Education World – Jim Paterson
“Education of students is serious, important work, but there is also scholarly research that says it may be most effective if it’s sometimes fun. For years teachers have tried ways of bringing humor into the classroom to keep kids engaged, and Mary Kay Morrison, past president of the Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor and author of the book Using Humor to Maximize Learning, says brain research shows that it’s a good idea. “It maximizes learning and strengthens memories by gaining a student’s attention then imbeds the information,” she says. She notes that students surveyed on the topic say teachers who use humor are much more effective at motivating them, engaging them, reducing their anxiety, developing positive teacher-student relationships and being interested in their learning.” (more)