have an exchanges of ideas in a Forum context. Everyone will be able to see all comments and respond. Let’s think together!

QUESTION —We now seem to see a growing movement to change the atmosphere in American education of test-test-test, through possible revision of the No Child Left Behind law. However, until some change happens, we are still bound by numerous mandated tests throughout the public school years. Teachers who are interested in teaching higher-order thinking strategies through such programs as Instrumental Enrichment are faced with a dilemma—how to incorporate thinking strategies when the pressure of preparing for mandated tests is so severe? How should teachers cope with this situation, or how can they integrate thinking strategies in this atmosphere? How have you managed to do it?

Please Comment—thank you!

VIDEO OVERVIEW OF I.E. BASIC

Dr. Jeanne Zehr of East Allen County (IN) Public Schools, recently offered an overview of Instrumental Enrichment Basic - for younger children - as part of an all-day conference on dealing with the cognitive effects of lead-poisoning in urban children, held in Hartford, Connecticut. I.E. is considered to be an appropriate intervention for children with these challenges. We hope to post the particular excerpt of her presentation on this blog, in the mean time you may access video of the whole conference by clicking here
Once there you need to click on Watch Video to open & load, then move the purple dot below televised image to fast forward to Jeanne Zehr's presentation (the counter in the lower left will read 1:32:45 when the moderator introduces her, and her part concludes at 1:54:37, so it's a 22- minute presentation).

NEW RESEARCH ON I.E.BASIC SHOWS POSITIVE RESULTS

A newly published research study in the journal Research in Development Disabilities reports that Instrumental Enrichment Basic produced significant improvement in a variety of children with special needs. Children who had intellectual impairments based on genetics, ADHD, autism, and developmental disabilities showed big gains in similarities, picture completion, piecture arrangement, and pattern determination after 30-45 weeks of work with I.E. They were compared with children who only had general occupational therapy and sensori-motor therapy. Greater gains were noted in children who had the program where teachers were fully committed to mediated learning. Click here to access the full article.