Reflecting on Pink's thoughts about right brain tendencies and the implications for teaching & learning is fascinating. Pink explains that the right hemisphere of the brain is nonlinear, intuitive, and holistic. How often do I see learning environments designed to support these areas? Not often in the traditional setting in which I work. Sure, it is there, but it is not the mainstream.
I think that bringing Art back into the curriculum full time would be a good start; currently we only have one section. Art allows students to connect with literature and mathematics in diverse ways, and it is sorely missed on my campus. I would also like to see more project based learning... The 8th grade history classes do a lot of projects, but they are not widespread in the language arts classes. Science classes have hands-on experiments, but not enough time with the students making meaning on their own.
Most of the traditional classes focus on skills, memorization, and practice. This focus allows students to analyze and solve problems, but it reduces the making meaning. Project based learning and art based learning lend themselves to having students make meaning via synthesizing information and combining the elements of varied subject matter.
On p.134 it says, "People who hope to thrive in the Conceptual Age must understand the connections between diverse, and seemimgly separate, disciplines." The ability to link things in terms of others and draw analogies helps the learner to see relationships via metaphors.
Hmm... Design and Symphony: How do we motivate our colleagues? Well, perhaps a holistic approach would be beneficial. Within the overall vision allow for peer led discussions on topics and challenges. Give the teachers autonomy to problem solve and generate ideas. Validate their ideas and put them into practice- this could create ownership by the faculty and inspire them to even greater performance. The symphony of ideas being shared may lead to just the right design necessary for the students.
Yay! Go art!!! Art so lends itself to be integrated into the curriculum too!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment about how Project-based learning is missing on school campuses. At my site, we do more projects after CST testing. I wonder how CST results might improve if we implemented those projects throughout the year?
ReplyDeletePeer led conversations are a great motivator! We do this, and it it makes staff meeting less monotonous having someone different lead the meeting each week.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that art is a dying subject for many schools. Alot of other subjects would greatly benefit from having an art background.
ReplyDeleteOne art class….sigh….it is rather typical, huh? Your example of the science class with its focus on skills is another sigh….I get it that we need to prepare students to pass the test, and they do need a certain skill set to be able to manipulate content knowledge and data. However, I have this idea that the knowledge for tests and the skill set necessary to participate in a learning community as a scientist, mathematician, writer, and artist will show up on tests. As problem solvers and thinkers, students are able to apply what they know to new situations, including a situation presented on a test, which they may not have encountered before. Their knowledge is, therefore, not finite. Rather the possibilities are infinitesimal.
ReplyDeleteSo, your idea of using autonomy to motivate colleagues makes sense to me. A colleague and I conducted a study on autonomy and job satisfaction. Our own early teaching experiences held a great deal of autonomy and we agreed that was what motivated us to a large to degree. Not surprisingly, our study revealed that greater autonomy lead to greater job satisfaction. In grades where there was more testing, and in schools that were under state sanctions there was less autonomy, and less happy teachers. ☹