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Name of Course:
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Radiant Thinking
Skills - Mind Mapping, Speed Reading and Memory |
Our Overall Rating: |
(Good) |
Delivery Method:
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Public Course - Two
Trainers - Seven Participants - Over two days - Sat 24th Nov.
and Sun 25th Nov. 2001 - 9.30am to 5.30pm |
Venue Location:
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The 'In and Out Club'
- London - Nearest Tube - Piccadilly Circus -Lunch was taken
at a little bistro in the club. Food was tasty and reasonably
priced. (Pizza £5) |
Trainers:
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CT Training
- Philip Chambers and Lady Mary Tovey |
Cost:
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£176.25 including
vat (Discount available for full-time students) - Lunch extra. |
Next Public Course:
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TBA - See website
http://www.stanwell.demon.co.uk/stanwell/CTTraining.html
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Contact:
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E-mail Philip at Phil@learning-tech.co.uk
- Company courses can also be arranged - Telephone +44 (0) 7000
853276 |
Reviewed By Stuart Brown
Day 1 - Overview
of the Brain and Mind Mapping©
![](/SITE/IMAGES/reviews/radiant/brain.jpg)
Picture Copyright CT Training
Brain Stem
- Controls instinctive functions such as breathing and heartbeat.
Limbic System - Has a role in
emotions, sexuality and memory.
Cerebral Cortex - Used for thinking,
talking, seeing, hearing and creating.
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The weekend
began at 9.30am on Saturday morning in a grand room of the In and
Out Club in London. My hosts for a weekend of 'Radiant Thinking'
were Philip Chambers and Mary Tovey who together run the course for
CT Training. It was to be broadly split into four areas. Discussion
of the physical mechanisms of the brain, and then mind mapping, speed
reading and memory in that order.
Accompanying me on the adventure in
thought were six others. Quentin, a conference organiser, Judy,
a student of Anthropology who is about to embark on a Doctorate
studying Pygmies in Borneo, Tony, a database manager for the charity
Save the Children, Paula, an operations manager for Thames water,
Charles, a fifteen year old student, and his mother Mandy a Kumon
Maths teacher in Kent. An eclectic mix of folk all gathered in the
one spot to hopefully supercharge their brains.
We were each given a large manual which
contained the course material, plus a set of coloured pens, an A3
drawing pad, and a set of three juggling balls (the balls had to
be given back, whilst the rest was ours to keep). This was an unexpected
and nice touch. The whole theme behind the course is that the brain
is a multi-function beast that works best when all of its cylinders
are being used; and what better way to enliven and interconnect
all the right and left brain circuits then by getting some hand,
eye, brain co-ordination going. Unfortunately however, each half
of my brain was obviously not aware that it was meant to be communicating
with the other, and so my juggling attempts over the weekend were
generally less than successful. My companions evidently were quicker
in this regard, because several of them had mastered the art of
juggling three balls by the end of the weekend.
The morning was taken up with an overview
of the brain and its architecture; including a rather nice model
of the brain which was perfect for inquiring fingers to tug apart!
The brain is interesting both in terms of the way we use it, and
also in the way that it has evolved over time. The typical human
brain has 100 billion brain cells, weighs about 3 pounds and its
conundrums are accurately summed up by Susan Blakemore, speaking
in the magazine New Scientist in March 1999, when she says, 'In
proportion to our body mass, our brain is three times as large as
that of our nearest relatives. This huge organ is dangerous and
painful to give birth to, expensive to build and, in a resting human,
uses about 20 per cent of the body's energy even though it is just
2 per cent of the body's weight. (Visit here
for more facts and figures about the brain)
![](/SITE/IMAGES/reviews/radiant/cell.jpg)
Picture Copyright
CT Training
This is a brain
cell or 'neuron' the basic building block of the brain.
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The idea of using the brain effectively
is not of course only a twentieth century phenomena. The basis of
most current memory systems were formulated to a large extent by
the Greeks over 2000 years ago; and though the odd new system has
emerged since the 17th century (the 'Major
System' for example), the popular explosion of interest in
finding techniques that can be applied on a day to day basis is
new.
Mind Mapping©, which we
studied for most of the afternoon, after a nice lunch in the clubs
affordable bistro, is a technique of representing knowledge in a
flowing visual form that the brain can better understand and assimilate.
It was invented by Tony Buzan in the late 1960's, and its basic
premise is that linear note taking does not suit the way our minds
ideally like to remember things. We think in colour, make imaginative
leaps of fancy from one subject to the other and see a wonderfully
visual world around us; and yet when it comes to remembering things
we write lists without pictures, in a single colour! Buzan made
an intuitive leap that this was clearly madness, and that what was
needed was a way of encoding information that was better suited
to the way we actually think. To this end he developed Mind Mapping.
Rather then remembering through a list, this first links through
a theme, and secondly emphasises that knowledge is interdependent
like a giant series of networks and so is better expressed in an
organic and colourful way. (Click
here to see an example which describes the 'Laws of Mind Mapping'
in the form of a Mind Map.)
Philip Chambers, one of the trainers
for this course, is the current World Mind Mapping Champion, a suitably
glamorous title that emanates from winning the Minds Sports Olympiad
in London last year (Click
here if you fancy entering next years event!); and so is well
placed to teach about the subject. The practice of Mind Mapping
is an interesting one, because it turns on its head the notion that
note taking has to be boring. You basically sit in front of a blank
sheet of paper with a set of coloured pens and draw pictures and
links as to how things slot together. In many respects it is much
like going back to Kindergarten, only we justify it in scientific
terms rather than fun terms. The irony of this of course is that
precisely because it is good fun and absorbing it actually works!
The Mind Mapping section of the course
took up most of the afternoon, firstly through explaining the reasoning
behind them, followed by the best ways to draw them, and then practising
with the paper and pens supplied. This was very good, and professionally
handled. There were a large selection of examples of Mind Maps dotted
around the room which made it easy to figure out the 'correct' way
to do things, and the instruction was clear and logically paced.
Also, one of the authors of the book that the manual is based upon
is Tony Buzan, the inventor of the technique, and so this too offered
good clear guidelines. This section of the course was the smoothest
and best put together, and made a compelling case for using mind
maps. The possibilities of Mind Mapping on a computer were barely
mentioned however; which given the fact that Mind Mapping software
is often bundled for free on the cover discs of many computer magazines
should be addressed. Also, the manual did lack guidelines as to
what action should be taken following the course to properly cement
the knowledge. A theme that ran through the whole course.
The last hour of the day was taken
up with some memory and speed reading benchmark tests designed to
demonstrate current abilities. Which, almost without exception (Quentin
had you been practising?) showed all of us to have fairly average
and uninspiring scores (which would all be improved by the end of
the second day). The day then finished off with a Quiz game, which
was a nice way to end the days proceedings, and also had the affect
of reviewing the days learning. All in all pretty good.
Day 2 - Speed Reading
and Memory
![](/SITE/IMAGES/reviews/radiant/eye.jpg)
Picture
Copyright CT Training
The Eyes in
relation to the brain
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We are faced with a barrage of written words on a daily basis that
we have to deal with, and it can feel quite overwhelming to look around
us and realise the sheer volume of material that we really should
read, 'If only we had the time'. The problem with reading the way
we are taught in school, namely one-word-at-a-time, is that we sub-vocalize
the words in our heads (say them to ourselves as we read them), and
hence are severely limited as a result in the speed to which we are
able to read. Typically we can sub-vocalize at a rate of one word
every quarter of a second, and so most people read at a rate of about
240 words a minute. (To get an idea of your own speed read a novel
for a minute and then count the number of words). Coupled with the
problem of sub-vocalization is the spectre of backskipping; namely
that you read something and then have a nagging doubt that you really
understood it, and so go back and re-read it. These two together cause
people to have slow reading speeds.
Speed Reading as a mainstream
discipline really took off in the late 1950's when Evelyn Wood did
her own research into the subject following seeing one of her professors
read some of her university work at an amazing speed (for an interesting
online history of speedreading go here),
and the ideas have now settled down into two mainstream camps which
share a common goal of faster reading, but perceive different mechanisms
to achieve them.
The first of these (which this course
adopts) is largely the same way that Evelyn Wood approached it.
Namely, that if you can train yourself to move forward through a
text avoiding backskipping and sub-vocalisation while taking in
groups of words rather then the words individually then you can
dramatically improve your reading speeds. The aim of this approach
is to ultimately reach the point where you are literally absorbing
and understanding chunks of text. This sounds slightly bizarre at
first, because the worry is that, 'If I don't read the words individually,
then how will I understand them?'. The reality however is that our
minds are far more amazing then we give them credit for. Our eyes
and brains can immediately conceptualise, categorise and understand
a great painting for example. Words are really no different. It
is our conditioning and early experiences that says that words must
be read one-word-at-a-time, and yet really they are no different
from the painting in being a kind of representation, not an end
in themselves. With this in mind techniques such as using the hand
as a pacer were employed as an aid in the process of avoiding backskipping,
sub-vocalization and to start to absorb words in chunks.
The second school of thought really
takes up where the first leaves off and says that because our eyes
can absorb and conceptualise information so quickly, that merely
using mechanical techniques such as pacing out the words with the
hand or a pointing device such as a pen, are inadequate; and that
we should be aiming to absorb whole pages of text at a time. This
is done through getting the mind focused in the right way through
meditative techniques, and various page turning and recall strategies.
Through this approach it is claimed that speeds of over 100,000
words a minute are possible!
Whether or not this is theoretically
true given the mechanics of the eye is a moot point (Click here
for facts about the eye). I have to say that I have previously tried
a course that advocates trying to read this fast (Reading Genius by
Ed Strachar - 6 audio cassette course distributed in the UK by Nightingale
Conant), and found it next to useless. For sure I was able to turn
pages at a rapid pace, but was unable to recall anything that was
on those pages.
![](/SITE/IMAGES/reviews/radiant/eye1.jpg)
Picture
Copyright CT Training
The Eye
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The first approach then is less earth
shattering for sure, but the results are more predictable and can
still be comfortingly impressive. Most people on the course doubled
their reading speed; and so in that respect it would seem hard to
fault. Yet, the problem is that the whole session felt muddled and
unclear and techniques to develop speed and comprehension after
the course were very limited. So, that although the basics were
there, it left me wanting more. If improving your reading speed
is your main aim, and you don't mind learning from cassettes, there
are better courses available.
The course focused on two main techniques.
Using the hand as a pacer, and the Power Browse. The first is a
foundation step of speed reading. The idea is that by using a pen
or your finger as a pacer underneath the words as you read, that
it forces you to move forward more quickly through the material,
aids in concentration and stops your mind from wandering. The second
is more focused on establishing a framework in which you approach
reading through looking at structure, browsing rapidly through and
then doing a mind map to get an overview of the material before
reading it in more depth. Both of these are very solid techniques,
and are undoubtedly valuable. However, there was not enough focus
given on how this could be applied to daily reading strategies,
and comprehension was almost entirely glossed over. Reading Faster
is great, but not if you cannot remember any of it. Also, at the
end of the speed reading section there was very much a sense of
'What next?'. There was no formality in the manual or the instruction
received as to what steps we should next be taking to build on what
we had learned. We touched upon certain speed drills to increase
speed; but this was rushed and not really placed in context as to
how this could be used in the future.
For those in this position who have
either been on a speed reading course and been left floundering
at the end of it, or have read a book on the subject and wonder
what to do next I would strongly recommend they get themselves a
copy of the Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics Course which offers a secure
platform to build confidence in the techniques while in the early
stages of using them. (You can find further details here).
![](/SITE/IMAGES/reviews/radiant/elephant.gif)
Picture
Copyright CT Training
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The 'Memory' part was the last element of the course and started
at three o'clock on the final day. Our memories (or to be more precise
our lack of them) is something that many of us moan about, but few
do much about rectifying. The six memory strategies that were chosen
for this course had a good balance between ease of use and power in
application; and the principles behind memory improvement were clearly
outlined. There was however no mention of strategies to remember foreign
languages, and this would have been welcome.
The techniques chosen were as follows:
1/ The Link System - Items
linked in a list in the mind through vivid associations.(more
info)
2/ Names and Faces - Various strategies involving location,
association of features and famous people.
3/ The Number Rhyme System - Using rhyme words to represent
numbers e.g. 4 - door. And then using that item in the mind to remember.(more
info)
4/ The Number Shape System - Making use of the fact that
the shape of certain numbers looks like objects e.g. 7 = Boomerang.(more
info)
5/ The Dominic System - System utilised by the current World
Memory Champion Dominic O'Brien which associates pairs of numbers
with the names of celebrities in order to be able to remember them.(more
info)
6/ The Journey Method - Associating things with a pre-defined
mental journey in the mind in order to remember them.(more
info)
The basic idea of all these systems
is that the mind works as a synergistic whole utilising all the
different senses, and that the more mental hooks that we can use
in order to try to remember something, the more memorable it will
be.
The memory part of the course was good,
but was a bit short and the course would have benefited from moving
the half of the Memory part that dealt with the techniques to Day
1. These were complicated techniques, and it would have been better
to have had them repeated to some extent on both of the days. This
is especially true of the Dominic System (details of which you can
find here)
which requires each person to make a personalised list of characters
based on the fact that certain numbers represent certain letters.
This is a complicated and time consuming system to learn and develop,
and it felt like it was breezed over too quickly.
Again, there was no supplementary material
provided in the manual to build on what was learned in the course
and no real discussion of how to develop these skills further. The
course did provide a good introduction to memory techniques and
open the mind to the possibilities of memory training, but it was
rushed and did not help to build on what had been learned in the
course by planning how the techniques could be integrated practically
into daily life.
Summary
FOR: Generally a good course
- Comparatively cheap compared to similar courses - Nice overview
of what makes our minds tick, and opens up a lot of scope for further
investigation into the different areas - Great course for children,
or their parents thinking how they can best introduce their kids
to twentieth century learning techniques - Very strong and clearly
focused Mind Mapping component - Good Manual and Friendly instruction
- Good choice of techniques for Memory section - Unexpected enhancement
of Juggling Skills.
AGAINST: Slightly weak speedreading
section - Memory section was a bit rushed with only three hours
for the main learning, and could have had greater integration with
the other areas - More materials for carrying learning of the course
content to the next stage needed - Could do with the inclusion of
Mind Mapping software for the PC - A bit mean not being able to
keep the juggling balls.
Conclusion
In general this was a good course which
gave a tidy overview of its main themes. It suffered however from
feeling rushed in places, focusing on techniques rather than applications
and seeming to work on the assumption that the training period was
an end in itself; when really it should just be the start of a whole
new way of doing things.
In reality without direction people
will quickly fall back to their old habits, and I rather fear that
many of the people on the course, whilst enjoying it, will not fully
utilise it for lack of information and direction as to what they
are supposed to do next.
The course offered a good starting
point to be sure, but unfortunately fell short of the help it should
have offered to cement those skills. Whilst it is important to accept
that there is still a high level of commitment required from the
individual, and that without a certain amount of application, no
techniques can hope to succeed; more guidance was required as to
where that application should be directed once the course was over.
Nevertheless, this course was enjoyable
to attend and was interesting, informative and cheerfully taught.
Overall, it offers good value for money in a market where many courses
cost much more and deliver much less.
More Interesting Links
Memories
are Made of This - Link to another article I wrote for FirstScience
about memory.
www.mind-map.com
- The homepage of the inventor of mind maps Tony Buzan.
www.psychwww.com/mtsite/memory.html
- Terrific page of links to information about alot of different
memory techniques.
www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/suggest.html
- A good page of suggestions for improving reading speed.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/facts.html
- Facts and figures about the brain.
http://webvision.med.utah.edu/
- Facts and figures about the eye.
www.msoworld.com/index.html
- The homepage of Mind Sports Worldwide
www.speakernetnews.com/tsem/handouts/abbyhistoryofreading.pdf
- History of Speed Reading
For more details about the course featured
in this review you can visit the companies website at http://www.stanwell.demon.co.uk/stanwell/CTTraining.html
or Contact Philip at Phil@learning-tech.co.uk
- Company courses can also be arranged - Telephone +44 (0) 7000
853276
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