THIRTY-FOUR YEARS IN THE TRENCHES
Expanding Intelligence Production's roots began 34 years ago when I planned to teach young children. Their minds are especially interesting because they are so plastic, eager, curious and easy to direct for optimal learning and wellness.
Choosing geography rather than professional opportunity, I settled in to a position in higher education and took on the task of "unteaching" underserved, resistant, underprepared students and first-term composition students.
Early in my profession, I met Dr. Ellen Gardner, who had recently engaged in the earliest work in neural plasticity at University of California, Irvine. She was using it to train horses, and her work inspired me to blend science and the obvious. Animals are hard wired to learn, and humans can intentionally direct that learning to optimal performance for wellness or in the name of humanity and the greater good for social wellness.
I began coaching students using neural plasticity or brain-based designs. Obvious and measurable improvements in student learning began nearly immediate. I also noticed exhausted faculty and administrators, so I shared applications of paradigm-shifting research from neural chemistry and biology with anyone who would listen.
I encouraged faculty to experiment with it in their methods of course delivery and assessment. After a few years, faculty reported increased student learning and decreased personal workloads. (Well, at least transferred loads.) In addition, administrators noted increased retention to the sophomore year and graduation.
The faculty and institutional successes led me to this consulting work fifteen years ago when I began assisting administrators, teachers, faculty and students at all levels to improve teaching and learning environments for everyone, not just students.
I recently retired from higher education, and now I manage this consulting company.