Braindancing Bytes: CHAMPIONING CHILDREN ~ "UNLOCKING INTELLIGENCE, UNLEASHING GENIUS", by Dilip Mukerjea

Are YOU Future-Ready? Are your children being groomed to be Future-Ready?

We are living in The Pressure Tense! The mass of educational institutions are encaged in Dark-Age Thinking. Why? Because, other than the advent of television, computers, and diverse electronica the of learning has not changed in multiple millennia. Teenagers as screenagers are engaging and interacting, but unaware of processes that constitute smart learning. They need immediate help.

The prescription for learning? Sweat, Swot, Slog! A formula for disaster. No innovation!

None of our systems are designed to inspire self-efficacy! NONE!

In a world of high stakes competitive intelligence, the student of today who does not know how to learn is destined to be left behind: A member of “The Misfortune 7 Billion!” Not relevant to the future, relegated to the past. Dark-Age Slaves enchained to a system long past its sell-by date!

We need to Champion the Children of The Third Millennium. Teachers and parents need to unlearn, and relearn. Systems need to transition from order to disorder to new order. Why? Because our prevailing learning

What is a better way? Here are some considerations that are distinctly feasible, for massive returns:

• Learning how to read at super speed and deep depth. Readers make Leaders!

• Comprehending what is being heard or read, intensively and extensively, on the run.

• Capturing masses of information on single sheets of paper based on the way the brain to learn, via diverse Visual Mapping Techniques.

VISUAL MAPS reduce complexity, accelerate learning, extract clarity from clutter, convert extensive information into intensive insights, recognise design beneath disorder, and are ideal for high-speed note-taking and notemaking via interaction with oral and printed information.

• Boosting memory using a range of mnemonic techniques designed to absorb panoramic arrays of information, and recall facts and figures that are relevant to multiple contexts.

• Cutting through vast swathes of syllabus material and slashing the learning curve.

• Unleashing creativity so that students learn to be resourceful in all areas of activity, moving from ideas to execution. School students emerging with business ideas!

• Learning and applying the insights that lead to goal-setting and goal-getting: moving from stress to strength to success!

NONE of the above smart strategies are in the syllabuses of any school! WHY? Who are the primary victims?

Children!

What are you going to do about it? Bargain your way to a better deal? How? Education can never be as expensive as ignorance. How much can you save by NOT creating a new generation of brilliant children growing up into role models that can move our planet from hope to fulfillment?

I strongly propose that each teacher, student, parent, and senior citizen, in all sectors of life, becomes an immediate Stakeholder in a Learning Revolution. It is the only hope for a nation to move ahead…or, stay

This means a minimum pioneering seminar experience of 3 days (0800– 1800 hours per day) acquiring the “Building Brainpower” Superbrain Learning Skills, then another 3 days with Braindancing® (Creativity and Innovation in Action). What is 6 days in a lifespan? One hell of a lot!

WARNING! Merely dipping into a 3-hour session here and there will NOT achieve durable long-term success.

I strongly recommend a Total Immersion Learning Experience (Immersive Learning), minimum 6 days as mentioned above…and then for life!

Choose: Are you killing yourselves or skilling yourselves?

Choose: Education, or Extinction!

COMMON SENSE VERSUS NONSENSE

“It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that’s all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”

THE STRATEGIES OF CHAMPION STUDENTS:

(1) They are vision-orientated, and impelled to act as goal-setters and goal-getters, imbued with deep-set images of achievement.

(2) They are enthusiastic and passionate about what they do in school, as well as after school: they have fallen in love with learning

(3) They learn and apply super-smart strategies in their school work.

(4) They never waste a mistake! The learning acquired from making a
mistake is always greater than the cost of the mistake!

Result: they profit from every mistake!

(5) They have consistent support and encouragement from their parents and teachers.

Today, we are witnessing a pace of change where even the change in the rate of change is accelerating: “accelerating acceleration.” Recipe? READY - AIM - INSPIRE! ‘In Action’, not ‘inaction’!

Brain Force has trumped Brute Force. We cannot muscle our way to dominance. The intellectual straightjackets of obsolete learning systems reflect lower-order thinking skills; they are not relevant to the Digital Age. The issue is not technology; it is neurology: learning how the brain to play, and applying these skills to life across diverse disciplines and domains.

Play Power must overcome Power Play. This was realised by the ancient Greeks: their concept for education, 'paideia' was complemented by their concept of play, 'paidia'. One letter different, but they knew that when play was infused into learning, magic happened.

High skills be matched by deep play, to unleash learning miracles for children of all ages!

The future demands a fresh resume. Every child must be infused with a Vision to Win!

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: NO RAH RAH & TOUCHY FEELY STUFF!

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


One last point about Dilip's programs.

Unlike all those fancy purveyors out in the marketplace, Dilip is very discerning; he doesn't want to waste time in giving participants that "temporary high" in class.

Yes! It is true that the brain gets emotionally charged up, whenever there is a lot of "rah-rah" &/or "touchy feely" stuff going around, especially orchestrated within the confined space of a seminar/workshop environment.

This "groupie feeling" obviously makes participants feel good, & longing for more. But what happens when one leaves the seminar/workshop?

A lot of these people will end up in square one. They are resigned to become seminar/workshop junkies. No offence intended, as I have encountered a lot of these people in my professional life.

Sad to say, these people are more keen in seeking that momentary nostalgic emotion, rather than committed to making real changes in their own personal lives.

This is the harsh reality in the public seminar/workshop circuit involving so-called motivational training, & you know what, enterprising but unscrupulous purveyors are riding on it!

Do you know why? Here's my answer, courtesy of comedian/actor Jimmy Durante:

"Man is the only animal that can be skinned more than once!"

In contrast, Dilip only wants participants to go home with truly sustainable strategies for immediate application & spontaneous integration in their own life.

Naturally, he will ensure that class time under his coaching is always FUN TIME!

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: INVITING PARENTS' INVOLVEMENT & GARNERING THEIR UNWAVERING SUPPORT

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


The program originally intended for parents is also designed to coach & equip parents as "learning facilitators", so that they can fulfill their parenting role more effectively & efficiently by virtue of being their children's first teachers.

Dilip believes in the philosophy that parents who learn together with their children will earn together, as well as stay together.

More importantly, this philosophy builds on the concept that high-performing parents nurture high-performing children, as parents become the worthwhile role models.

Taking such an active role in their own children's education, & working closely with other parents with the same interests & concerns, will engender a larger, growing community, which can then help to sustain one another in the long run.

The aim is to inspire the creation of brain clubs as "learning communities", across the neighbourhoods of the nation.

By drawing upon senior citizens, who are still active in life, the community can evolve into multi-tier generational self-help networks, in line with national aspirations of making productive use of everyone's contributions in making Singapore a 'Learning Capital of the World', as Dilip likes to put it.

Through participation in projects or events, such "learning communities" will naturally enhance the "cognitive fitness" of our senior citizens through their Third Age till their Fourth Age.

To end this post of mine, I like to share a fascinating & yet valuable lesson which I had learned years ago from productivity guru Stephen Covey, who wrote his magnum opus, '7 Habits for Highly Effective People', during the late eighties.

As I had understood his penetrating insights, life is essentially a never-ending mental toggle between a stimulus in the our surroundings, to which we have first chosen to see & subsequently directed our attention to it, & our interpretation as well as our finally chosen response to it.

However, between the physical stimulus, as captured by our body senses, & the mental response in our mind, there lies this wonderful metaphysical dimension - as some sort of "space-time", at least from my perspective.

This is the metaphysical dimension within which we always make our daily life decisions.

As writer P J O'Rourke had put it so aptly:

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences."

That's to say, in explicit terms, we all have that wonderful freedom - our power to choose, so to speak - to exercise our response to everyday situations, but we must also bear the consequences of our action, because every action has a consequence. This is a universal truth.

To all the parents out there, the ball is now in your court!

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: BRAINTERTAINMENT WITH FUN GAMES, QUIZZES, PUZZLES, HUMOUR, & LAUGHTER

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


To Dilip, learning pursuits should always be fun, irrespective of whether it is an academic environment or in the corporate domain!

Also, a sense of humour & being funny can be very important skills for a student as well as for a working professional.

How to go about it? To Dilip, the only good answer is BRAINTERTAINMENT!

In essence, our brainpower is always the spontaneous firing function of all the neurons in our brain, & more importantly, also the sustained richness of the neuronal networking that ensues in order to keep the brain in peak working condition.

Besides learning & thinking per se, fun games, quizzes, puzzles, humour & laughter often provide excellent ways for our brain to charge up - i.e. brain cells firing! - as well as to relax.

More specifically, Dilip & I feel very strongly that the latter offers us refreshing viewpoints as well as novel perspectives on looking at the world from prevailing realities.

That's to say, with a sense of humour & being funny, we are more likely to see the fun-side or the up-side of everyday situations.

As an example, I love to watch Jerry Seinfeld's 'Seinfeld', Fran Drescher's 'The Nanny', Ray Romano's 'Everybody Loves Raymond', & Charlie Sheen's 'Two & a Half Men', sitcom series on cable television.

Oftentimes, the principal characters may be quirky, & even nonsensical occasionally, in natural disposition, but I always find that each of them has wonderfully unique ways of seeing & tackling everyday situations or problems, even in the face of adversity or opposition from others, including their loved ones, around them.

Sad to say, today's students face a great deal of stress:

- academic performance;
- heavy class scheduling;
- high achievement standards;
- media messages;
- peer pressures;
- family tension, notwithstanding parents' incessant nagging;
- myriad interuptions & distractions from the fast pace of life & rate of technological changes in terms of modern conveniences;

But, do not despair.

Fortunately, we have creativity maestro Dilip who will be more than happy to share with participants varied ways to get more smileage out of your stress-filled life; become more stress-hardy, & to all the students out there, how to take your academic pursuits seriously but yourself lightly!

In summing up this post, I am proud to say that FQ (Fun Quotient) stands in the same ranking positions as IQ (Intelligent Quotient) as well as EQ (Emotional Quotient), when it comes to work, play & learning.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: INSTILLING AN INCESSANT QUESTIONING ATTITUDE

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Most people have this mistaken notion that "speed reading" solves all your reading problems. Yes, "speed" is a variable in the reading equation, but it does not gives you the edge, especially if it does not help in your comprehension.

The edge in reading at warp speeds is "asking questions", before you read, while reading & after you have read.

I must say that, one of the most profound set of probing questions ever generated for a student to navigate his reading text at warp speeds & master his learning quickly, came from educator Adam Robinson, also co-founder of the Princeton Review, an US-based standardized test preparation & admissions consulting company, who wrote the classic, 'What Smart Students Know'.

By the way, he is a US Chess Federation chess master, which happens to exemplify his appreciation of the power of having a strategy, even when we are reading.

He calls the penetrating questions, twelve of them to be exaxct, as the "cyberlearning questions". Go & read his book. You will be amply rewarded.

Nonetheless, closer to home, you have creativity maestro Dilip to show you how to probe a textbook.

More explicity, how to have a dialogue with the author... in other words, how to develop an intellectual intercourse with the author: reading on the lines, reading between the lines, & reading beyond the page.

Dilip & I firmly believe that "asking questions" should also apply in all other life situations, beyond just reading.

For example, asking self-check questions to bring out your own aliveness. To challenge your own assumptions. To clarify your purpose in living... are you busy living or busy dying, as Dilip likes to put it.

In a nut shell, asking questions helps one to build anticipatory prowess. Dilip will show how to go about it.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: PUTTING STUDYING/READING/REVIEWING AS COLLABORATIVE GROUPWORK

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Dilip likes to call this useful approach, "Power Learning'. That's in a nut shell, studying with a purpose in small groups, so that you can leverage on each other's strength.

In his wonderful book, 'Unleashing Genius', Dilip has elucidated how it works for effective studying/reviewing as well as powerful reading/mapping.

In fact, Dilip & I believe that one of the most pragmatic ways for students to prepare for tests & exams is to form a study group.

As we see it, the resultant collaborative groupwork among students readily cuts short the learning curve, expedites learning from an individual standpoint, & generates the push-pull factor to faster knowledge acquisition within a classroom environment.

After all, groups are in fact a fundamental unit of social life.

We also reckon that students, who are already exposed to group study, are more likely to appreciate the power of synergy & the principle of leverage, when they enter the world of work after schooling.

Nonetheless, readers are also welcome to pop into the 'HowToStudy.com' website [Mangrum-Strichart Learning Resources] to learn more about the 'Benefits of a Study Group', 'Getting a Study Group Started', 'Characteristics of a Successful Study Group', & 'Possible Pitfalls of a Study Group'.

In the corporate world, this is called 'Team Learning', which is one of the five principles of the 'Learning Organisation' as envisaged by Dr Peter Senge of Harvard University.

Looking at it from another angle it's also "doing more with less", following the philosophy - he called it "ephemeralization" - of planet earth's friendly genius, Dr R Buckminster Fuller, who gave the world the acclaimed geodesic dome, among other great artefacts.

Dilip will show participants how to execute this wonderful approach to learning mastery.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com.]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: PROFERRING MYRIAD VISUAL MAPPING TOOLS

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Because of Dilip's never-ending innovative spirit, he has developed a vast repertoire of visual tools to help working pros as well as students to navigate overwhelmingly abundant data, irrespective of whether they come printed, electronic or otherwise.

Most people only know "mind-mapping" as a solitary tool, but just imagine you have only a screw driver in your tool box, how does the world look to you? Think about it.

Particularly for a student, a smorgasbord of visual tools will provide one with multitudinous array of diverse options to deal with the variability & complexity seemingly inherent within different academic subjects or disciplines.

As a case in point:

A 'story grid' or a 'storyboard' will be ideal for English Literature; a 'noteboard' will be excellent for fleshing out all the terminology of Science subjects; a 'concept map' will be superb for organising information from any Science subject, e.g. Biology, at various superordinate & subordinate levels; a 'timeline' or 'transitive order graph' will be more appropriate for History, so that one can follow the chronological trend of major events with their attendant causes & impacts;

In fact, I would say a creative combination of mindmaps & other visual tools may even be necessary to help a student to navigate the complexity of any subject.

Mastering visual tools is a must in today's Knowledge Economy as we are living in a dominant visual culture.

Don't forget, more than 90% of our learning in a lifetime comes to us via visual cues.

As a counterpoint:

In the corporate world, visual tools have proven to aid decision making; shorten meetings; promote group consensus; generate better impressions & convince audience (in a presentation); & garner effectiveness in problem solving & learning from documents.

This is based on the research work of Robert Horn, visiting scholar at Stanford University & author of the classic, 'Visual Language: Global Communication for the 21st Century'. I recommend reading his book.

In a nut shell, mastering the visual tools from Dilip's portfolio of offerings will help you to embrace the Law of Requisite Variety.

In more explicit terms, if your rate of learning is faster than the turbulence around you, your chances of continual success are assured!

To paraphrase 'Neutron Jack' or better known to the corporate world as Jack Welch:

"I've always believed that when the rate of change inside an institution [read: individual] becomes slower than the rate of change outside, the end is in sight!"

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING & PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Today most of us, irrespective of whether one is student or working pro, we are information rich but knowledge poor.

Most of us also think that the Google search engine is our entry point for information search, leading to quick knowledge acquisition, instead of critical reading & critical thinking.

Is the technology of today, with the overwhelming advances of the Internet & other modern conveniences of the "electronic culture", producing a decline in critical reading & critical thinking?

Literary critic Sven Birkerts, author of 'The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age', which was published during the nineties, said:

"... the search for truth requires deep reading & deep thinking... dual processors which inform such a search & lead us toward insight & illumination."

Dilip offers powerful thinking tools & methodologies to read fast & think skillfully, so as to help you to cut through all the data smog, info-glut & info-garbage.

In a nut shell, critical thinking is not necessary being "critical" & negative.

To me, I think the well-known 'Critical Thinking Community' puts it in perspective:

"Critical thinking is the art of taking charge of your own mind. Its value is simple: If you can take charge of your own mind, you can take charge of your life."

With this philosophy in mind, we reckon a student is more likely to approach reading as a thinking endeavour, rather than a regurgitating routine.

Thinking is definitely hard work - it's an intellectually disciplined process; that's why so few people want to engage in it.

Dilip & I share the ardent belief that most students will not learn how to think unless we accord explicit attention to helping them to do so.

We also believe that thinking - critical thinking, to be more precise - gives students the ability to not only understand what they have read, but also build upon that knowledge without incremental guidance.

Critical thinking teaches students that knowledge is fluid, & builds upon itself. It is not simply rote memorisation or the ability to absorb lessons unquestioningly.

In the end analysis, Dilip & I believe that critical thinking, which encompasses skills sets like conceptualising, predicting, hypothesising, fact finding, analysing, decision making, problem solving, comparing & contrasting, organising, inferring, synthesising & evaluation, encourages students to think for themselves.

More importantly, students will be encouraged to use good thinking as the guide by which they live their lives.

I like to leave the following inspirational quote as food for thought:

"A common belief is that knowledge is power. It's not. Knowledge is ubiquitous in the Internet Age and thus grants no special privileges, no unique power. Certainly we need to have knowledge and stay current. But the real power comes from what we do with knowledge. In other words, in the 21st century power comes from our ability to think... "

~ Michael Durr, author of 'My Brain, My Future';

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com.]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: ACING THE EXAMINATION GAME

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


In school, exams are essentially a mind game, often played by examiners to test how fast you can recall & how well you can respond, under prescribed parameters within a limited time-frame.

The test is of "Speed" & "Precision", not necessary of real learning having taken place.

With "Speed" & "Precision" as the only defining factors in exams, the students have no option, but to know how to play & win the game.

Dilip has the tools & methodologies to help participants, especially students, become champion players with winning imperatives. He calls it 'Examining the Examiner' to help you get into the mind of the examiner, so that you can negotiate the transition from confusion to clarity.

More importantly, he will share with you how to master the 100+ test verbs often used in an exam. In the lingo of Singapore's favourite contractor, Phua Chu Kang, these are the "Die, Die, Must Know".

Oftentimes, students don't have the correct understanding of even the basic test verbs, e.g. "Compare", "Contrast", "Define", "Explain", "Describe".

Once they are sitting in the exam hall, raring to go, they don't have the luxury of time to figure out the test verbs. They just have to respond almost spontaneously to the exam questions within the limited time frame.

As Phua Chu Kang would say gleefully, "Don't Play, Play!".

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: MASTERING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


It is an universally accepted fact that the English Language is the global language of aviation & communication, commerce & trade, economics & finance, science & technology, international business as well as diplomacy.

It's also the most useful language in the world. Interestingly, most books are published in English, & most of them are also translated into English.

Undoubtedly, a mastery of the English Language enhances self-confidence & commands respect.

Because of Dilip's own linguistic prowess & superior command of the language, as manifested in his panoramic array of more than a dozen books, he is the best person to coach you on how to improve your language facility.

As Dilip often exhorts, writing good English, let alone speaking good English, takes a lot of meticulous effort & diligent energy, not only for a student but also for a working professional.

He uses 'Sentence Mapping' to help participants build clarity of thought through strategic thinking, which leads to engaged learning & information power.

Additionally, Dilip will coach participants in 'Generative Vocabulary Building' techniques.

To share a secret: understanding word roots, prefixes & suffixes give you the power to read & comprehend faster, better & indepth.

With the foregoing methodology & techniques, participants can now adopt a more active role in learning, irrespective whether it is academic environment or corporate arena.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: BOOSTING CREATIVENESS & ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


The '2010 IBM CEO's Survey' has revealed that "Creativity is the most important leadership competency".

Likewise, the 13th Annual Global Survey 2010 by PriceWaterhouse has also revealed that "Innovation... is the cornerstone for future positioning."

Interestingly, the recent 2010 IBM Global Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) Study has highlighted three critical workforce imperatives:

1) cultivating creative leaders;
2) mobilising for speed & flexibility;
3) capitalising on collective intelligence;

Creativity & innovation have become more important than ever before for solving real-world challenges & staying competitive in the global economy.

I am sure many readers have seen the insightful TED show on the net where Sir Ken Robinson has made an entertaining & profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity.

He has challenged the way we are educating our children, & has championed a radical rethink of our school system, to cultivate & acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.

[If you haven't yet seen it, here's the link.

I really like the way he has elucidated "creativity" ~ "coming out with something original, & of value, & it comes from many disciplinary ways of seeing things... if you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original..."]

I am proud to say that creativity & innovation are the distinctive hallmarks in all Dilip's programs, as well as writings, irrespective of whether they are intended for the corporate or academic world.

Dilip holds the steadfast view that creativity is one quality which everyone of us is blessed with. It's our birthright, in fact. If you don't recognise this quality in yourself, you can immediately learn techniques for unleashing & leveraging your creative potential.

Although we believe that our schools are essential in helping our children learn these techniques, we think, right now, they are falling short of our expectations.

As parents, since we are our children's first teachers, we must ensure that our children do not lose their sense of wonder & sense of discovery as they transit the school system during their growing years.

Not only that, parents must also create & nurture a conducive environment in which our children feel safe to take risks & get things wrong. Also, help them develop the habit of looking for more than one right answer to everyday problems, including their own study problems.

As creativity consultant & also, author of 'The Creative Edge', among other wonderful books, Dr William Miller puts it:

"Creativity & productivity are closely linked; by definition & in human motivation. When we are most creative & expressive selves, we are also more productive."

With boosted creativity, it goes without saying that our children can become more productive in their academic as well as other pursuits.

Dilip, drawing from his strategic forte as a creativity & innovation consultant, will use many interesting games & stimulating exercises to bring out your innate creativity.

With creativity & ingenuity, irrespective of whether you are a student or working pro, you will always start to look at the world from a solution-focused, opportunity-sensing approach.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: CULTIVATING VIVID TIME HORIZONS VIA PROPRIETARY 'LIFESCAPING' METHODOLOGY

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


This is my favourite topic, also my strategic forte ~ vision-building.

My real-world experiential understanding of vision-building came from a memorable, though painful, personal encounter from my former "big boss" ~ the late Tan Sri [that's the Malaysian equivalent of "Sir"] Eric Chia, Chairman & CEO of the United Motor Works (UMW) Group during the early eighties, when I had joined them as a manager.

[Readers are welcome to pop into my 'Optimum Performance Technologies' weblog to read about that encounter.]

My working knowledge was subsequently expanded & fine-tuned when I came across the splendid work of futurist/film-maker/author Joel Arthur Barker during the early nineties, especially his acclaimed 'Power of Vision' video-based training program.

As a matter of fact, one of Barker's wise axioms often reverberates in my head, whenever I talk about vision building:

"Vision without action, is but a dream; action without vision just passes the time; vision with action can change the world."

Nonetheless, the latter then led me to the scholarly works of Canadian educational psychologist Dr Benjamin Singer, Dutch futurist & sociologist Dr Fred Polak, & Holocaust survivor & Austrian psychiatrist Dr Victor Frankl, who wrote his magnum opus, 'Man's Search for Meaning', as well as the research work of strategy consultants Jim Collins & Jerry Porras.

Collectively, they drove home the vital point about the power of vision-building:

Nations, organisations, individuals as well as students with vision are powerfully enabled. Those without vision are at risk.

Just as King Solomon had once said, as reported in the Bible of the Old Testament: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

In the case of students, Dr Benjamin Singer made these startling revelations, back in the sixties:

i) children with vision out-performed their assets;

ii) successful students had one thing in common: a profound belief in their future & their ability in their own efforts to shape it.

Likewise, based on the pioneering research work of Jim Collins & Jerry Porras, visionary organisations out-performed their assets, too.

As a nation, Singapore is a great example! Thanks to the compelling vision - & the strategic foresight - of MM Lee Kuan Yew & his colleagues as well as ministerial stalwarts, Goh Keng Swee, S Rajaratnam, Toh Chin Chye, Eddie Barker, etc., just to name a few of them.

By the way, what is "vision"?

A vision is just a simple idea or mental picture you have in your head about where you want to be in the future.

A clear vision helps one to pursue dreams & achieve goals.

A well-defined vision helps one to focus on the end-state of who you want to be, what you want to have &/or do, & where you want to go.

Generally, it can be applied in two different ways:

1) Inspiration ~ to inspire youself to follow your bliss & pursue your dreams;

2) Anticipation ~ to foresee the changes & improvements you want to have in the future;

When you can envision a future that is better, happier & more productive, you are more likely to make the necessary changes & improvements for yourself to attain that end-state in the future.

To Dr Karl Pribram of Stanford University, who works with sports champions, vision is akin to his "image of achievement".

By the way, what the difference between "vision building" & "goal setting"?

Operationally, they are complementary. A quick one... This is how I look at them:

- vision gives purpose & meaning; goals give direction & power;

- vision comes from the heart; goals come from the head;

At this juncture, I like to share an inspiring quote, to sum up "vision building" & "goal setting":

"If you have a vision and you find that someone doesn't share that vision, you either change the vision or change the people you share it with. We learn and grow one goal at a time. But to set meaningful goals, we need imaginative insight or vision."

~ Dr. Roberta Bondar, the world’s first astronaut-neurologist in space (with Discovery mission, 1992); also, globally recognized for her pioneering contribution to space medicine;

In essence, vision-building is a relatively easy endeavour, if you know how to go about it.

In fact, Dilip will share valuable lessons from the corporate world as well as educational arenas, besides coaching you on how to look at your own life strategically in long-range time-horizons, & also, how to do your own 'lifescape' using his proprietary 'lifescaping' methodology.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

A PREVIEW ON 'CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: MAKING KIDS FUTURE-READY!'

The House of Creative Brains is organising a half-day preview of Dilip Mukerjea's creation, 'Championing Students: Making Kids Future-Ready!', tentatively at The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, on 11th December 2010 for parents & guardians.

For more information about attending the preview, please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: ACQUIRING SELF-EFFICACY SKILLS

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Broadly speaking, self-efficacy refers to having the personal confidence in the mental functioning of your own mind.

More explicitly, it means that you are confident in your personal ability to learn new things, to think about them, to make use of them, to make informed decisions with them, to sculpt decisions into actions, & finally to put them to work in your own life.

In addition, self-efficacy also refers to understanding the consequences of your personal actions, & recognising what you must do to achieve your personal goals & objectives in life, even in the face of adversity.

In a nut shell, for a student who is imbued with strong self-efficacy, he or she will always trust himself or herself of having the personal ability to view his or her academic challenges &/or study problems as "tasks to be mastered".

He or she is likely to develop deeper interests in the tasks, & is also more prepared to try again, when he or she doesn't succeed in performing a task the first time.

His or her thinking is driven by : "I Can Do It! I Will Do it!"

As a result, he or she goes into purposeful action, because ultimately he or she knows that "I will Take Charge! I will Do it Myself!" offers him or her the best choice in life.

After all, life is essentially making choices. More importantly, life is a DIY (do-it-yourself) project

Self-efficacy is the Number 1 predictor & determinant of success in life, academically as well as professionally. This is based on the brilliant work of Canadian psychologist Dr Albert Bandura, who coined the term.

Dr Bandura strongly believes that, to which we fully concur, one's personal success in life is always tied to one's belief or conviction in the personal capabilities to initiate & successfully perform specified tasks.

The entire program from Dilip for both parents & their kids/teens is specifically designed to promote & inculcate academic self-efficacy skills.

I like to leave this inspiring quote from the great Indian statesman, Mahatma Gandhi, to sum up my post:

"If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning."

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: EMBRACING THE POWER OF FOCUS

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Learn about the true power of Pareto's Law or better known to most people as the 80:20 Rule.

Even though Pareto's Law has its origins from economics [Thanks to Italian agricultural economist Vilfredo Pareto who came up with the concept in 1906], today it has myriad applications in practically every sphere of activity, including natural phenomena like bushfires & earthquakes, & notwithstanding the academic world.

With its understanding, one will know how to segregate quickly the "essentials from the non-essentials".

For a student, understanding & applying Pareto's Law gives him or her true learning power, for he or she is now in an enviable position to appreciate the critical difference between "core materials" & "elaborative materials" in the school - & exam - syllabus.

When it comes to studying & preparing for tests & exams, students often jumble up all their reading materials &/or written notes. As a result, their brains are clogged with so much inconsequential stuff when they go into the exam hall.

By the way, what are "core materials"?

"Core materials" are the core knowledge or key concepts, including principles, laws, definitions, formulae & its key variables, as well as the inter-relationship between the variables (as in the case of mathematics & science subjects), taxonomy, nomenclature, major events & dates as well as their causes & impact (especially in the case of history), etc.

What are "elaborative materials"?

"Elaborative materials" are generally examples, illustrations, anecdotes, plus all the supporting notes & minor details that only serve to embellish the core concepts.

Why the importance of knowing the difference?

This is because 80% of the exam questions which a student will encounter in his school experience will invariably come from the "core materials" i.e the 20%!

More importantly, the application of Pareto's Law makes your reading, studying & reviewing more purposeful!

According to research indications [Regrettably, I can't seem to recall the source!], in any given text, irrespective of whether it is academic or business, the most important material accounts for only 4 to 11% of the entire printed matter.

Remember, the brain follows the direction of your dominant thoughts, whether you like it or not. The latter comes from what you focus on & pay attention to.

Neurologically speaking, this has to do with our Reticular Activating System & our amygdala in the brain.

US Navy Seals & even our SAF commandos know this aspect very well, especially when they are assigned to behind-the-scene, covert operations. By the way, they are trained in this skill known as "neuro-focus", & likewise, we can also learn & develop the skill.

With Pareto's Law, your attention to the world, & particularly to your own academic studies, becomes directed, & not easily distracted.

To sum up, powerful people are focused people!

Maverick entrepreneur & billionaire Donald Trump, & our MM Lee Kuan Yew, who is incessantly focused on Singapore's long-term future, are some great examples.

As an active aikido enthusiast & practitioner, Dilip will show you, by drawing a parallel from martial arts, how to develop the power of focus & create a sustainable flow - "mindfulness" - in your school experience.

[to be ocntinued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com.]

CHAMPIONING STUDENTS: FOCUSING ON FUTURE-READINESS

[continuation from the Last Post ~ in connection with the recent launch of a series of new programs intended for parents as well as their school-going kids/teens, under the auspices of 'The House of Creative Brains'.]


Understanding "life skills" must always come first before one can really excel in "study skills".

Our rationale is that, once a student is exposed to "life skills" training, whereby he learns to exercise self-responsibility for his own personal life ["Do not lay blame"; 'Do not justify"; "Do not whine & wimp out!"], & also learn to take control of the future to make it happen for himself or herself, he or she is then more inclined to view "studying" as part & parcel of the journey of life.

The necessary "study skills" which he is expected to acquire will, thus fall in place very nicely, within the larger picture of his overall skills repertoire.

In his myriad programs, Dilip's "life skills" training incorporates developing future-readiness, building personal resiliency & understanding the imperatives of "Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail' philosophy.

A broad spectrum of '21st Century Learning Skills' as defined by leading educational experts & thinkers with the support of several large corporate sponsors (including Apple, Dell, Microsoft) permeates all Dilip's programs.

In a nut shell, it encompasses:

i) Learning & Innovation Skills;

[(a) Creativity & Innovation: thinking creatively; working creatively with others; implementing innovation; (b) Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: reasoning effectively; using systems thinking; making judgments & decisions; solving problems; (c) Comunication & Collaboration: comunicating clearly; collaborating with others;]

ii) Information/Media/Technology Skills;

[(a) Information Literacy: accessing & evaluating information; using & managing information; (b) Media Literacy: analysing media; creating media products; (c) Information, Comunication & Technology: applying technology effectively;]

iii) Life & Career Skills;

[(a) Flexibility & Adaptability: adapting to change; being flexible; (b) Initiative & Self-Direction: managing goals & priorities; working independently, being self-directed learners; (c) Social & Cross-Cultural Skills: interacting effectively with others; work effectively in diverse teams; (d) Productivity & Accountability: managing projects; producing results; (e) Leadership & Responsibility: guiding & leading others; being responsible to others;]

Learning the mechanics of the above will help you to understand better why you should always take an investment approach to your own education:

~ Your Future is in Your Hands;

I like to share with readers an axiom which I had picked up - I can't recall from whom - during the early years of my career in the corporate world. It goes something like this:

"There is no future in any job out there; the only future lies in you."

I think it sums up very well what I want to say here.

Nonetheless, I also like to throw in another axiom from American statesman Benjamin Franklin who once shared his wise thoughts about the value of investing in one's own education, as follows:

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."

~ Your Habits Determine Your Future!

Frankly, I can't seem to find the source of the following adage, but it sums up very well what I want to say here too:

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words; choose your words, for they become actions; understand your actions, for they become habits; study your habits, for they become your character; develop your character, for it becomes your destiny."

In his wonderful book, 'Unleashing Genius', Dilip shares a fascinating technique - he calls it, 'Thought Streaming'. Go & read the book.

[to be continued in the Next Post.]

[For more information about the series of new programs under 'The House of Creative Brains', please get in touch with Ms. Faye Yeoh via her email faye_yeoh@yahoo.com.

Readers can also pop into the US-based 'Partnership for 21st Century Skills' for more detailed information about 21st century readiness for every student.

Additionally, I recommend readers to read '21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times', by Bernie Trilling & Charles Fadel.]