Tony Buzan
 Your brain is like a sleeping giant.
Tony Buzan
I first became aware of Tony Buzan through his BBC TV series Use Your Head. This consisted of ten television programmes, and it was first broadcast in 1974. What I found particularly striking and refreshing about the programmes was the way in which Buzan used his novel learning methods to teach you about his learning methods. In other words, the medium was very much the message! There was a strong emphasis on moving away from linear, left-brain approaches, and so the programmes were packed with images, diagrams and colour. At last learning could be truly exciting!
To accompany the TV series, Buzan published his best-selling book Use Your Head. This has been a very popular publication, valued especially perhaps by mature students, returning to formal education and attempting to establish effective methods of learning.
Tony Buzan - Key Elements
Some of the key elements of Tony Buzan's approach are as follows:
- Human potential
The brain has enormous potential, and everyone is capable at any age of tapping into this potential and making significant improvements in their ability to learn.
- Use of the right hemisphere of the brain
The most dramatic improvements occur when people begin to make more use of the right hemisphere functions of the brain: imaging, colour, rhythm, imagination, etc.
- Mind-mapping
Buzan pioneered the use of mind-mapping as a way of tapping into these right hemisphere brain functions. He recommends the use of mind maps in a wide range of learning situations, including note-taking, essay-writing and creative thinking.
- Wide applicability
The learning methods proposed by Buzan, such as mind-mapping, have wide applicability. For example, they can be equally used by primary school pupils, PhD postgraduate students and managers in commercial organisations.
Further Information
For further information about Tony Buzan and his ideas see:
- Brain Chat with Tony Buzan
Buzan Centres
Google's 'Tony Buzan' page
Motivational speaker: Tony Buzan
Wikipedia page on Tony Buzan
New Tony Buzan video (YouTube, 6 min.)
-
|
