Silly Relevance

Here's a quick way to find out what kind of brain you have, for some fun.

http://web.tickle.com/tests/brain/index_main.jsp

A Whole Mind

I've read all of A Whole New Mind now and I feel like I learned quite a bit (and writing this blog helped, too -- there really is something to how writing can help improve one's thinking and learning). It also occurs to me that Pink's title refers to having a whole mind as well as a new mind. But I wonder how much my mind has changed as a result of reading the book, if at all?

Pink proposes that, to prepare ourselves for the incoming Conceptual Age, we need to further develop six essential abilities. These abilities are Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning, upon which Pink elaborates in separate chapters. At the end of each of the chapters, Pink has compiled a Portfolio which includes a variety of resources to assist the reader in growing the attributes described. To really grow my own whole new mind I need to go back in and use the book as a workbook, working deliberately through these Portfolios.

Or is that the way an old mind would do it? like an old school student studying for a test? The only test is whether I can combine these attributes to enhance my own life and thereby be of greater service to the planet. What is the next step for us who have read this book? What is the take away for us as we think about enhancing the learning of the youth in our care as well as our own learning?

My Response to "Meaning" - Pink's Last Chapter

It is First Day at the Dover Friends Meeting House. Old windows frame bare branches against a brilliant blue sky, eliminating the need for stained glass. On this bench against the wall I center down, joining my spiritual community in the silent worship of Friends, listening for the teachings of the Friend. "Thy will, not my will," I pray. As I go quiet within in the quiet without, deep indigo waves of calm pulsate behind my eyes and soothe my soul, connecting me to the highest power. For nearly 240 years Friends have gathered here in Meeting and I feel deeply connected in this timeless place.

By coming through these doors each First Day "Way opens," as we Quakers say, for Meaning to come into my life. In this setting I am called to co-create Meaning with those with whom I share beliefs and values. This is where I move beyond myself and join others in a tradition of serving the Light, and seeing "that of God in everyone." The Quaker testimonies to peace, truth and integrity, justice and equality, simplicity and community call us to actualize these beliefs in our daily lives. It is a real challenge for me to live these testimonies in my own life and I don't do it at all perfectly. Yet Meaning comes in the joint effort to attend to these values in all we do.

In a short yet I thought eloquent chapter, Pink highlights some important thinkers who have illuminated the importance of meaning in human life. He discusses the work of Victor Frankl, the Dali Lama, Martin Seligman, and others who have explored this essential human need. To this list I would add Parker Palmer, a Friend who has dedicated his life to the spiritual elements of education. One of his earliest books is subtitled, "Education as a Spiritual Journey." After reading Pink's chapter, I wonder if we saw our vocation as more of a spiritual calling if so many young people would be so disenfranchised by the education system in this country. The political climate steers us away from this aspect, convincing us that to "go there" would be dangerous because we must separate church from state. Yet I am not advocating the elevation of any particular religion - just the integration of the search for meaning into the learners' daily lives, through helping them discover what has heart - and meaning - for them, so they can follow their own path. And, in that way, perhaps we would find more meaning for ourselves.

Seriously, right?

I used to be very serious about play. As the early education consultant for the State of Maine, I wrote scholarly articles on the value of play, gave passionate presentations extolling its importance for young children and even joined a national network dedicated to the restoration of play to its rightful place as the source of learning for young children. From my current vantage point here in my dotage I have lightened up quite a bit! and, paradoxically, gotten even more serious. I see how important play is for ALL ages of people since it keeps us vibrant and connected to each other and to the life force. And, I have begun making play dates with myself and my friends. Last week I went contra dancing- a form of play since I am kinesthetically challenged! and intend to continue to find new ways to play in my life (and work, like this blog).

How do you play?

Monty Python Knew -- Before the Research!

In reading the chapter on Play in A Whole New Mind I was struck by this quote from Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, especially after tuning into him in my last post:

"There is no question that a playfully light attitude is characteristic of creative individuals."

My take on this is that stress/ anxiety/ pressure keeps us in a survival mode that precludes us using our innate creativity. Ironically, this stress can cause us to shut ourselves off from the very "lightness of being" that can liberate us from stress. No doubt about it, the world we live in is full of darkness, danger and diabolical tragedy yet the Light is also present. As Pink says, "Happiness is conditional; joyfulness is unconditional." The grimness of much of the modern world can only be transcended by our intentionality to open to the Light -- and to bring that to others, sometimes in silly ways.

Which brings us to Monty Python! In the mid-20th century, John Cleese and his crew had many of us laughing hysterically over their absurd, sometimes impenetrably, sometimes ridiculous yet usually delightful skits. Friday night had us gathered around the TV ready to laugh away our cares of the week. Pink talks about the health benefits of laughter, including its effects on diminishing stress hormones, boosting the immune system, activating the cardiovascular system increases the heart rate and pumps more blood to the internal organs -- and connects us to other people. And, he talks about a physician in India, Dr. Kataria, who has started "laughter clubs" that are now all over the world. Here is John Cleese -- and please read on after watching the video for a provocative proposition!



Here's a query for us school people: What if, instead of SSR (sutained silent reading) we had SAL (sustained audible laughing)?

Quoted from Blog of Proximal Development

In reading some posts from Classroom 2.0, I came upon this by Konrad Glogowski from Toronto and it seemed to really fit with what I had been thinking:
"Last month, in preparation for my K12Online Conference presentation, I re-read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Good Business. Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning. In it, he states that the experience of flow - when the person is totally immersed in an activity and genuinely enjoying the moment - comes from “the steps one takes toward attaining a goal, not from actually reaching it.” He adds that:

People often miss the opportunity to enjoy what they do because they focus all their attention on the outcome, rather than savoring the steps along the way. Where does the pleasure in singing come from - finishing the song, or producing each note or phrase? … To be overly concerned with the ultimate goal often interferes with performance. If a tennis player thinks only of winning the match, she won’t be able to respond to her opponent’s powerful serve … our primary concern here is not with what constitutes a successful performance, but with the quality of experience during performance. If we agree that the bottom line of life is happiness, not success, then it makes perfect sense to say that it is the journey that counts, not reaching the destination.

In education, however, the product - the grade, the final draft, the test mark - still often takes precedence over the process of learning - the sense of personal journey without which the final destination is meaningless. What is even worse is that many of our students are very comfortable with that idea. To them, school is often about “playing the game.” They follow along, raise hands, submit assignments, study for tests. Of course, there is nothing wrong with these activities as long as they do not impede their progress as independent thinkers, researchers, and writers. Unfortunately, most of the time, “playing the game” means following the rules that we’ve set up for the students. We bring in the hoops, and the students jump through them. It’s an easy process for everyone involved."

He goes on to share a template he has ddeveloped to use with students who are starting to blog. It has a seed theme so of course I loved it!
What are your thoughts about FLOW in schools?