The Learning Process Long before we were institutionalized, regimented, and equipped with number two pencils and neat colored books; we learn by falling into mud puddles and catching tadpoles. We notice that the grass is green and grows between our toes and tickles the soles of our feet with a whispered softness. We wear kool-aid mustaches and know that the purple mustache is the best. We catch butterflies and learn that their wings are as soft as the petals of the most exquisite flower. We learned through interaction using all our senses: touch, sight, smell, hearing and by experimenting. Even if we had authority figures in our lives who took care of our physical needs and stimulated our learning; we were basically free to explore and learn by watching. Understanding how we learn is as important as what we learn. The human mind has the ability to develop a brain with connected cells called dendrites. Focused thinking causes the brain to rewire itself, allowing anyone, young or old, to learn. According to psychologist Robert Stern, “To learn, we need the ability to organize our thoughts and coordinate them with action.” This process is called metacognition or thinking about thinking. By thinking about thinking, the tutor can stimulate the thinking process so that the student is able to find the answers on their own. (Jennings and Blakemore). Traditional learning uses communication. method that sends messages from the teacher, “an authority figure” to students. Students do not interact with each other and the teacher has the power to direct the flow of interaction. groups that affect classroom performance. Before we get to class, we learn a lot of things in the middle of a sheet of paper. ......it was an effective way to stimulate communication. Life presents us with an endless series of opportunities to learn and teach. When we stop viewing the results of our efforts as successes and failures, but as opportunities to learn and teach, we open up a whole new world. Many things can be learned through what we call “failure”. looking at the thought process and events that brought us to this point. We learn to explore other options, to become more adaptable and flexible. We learn to find and use the tools that will help us improve. We learn to learn. Works Cited Jennings, Peter and Blakemore, Bill eds. Videotape. Common Miracles: The New American Revolution in Learning. ABC News 1993. 60 mins. Vermette, Paul and Erickson, Deborah. “Cooperative learning in the university classroom: three structures and seven activities. » University Student Journal. June 1996.