Educators: Explore the New; Hold On to What Is Good

     How is the water of the physical brain turned into the wine of consciousness? This question, posed by Colin McGinn, a British philosopher, represents man's continuing efforts to understand the mystery of the human brain and how it works. Indeed, many scientists have dubbed the twenty-first century as the “age of the brain,” and it will historically be known as such.

     Educators, more so than at any other time, have a tough time fulfilling the expectations of a modern society. The Age of the Brain has certainly placed more demands on this group of important professionals. Think of the weight that competition among countries for the smartest and brightest individuals, those who will increase the wealth of intellectual property, carries.

     I personally feel that current research is doing much to assist today's educator. To be informed, the educator must take advantage of new theories on how the human mind works. However, to be successful, the educator must also utilize theories that have been proven.

     There have been many theories in education that have stood the test of time. One theory that specifically relates to the mind is Bernice McCarthy's system of learning called the 4MAT System. This system challenges the educator to consider the existence of four major learning styles in humans: (1) The Imaginative learners; (2) The Analytic learners; (3) The Common Sense Learners; and (4) The Dynamic learners.

     With the 4MAT System McCarthy does not advocate separating learners into four groups; she is basically saying an individual has stronger tendencies to a particular style of learning. Indeed, she even suggests there are overlaps of groups. She is saying if we can identify the learning styles in a classroom and subsequently identify which students lean toward a particular style, then the educator can adapt his or her teaching styles to the situation.

     A bonus that comes with utilizing the 4MAT system, according to McCarthy, is that “it offers a way to accommodate, as well as challenge, all types of learners by appealing to their accustomed learning styles while stretching them to function in less comfortable modes."

     To me, the 4MAT system gives meaning to the literal definition of education, i.e. "to draw out or from within.” If my child’s teacher has heard of the 4MAT system and, best yet, is using some form of it in the classroom, I would want to know.

     If colleges of education are including the study of the 4MAT and other proven systems in their curricula, they will help the prospective educator and his/her students become more successful in today’s world.

* This entry based on a newspaper article written by Kenneth Spoto in 1995.