smarter brains

Secrets to the Best “Triple M” (Make Mental Movies)

April 26th, 2010 |

I have written in previous blogs about the secrets of improving your reading comprehension and writing skills by using my Triple M (Make Mental Movies) protocol.

Here are some more secrets related to the Triple M for making writing assignments easier (and more fun!).

When teaching this writing assignment protocol to teachers, students, or classes, I often say:

“Remember to put your imaginary screen straight out in front of you, sitting on something solid, like a table or a piece of concrete, or fasten it to something solid, like a wall or a tree.

“Why do you want to sit your screen on something solid? Or fasten your screen to something solid?

“So your screen will stay still. So your screen will stay at about your eye level or preferably above.

“It keeps your screen in place, where you can always see it easily.

The best place is out in front, straight out in front, or a little higher, because your mind can see it easier if it is straight out in front, or a little higher [gesturing with my hands, showing my own screen sitting solidly held out in front, a little above eye level].”

If you don’t have your imaginary out-in-front-of-you screen resting on something solid, or attached to something solid, it will tend to drift downwards and pretty soon you will be looking down at your imaginary screen, instead of looking straight out or preferably a little upwards.

Who cares if your imaginary screen drifts downwards?

Your brain does.

It learns best when the imaginary screen is straight out in front, or even better a little higher than that.

Looking down at your imaginary screen is great for feelings, and not so great for facts, such as in a writing assignment.

If the group is “shy” about experimenting when they do not have familiarity with the Triple M (Make Mental Movies) process yet, I may say:

“Let me show you how I do this.”

Then I close my eyes and think out loud for the group, letting them know where my screen is (gesturing, pointing straight out in front, a little above my eye level), and telling them what is appearing on my screen now. If nothing is appearing on my screen, I tell them, “It doesn’t matter, I will just pretend to see the pictures on my screen.”

Then I continue to think out loud, sharing my movie pictures with the class (beginning, middle, end).

Then I re-wind [gesturing with my hand in a small circle above my head to show I am re-winding the movie].

Then I play the movie to see how I like it.

Then I think out loud about how I am fixing or changing the beginning, middle or end.

Re-wind again [with upright hand gesturing in a small circle].

All of this before ever picking up a pen to write. 😮
Quick and easy though, when you have some fun with it
a time or two.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sometimes I introduce this by saying:

“It can be fun to watch a movie on TV or at the movie house.
These are movies made by others hoping to catch your attention.

“It is even more fun to make your own mental movies. These
are created by you, for yourself, and nobody’s brain except
your brain knows better how to make a move just for you,
and you alone. It is your secret movie, so to speak. You can
share it with others or not, as you choose. If you make a
movie you don’t want to share just yet, just make another
one that you are OK with sharing for now, for this fun writing
assignment.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Sometimes I remember to say:

“Every time I have to write something, the first thing I do is lay down my pen.”

Or:

“OK class, we are going to have some fun doing some writing now. The first thing I want you to do, before even thinking about starting to write, is to put your pen down. (Or if they’re doing the project on Microsoft Word on the computer, I tell them to look away from the computer screen, and look at their own imaginary screen instead.)”

Cheers!

Doc Meek

P.S. The repetitious sentences are deliberate. When I am repeating, “Even if you don’t know how to make movies in your head yet, or how to project your very own mental movie out on to your own private screen straight out in front of you…,” the brains of all the students are practicing doing the process inside their heads anyway, because that is how the neurology of learning works, almost always making mental movies or mental pictures, without conscious attention on the part of the student. 😮

The brain knows more than it knows. 😮

“Hey everybody! What if we are all smarter than we think?

“All of us!”

Wow.

—
J Collins Meek, PhD
THE LEARNING CLINIC WORLDWIDE
What if you are smarter than you think?