Unlocking Minds: My Journey with the Feuerstein Method in Rome

Introduction

My name is Neeraja Raghavan, and I am heading the Asker Thinker program for DLearners, a cognitive development initiative. I embarked on a 6-week learning spree, and I would like to share my experiences during my two-week visit to Rome in July 2023.

While it may seem like a single story, many smaller stories come together to create the overall narrative of my Roman holiday. These stories not only explore my personal experiences but also touch upon the transformative power of the Feuerstein Method and the importance of mediation in teaching thinking.

The Power of Teaching Thinking

In the aftermath of the Second World War, an Israeli psychologist named Feuerstein worked with children who had returned to Israel after experiencing the holocaust. He noticed these children struggled to retain new information due to trauma. This led Feuerstein to question whether thinking was a skill that could be taught and if intelligence was something that could be nurtured or changed at any age. His conviction that intelligence was not fixed and that hard work could alter a person's intelligence formed the basis of his groundbreaking work in teaching thinking.

The Birth of the Feuerstein Method

Feuerstein developed the Feuerstein Method, a unique educational technique based on his theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability. This method focused on deeply changing thinking patterns, ultimately altering the brain's circuits.

Feuerstein emphasized the concept of metacognition, which is thinking about thinking. His work gave hope to struggling students, parents, and teachers, showing that intelligence was not fixed and could be developed and grown throughout one's life.

The Role of Mediation in Teaching Thinking

A key element of the Feuerstein Method is mediation. While a teacher imparts knowledge and information, a mediator goes beyond that and draws out the student's thinking process, empowering them to discover new ways of thinking deeply. The mediator gently and consistently probes the learner's thinking, guiding them towards critical thinking and cognitive growth. This approach contrasts traditional teaching methods that focus on covering syllabuses and preparing students for exams, often leaving little room for probing and deeper thinking.

The Mediated Learning Experience

The Feuerstein Method focuses on the brain's frontal lobe and employs the Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) to effect changes in the learner's mind. The mediator guides the learner's thinking through MLE by gently probing them. This process encourages the learner to question what they know and explore new possibilities. The MLE is a departure from the classical question-and-answer approach in traditional teaching. Engaging in mediation encourages students to think critically, develop cognitive efficiency, and learn from their own experiences.

My Roman Holiday Experience

During my visit to Rome, I had the opportunity to interact with educators who had been directly trained by Feuerstein. They shared awe-inspiring stories of transformation that had resulted from the Feuerstein Method. The Feuerstein Institute held courses in Rome every year, and I enrolled in the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment Standard 1 (FIE Standard 1) and the Intensive Mediation Seminar.

FIE Standard 1: Changing Thinking Patterns

In the FIE Standard 1 course, Feuerstein's instruments for changing thinking patterns were introduced. These instruments were worksheets designed to enhance specific cognitive functions. During the course, we explored four instruments: Organization of Dots, Orientation in Space, Comparisons, and Analytic Perception. Each instrument challenged us to think deeply and build cognitive efficiency, crystallizing mental processes and fostering autonomous learning.

The Power of Mediational Teaching

In the course, we discovered the transformative power of mediational teaching. The role of the mediator is crucial in making the learning task meaningful to the learner. Through the FIE worksheets, the mediator guides the learners to think, helping them articulate their strategies and thought processes. The focus is on the process of learning rather than solely on content. This approach encourages learners to engage with their learning journey without being obsessed with finding the correct answers.

The Intensive Mediation Seminar

In the Intensive Mediation Seminar, we had the opportunity to observe mediators working with specially-abled learners. This experience showcased the power of the Feuerstein Method in eliciting deep thinking and generating enthusiasm for learning. The seminar emphasized the role of good mediation in creating a meaningful learning experience.

My Learnings

Throughout my time in Rome, I learned several valuable lessons:

1. The importance of acknowledging "I don't know" as a starting point for deep thinking.
2. The distinction between teaching and mediation, with mediation empowering learners to become autonomous thinkers.
3. The significance of making learning meaningful to learners to benefit from the Feuerstein Method fully.
4. The focus is on the learning process rather than just the content.
5. The importance of examining errors and articulating successful strategies.
6. The role of overarching principles in connecting classroom learning with real-world applications.
7. The power of the Feuerstein Method to overcome cognitive deficiencies at any age.

Conclusion

My Roman holiday gave me unforgettable experiences and valuable insights into the transformative power of the Feuerstein Method and the importance of meditation in teaching thinking. The Feuerstein Method offers hope and empowers learners to become deep thinkers, profoundly transforming their lives.

If a 65-year-old lady could overcome her lifelong cognitive deficiency of a lack of orientation in space in six days, there is immense hope for everybody to overcome their unique cognitive deficiencies!

Thanks for reading our blog! We hope you found it informative and helpful.

Did you know that strong reading, writing, and spelling skills are crucial for academic success? If you suspect your child is struggling with these skills, getting them screened for a learning difficulty as soon as possible is important.

DLearners offers a free screening process that provides a comprehensive report detailing your child's strengths and weaknesses in reading, writing, and spelling within 48 hours. To access this, download our?DLearners Parent App?and follow the instructions.

DLearners Parent App Link - https://onelink.to/m7uwvm

If you have any questions or concerns about your child's foundational skills, please don't hesitate to contact our team. We're here to help! You can contact us at +91-72991 25465 or?[email protected].

If you enjoyed reading this blog, we encourage you to share it with other parents who might find it helpful. Follow us for more content like this, and if you share it on LinkedIn or Twitter, tag us so we can engage with you! Thank you for being so supportive, and we look forward to hearing from you.