The Learning for Life Academy

1. The Learning for Life Academy C-MAP™--Cognitive Map Learning SystemAn Educational Program for People with Dementia

2. What is the Learning for Life Academy? • An educational program for people with dementia • Tailored to accommodate individual skills & interests • In which the fact that members have challenges to their memories is largely irrelevant.

3. Learning for Life Basics Self Identity -- a C-MAPPER Ownership -- this is mine Hard-wired caring -- for others Procedural Learning -- I remember Confidence -- from templates Sense of Time -- past & future Self-determination -- what I want to do Relationships of trust -- not hierarchy

4. What is a Learning for Life Day Like? The Group begins in the dining room around 9 AM. Participants put on name tags & decide with a template what breakfast snacks and drinks they would like to have.

7. Morning Discussions The first thing The Group does is look through newspapers to find stories that are interesting & that can be shared for discussion.

10. Recent Self-InitiatedCoffee Discussion Topics • The Oil Spill Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico • The Divorce of Al and Tipper Gore (Is it really possible to have a “friendly” divorce?) • The Effects of the Recession on Unemployment • A 78-year-old man hits a Hole in One • What you would do if you were President • Fashion (Can anyone besides a model actually wear those clothes?) • Town Hall Meetings • Tension between North and South Korea

11. In the Learning for Life Classroom The Group begins its learning sessions.

12. Learning Centers • Members of The Group distribute themselves at the prepared learning centers. • The Morning Set-up & learning centers are examples of “The Prepared Environment” –itself a template.

13. Example of a Learning Center Learning Digital Photography

14. Examples of Learning Stations:Card Making

15. The close-up photograph The Subject

17. anotherExample of a Learning Center Holiday Card Creation

19. & anotherExample of a Learning Center Holiday Card Creation leads to: Painting self portraits

21. At the End of the Morning • Members share what they’ve done • Learn more about each other • Make plans for future activities.

22. At the End of the Morning Mr. Wong teaches the group how to relax through breathing exercises

24. At the End of the Morning When The Group found out that Mr. Wong had worked in his family’s restaurant, they asked about Chinese food

25. At the End of the Morning Mr. Wong told The Group about “fried won-tons.” The Group asked Mr. Wong to teach them how to make fried won-tons

28. At the End of the Morning The Group decided to make some fried won-tons to serve to non-student residents—everyone pitched in.

32. Templates guide wanton making The leader creates the necessary templates the night before

39. Before The Group serves the wantons to others, they decided to try them out themselves.

42. Here’s how the voting went…

46. Though not unanimous, most of The Group gave a “thumbs up,” and so a batch was made and served to the others. (There were many thumbs up among those served.)

47. OTHER TOPICS THE GROUP DECIDED TO STUDY • Architecture • Comparative religion • Transportation • Metamorphosis • Motion pictures The C-Mappers’ Motto: IT NEVER HURTS TO TRY SOMETHING NEW

48. How is Learning for Life different from conventional programs? CONVENTIONAL Persons with dementia cannot make choices LEARNING FOR LIFE Members make their own decisions

49. How is Learning for Life different from conventional programs? CONVENTIONAL Activities are selected by an Activity Director LEARNING FOR LIFE Members select what they want to learn about, and how they want to learn.

50. How is Learning for Life different from conventional programs? CONVENTIONAL People with dementia only live in the moment LEARNING FOR LIFE Work on projects over time, make plans, set and remember goals, remember the past