Book: How to Become an Architect of Learning.

This post is long due. Back in February I was ready to post it but once our old web address faded away, we decided to put it on hold, until now. I think is fair to comment on this book after the author kindly sent it to me to review.

Whether you've read it or are thinking to read a book during these few days remaining to the beginning of a new school year, Kevin D. Washburn's production is mandatory to read. We are about to explain why I recommend this book, if professional development is your core.

The Architecture of Learning - Designing Instruction for Learning Brain of Dr. Washburn, offers an alternative teaching philosophy to the traditional textbook methods you surely have read so far. He offers an amazing overview of concepts related to learning, instruction, curriculum, and assessment.

For instance, the blueprints you will find in the book, provide a general framework for designing instruction, so that the essential learning processes are all engaged with the proper focus on the type of subject matter. It definitely speaks wonders of the “learning” process, largely way beyond a memorization activity.

The author offers concrete suggestions for managing the less-familiar approach, "learn by thinking and and think about what we learn." All pages have plenty of specific grade-level examples to spark creative ideas about how blueprints, a concept introduced throughout the book, can be used in many different content areas.

Dr. Kevin D. Washburn however, warns of his developed 'blueprints'. They should not be used for every topic in a teacher's curriculum, he writes. The core psychological processes, experience(ex), comprehension(co), elaboration(el), and application(ap), are to correspond to each one of the learning skills related again to experience(EX), comprehension(CO), elaboration(EL), application(AP), and intention (IN).

All these processes match a binary combination: EX,ex...IN,ex; EX,co...IN,co; EX,el...IN, el; EX,ap...IN, ap. If you are familiar with basic coordinated points on the Cartesian system, I am pretty sure you will be following me.

Although this book is primarily aimed at teachers, it is a very informative book for anyone who wants to learn about learning and thinking (specially critical thinking). Additionally, what we like about Architecture of Learning, is the well elaborated set of questions every chapter is accompanied with.

If you want to become an Architect of Learning, let me tell you this book is published by Clerestory press and you can get it here.

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