Synthesizing Paradigm Shifts - EDU 701 This week with the focus on creativity and learning, I am beginning to recognize how much synthesizing I have ahead to put these ideas together in a meaningful way in which I can hold on to it in a way that sticks as Howard Gardner explained in regards to the Five Minds of the Future.
From Laura Master’s talk about how the brain learns, I take away that neuroscience is how learning truly happens. As educators, we need to provide opportunities for students to process info rather than delivering it to them in hopes that they will remember it. Project Based Learning is a very effective way to accomplish this along with 21st century skills focusing on concepts, not coverage. I loved her slide that read, “Anything is possible, possibilities are endless.” It is critical that we prepare our students to go out into the world with brains structured to process information. From John Seely Brown’s talk about the New Culture of Learning I take away the importance of curiosity and how in today’s world, as he stated, “you’re screwed” if you don’t have curiosity because we live in a world that is in constant flux. I found it very interesting that one of the greatest predictors of a successful college student is the ability to join or form study groups. The example of the cohort of surfers and their willingness to fail repeatedly in order to learn something new was inspiring as was their approach using digital media and working together for the success of all. From Howard Gardner's Five Minds for the Future talk, it became clear that no longer can one stop learning and rest on their laurels. These days one must be an expert in their field otherwise they will work for an expert. The two minds I found most interesting were the synthesizing mind and the creative mind. Taking new information and putting it together with other information in a way that makes sense and in a way that can be held on to is critical. For the creative mind, one must have irreverence along with a tough, challenging temperament and be willing to try and try again, in other words, have a restless, challenging spirit. From Sir Ken Robinson’s humorous talk, I take away intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. I loved the example of the student who had difficulty sitting still in class and her physician observed her movement to music and suggested a school for dancers where she was thrilled to find a whole room filled with learners just like her with other learners who needed to move to think. The idea of celebrating a child’s whole being and recognizing the gift of imagination is so important. In Dan Pink’s talk about the Puzzle of Motivation he discusses the power of incentives, both extrinsic and intrinsic. In several studies it was found that rewarding people to do better work almost always has the opposite effect because it dulls thinking and blocks creativity. There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business, and I think education, does. Rewards tend to narrow the focus of real problems where the solution is often found on the periphery. The higher the incentive, the worse the performance became. Too many organizations are making decisions based on assumptions that are outdated, unexamined and based on folklore. Instead, focusing on developing and recognizing intrinsic motivation is key to success. Intrinsic motivation is developed when we like something, we find it interesting and it matters to us.
2 Comments
Kris Drew
7/11/2016 12:29:52 am
I really like your visuals, especially the one about "losing our fear of being wrong"- that one is so hard to teach and encourage! I appreciate your summaries of the talks. Synthesizing is the difficult part, and I am struggling with that myself. I guess we need to help keep those brains open and willing to learn!
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Autumn Duarte
7/25/2016 10:38:06 pm
I liked your comments on Pink's presentation. I agree that rewards are not a true motivator for lasting success. It reminded me a lot of Choice Theory, which my professors taught a lot about in my undergrad credential program. The idea is that, external motivation is superficial and does not work well. Internal motivation, accessed in part by being in the student's inner circle of trusted individuals, produces results. I totally agree with this, yet still find myself relying on external motivation at times.
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