Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A Whole New Mind
A Whole New Mind - The Animoto, there is a link to this from my wikispace which is found through the class wikispace.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Reflection
Reflection on
A Whole New Mind
by David Pink
I loved reading this book. It felt comfortable, low stress, and understandable, I connected with it in many ways. I don't know what theother literature books had to say, but the meeting between this book and my brain was meant to be! Personally and professionally, it felt like an important part of me that had been considered low status in the work market was given value. The six components were all familiar, although not in such depth nor so specifically, because they are all part of personal, private life.
The portfolio sections of the book were a unique experience, so many wonderful resources and ideas! My junior high son would pick up my book just to check these sections for ideas he wants to try, we read manyof them together and were amazed at the possibilities.
A special connection was the story of the Hero's Journey. The author likened it to reading this book and I agreed; it was an eye opener, especially with all the extraordinary examples. Even more, though, it was my story as I worked my way through the Power 21 on-line class! I'd felt pretty comfortable with what I was doing, and knowing, taking traditional professional classes that gave me new ideas and methods, and most often reinforced my teaching philosophy and style. Meantime, though, elementary students and my junior high son, were amazing and bewildering me with their computer class assignments and the knowledge they seemed so comfortable using. It was moe than the generation gap that had me understanding so little of their language! Hence, I decided this class was the one for me. I struggled like a foreigner in an unkind land, ran the gauntlet of emotions from high to lows, and with help of "those in the know" was able to come out alive. I learned many new things to take back to my teacher's role, perhaps not all I was expected to learn, nor all I need to know, but enough to feel successful and ready to learn more. I wonder if it weren't for the story, told throughout humanity's storytelling history, with the Hero's successful return held out like a promise that all would be well, if I would have stayed the struggle. I like to think I would've, but like I've said, this story was meant to come to me!
The fact that David Pink doesn't write that left or right brain is better, or preferred, over teh other is a major factor in the believability, and acceptance, of his views. We've heard that argument enough to know which "side" we're on. Instead he writes, with examples showing proof, that although the two hemispheres of the brain are very different, both are necessary in the Conceptual Age. I think this is the most attractive aspect of the book, a choice of one isn't required, rather, a belief that we can "have it all".
The viewpoints in this book reminded me also of my grandparents and their generation. Those folk lived the six components: they told stories, they laughed and found humor in the easy and difficult situations, they had genuine meaning in their lives, their neighborliness was empathy at its best, they were continually designing and redesigning their careers and theirlives to make things better, not to mention the countless inventions they created or improved upon "to get the job done" without worry of patents, and they wer able to take their knowledge and skills and use them in another fashion or place; all in the name of survival and the joy of living. I loved my grandparents and spent a great deal of time with them, perhaps that's a big reason I felt so close to this book immediately and enjoyed it so thoroughly from beginning to end.
I find myself recommending this book to almost everyone I meet and then running through a brief summary to entice them to believe they need to read this. I wish I could send it to so manyof our leaders, the chosen and the self-apppointed, so we could all get on the same page and work for the best for our country and our people. I'm so glad I read David Pink's book A Whole New Mind.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Story and Symphony
Story
The aptitude of Story is defined by our author with a quote from Mark Turner who wrote The Literary Mind, Turner writes "Narrative imagining - story - is the fundamental instrument of thought.....Most of our experience, our knowledge and our thinking is organized as stories." Our author continues by stating that minds remember stories better than facts because it is the natural tendency to remember in that fashion, making stories integral to the human experiences of leaning and sharing.
People had utilized this aptitude for centuries, but during the Information Age there was an opposing sentiment which devalued narrative skills and chose to work with strictly factual information and presentations instead, ignoring the concept that gathering facts in isolation is opposite to how minds naturally work. With the dilemma created by the three A's (Abundance, Asia, Automation), though, facts are readily available hence they have less value and impact, but place them within a rich context and tie them into emotions (the essence of Story), emtional impact and the value of knowledge increases.
The Hero Story, considered a basic story structure, was compared to this book in that the reader will move from consideration of exclusively Left Brain capabilities to the realization of the importance, followed by the acceptance and appreciation, of Right Brain thinking; that Right and Left are complements and both are necessary to a successful life in the near future. This was one of my favorite parts of this chapter because of the connection I felt to the Hero Story in relation to our class of on-line tools. I was comfortable as was, but realizing I was on a low tech level for an educator, pushed myself into this foreign arena, encountered challenges and difficulties which led to struggles requiring new skills to succeed, but with the aid of our Friends in TIE and their magic modems, I will land in comfort as a "hero with a whole new mind".
Hollywood great Robert McKee gives seminars on the importance of storytelling skills and wrote a book entitled Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and The Principles of Screenwriting that is very popular with the Hollywood crowd. Even more surprising is the number and type of advocates who come to his presentations and read his book; they are businesspeople who have determined that Story is important to the economics and happiness of their lives and careers in the Conceptual Age.
There are various examples of how the people of the business world are successfully applying the skills of storytelling. One example is how in 2001, Dr. Rita Charon started a movement focusing on the awareness of the benefits of the aptitude of Story to the medical profession. Since then, many hospitals and medical schools throughout the nation are recognizing and including the skills of Story in their practice and training. They've found untilizing narrative competence promotes the diagnosis and treatment of patients in addition to building stronger patient/doctor relationships, although we are reminded that the skills of Story expand a doctor's abilities, but certainly cannot stand alone.
Story, long neglected, has been brought back into the forefront of the arts, business, and personal arenas. Because many Americans now reside in a time of abundance, we have the time to delve deeper into ourselves, our work, our families, and our world in an attempt to understand our place in the big picture. The outsourcing of white collar jobs to Asia and the capabilities of automation force us to gain a new perspective and develop new skills. Our author believes that the aptitude of Story will be a critical factor for American success in the Conceptual Age.
Symphony
Our author defines Symphony as "the ability to put together the pieces.....to synthesize rather than to analyze." Symphony is likened to the ability to draw and refers to the book by Betty Edwards, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Our author takes a class in drawing, with an instructor who uses this book, to aid the reader understand symphonic thinking. After reading this chapter, I've purchased Edward's book and am excited to first learn from it using myself and my son, then to apply its principles with elementary students in their literature illustrations.
There is a reminder of information from Chapter 2 about how the left and right brain's hemispheres work in a 'simultaneous, contextual, and symphonic manner." Also from that same chapter is the reference to the three A's pushing Americans toward a new approach to, and creation of new, careers, with Symphony being a major asset in the endeavor.
The drawing class demonstrates to our author that he is drawing remembered symbols instead of observing what is actually there. Drawing requires genuine observations of features including their relationships to each other, much as what we must do to become symphonic in our choices of application. The art teacher himself, Bomeisler, emphasizes that 'drawing is largely about relationships, that when combined create the whole,' another point of similarity between the abilities to draw and symphonize. The analogy defines cleaarly what the aptitude of Symphony is and how to apply it.
In the discussion of relationships, the author identifies three types of people as those who will most likely succeed in the Conceptual Age. The boundary crosser, who is able to find success and joy applying their talents and skills regardless of how circumstances my vary from their first choice of application. An interesting point was that gender role stereotypes don't apply to those who can cross boundaries, which makes sense since our societal expectations of gender do create boundaries. The inventor is the second type of person because many inventions combine older ideas into a single new one; again, the approach of utilizing what is with its relationship to the big picture. The metaphor maker, with metaphor being defined as 'understanding one thing in terms of something else", is the final type of person determined by this author to be successful. George Lakoff writes, "Human thought processes are largely metaphorical," and our author points out that while computers can sift and organize information, they cannot recognize relationships as the human mind can. An once again, due to the abundance in American's lives, be it in material goods or the capabilities of technology, understanding and relationships are whatr people are searching for and metaphors expand both.
An interesting piece of data the author shares while citing examples of successful businesspeople is that studies show "self-made millionaires are four times more likely than the rest of the population to be dyslexic." A comparison is made between dyslexia and blindness. People who are unable to use their sight generally have developed their other senses to higher levels of function to increase independence. Dyslexia, which creates difficulties with left brain tasks, pushes the dyslexic to hone their abilities to see the big picture, to problem solve, and to recognize patterns, which are right brain functions and beneficial to today's economic success.
Among the many examples given to support the Aptitude of Symphony is a perspective very different from the past decades; a multimillionaire who prefers poets rather than persons with an MBA to be his managers. His reasoning is that poets have a holistic view as well as the compunction to share their observations and interpretations while striving for understanding makes them "true digital thinkers......tomorrow's new business leaders."
The overall definition of the aptitude of Symphony is "the ability to grasp the relationships between relationships", or the ability to see the big picture. Symphony, by it's very nature of seeing the big picture versus all its parts in isolation, can ease the stress caused by the overwhelming amount of information and choices we have, and the lack of time to deal with them all, by helping us distinguish what in our lives is important and what is trivial.
The author oened this chapter with a self-portrait he drew on the first day of his drawing class; he completes the chapter with another self-portrait from his last day of class. The difference was impressive. He had relinquished his former view of drawing with symbols and had learned to truly see the whole picture as well as the relationships that created it. The drawing metaphor made the aptitude of Symphony very clear and real for the reader.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Summary of A Whole New Mind!
Here's to the right brain coming out in all of us! The six senses: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning give us the opportunity for personal and professional growth. The task is mastering the senses. "The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind - creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers."
If a person has the desire to succeed in this Conceptual Age then, the six senses lead the way. The first is design. The design needs to incorporate all the essentials to make it functional, but also incorporate beyond the essentials. The design needs to entice all senses. As an educator, I find this to be very true. We are required to teach the standards, but also add spice to the design.
Then, we have the story. Persuasion, communication, and self-understanding are all part of the story. Educators are the masters of the story. Our job revolves around the story. We are always educating ourselves and working on improving the story at all times.
Symphony is the next sense and it is the BIG picture. The symphony pulls it all together. The senses fit so well into an educator's world. We control the symphony to a certain extent. Our students are the symphony and we need to be the conductor. As the conductor, we guide our symphony in the right direction making the education process successful.
Next, there is empathy which is essential in understanding our students. We as educators need to remember, we need empathy with our students. We are not just teaching a particular subject or a particular grade level; we are teaching students! Can all teachers say they care more about the students or teaching the content?
The fun one of course is play! We all love to play! I always say if I'm not having fun I'm not doing my job. Enjoying our jobs can be play. Who says we can't teach our students and play as we? Play includes, "laughter, lightheartedness, games, and humor." I love play!
Lastly is meaning. It has to have a purpose. There is nothing else to say. If what we teach our students has purpose, our students are more apt to learn it.
Grasping and believing in the six senses can change the way we think. We as educators need to seize the opportunity to jump on board the Conceptual Age with our students. The time to say we are artists has come, we can never lose the excitement of calling ourselves artists!
If a person has the desire to succeed in this Conceptual Age then, the six senses lead the way. The first is design. The design needs to incorporate all the essentials to make it functional, but also incorporate beyond the essentials. The design needs to entice all senses. As an educator, I find this to be very true. We are required to teach the standards, but also add spice to the design.
Then, we have the story. Persuasion, communication, and self-understanding are all part of the story. Educators are the masters of the story. Our job revolves around the story. We are always educating ourselves and working on improving the story at all times.
Symphony is the next sense and it is the BIG picture. The symphony pulls it all together. The senses fit so well into an educator's world. We control the symphony to a certain extent. Our students are the symphony and we need to be the conductor. As the conductor, we guide our symphony in the right direction making the education process successful.
Next, there is empathy which is essential in understanding our students. We as educators need to remember, we need empathy with our students. We are not just teaching a particular subject or a particular grade level; we are teaching students! Can all teachers say they care more about the students or teaching the content?
The fun one of course is play! We all love to play! I always say if I'm not having fun I'm not doing my job. Enjoying our jobs can be play. Who says we can't teach our students and play as we? Play includes, "laughter, lightheartedness, games, and humor." I love play!
Lastly is meaning. It has to have a purpose. There is nothing else to say. If what we teach our students has purpose, our students are more apt to learn it.
Grasping and believing in the six senses can change the way we think. We as educators need to seize the opportunity to jump on board the Conceptual Age with our students. The time to say we are artists has come, we can never lose the excitement of calling ourselves artists!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Reflection
There were many interesting points in this book but I liked the Portfolio sections the most. I love the opportunity to make the book’s points come to life in my own life. From the Design Portfolio my all around favorites were “Put it on a Table” and “Be Choosy.” The “Riff on Opening Lines” and “Play Photo Finish” from the Story Portfolio would be a fun activity in my Drama Unit. As you can imagine being a Music teacher the Symphony section included a lot of activities that I was interested in. Two of my favorite activities from that section were “Do Some Real Brainstorming” and “Celebrate Your Amateurness.” The “Play the Cartoon Captions Game” is a great activity to play with the kids and myself. I will be incorporating “Say Thanks” and “But Out” in my class and in my life from the Meaning Portfolio.
As you may have noticed I left out the Empathy Portfolio. I saved this section for last because I spent a lot of time taking the online tests from the book and also from other online sites to determine where I stand. In my Systemizing and Empathy Quotient it was interesting to see that I scored exactly the same on the books sites as on the other online sites. In the end the tests showed my brain type was Balanced. (Some people would question that) My Empathy side was much stronger than the Systemizing though.
I picked 12 out of 20 correct expressions in the “Spot the Fake Smile” test. I scored a 24 in “The Mind is the Eye” test. That score was a typical score for the test.
When I was in my 30's I had tested out to be Integrated-right in the left/right dominant test. I took 3 online tests which 2 of them came up totally integrated and one was more Right Dominate. I then went to a site from Scholastic (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3629) and read about teaching styles and being right and left dominant. The following was taken from the site.
“Those who are middle-brain dominant tend to be more flexible than either the left- or the right-brain folks; however, you often vacillate between the two hemispheres when you make decisions. You sometimes get confused when decisions need to be made because, neurologically speaking, you could do most tasks through either a left-brain or a right-brain method! Our neurological profile essentially guides the way we teach our classes, meaning that left-brain teachers tend to teach in a "left-brain style," right-brain teachers typically teach in a "right-brain style," and middle-brain teachers tend to vary their teaching between the two approaches.”
It helps to explain who I am and how I tick.
The book was good, but what I learned about myself was what I liked the best.
As you may have noticed I left out the Empathy Portfolio. I saved this section for last because I spent a lot of time taking the online tests from the book and also from other online sites to determine where I stand. In my Systemizing and Empathy Quotient it was interesting to see that I scored exactly the same on the books sites as on the other online sites. In the end the tests showed my brain type was Balanced. (Some people would question that) My Empathy side was much stronger than the Systemizing though.
I picked 12 out of 20 correct expressions in the “Spot the Fake Smile” test. I scored a 24 in “The Mind is the Eye” test. That score was a typical score for the test.
When I was in my 30's I had tested out to be Integrated-right in the left/right dominant test. I took 3 online tests which 2 of them came up totally integrated and one was more Right Dominate. I then went to a site from Scholastic (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3629) and read about teaching styles and being right and left dominant. The following was taken from the site.
“Those who are middle-brain dominant tend to be more flexible than either the left- or the right-brain folks; however, you often vacillate between the two hemispheres when you make decisions. You sometimes get confused when decisions need to be made because, neurologically speaking, you could do most tasks through either a left-brain or a right-brain method! Our neurological profile essentially guides the way we teach our classes, meaning that left-brain teachers tend to teach in a "left-brain style," right-brain teachers typically teach in a "right-brain style," and middle-brain teachers tend to vary their teaching between the two approaches.”
It helps to explain who I am and how I tick.
The book was good, but what I learned about myself was what I liked the best.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Reflection on “A Whole New Mind: The Six Conceptual Senses and Education”.
I found the title of this book to be intriguing and wanted to read how the idea that using the right brain would increase a person’s chance of success in the future. I teach science so using the left brain has been the norm. Yet, personally and as a teacher I didn’t think that using only half of your brain or the main focus on the left brain was ideal. Every teacher knows that students all have their own learning styles and different types of intelligences. I found many of the ideas in this book to apply to education and teaching styles.
I enjoyed the first part of the book where the author discusses being able to read or judge people’s reactions to different pictures. Knowing how to read body language is an important skill for an educator. I find myself watching to see if a person’s smile is joyful or just a put on smile. I know that some of my students do not understand how to read a person’s body language very well and it may be the cause of conflict with others at times. Maybe we should spend some time teaching how to read body language? It made me wonder what type of body language I use with my student’s. I’m going to be more aware of my body language especially when dealing with student discipline issues.
I think the main idea or concept of this book was that we need to become aware of and use all of our senses. For true success and well being both sides of the brain have importance. The author encourages the reader to start focusing on the attributes of the right side of the brain and even gives examples of how to develop those senses. He wants us to become more insightful humans. This is a trend that I think we have been striving for in education. The idea of the teacher just standing up in front of the class and talking has given away to the teacher as a guide, a facilitator, not just learn these facts. This is where telling stories to your students will help them to get involved in learning the required material. According to the book’s author, telling stories help people to remember the information better if it’s linked to a story. I like to use stories in my teaching to make the concept more real world for my students. It helps the students to make sense of the concept and to give it meaning. Students have a hard time finding meaning in much of the material that teachers are told they have to teach. After reading this book I find that it’s okay to spend some time on right brain skills instead of just the left brain focus of the past. I can have my students spend more time using their creative side in order to make meaning of a topic.
Teacher student relationships have become the key. A teacher needs to have empathy with his or her students. Students have a lot of things to deal with and it helps if the teacher has empathy. The students will be more willing to learn from a teacher that they feel understands them. I think that playing with your students will also help as well as give them a safe, relaxing atmosphere to learn and develop who they are. Playing and teaching science go well together. There are all types of new ideas to wonder about, to discover. I try to use humor whenever possible when teaching; it makes students more willing to take risks when learning new skills. As a teacher I find that a class I can laugh with gets more accomplished and is more willing to try new things. I’m going to try and play more with my students. One of the ideas I’m going to try and do next semester is have my students develop learning games for a difficult topic or chapter. I’m especially interested in seeing how using these right brain skills with my tougher classes will work. I think it will greatly improve the classroom atmosphere.
I did not have a great deal of input into the design of the school or even the classrooms that I teach in. However, I have tried to improve on the classroom design to make it a friendlier more welcoming learning environment. A design area that I can improve on is my teaching materials. I am taking a look at how I design power points, and handouts. I am trying to use my right brain to analyze how I arrange the text, or add a picture to improve on the design of these materials. I have begun asking some of my students how they create the designs they have used on their projects in hopes that I can borrow some of their techniques.
Symphony is taking all the parts and putting it together to create the whole picture. I think it comes down to attitude, the book talks about the difference between a maze and a labyrinth. If the teacher looks at learning as a maze that just has to be gotten through then the students will just hurry up to do the assignment and learning will be short changed. However, if the teacher encourages the students to see learning as a journey (a labyrinth) they will be happier and more willing to look in-depth into a topic. Learning will improve and both the teacher and students will find more meaning in the process if care is taken to use both sides of the brain, especially using the many skills and attitudes from the right side. I hope to use these right brain skills to improve my teaching as well as my personal life.
I enjoyed the first part of the book where the author discusses being able to read or judge people’s reactions to different pictures. Knowing how to read body language is an important skill for an educator. I find myself watching to see if a person’s smile is joyful or just a put on smile. I know that some of my students do not understand how to read a person’s body language very well and it may be the cause of conflict with others at times. Maybe we should spend some time teaching how to read body language? It made me wonder what type of body language I use with my student’s. I’m going to be more aware of my body language especially when dealing with student discipline issues.
I think the main idea or concept of this book was that we need to become aware of and use all of our senses. For true success and well being both sides of the brain have importance. The author encourages the reader to start focusing on the attributes of the right side of the brain and even gives examples of how to develop those senses. He wants us to become more insightful humans. This is a trend that I think we have been striving for in education. The idea of the teacher just standing up in front of the class and talking has given away to the teacher as a guide, a facilitator, not just learn these facts. This is where telling stories to your students will help them to get involved in learning the required material. According to the book’s author, telling stories help people to remember the information better if it’s linked to a story. I like to use stories in my teaching to make the concept more real world for my students. It helps the students to make sense of the concept and to give it meaning. Students have a hard time finding meaning in much of the material that teachers are told they have to teach. After reading this book I find that it’s okay to spend some time on right brain skills instead of just the left brain focus of the past. I can have my students spend more time using their creative side in order to make meaning of a topic.
Teacher student relationships have become the key. A teacher needs to have empathy with his or her students. Students have a lot of things to deal with and it helps if the teacher has empathy. The students will be more willing to learn from a teacher that they feel understands them. I think that playing with your students will also help as well as give them a safe, relaxing atmosphere to learn and develop who they are. Playing and teaching science go well together. There are all types of new ideas to wonder about, to discover. I try to use humor whenever possible when teaching; it makes students more willing to take risks when learning new skills. As a teacher I find that a class I can laugh with gets more accomplished and is more willing to try new things. I’m going to try and play more with my students. One of the ideas I’m going to try and do next semester is have my students develop learning games for a difficult topic or chapter. I’m especially interested in seeing how using these right brain skills with my tougher classes will work. I think it will greatly improve the classroom atmosphere.
I did not have a great deal of input into the design of the school or even the classrooms that I teach in. However, I have tried to improve on the classroom design to make it a friendlier more welcoming learning environment. A design area that I can improve on is my teaching materials. I am taking a look at how I design power points, and handouts. I am trying to use my right brain to analyze how I arrange the text, or add a picture to improve on the design of these materials. I have begun asking some of my students how they create the designs they have used on their projects in hopes that I can borrow some of their techniques.
Symphony is taking all the parts and putting it together to create the whole picture. I think it comes down to attitude, the book talks about the difference between a maze and a labyrinth. If the teacher looks at learning as a maze that just has to be gotten through then the students will just hurry up to do the assignment and learning will be short changed. However, if the teacher encourages the students to see learning as a journey (a labyrinth) they will be happier and more willing to look in-depth into a topic. Learning will improve and both the teacher and students will find more meaning in the process if care is taken to use both sides of the brain, especially using the many skills and attitudes from the right side. I hope to use these right brain skills to improve my teaching as well as my personal life.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Life and Work Enhanced by Pink's Six Senses
As I began to read this book, I was increasingly excited to discover that the 'right brain' strengths are becoming more valued in today's world. The author is quick to clarify early on in the book, though, that both sides of the brain are working best when working in tandem, and that one without the other would be disastrous. Still, as a creative and artistic person, I am bolstered by this turn towards those gifts that I treasure in every day life.
Before I talk about section two of the book, I have one observation of myself as a person who likes to use her 'whole mind' to get a task done. Even as I reviewed the book from beginning to end after reading it, I sat down to make an outline and reviewed the logical sequence of new ideas presented to us - a very left-brain thing to do. This linear action then allowed me to re-visit everything we've been presented with and then start synthesizing it into a big picture reflection - one with which I can be creative. Using both sides of my brain, I am writing a reflection that makes sense (hopefully) and also creatively adds further thought to the pool of ideas Mr. Pink has given us.
The 'Six Senses' idea speaks to me very much. It's how I live, as it turns out. As I read about each of the senses, I connected with each of them.
A classroom with order, but also beauty (design) in it, is a very easy place for me to teach. A home that is clean and neat, but also aesthetically pleasing is very important to me. Chaos and lack of artistic value (both artwork and music) makes it very hard for me to focus, feel comfortable or be motivated. When I'm stuck on a project either at home or at work, I find that if I create a mood or atmosphere that appeals to my senses, I am able to move forward more easily. Right now, Josh Groban's beautiful singing, a comfortable chair, a quiet house and candles burning makes it easy for me to think and write.
Finding the story in the pieces we sing in my choir classroom brings the experience of the musical pieces more tangible and enhances the performance greatly. Each semester I take one of the pieces we're singing and ask the students to journal or write an essay on the text of the song, investigating on their own, what the song is telling us. Inevitably, this is the piece that is their favorite at the end of the semester. Something about knowing in depth what the story is behind the piece, enhances their experience of the song. In my personal life, I'm always looking for a good story book to read, and am anxious to hear the stories of my family members' experience of the day. I find ways to make story enrich my life every day.
As we begin to work on a new piece in class, we first sight sing through the whole song to get the big picture, taking a glance at how all the aspects fit together (symphony), how they all - tempo, dynamics, major/minor key, rhythms, text, etc. - contribute to the synthesis of a great piece of music. When it's time to take care of each detail, there is then already an understanding of how the smaller considerations contribute to the whole. I find, too, that in life, it helps me to know what makes people tick. Many times I find myself wanting to know a person's background and daily experience so that I can understand the ways they act and interact, especially if their actions don't make sense to those of us around them.
Inside the choir classroom, we build relationships with each other and we learn to care about those we sing about, and many times those for whom we perform (empathy). In addition, as we sing songs from the cultures throughout the world, we foster understanding and respect for the global community. Each culture has its own timbre and feel to its music. Many times, the stories and feelings are the same, but musical pictures and stories are presented in very different ways. Empathy carries us a long way in our personal lives, as well. Understanding, but also knowing from first-hand what it feels like, and just plain being willing to feel emotions alongside someone who needs us makes all the difference in the world to our friends, co-workers and family members.
Within both rehearsal and performance, we try to take the time to enjoy each other, have some fun, and make our audiences smile (play). This is essential to a positive experience in my classroom, I feel, and ultimately enriches the way that we perform together, and the way the audience experiences our ensemble. Taking a laugh-break in both the classroom and at home binds us together in another valuable way, just as a good talk or a good cry would.
Finally, songs with meaning have the most impact upon my students. As much fun as we have with lighter pieces - the jazz and the pop - most memorable for my students are those songs that speak to their souls and move the audiences. Each school year I am pleasantly surprised by the answers I get when asking them which pieces they most enjoyed performing. Almost always it is the richest, most complex, and deepest texts (meaning) that make their choral experience most memorable. Both singers and audiences long for and need this type of experience. In my personal life, I can easily dispense with light conversation and surface talk. It feels like a waste of my time. Conversation and discussion about something meaningful is what I look forward to in meetings and gatherings with family and friends.
I find "A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future" rings true with me and my experience of professional and personal life. This is a book I keep finding myself recommending to colleagues and friends. It's inspiring, informative and refreshing. Daniel Pink's enthusiasm for investigating and making educated observations regarding this subject prompts me to take a good look at how I function in life and in the classroom, and then to be creative with the way I teach and how I relate within my family and all my relationships. This read was time well spent.
Before I talk about section two of the book, I have one observation of myself as a person who likes to use her 'whole mind' to get a task done. Even as I reviewed the book from beginning to end after reading it, I sat down to make an outline and reviewed the logical sequence of new ideas presented to us - a very left-brain thing to do. This linear action then allowed me to re-visit everything we've been presented with and then start synthesizing it into a big picture reflection - one with which I can be creative. Using both sides of my brain, I am writing a reflection that makes sense (hopefully) and also creatively adds further thought to the pool of ideas Mr. Pink has given us.
The 'Six Senses' idea speaks to me very much. It's how I live, as it turns out. As I read about each of the senses, I connected with each of them.
A classroom with order, but also beauty (design) in it, is a very easy place for me to teach. A home that is clean and neat, but also aesthetically pleasing is very important to me. Chaos and lack of artistic value (both artwork and music) makes it very hard for me to focus, feel comfortable or be motivated. When I'm stuck on a project either at home or at work, I find that if I create a mood or atmosphere that appeals to my senses, I am able to move forward more easily. Right now, Josh Groban's beautiful singing, a comfortable chair, a quiet house and candles burning makes it easy for me to think and write.
Finding the story in the pieces we sing in my choir classroom brings the experience of the musical pieces more tangible and enhances the performance greatly. Each semester I take one of the pieces we're singing and ask the students to journal or write an essay on the text of the song, investigating on their own, what the song is telling us. Inevitably, this is the piece that is their favorite at the end of the semester. Something about knowing in depth what the story is behind the piece, enhances their experience of the song. In my personal life, I'm always looking for a good story book to read, and am anxious to hear the stories of my family members' experience of the day. I find ways to make story enrich my life every day.
As we begin to work on a new piece in class, we first sight sing through the whole song to get the big picture, taking a glance at how all the aspects fit together (symphony), how they all - tempo, dynamics, major/minor key, rhythms, text, etc. - contribute to the synthesis of a great piece of music. When it's time to take care of each detail, there is then already an understanding of how the smaller considerations contribute to the whole. I find, too, that in life, it helps me to know what makes people tick. Many times I find myself wanting to know a person's background and daily experience so that I can understand the ways they act and interact, especially if their actions don't make sense to those of us around them.
Inside the choir classroom, we build relationships with each other and we learn to care about those we sing about, and many times those for whom we perform (empathy). In addition, as we sing songs from the cultures throughout the world, we foster understanding and respect for the global community. Each culture has its own timbre and feel to its music. Many times, the stories and feelings are the same, but musical pictures and stories are presented in very different ways. Empathy carries us a long way in our personal lives, as well. Understanding, but also knowing from first-hand what it feels like, and just plain being willing to feel emotions alongside someone who needs us makes all the difference in the world to our friends, co-workers and family members.
Within both rehearsal and performance, we try to take the time to enjoy each other, have some fun, and make our audiences smile (play). This is essential to a positive experience in my classroom, I feel, and ultimately enriches the way that we perform together, and the way the audience experiences our ensemble. Taking a laugh-break in both the classroom and at home binds us together in another valuable way, just as a good talk or a good cry would.
Finally, songs with meaning have the most impact upon my students. As much fun as we have with lighter pieces - the jazz and the pop - most memorable for my students are those songs that speak to their souls and move the audiences. Each school year I am pleasantly surprised by the answers I get when asking them which pieces they most enjoyed performing. Almost always it is the richest, most complex, and deepest texts (meaning) that make their choral experience most memorable. Both singers and audiences long for and need this type of experience. In my personal life, I can easily dispense with light conversation and surface talk. It feels like a waste of my time. Conversation and discussion about something meaningful is what I look forward to in meetings and gatherings with family and friends.
I find "A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future" rings true with me and my experience of professional and personal life. This is a book I keep finding myself recommending to colleagues and friends. It's inspiring, informative and refreshing. Daniel Pink's enthusiasm for investigating and making educated observations regarding this subject prompts me to take a good look at how I function in life and in the classroom, and then to be creative with the way I teach and how I relate within my family and all my relationships. This read was time well spent.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A Whole New Mind: The Six Conceptual Senses and Education
First, I have to say that I enjoyed reading this book. I was pleased that this was the book I selected. I also think it is important for all teachers and other people in the educational profession to think of students and the different learning styles. This book really talked about the right-brained activities, yet I think it is more than just this. It is about letting students reveal their strengths and knowledge in a variety of ways.
Design: I think that we need to seriously consider designing schools that look less institutionalized. I would love to have a room that looked more like my living room with soft color hues that are soothing to students (and teachers). I also think that fluorescent lighting can be a distraction for some students and table lamps and natural light would be the best.
Story: I think that we do remember stories. It makes things real. Stories make a connection for kids. It is sometimes easier to help students see an emotion or action in a character in a book than in a more abstract way.
Symphony: Classical music helps the mind and helps create links. I cannot listen to music with words when I am studying; it is too much of a distraction. I do like to listen to wordless music, and attention must be paid to the tempo for students. I also think it is good to expose students to classical music. If I had music playing in the background during math, I would try to have the same music playing if they were going to take a test. (Perhaps it will remind their brains.)
Empathy: Don’t we all have students who need some of this. The last thing on their minds is school work, yet school may be the safest place for them. We need to remember that children are young and they are not little adults. They will need extra explanations and we have to be careful of assuming that they understand.
Play: Yes, we all need recess! It is interesting to watch students play on the playground. I also think we need to laugh more. I am not so sure about the laughing club, but a child’s laughter is contagious. (In a good way!) Perhaps through play we can show our students how to be even more productive as suggested in the book.
Meaning: Shouldn’t students find meaning in everyday work. We as teachers hate busy work, yet we are all guilty of assigning some of it. (Hopefully not often!) We cannot teach religion in the public schools, but we do need them to understand t hat it isn’t the “stuff” that makes them important. We need to give them the opportunity to discover who they are. It would be interesting to build or paint a labyrinth so children who are having difficulty can walk through the situation. This may help with children with attention issues, but also kids who have difficulty communicating.
First, I have to say that I enjoyed reading this book. I was pleased that this was the book I selected. I also think it is important for all teachers and other people in the educational profession to think of students and the different learning styles. This book really talked about the right-brained activities, yet I think it is more than just this. It is about letting students reveal their strengths and knowledge in a variety of ways.
Design: I think that we need to seriously consider designing schools that look less institutionalized. I would love to have a room that looked more like my living room with soft color hues that are soothing to students (and teachers). I also think that fluorescent lighting can be a distraction for some students and table lamps and natural light would be the best.
Story: I think that we do remember stories. It makes things real. Stories make a connection for kids. It is sometimes easier to help students see an emotion or action in a character in a book than in a more abstract way.
Symphony: Classical music helps the mind and helps create links. I cannot listen to music with words when I am studying; it is too much of a distraction. I do like to listen to wordless music, and attention must be paid to the tempo for students. I also think it is good to expose students to classical music. If I had music playing in the background during math, I would try to have the same music playing if they were going to take a test. (Perhaps it will remind their brains.)
Empathy: Don’t we all have students who need some of this. The last thing on their minds is school work, yet school may be the safest place for them. We need to remember that children are young and they are not little adults. They will need extra explanations and we have to be careful of assuming that they understand.
Play: Yes, we all need recess! It is interesting to watch students play on the playground. I also think we need to laugh more. I am not so sure about the laughing club, but a child’s laughter is contagious. (In a good way!) Perhaps through play we can show our students how to be even more productive as suggested in the book.
Meaning: Shouldn’t students find meaning in everyday work. We as teachers hate busy work, yet we are all guilty of assigning some of it. (Hopefully not often!) We cannot teach religion in the public schools, but we do need them to understand t hat it isn’t the “stuff” that makes them important. We need to give them the opportunity to discover who they are. It would be interesting to build or paint a labyrinth so children who are having difficulty can walk through the situation. This may help with children with attention issues, but also kids who have difficulty communicating.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Importance of Meaning in Life
As we move on to the final section of this amazing book, "A Whole New Mind," by Daniel Pink, we are asked to consider the increased effort of the population to find meaning in life. It seems to be at an all time high, according to the author.
We are first re-introduced to Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist in the early1940's, who was developing some new thought on what brings about psychological well-being. Throughout his sufferings and trials in the concentration camp at Auschwitz, he pens his wisdom about what exactly gives life meaning. These thoughts eventually are compiled in the famous work "Man's Search for Meaning." He encourages us to consider that life can have meaning whether we are experiencing abundance or want, that we can find meaning even in the midst of incredible suffering. Mr. Pink suggests this: "Freed from the struggle for survival, we have the luxury of devoting more of our lives to the search for meaning. Surely if Frankl and his fellow prisoners could pursue meaning from the work camps of Auschwitz, we can do the same from the comfort of our abundant lives." Perhaps our general health and well being does allow us to take more time for consideration of what means the most to us, and to pursue what's most important.
One of the most interesting comments Mr. Pink provides from this section of the book was this: "Meantime, technology continues its unrelenting march, deluging us with data and choking us with choices." He seems to not be complimentary of our tech-savy age! What does it really mean? The ensuing statements to continue with a list of reasons we are more compelled to pursue finding meaning. Though I feel the statement has merit, it seems a little out of the context of the subject being discussed at this point in the book. Still, it rings true for me, as I ponder my own experience of having so much information at the touch of a key. It brings to mind this drive I have-to take advantage of so many learning opportunities since it's all there at the push of a button.... or two. In a way, it's exhilarating and freeing to be able to research, browse and investigate to my heart's content, all the things I've wondered about and wanted to learn, but at the same time overwhelming, as I sometimes don't know where to start and how to organize it! It feels frantic in some ways. It would be interesting to hear how other readers felt about this particular passage in the midst of the discussion of the pursuit of meaning.
And so we are at this point - there are many people who have plenty in their material lives but are left wanting, because it hasn't fulfilled their desires as hoped. There is a deeper desire, a deeper need that is not taken care of by material things. This book suggests the desire is fulfilled as we pursue spirituality and happiness seriously. Much research has been done that supports the thought that those who engage in spirituality in the form of meditation, prayer, church attendance and the like have a much better sense of well-being, are healthier and live longer. Daniel Pink warns us to keep a whole-minded approach, which is a healthy mix of "L-Directed reason and R-Directed spirit." Even the medical field is jumping on board with this focus, beginning to make note of people's spiritual history as well as medical history when looking into a patient's health issues. Corporate America, as well, is joining the band, per se, in paying attention to these areas in people's lives. Pink suggests that 'we are likely to see a rise in spirit in business" as well as a "continued rise in spirit as business."
The final paragraphs of the book focus on a commentary about happiness and its benefits for people's lives. Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman is quoted several times with regard to how happiness is gained, including what constitutes the "Good Life," the"Pleasant Life." Living a positive, unselfish life, giving generously, forgiving, deciding to be hopeful, being of service, and serving a higher calling brings about happiness. As contentment settles into our lives because of the positive way we live, we are able to see in a more vivid way, what gives our life meaning.
There is much discussion of the difference between a maze and a labyrinth, with regard to how we feel about our lives. I truly enjoyed these comparisons that demonstrated the benefits of living life with a stop into a labyrinth once in awhile as opposed to stepping into a maze for a time. A maze "will lead to dead ends."..."objective is to escape".... "as quickly as possible." "A labyrinth is a spiritual walking course....your goal is to follow the path to the center, stop, turn around, and walk back out - at whatever pace you choose." "You can get lost in a maze; you can lose yourself in a labyrinth." "Mazes engage the left brain; labyrinths free the right brain." I love this stuff!
Labyrinths seem to be popping up everywhere, and it seems to be an indication of people's need to find one's center - the quiet part of themselves that helps them see what's truly important, and to settle peacefully into that knowledge as we attain it - spirituality and happiness. "The purpose of life is the journey itself."
Final thoughts included suggestions such as remembering to say thanks, considering if you would stay at your current job if you didn't really need the money, measuring the level of your spirit, erasing the word "but" from your vocabulary, using a "Sabbath" - a day per week to rest and reflect, if nothing else, - read some good books on happiness and spirituality, visit a labyrinth, inventory how you use your time, make your work mean something by connecting it or dedicating it to something/someone important to you and, finally, picture yourself at ninety. What do you see? How do you feel?
We are first re-introduced to Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist in the early1940's, who was developing some new thought on what brings about psychological well-being. Throughout his sufferings and trials in the concentration camp at Auschwitz, he pens his wisdom about what exactly gives life meaning. These thoughts eventually are compiled in the famous work "Man's Search for Meaning." He encourages us to consider that life can have meaning whether we are experiencing abundance or want, that we can find meaning even in the midst of incredible suffering. Mr. Pink suggests this: "Freed from the struggle for survival, we have the luxury of devoting more of our lives to the search for meaning. Surely if Frankl and his fellow prisoners could pursue meaning from the work camps of Auschwitz, we can do the same from the comfort of our abundant lives." Perhaps our general health and well being does allow us to take more time for consideration of what means the most to us, and to pursue what's most important.
One of the most interesting comments Mr. Pink provides from this section of the book was this: "Meantime, technology continues its unrelenting march, deluging us with data and choking us with choices." He seems to not be complimentary of our tech-savy age! What does it really mean? The ensuing statements to continue with a list of reasons we are more compelled to pursue finding meaning. Though I feel the statement has merit, it seems a little out of the context of the subject being discussed at this point in the book. Still, it rings true for me, as I ponder my own experience of having so much information at the touch of a key. It brings to mind this drive I have-to take advantage of so many learning opportunities since it's all there at the push of a button.... or two. In a way, it's exhilarating and freeing to be able to research, browse and investigate to my heart's content, all the things I've wondered about and wanted to learn, but at the same time overwhelming, as I sometimes don't know where to start and how to organize it! It feels frantic in some ways. It would be interesting to hear how other readers felt about this particular passage in the midst of the discussion of the pursuit of meaning.
And so we are at this point - there are many people who have plenty in their material lives but are left wanting, because it hasn't fulfilled their desires as hoped. There is a deeper desire, a deeper need that is not taken care of by material things. This book suggests the desire is fulfilled as we pursue spirituality and happiness seriously. Much research has been done that supports the thought that those who engage in spirituality in the form of meditation, prayer, church attendance and the like have a much better sense of well-being, are healthier and live longer. Daniel Pink warns us to keep a whole-minded approach, which is a healthy mix of "L-Directed reason and R-Directed spirit." Even the medical field is jumping on board with this focus, beginning to make note of people's spiritual history as well as medical history when looking into a patient's health issues. Corporate America, as well, is joining the band, per se, in paying attention to these areas in people's lives. Pink suggests that 'we are likely to see a rise in spirit in business" as well as a "continued rise in spirit as business."
The final paragraphs of the book focus on a commentary about happiness and its benefits for people's lives. Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman is quoted several times with regard to how happiness is gained, including what constitutes the "Good Life," the"Pleasant Life." Living a positive, unselfish life, giving generously, forgiving, deciding to be hopeful, being of service, and serving a higher calling brings about happiness. As contentment settles into our lives because of the positive way we live, we are able to see in a more vivid way, what gives our life meaning.
There is much discussion of the difference between a maze and a labyrinth, with regard to how we feel about our lives. I truly enjoyed these comparisons that demonstrated the benefits of living life with a stop into a labyrinth once in awhile as opposed to stepping into a maze for a time. A maze "will lead to dead ends."..."objective is to escape".... "as quickly as possible." "A labyrinth is a spiritual walking course....your goal is to follow the path to the center, stop, turn around, and walk back out - at whatever pace you choose." "You can get lost in a maze; you can lose yourself in a labyrinth." "Mazes engage the left brain; labyrinths free the right brain." I love this stuff!
Labyrinths seem to be popping up everywhere, and it seems to be an indication of people's need to find one's center - the quiet part of themselves that helps them see what's truly important, and to settle peacefully into that knowledge as we attain it - spirituality and happiness. "The purpose of life is the journey itself."
Final thoughts included suggestions such as remembering to say thanks, considering if you would stay at your current job if you didn't really need the money, measuring the level of your spirit, erasing the word "but" from your vocabulary, using a "Sabbath" - a day per week to rest and reflect, if nothing else, - read some good books on happiness and spirituality, visit a labyrinth, inventory how you use your time, make your work mean something by connecting it or dedicating it to something/someone important to you and, finally, picture yourself at ninety. What do you see? How do you feel?
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Play: Super Summary
Play: Games, Humor, & Joyfulness
People need to play and the way to do that is through games, humor, and joyfulness. We need to spend some time getting to know video games. I plan on spending my snow day exploring the games that my daughter loves so much on the Wii, Playhouse Disney, and Webkinz. (I am pretty sure she would beat me if she didn’t have school today.) I will also take the time to watch my son play. Isn’t it amazing how they discover and laugh out-loud.
So, can I interest anyone in a laughing club, a gaming adventure, or just being joyful? After all, tis the season! I will spare you all the agony of me trying to tell or dissect a joke and just get directly to the summary.
Dr. Madan Kataria is a physician in Mumbai, India. He believes that laughter can infect people. His mission is to promote an international laughter epidemic that will improve health, wealth, and perhaps peace. He has created free laughter clubs where people learn to laugh even if there is no joke to laugh at or anything funny to watch. (See more under joyfulness)
The conceptual age: There is a shift from seriousness toward play. According to Dr. Kataria, as told to Daniel H. Pink on page 186, “When you are playful, you are activating the right side of your brain. The logical brain is a limited brain. The right side is unlimited. You can be anything you want.”
Henry Ford thought that work and play were a toxic combination and many other businesses thought the same. Now however there is a shift in this way of thinking. It is now thought that play and joyfulness can help workers become more productive. Daniel H. Pink believes that play is an important aspect of business, work and personal well-being, its importance is shown through games, humor, and joyfulness.
Games:
An example of the game, America’s Army, was not created by gamers, but was designed by the American Army and Colonel Casey Wardynski, a West Pont Professor, as a way to promote recruiting for the armed forces. The game was released for free on GoArmy.com and was so popular on its release that it caused the Army’s servers to crash. Had the Army sold the game, it would have earned about $600 million the first year. The purpose of the game was to promote teamwork, values, and responsibility as a means of achieving the goal. Players of the game start with basic training as any soldier joining the military. These soldiers work their way into a unit and can receive promotions even to the Green Beret Level. The game also involves fighting with enemies and killing enemies, but it promotes completing a mission with everyone in the unit remaining alive. There are also consequences for ignoring the mission and misconduct. A player can be banned from the game for such offences. This game has been so successful that the Army produced a sequel, America’s Army: Special Forces.
Gaming Facts:
• Half of all Americans over age 6 play computer and video games.
• Over 40% of gamers are women.
• The video game industry is larger than the movie industry.
• Visual perception tests show game players score 30% higher than non-gamers.
• One study showed that physicians who spent a minimum of three hours a week playing video games make fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and performed faster than their colleagues who did not play video games.
• Video game playing enhances the right-brain ability of pattern recognition problem solving.
• Some evidence shows a correlation between game-playing and aggressive behavior.
• Some games are time-wasters.
• Gaming is more of a whole-mind vocation.
Many adults have not yet seen the importance or significance of video games. For this generation, video games are the same as television was to previous generations. In colleges, several surveys indicate that all students have played video games such as Super Mario Brothers, and how not all have seen the same movies or television shows.
According to James Paul Gee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin feels that, “games can be the ultimate learning machine (Pink, 193).” Video games allow for students to connect and manipulate facts, not just memorize them.
Gaming and the Six Conceptual Senses
• Gaming is linked with symphony by following trends, making connections, and showing the big picture.
• Gaming is linked with empathy through role-playing games.
• Gaming is linked with design by looking for more artists or designers, producers, and story tellers. Many art schools offer degrees in game art and design.
• Gaming is linked with story through offering real-life situations and people wanting to talk about their gaming experiences.
Humor:
Hearing a joke and recognizing the punch line involves both the right and left sides of the brain. The left side of the brain does not like surprise or incongruity and it wants things to make sense. The right hemisphere is critical to understanding and appreciating humor.
According to Daniel H. Pink on page 198, “Humor embodies many of the right hemisphere’s most powerful attributes – the ability to place situations in context, to glimpse the big picture, and to combine differing perspectives into new alignments.” This is why it is so important in the workplace. According to research, the most effective executives used humor two times more than less successful managers. However we must be cautious of negative humor, which can be very destructive. Humor can help find the soul of an organization and work to bring people and departments together.
An important point is that humor cannot be replicated by computers and it is being seen as a very valuable concept.
Joyfulness:
Laughter Clubs start with exercises like yoga and calisthenics and method acting. The “Namaste laugh”, “just laughter”, and “lion laughter” are some of the exercises. Daniel H. Pink describes the laugher club experience as, “simultaneously weird and invigorating (pg. 201).” Dr. Kataria found that patients got better faster when they laughed so in 1995 he wrote an article, “Laughter: The Best Medicine.”
Kataria decided to combine laugher with yoga breathing. He also states that you do not need humor for laughter. The laughter club concept is “thought-free” laugher. The difference is explained by perhaps the over-simple thought that, “happiness is conditional; joyfulness is unconditional (pg. 202).” One way to demonstrate this is that very young children and infants laugh even thought they do not yet understand humor.
Studies have shown:
• Laughter can decrease stress hormones.
• Laughter can boost the immune system.
• Laughter has aerobic benefits.
• Laughter is a social activity.
• Laughter is a form of nonverbal communication.
• Laughter can create more creative and productive workers.
The Play Portfolio:
• Find a Laughter Club
• Play the Cartoon Captions Game
• Step on the Humor Scale
• Play at Inventing
• Get Your Game On
• Go Back to School
• Dissect a Joke
• Play Right-Brain Games
People need to play and the way to do that is through games, humor, and joyfulness. We need to spend some time getting to know video games. I plan on spending my snow day exploring the games that my daughter loves so much on the Wii, Playhouse Disney, and Webkinz. (I am pretty sure she would beat me if she didn’t have school today.) I will also take the time to watch my son play. Isn’t it amazing how they discover and laugh out-loud.
So, can I interest anyone in a laughing club, a gaming adventure, or just being joyful? After all, tis the season! I will spare you all the agony of me trying to tell or dissect a joke and just get directly to the summary.
Dr. Madan Kataria is a physician in Mumbai, India. He believes that laughter can infect people. His mission is to promote an international laughter epidemic that will improve health, wealth, and perhaps peace. He has created free laughter clubs where people learn to laugh even if there is no joke to laugh at or anything funny to watch. (See more under joyfulness)
The conceptual age: There is a shift from seriousness toward play. According to Dr. Kataria, as told to Daniel H. Pink on page 186, “When you are playful, you are activating the right side of your brain. The logical brain is a limited brain. The right side is unlimited. You can be anything you want.”
Henry Ford thought that work and play were a toxic combination and many other businesses thought the same. Now however there is a shift in this way of thinking. It is now thought that play and joyfulness can help workers become more productive. Daniel H. Pink believes that play is an important aspect of business, work and personal well-being, its importance is shown through games, humor, and joyfulness.
Games:
An example of the game, America’s Army, was not created by gamers, but was designed by the American Army and Colonel Casey Wardynski, a West Pont Professor, as a way to promote recruiting for the armed forces. The game was released for free on GoArmy.com and was so popular on its release that it caused the Army’s servers to crash. Had the Army sold the game, it would have earned about $600 million the first year. The purpose of the game was to promote teamwork, values, and responsibility as a means of achieving the goal. Players of the game start with basic training as any soldier joining the military. These soldiers work their way into a unit and can receive promotions even to the Green Beret Level. The game also involves fighting with enemies and killing enemies, but it promotes completing a mission with everyone in the unit remaining alive. There are also consequences for ignoring the mission and misconduct. A player can be banned from the game for such offences. This game has been so successful that the Army produced a sequel, America’s Army: Special Forces.
Gaming Facts:
• Half of all Americans over age 6 play computer and video games.
• Over 40% of gamers are women.
• The video game industry is larger than the movie industry.
• Visual perception tests show game players score 30% higher than non-gamers.
• One study showed that physicians who spent a minimum of three hours a week playing video games make fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and performed faster than their colleagues who did not play video games.
• Video game playing enhances the right-brain ability of pattern recognition problem solving.
• Some evidence shows a correlation between game-playing and aggressive behavior.
• Some games are time-wasters.
• Gaming is more of a whole-mind vocation.
Many adults have not yet seen the importance or significance of video games. For this generation, video games are the same as television was to previous generations. In colleges, several surveys indicate that all students have played video games such as Super Mario Brothers, and how not all have seen the same movies or television shows.
According to James Paul Gee, a professor at the University of Wisconsin feels that, “games can be the ultimate learning machine (Pink, 193).” Video games allow for students to connect and manipulate facts, not just memorize them.
Gaming and the Six Conceptual Senses
• Gaming is linked with symphony by following trends, making connections, and showing the big picture.
• Gaming is linked with empathy through role-playing games.
• Gaming is linked with design by looking for more artists or designers, producers, and story tellers. Many art schools offer degrees in game art and design.
• Gaming is linked with story through offering real-life situations and people wanting to talk about their gaming experiences.
Humor:
Hearing a joke and recognizing the punch line involves both the right and left sides of the brain. The left side of the brain does not like surprise or incongruity and it wants things to make sense. The right hemisphere is critical to understanding and appreciating humor.
According to Daniel H. Pink on page 198, “Humor embodies many of the right hemisphere’s most powerful attributes – the ability to place situations in context, to glimpse the big picture, and to combine differing perspectives into new alignments.” This is why it is so important in the workplace. According to research, the most effective executives used humor two times more than less successful managers. However we must be cautious of negative humor, which can be very destructive. Humor can help find the soul of an organization and work to bring people and departments together.
An important point is that humor cannot be replicated by computers and it is being seen as a very valuable concept.
Joyfulness:
Laughter Clubs start with exercises like yoga and calisthenics and method acting. The “Namaste laugh”, “just laughter”, and “lion laughter” are some of the exercises. Daniel H. Pink describes the laugher club experience as, “simultaneously weird and invigorating (pg. 201).” Dr. Kataria found that patients got better faster when they laughed so in 1995 he wrote an article, “Laughter: The Best Medicine.”
Kataria decided to combine laugher with yoga breathing. He also states that you do not need humor for laughter. The laughter club concept is “thought-free” laugher. The difference is explained by perhaps the over-simple thought that, “happiness is conditional; joyfulness is unconditional (pg. 202).” One way to demonstrate this is that very young children and infants laugh even thought they do not yet understand humor.
Studies have shown:
• Laughter can decrease stress hormones.
• Laughter can boost the immune system.
• Laughter has aerobic benefits.
• Laughter is a social activity.
• Laughter is a form of nonverbal communication.
• Laughter can create more creative and productive workers.
The Play Portfolio:
• Find a Laughter Club
• Play the Cartoon Captions Game
• Step on the Humor Scale
• Play at Inventing
• Get Your Game On
• Go Back to School
• Dissect a Joke
• Play Right-Brain Games
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)