Before you send your team "back to school," however, it might be useful to familiarize them with some of the concepts outlined in Paul Hayden's valuable ebook, "The Learner's Pocketbook," available from PocketManager.com at http://www.pocketmanager.com/product.jsp?product_id=-1778740031. It's yet another valuable resource you should have close at hand, stored on your trusty Palm device.

In this ebook, Hayden discusses the theory behind learning. By understanding how your brain works and how you learn, you can better take advantage of the educational opportunities afforded to you. The ebook encourages individuals to take responsibility for their own learning. It also explains how you can harness your brainpower so as not to hinder the learning process. It covers brainpower, learning theory, planning and committing, intelligence styles, and learning techniques. It can be read in preparation for any type of learning, making it ideal pre-course material.

This book is in DOC format. You'll need a DOC reader to view this book on your Palm device. For more information on document readers, check out Larry Stedman's article, "Document readers for the Palm OS: a user's perspective," in the May issue of PalmPower at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200105/ebook0501001.html.

Gray matter
Section one of "The Learner's Pocketbook" covers brainpower. Here Hayden discusses the makeup of the brain and how the number of synapses within the brain determines intelligence. He delves into the parts of the brain and their functions and the differences between the left and right brain. He also offers a few vital statistics regarding the thinking organ, such as the interesting fact that the average adult brain weighs three pounds.

In theory
Section two covers learning theory. This includes a discussion of the learning curve we hear so much about. Says Hayden, "In different areas of your life you will be at different stages on different learning curves. In order to learn, you must be on the curve, so you can move forward."

He then goes into the four stages of learning: reasoning, planning, committing, and reflecting. In the reasoning phase, you ask yourself the question, "What's in it for me?" If you can identify no value in learning a particular subject, you won't learn it.