学习的本质是大脑神经网络的模式改变。我们的神经网络连接模式会在大脑中生成图像、观念和感受等。细胞之间的连接——突触，会随着反复使用而增厚，信号传输速度也会变得更快。因此，随着时间推移，你学会的知识技能会变得更加自动化。

　　我们不妨一起回想。刚学开车时，我们需要集中精神提前思考每一个操作动作。随着开车次数增加，车技日渐成熟，渐渐地我们做到了人车合一。又比如，一旦记住了数学中的九九乘法运算表，运算就会变得格外轻松，运算结果自动出现在脑海中。总而言之，新的知识和技能需要经历了自动化后，我们才有能力进行进阶的、复杂的思考和学习。

　　Learning is making changes in memory, which is a network of linked cells in the brain that fire together. Our neural networks produce patterns that the brain reads as images, thoughts and feelings. The connections between the cells – the synapses – thicken with repeated use, enabling faster transmission of signals. Thus, what you learn becomes automated over time.

　　Once, you had to concentrate when you were learning to drive a car; now, you drive every day with much less conscious thought about it. once you learned your seven times table in maths; now it comes to you automatically. You need to automate a lot of the fundamental skills and processes before you can progress to more complex thinking and procedures.

　　新想法是需要内化至现有的神经网络，因此有效学习新知识和新技能的前提是，这些新知识技能必须与你现有的知识有关联。比如你在听一个超出你知识覆盖面的演讲，听到的演讲内容无法触动知识关联，你很有可能觉得听不进去，一场演讲下来什么也没有学会。

　　教学和上述例子同理，老师需要构建教学框架和内容难易级别，使学生们基于自身基础获得学术进步。这意味着，老师的角色不仅仅是知识渊博的学者，教授学生新知识，老师还需要根据学生实际学术情况进行有效的分层教学。老师不仅仅是教学的专家，引领学生以学者专家的角度方式思考，老师还需要理解每位学生的思考方式--基于学生的认知水平，搭建从现有水平进阶至专家水平的学习桥梁。

　　为达至此教学目标，我们可以参考哈佛大学的零点项目(Project Zero)推动的“学习可视化”运动。在思维可视化的课堂里，老师让学生们自由分享自己的思考方式和过程，然后老师向学生示范不同的思维方式和思考过程以及和学生一起实践。目前，教育界拥有上百种思维方式，老师可通过运用这些思维方式让学习变得可视化。

　　New ideas to be learnt need to fit into existing neural networks, so they have to be within reach of what you already know. If you listen to a talk that is way above your head, it becomes too demanding and you will likely switch off your attention and learn nothing.

　　So teachers need to structure and scaffold learning, so that it is within the reach of every student. That means, as well as being the ‘knowledgeable other’ that brings the new learning to students’ attention, the teacher needs to differentiate. The teacher not only needs to be an expert, ‘modelling’ the thinking processes that the experts use, but also needs to understand how each student is thinking – and how to scaffold the learning in between the student’s level of understanding and that of the expert.

　　The ‘Making Thinking Visible’ movement from Project Zero at Harvard University particularly helps with this process. In visible thinking lessons, teachers get students to talk through their thought processes, and teachers model and practice different processes of thinking with students. There are now hundreds of thinking routines that teachers use with students to make thinking visible.

　　深入学习一个科目或一个议题都是一个长期的过程，在此过程中，来自专家导师的定期学习反馈是推动有效学习的关键之一。专家导师的学习反馈一般分为三类：设定学习目标和学习步骤，追踪观察学习进展是否达标;理解学生的想法并及时纠正错误的思考方向和方法;引领学生像学者专家般思考并与学生一起练习实践。

　　Learning any subject or topic to a deep level is a long-term process, and the best results come when the learner has an expert coach who provides regular feedback. For maximum effect, this feedback should be of three types: feedback that defines the goals and steps in the process and keeps the student on track; feedback that understands how students are thinking and corrects any misconceptions; and feedback that models and practises with students the thinking processes of the experts in the subject.

　　最后，我们诚挚地邀请您参加查特豪斯活动

　　We would like to invite you to attend Open Day of Charterhouse Shenzhen

　　7月开放日时间地点：

　　2021年7月10日(周六)

　　10th July, 2021 (Saturday)

　　查特豪斯深圳校区

　　Charterhouse Shenzhen

　　(*7月10日开放日席位已满。后报名者将邀请至后续场次

　　As seating is limited, invite will be sent on a first-come-first-serve basis.)