Do you agree with Pink's assertion that we have moved from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age? Explain your answer by providing examples from your life (including your teaching experiences).
Please feel free to pose any questions for clarification.
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I do believe that we have moved from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. When reading Pink’s material, I recalled two instances from my teaching experience that displayed that. During my first year of teaching, I played a Jeopardy review game after completing a novel with the class. The scores on that novel’s test were consistently high. Due to scheduling conflicts on the day of the review for our next novel, I did not play a game but chose instead to complete a note-taking session. The scores on this novel’s test were mainly Cs and Ds. I asked my students what had happened, and they said that it had to do with my format for the review. I had made reviewing fun and had incorporated play, one of Pink’s six senses, for the first review. They had been able to remember the answers because they had recalled the game. I had not done the same for the second test, and they had a more difficult time remembering some of the details.
Another instance occurred last semester. I had a student who was diagnosed with ADHD, and he would frequently distract other class members when we were reading aloud. It became a discipline problem with him, and after three days of sending him out in the hallway, I sought help from one of his former teachers. She found that by having him draw the scenes while we were reading, he paid better attention and took pride in his work when she had allowed him to show it at the end of class. I approached the student and asked if he wanted to do this. He did, and I was amazed at the results that I saw from him. It also had the other students who would sometimes doze off wanting to do this and share their drawings. The comprehension level of those students increased in addition to this “assignment” of mine.
Taking notes and lecturing is something that I attempt to limit in my class, but both of those situations supported what Pink was trying to say. I was limiting my students’ creativity and sense of play, and when I allow both of those senses to exist, I saw positive results in my students’ learning.
After reading “A Whole New Mind” by Daniel Pink I felt as though I had finally found the light switch in a darkened room. I felt as though I finally found the word for the definition I had been searching for. I can finally stop being ashamed to admit it. I am a right brain thinker, and have been all of my life! I am absolutely positive Daniel Pink is correct! Not only are we now at the beginning of the conceptual age, but the right brained thinker is what it will take to keep the United Stated competitive in this new globally “Flat” world. Somehow this seems like divine justice when thinking back on the “product” era (1975-1985) of education in which we used “L-directed thinking” almost to the point of the extinction of the “R-directed” side of our brain. During this time period schools didn’t create future learners, we created future L-directed “products.” No wonder “Johnny couldn’t read (or write),” we were ignoring half of his brain!
I see how this new era has already begun to unfold in education. As I have participated in EOG reviews and writing trainings I have seen this shift to a different form of thinking, but had not known why. In our classrooms (my classroom), students are being called upon to think critically, and make connections both between and beyond the text. We are re-teaching middle school student children to incorporate illustrations along with their vocabulary words to better “lock in” the information. We are using AVID strategies such as “One Pagers” that incorporate illustration, metaphoric captions, personal opinions, and taking on the perspective of a character (empathy). Middle school students are learning to both interpret and create metaphors. Analogies are not seen as a horrid tortuous tool, but as new and exciting challenges. Making connections between seemingly random objects are new “games” for our students (my students). All of these activities are both high concept and high touch. Right brained teaching is again beginning to surface in the classroom, especially in mine!
Unlike years past, this form of thinking even seems to have the support of legislation; just look at the shift in the EOG focus, and the writing test. These new testing norms are shifting to include a “right brained” emphasis. Now if we “teach to the test,” we’re teaching to both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. If this trend continues in education, we may just find ourselves to be on the right track for creating students that are prepared to embrace this new Conceptual Age they have been born into.
As for myself, I am positive my Lord knew what he was doing when he created me to be a teacher. I am also positive He has a sense of humor. I have been told for years that I just “think” differently than the rest of my peers. I have always seen patterns and connections between unrelated objects. In fact my problem has often been realizing that others do not see the same connections. I have often been frustrated with people who have not seen obvious similarities and patterns. How could they not see how this track of behavior/ actions would end? Why did they not pick up on the subtle body language and word choices that told the real motives? When things are as obvious as the nose on ones face, how can people not see the connections? Well, now I know. These people in my life most probably were currently under the control of the L-directed side of their mind. Thank you Daniel Pink, you have set me free. Now, finally, my weaknesses will be my strengths. Seeing the global picture, being able to “read” people, empathizing with others, being artsy, creative, and tender hearted, story telling, and finding meaning will be my assets. I am not to “soft” for the business world; instead I am exactly what this new Conceptual Era ordered. I am a right brained thinking teacher!
Tina, I agree with a lot of what you said. I'm very confused about what you said concerning EOCs though. It was my perception after reading the book that it is important to encourage our students to be creative and think BEYOND facts. I don't see how the EOGs/EOCs are doing this. I haven't been teaching long but grew up as the daughter of two educators. From what I have heard from them as well as other experienced teachers, this new standard of high-stakes testing is making teachers cut out many creative projects because they don't test those projects on standardized tests. Yes, I know that the norms are being adjusted, but the EOGs/EOCs are still just a one-time, multiple-choice test. They don't demonstrate much other than how well a student can do on a test on a certain day.
Will you please clarify what you said?
Hey there Terri!
Thank you for raising those points. They are really thought provoking. I’ll be happy to share my thoughts on the matter and try and clarify things in the process. Thank you for asking me!
What I have found from my teaching as well as reviewing middle grades EOG’s, Wake County’s focus lessons prep materials, and in-service trainings, is that the push for higher level questions on the EOG’s leaves more room for right brained thinking. The EOG’s are no longer just asking students to regurgitate facts. They are pushing students to go deeper into the text, take on different perspectives, and construct new meanings, synthesize, and see the big picture. While there certainly are still lower level questions (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis) on the EOG that clearly access the L-directed side of the mind, I have seen a general trend to push the questions to the next level (synthesis, evaluation). It is in this realm that R-directed thinking has an opportunity to kick in. An example would be both forms of Analogies (in the text and beyond the text) call for students to make connections in order to make a new whole. This is part of a component of symphony (pg 66). I also see a connection between empathy and point of view, mood/tone. Pink defines empathy as “the ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s position and to intuit what that person is feeling.” or “climbing into another’s mind to experience the world from that person’s perspective”( pg 159) That can also be the definition of point of view. Of course components of point of view are also mood and tone. Therefore when we are teaching student to “get into the mind of the writer” or choose the correct foil on an EOG point of view question stem, we are asking them to utilize the r-directed side of their mind.
I agree with you (and your parents), the old EOG really was very L-directed, and the and testing is just a snap shot of what a child did on one day, and there is still room for improvement, but since it looks like testing is here to stay, at least the EOG looks like it’s moving in a better (more brain balanced) direction.
Lastly, you had mentioned how high stakes testing is making many teacher cut out creative projects because they do not test those projects on high stakes tests. I feel your pain here! I have stopped some really cool projects when I saw this shift coming, and I loved teaching those projects. My students loved doing those projects! But the times are a’ changing, and I simply saw it as a challenge to be even more creative. A very wise administrator once pointed out to me that we really do not have to stop doing projects; I just need to reevaluate the purpose of the project. In an in-service training we were asked to evaluate everything we teach by a few key questions: “What am I trying to get my students to learn?” “How will this create a more permanent pathway in their mind?” and “How does this connect with the whole picture (whole picture being what students will need into adulthood combined with EOG’s)?” These questions now drive my projects. Avid strategies such as “One Pagers” and Readers Theater using the PEEP scale (projection, empathy, enunciation, pronunciation, props) are wonderful projects I’ve incorporated into my classroom that helps students prepare for the EOG while still being really cool projects. In summary, I think we can still make learning fun and playful (chapter 9 pg 216); we just have to be more out of the box about it.
Well, since I am probably the only student in this course who has not taught extensively in a classroom setting, my experience is obviously quite limited...but I did learn a great deal about L-directed and R-directed thinking, which led me to mull over some of the things I did while I was an exercise physiology lab instructor at UNC during my master's program. I've always been one to color (waaaay) outside the lines, and will go out of my way to find a new (perhaps unorthodox??) way of accompishing the mundane. Each day I would call the role to see which students were present, but instead of having them respond with "Here", I would have them provide me, and the class, with their own subjective answer to a question I had asked beforehand. For instance, on the first day of class, my question to them was "Which celebrity would you most like to punch in the face?". I got quite a few raised eyebrows, and got a few more smirks and laughs. So, when I got to each student's name, he or she would respond with "Britney Spears" or "Martha Stewart", or any number of celebrities, political figures, former professors, etc. Then, for the next class, I would have formulated a different question, and they would give me their answers. As the semester progressed, I noticed I had fewer and fewer tardy students straggling into class. Turns out, those UNC undergraduates looked forward to being able to "color outside the lines" and have FUN in a lab class, one day a week, for two hours...which is something many of them told me they had never had the opportunity to do in a collegiate course before. Without my knowing it, I was having them engage in R-directed thinking in my classroom, which was a welcome change from what they had been taught was expected behavior as a college student. And similar to what Tori did to review with her students, I would have them play a review game that involved tossing a Nerf ball into a trashcan from various distances (once a team's question was answered correctly) to earn points for their team, which would earn them a bonus point or two on their lab practicals if their team won the review game. Many of them told me it was much more effective than sitting down and mulling over notes, because they were engaging with and interacting with their fellow students, and they could learn from others in their class while they prepared for the test.
It's exciting to see how all of these new schools and special programs are being developed to help students hone their R-directed thinking skills and abilities. With the dawning of the Conceptual Age, it will be very interesting to see what new careers develop as a result of an increased demand for people who can employ R-directed thinking to truly sensationalize our abundance. No need to outsource analysis and creativity when we can develop R-directed thinkers from here in our own country, from our own home-grown Potatoes.
Pink utilizes the metaphor comparing the differences between hemispheres of the brain as an interpretation of the present and our future (p.3). I believe that we are in a transition period as we move from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. After reading A Whole New Mind as well as The World is Flat, I know that to be ready for the 21st Century, one has to possess all of the six fundamental abilities that Pink mentions in his book.
Even though I teach first grade, many of the families have already chosen what their child will become (sad, but true). Unfortunately, they are still focused on the traditional L-Directed Thinking of becoming doctors, lawyers, computer engineers, etc. When I read the World is Flat last year, I realized that my teaching had to change to accommodate the changing world. Although I began my teaching holistically at a Quaker independent school in the Northeast, when I moved to the public schools, I felt that my teaching was pigeonholed into much more of an L-Directed means of delivering instruction. I became much more objective-based, checking off giant checklists of teaching skills that were taught tersely to move on to the next check mark. My teaching felt disjointed and meaningless without having unifying purpose. Reflecting on that year of teaching first grade, I vowed never to teach that way again. Fortunately, my current school allows for my creativity and judgment to permeate through my instruction. Since I am year-round, I began this year in a much more holistic manner. My units of study are more project-based, open-ended and self-reflective. In addition, my classroom management plan is based on empathy—to truly understand others and how to manage conflict (in all of the ways it manifests itself!). I agree with Pink that one can practice empathy.
Through education, I believe that our move to the Conceptual Age will accelerate dramatically. R-Directed Thinking has recently proven successful in a multitude of educational circumstances. Unfortunately, our public schools are feeling more and more pressure to demonstrate their abilities in an L-Directed system. Hopefully, the momentum will start swinging in the opposite direction through this education.
I definitely believe that we have moved from the Information Age (knowledge workers) to the Conceptual Age (creators and empathizers). When I look back at my elementary years we learned a lot of concepts through rote memorization (especially math concepts), presently in schools you see more students learning by “doing, discovering and inquiring,” which I feel fits more in with the Conceptual Age.
A couple examples of moving towards the “Conceptual Age” from my teaching experiences would be the different ways of teaching science and math. Back in the late 80’s when I went to elementary school we really just read about science, completed worksheets, watched movies about science, nothing too extravagant. Teaching 3rd grade in the 21st century is quite different though. I teach my students science through kits that enable them to discover and explore on their own. Currently we are studying soil, sand, and clay. The students have thoroughly examined each one, have drawn sketches of each sample, and have really discovered their properties. The students really enjoy observing the samples and comparing each others pictures with one another. I feel this allows them to be creative in their own personal way. Another example would be the way we teach math today. Once again, back when I went to school we basically learned from rote memorization. Now we are teaching children with math manipulatives, stories, modeling to them how to show their work and draw pictures to help them understand and solve problems, and teaching them a lot more conceptually. To teach multiplication to my students I have a book that has a story for each fact. The children love this and like Roger C. Schank quotes in Pinks book, “Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.” I agree with this quote. When I think back to my learning experiences the one’s that have the most meaning are those that often have a story to go along with it.
Sometimes it’s hard to sit back and watch teachers not teaching up to the Conceptual Age standards. If we are moving in this direction then we need to make changes in our teaching styles in order to make our students successful in the society they will once face.
I agree that we are starting to move from Informational Age to the Conceptual Age. You can already see jobs going over seas and how important computers are to people. I see how my students are with the computer when we go to the computer room. They learn fast how to log on the computer and find the games. When they get to the educational games on the computers the move fast through the levels. They also respond better to the educational games then they do with the worksheets I have on the letters or math. They would rather do a letter activity or math one on the computer. I see how they pick it up faster when they are on the computer. I not only see this in my classroom, but with my niece and nephew. They show me how to play a video game and what to do. They are only 5 and 6. My 13 year sister shows me how to do things on the computer. So I see how computer are playing a role in society.
Pink brought up good points in his book and how we need to be prepared for the conceptual age and he discusses that in the 6 senses. Of the 6 senses that Pink describes in his book I see myself already doing some in my classroom. I do a lot of creative(design) things in my classroom with my students. I am having them be creative in their drawings and in the writing when we are working on a topic. Some of my students are very creative in their pictures and in the writing. I also have a writing/ art center where they are able to be creative on what ever they are doing and that is one of their favorite centers to go to because they can draw/write what ever they want to. I see how important it is for them to learn to be creative in what they do b/c since I have been a kindergarten teacher I see how creative my lesson plans and activities have to be for them to want to stay engaged.
I also see how my students respond to lessons that involve play/drama. I did a skit with my students that had the kids act out how certain dinosaurs walked and what kinds of food that they ate. They loved it and they remembered what I was trying to teach. I saw how they liked being able to act things out that we are learning about and how they remember it more when they are involved.
When I read books to them and we are talking about the character, I have my students write and draw about how that character felt and how they would feel if they were that character(empathy). They are seeing how others feel and putting themselves in their shoes. I not only see this through books, but when I go over how we treat others in the classroom. For example when one of my students hits another student I will ask them why they did it and explain how we do not hit others. Then I also ask them how they would feel if they were the one being hit and they always tell me that they would not like it. So they are again seeing how another person feels.
After reading Pink's book A Whole New Mind, I see how we need to make changes to prepare for the conceptual age.
I believe that we are moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. As I was reading Pink's book, I was able to relate to what he was saying about the six senses. I have always had an interest in theatre and musical arts and try to think more creatively and outside the box. I encourage my students to do the same.
I teach kindergarten which already leads itself to be creative and open to new ideas. At this age, they can be so imaginative and creative on their own and I embrace this and encourage them. My classroom is very arts based. The students learn alot through music, art and discussion.
Every year I have had my students participate in Readers Theatre. We read a few fairy tales together and talk about the characters. I have found the fairy tales written to match their level of reading. They get together in groups, we work together how to act out the story and they perform the fairy tale. My students have always enjoyed doing this at the end of the year.
Also, we teach Readers and Writers Workshop at my school. In writers workshop, we teach students the different genres of writing, but they are given creative reign over how they want to write their stories and they come up with their own topics. They have written songs, letters, notes, and non-fiction stories. We give them guidance with the conventions of writing. In readers workshop, the students read by themselves and read with partners. They then discuss the books with their partner. While reading, they have Post-it notes where they can sketch how thay felt about a part of the story or they sketch how the character felt in the story. They talk with their partners about the characters and their feelings. They become very empathetic with some of the characters and talk about how they would feel if it were them.
I see this change in math and science as well. As Sara had said, math and science today are more about self-discovery and working with manipulatives. In math, it is no longer memorizing a formula and getting the answer, but finding your own way to the answer and how and why you reached that answer. Math and Science are no longer about doing workseets, but allowing the students to discover and practice things on their own.
I can see some teachers being hesitant about this move and still fall back on the ways they were taught. The change is happening and we need to be ready to teach the students.
I believe that it is evident that we have definately moved from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age after reading Pink's A Whole New Mind. I think that it is important for our society to become more aware of these changes due to the fact of so many jobs moving over seas, the importance of technology in our lives, and the competition that we have globally with other countries. I agree with Pink in the fact that the R-directed thinker is going to have a great impact on our ability to compete and thrive in today's society.
This is my fourth year teaching 2nd grade. With younger students, I believe that it is very important to teach with stories, hand-on materials, and through inquiry. To be able to discover, discuss, and make connections to your learning is a key element in education. For example, when teaching addition and subtraction with regrouping, I tell my students a story to help them remember the steps. I won't go into the whole story, but in essence it is about shopping for bubble gum! After a couple of days they can retell the story precisely and can add or subtract correctly with regrouping! As Sara mentioned, the way we teach math and science has changed dramatically since we were in school. The science kits and math manipulatives kits that we have allow us to teach to our students targeting multiple learning styles. I have played games like Jeopardy (similar to what Tori mentioned)that have helped my students tramendously on tests. Role plays and other activities that get kids moving and involved also tend to be beneficial. I also believe that it is important to collaborate with our art, music, pe, and media teachers at our school. Allowing students to make connections with various subjects and activities allow for their learning to become more meaningful.
In addition to the various ways I have used R-directed thinking to enhance my students' learning, I also believe that it is as or more important to learn their personal stories. Forming relationships with my students and their parents/guardians is very important to me. Knowing where they are coming from helps me target their specific needs. Teaching at a Title I school of about 70-75% free and reduced lunch, our students come from a variety of different backgrounds. I want all of my students to know that I am personally invested in their education. I was reading the paper this morning and on the front page of the City & State section was an article about ASU and their win against Michigan. The last line of the article was a quote by head coach Jeff Dillman. He said "It's what we told them to do. We just teach them about life here: Live right and do what you're supposed to do." This quote reminded me that my job is not just about teaching the SCOS, it is about teaching my students how to survive and thirve in society. With the move towards the Conceptual Age, I think that we are doing just that!
Jeff Dillman is not the head coach, he is the director of strength and conditioning training for ASU! Sorry for the misprint!:)
Have we moved from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age? Are we now creators and empathizers instead of knowledge workers? I am not so sure.
I do feel that some aspects of our life are definitely in the Conceptual Age. Pink is correct in his statements that everything is now designed, and we tend to choose the most beautiful of those things (event toilet brushes). And that story plays a great role in life, from selling cars, to giving money to a cause whose story has caught your attention. I feel that symphony is important in both one’s personal and professional life. Empathetic people, in my opinion, make it further in life. Play is wonderful. Video games are prevalent in all types of professions, from the military to surgeons. And I feel that man will always search for meaning in life.
However, I feel that the Education system is still living in the Information Age. Schools are so driven by scores, the bottom line, and making expected growth that many times there leaves little room for R-Directed thinking. Many schools spend months “teaching to the test” so that their children will pass EOGs. And with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, it seems as if that is what the national government wants and expects from us as well. The school where I teach was just named the number 1 school in Wake County. This wasn’t because our children are using Pink’s six senses; it was because our school has done so well on EOG tests the past few years. We have been a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence twice, again, because of our test scores and growth percentages.
As a Kindergarten teacher, I understand the necessity of high-concept, high-touch thinking, the need for Pink’s six senses. I want my children to come into a classroom that is “designed” for education and learning. My room is designed to elicit group work, experimentation, and to foster creativity. The amount of “play” in a Kindergarten classroom is immeasurable. When studying the community, we build a community in our room. The children are each given a community helper job (fireman, police officer, banker, postal worker, chef, grocer, veterinarian). The community is given a name, laws are written, children earn paychecks, court is held when a citizen breaks the law, etc. It is an amazing way to learn about the community. The children love it, and are generally most successful with the concepts being taught through play. So, I do see where the Conceptual Age is slowly moving into our education system. However, at the end of the unit, there are mandated assessments we have to do, benchmarks the 5 year-olds have to meet, expectations they must achieve. Data always comes after play…Information to back up the Conceptual.
I do feel that the Conceptual Age is coming. But, I do not feel it is upon us. It is leaking into the Information Age, a slow drip of the Conceptual Age sink. And, until we as educators can push aside the need for data, test scores, and expected growth, we will continue to live mostly in the Information Age while every other profession moves in to the Conceptual Age without us.
I agree in part with Pink’s assertion that we are moving into a Conceptual age. However, throughout history society has needed and produced storytellers, artists, empathetic and inventive people and has valued them, sometimes to greater and sometimes to lesser degrees. So I do not think that our time in history is unique in that respect, but I do think abundance and automation have provided both the opportunity and necessity for developing these right brained capabilities more fully.
My husband is a good example of someone who employs most of the seven traits Pink discusses. As I was reading the book, I would frequently stop to read passages to him. A few years ago he started his own business. He creates architectural installations, lit sculpture and furniture. His work involves design (an artistic vision), symphony (seeing how the piece will fit into its environment, how to make it structurally sound, how to make art as a “business”), empathy (meeting the needs and understanding the vision of the client). Also he tries to incorporate “play” into the workday as much as possible (everybody brings their dogs to work, for instance). Interestingly, my husband did not particularly enjoy school until he got into college. While I am sure he obtained a lot of l-directed knowledge in school, he frequently zoned out or got in trouble for drawing or sleeping during class. I agree that in many respects schools are now using more hands-on, creative approaches to learning.
When I taught high school English, I found that students most enjoyed activities that incorporated r-directed thinking. For example, when studying the novel The Great Gastby, our school had “Gatsby Day,” an all day party that required a couple of weeks of preparation. Students dressed up, cooked party buffets, researched and collected period music, learned the Charleston and the Black Bottom, and decorated classrooms to recreate the decadence of the roaring twenties. Students frequently told me that Gatsby Day remained one of the most memorable experiences of their high school career. This experience incorporated design, play, symphony and story. Many students who did not necessarily excel in the classroom thrived in this type of environment.
Studying literature also gives students a unique opportunity to display (and develop) empathy. Frequently, I would design writing assignments and other activities to encourage students to see situations from a character’s point of view. This was easy with sympathetic characters but I also wanted them to do this with less sympathetic ones. For example, one assignment forced them to become a defense attorney for Roger Chillingworth, a character most of them found repulsive.
One issue I have with block scheduling is that many of these “extra” projects and activities (creative, r-directed) had to be eliminated. In the rush to squeeze a year’s curriculum into the period four months, I simply could not find time in the schedule to do a lot beyond the curriculum’s requirements. I already felt that writing and literary analysis were being compromised by our break-neck pace. I could not justify losing the instructional time that these activities required, even though I knew the learning of the students would be enriched. I’m not sure how I could have worked within the schedule more effectively to continue to provide these opportunities.
I agree with a great deal of what Pink says and think that as educators we must find ways to help students develop their r-directed aptitudes, not just to make them more competitive in the workplace, but to help them live fuller lives.
I somehow managed to save my comment on the homepage also! Yikes! Anybody know how to delete that? A little knowledge is a dangerous thing....
I most certainly believe that we have moved from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. It was interesting to see the progression from the Agriculture Age to the Industrial Age to the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. I actually see it within my own family. My parents are from Greece and their families have been predominantly farmers. When they came to the United States and moved to Detroit, my father worked for General Motors. My brohter has followed in his footsteps in keeping with the Industrial mindest. My younger brother works with computers after leaving the Marine Corps. He was constantly told how important computers are and how it would be most beneficial to pursue that type of career. I, on the other hand, have always been creative, energetic, and nurturing, which led to what has been a very and exciting career as a kindergarten teacher.
We're continuing to progress. It's important for us not to focus on L-Directed thinking or R-Directed thinking, but to move towards using both halves a whole. This is how we will be successful.
I was intrigued by the three questions that Pink told us that we should ask ourselves in order to survive the Conceptual Age. It made me happy to feel that my job as a educator and a nurturer is something that requires empathy and creativity, which cannot be replicated by computers or distance.
While reading Pink, I was able to think about my life and my classroom and my teaching experiences. It's very exciting to teach kindergarten and be part of the creativity that flows from my students. It's amazing to watch them draw and act and express themselves. This type of creativity is what helps them to be successful.
When journal writing, my students have to draw themselves in every picture prior to writing. Their imaginations are so vivid and become so detailed as time passes. With these pictures, they begin to express themselves with words that cannot come as easily without that creative foundation. The most important part of the beginning stages of writing are detailed pictures that help them with the writing process. This is even more important for students who are English Language Leaners or students who aren't as academically inclined. The picture, itself, allows them to express themselves and to be creative.
Of the Six Senses that Pink describe, I relate most with play. At my school, our staff and students follow th FISH Philosophy. This philosophy has four components that help to make you work and life more positive and successful. As a staff we have learned that it is not necessary to be serious at all times in oreder to be successful.
My kindergarten students are taught that they can play and learn at the same time. During our center rotations, students are able to use the computers and play various games that they find on Leapfrog Math, as well as practicing print concepts and retelling within various fun reading programs. They seem to most enjoy expressing their creative side with the Kid Pix art program. Computers allow children to learn the fundamentals of computers (parts, key functions) and allow them to enjoy themselves through creative play and interactive learning.
It was exciting to read Pink and to learn that the creative approach that I use to foster my students' growth and learning is what is going to be necessary for them to be more successful in the Conceptual Age. I feel inspired.
Pink presents a convincing case for the idea that we have moved out of the information into the conceptual age, more so, I think we have outgrown the information age. As we all know, information is every where. The internet is saturated with a million different ways to learn about the same thing…if we want to know something, we have a huge resource for finding the answers. This saturation and the ordinary person’s growing ability to navigate through the information is pushing the career world into the conceptual age…to be able to do things that are unique in nature and can’t be found through a google search.
When Pink was discussing Symphony, one connection to education that stuck out to me the most was the move (or struggle) in education to get teachers of all disciplines to teach (or incorporate) other disciplines---like writing in science/history, building math concepts in science/history/reading/art/etc. As an elementary teacher, I try to make connections to other disciplines often. With our current science unit, I am teaching my students how to use subheadings and captions, think about the main idea, and they will even end up writing a position paper about an environmental issue in addition to the writing we do in writer’s workshop. For students to see that the “subjects” they are taught are interconnected and to be actively engaged in making some of those connections in meaningful ways, it seems like we really are trying to engage more of our brains and thinking about concepts in different ways.
I’m sure as we were reading, many of us were thinking about EOG/EOC’s and how the push of testing really has caused teachers to reduce or eliminate many things that keep kids engaged in school. I myself have a hard time doing things that are “fluff” or just for fun. I feel that my job is to teach and engaging kids in unrelated activities just so they can have fun/play/laugh etc. doesn’t seem to be an effective use of my minimal time. With that said, as I was reading the chapters on play, I continually asked myself how I could incorporate some meaningful laughter and play into my classroom. While I still think it is my job to remain serious and focused, laughter could be used as a tool of engagement for hooking students into a topic. So, last week, we were studying how salt used on roads during snow storms is a form of pollutant. I found a video on the internet that simply showed cars coming down a city street bumping into everything along the way, and just when you thought the car would stop, it hit something else. The video was hilarious to watch and really brought the point across about how we need road salt (or something safer for the environment) to keep humans safe when driving. Showing this video to the children before we talked about the dangers of road salt helped them make connections between the “real world” and what they were reading.
I think as we move through this class, I would like to find more ways to compliment what I am doing in my classroom to meet the demands of the conceptual age but that do not take the focus off of what students are expected to learn.
Pink writes “If the global supply chain ever confronted a shortage of No. 2 pencils, the American education system might collapse,” (page 57). As sad as this statement may be, I think it has some truth to it. Our school is focused on the End of Grade tests from the first day. While testing holds teachers accountable for covering mandated curriculum, it may also prevent them from providing a rich student-centered curriculum. One question we’ve been asked to think about and to ask ourselves this year is “How does this relate back to the EOG?” I’m not sure if this is a totally positive or negative thing to do, but I feel it’s more of an Information Age mentality. I think my school is doing some great things for our students, but I’m not sure if we’re preparing them to live in a conceptual age. However, as Tina pointed out, the EOG is shifting its focus to assess higher level thinking skills. Teachers will have to provide instruction that prepares students to demonstrate their use of higher level thinking skills on a paper and pencil test. Some students are not good test-takers and this is not the best way for them to demonstrate their learning; however, there is no alternative at this point. So while I appreciate the state test is trying to shift its focus to challenge students to use higher level thinking, I still think it is an information age test.
Working within my school’s focus and way of doing things, I do try to have active learning taking place in my classroom in order to engage students. The students enjoy opportunities to play games (such as “trashketball” and jeopardy) and to work on projects that allow them to show their creative sides. I also like to incorporate music and art in my classroom to help them make connections to other content areas. Stories are also helpful in helping students remember things such as vocabulary words.
I do think we are moving to more of a conceptual age. I hope our schools are quickly able to shift their focus to preparing students to thrive in this new era. It won’t be enough to simply help students master paper and pencil tests; they need to be able to tap into their “right brained” thinking to be successful in the conceptual age.
Glancing over the responses, I have the sense that many of my reactions to this book overlap with the others’. Our similar responses come from our experience and identities as teachers. Additionally, many of us identify as artists. Early on in the book, I was immediately aware that I have never read similar work that clearly values R-directed thinking. Of course, there are books on creativity, design, elements of symphony, etc., but I have never seen this attributes collected side by side. Nor have I seen them valued and recognized as an essential element of balanced thinking. I find it encouraging reading that companies and organizations are inviting storytelling and play into their boardrooms and their offices.
This book inspired lots of thought about teaching and what it means to prepare students for the conceptual age. While there is tremendous evidence that we have moved into a new world with technological advances that baffle me and unheard of opportunities for creativity and development, and this effects our lives on a daily basis, I do believe that many people do not have access to the new contexts and development. I do agree that in order to be at the edge of change having the skills Daniel Pink mentioned is crucial, but he seemed to be addressing the roles of educated professionals. I am glad to have read this overview of movement from the information age to the conceptual age, but I would also be interested in reading about how this utilization of balanced thinking can be applied to all area of employment.
Personally, reading this book made me personally consider some of the new or unexpected technologies and opportunities I have taken advantage of in the last six months. In each case, I was aware of new opportunities for information exchange or new systems of transportation, but in each case I would not have made the leap toward technology advancement without fist seeing someone else demonstrate its use. I tend to shy away from technology. I often find it complicated and expect that it will minimally benefit me at best. I am thinking of two instances, all involving the Internet and the computer.
1. I begin using a myspace account, and have since reunited with old friends, but have also witnessed the benefits that have come to artist and musician friends who have a new means of communicating and exposing their art.
2. I have begun to use zipcars to get to class. To do this, I reserve a car through UNC online, and pay for it by the hour. The website determines which car is closest to me. This has enabled me to avoid buying a second car for my household. I am especially interested in the way new thinking will contribute to environmentalism, specifically with regards to changing the system of transportation within the US.
Neither of these opportunities was available ten years ago, nor could people have conceived of the value inherent in these and the other innovations that have come since.
I consider the conceptual age to be a very exciting time. While I think it is necessary for our students and all workers to be prepared to participate, I also look forward to a shift in values and a shift from limited thinking.
If you look at my posting about Pink's book, I posit that we are indeed in the Conceputal Age. However, the next question we should be asking is are we encouraging all facets of society to participate in this movement? If so, How? If not are we willing to leaving people behind? And what will that mean for future generations?
I think it would be difficult to argue against Pink's stand that our society is moving towards this 'conceptual age'. It seems the suggestions he is making are ideas that have been percolating for sometime now, particularly in education, but his book really begins to push the concept into the open and encourages everyone to become more right-brained.
One primary reason why we are seeing more right-brained thinking as a culture is because of the technology that has been invented over the past twenty years. It took a few right-brain thinkers to develop tools and machines which allow all of us a chance to more easily express our creativity.
The main concern I have after reading Pink's book is how do we encourage students to use their right-brain skills effectively. I think too often technology enables young people to use their right-brain too liberally.
For instance, the popularity of YouTube has allowed anyone with a webcam to think they are the next Steven Spielberg. Too much content on the web involves young people using Pink's senses for frivolous means.
On the other hand, I have seen students produce work in my class which could be considered 'right-brain developed', yet is not the result of a lot of creativity. For example, when I have my students work on group projects, they'll give me what they think I'm looking for. If they think a Powerpoint presentation is sufficient, they'll make one. If I suggest how I've enjoyed groups who have made movies in the past, they'll make one. What happens in most of these cases is that the end product is not the result of the students' best talents put to work, but rather a manufactured project aimed simply to please me.
So while I agree with Pink that using these six senses can result in some truly creative work, the role of the teacher should not simply be to promote this kind of thinking. Rather it's to help students discover what type of thinker they are and help nuture those skills so that they produce something that will be benficial to their learning and also productive for society in general.
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I really appreciate Pink's reference to the hemispheres of the brain as a metaphor for how humans carry out their lives. It is so true. I also found the operational definitions for the differences in hemisphere to be very helpful in the equal but different paradigm. I was fascinated to discover, in light of being a language arts teacher, that 70% of left handed people have their language in the left hemisphere. What amazing amount of the whle brain being used!
I had a strong but different reaction to Pink's description of abudance, specifically to superstores such as Target. He take is that within this L-directed environment that our R-directed activities have become focused on aesthetics...such as finding the most eye pleasing garbage can among the many, many choices. I however refer to these places as Big Boxes and am turned off by the mass production and would much rather go a locally owned business to get what I need from a much smaller inventory. In retrospect, perhaps that is a R-directed outcome as I want simplicity and have empathy for small business owners as they struggle to compete.
The Conceptual Age is upon us if we are ready or not. My concern is for my students who are primarily disenfranchized, 11- 15 year old African-American boys already involved with judicial system and living in a culture of poverty. How are we to help these students move away from a "worker" orientation to an "appititude" orientation when education is not a priority in their current situations. Not to mention a decreased access to technology and an even less desire to pursue emotional and spiritual outcomes. At times what do my students have to laugh at when their lights are off and they are not sure if there will be food for dinner? How do we bridge the gap? Many of my students do have a "go with the flow" mindset, but what does that mean is light of generations of limited education, poverty and limited opportunities? Where do my students and their parents (grandparents, group homes, foster homes) find the time for sympathy, empathy and play in their lives or in their work? I worry about this constantly and why I have been at my school for nine years because my moral compass says we must bring this population into Conceptual Age.
Sorry this is my second post I got it on the home page by accident
I really appreciate Pink's reference to the hemispheres of the brain as a metaphor for how humans carry out their lives. It is so true. I also found the operational definitions for the differences in hemisphere to be very helpful in the equal but different paradigm. I was fascinated to discover, in light of being a language arts teacher, that 70% of left handed people have their language in the left hemisphere. What amazing amount of the whle brain being used!
I had a strong but different reaction to Pink's description of abudance, specifically to superstores such as Target. He take is that within this L-directed environment that our R-directed activities have become focused on aesthetics...such as finding the most eye pleasing garbage can among the many, many choices. I however refer to these places as Big Boxes and am turned off by the mass production and would much rather go a locally owned business to get what I need from a much smaller inventory. In retrospect, perhaps that is a R-directed outcome as I want simplicity and have empathy for small business owners as they struggle to compete.
The Conceptual Age is upon us if we are ready or not. My concern is for my students who are primarily disenfranchized, 11- 15 year old African-American boys already involved with judicial system and living in a culture of poverty. How are we to help these students move away from a "worker" orientation to an "appititude" orientation when education is not a priority in their current situations. Not to mention a decreased access to technology and an even less desire to pursue emotional and spiritual outcomes. At times what do my students have to laugh at when their lights are off and they are not sure if there will be food for dinner? How do we bridge the gap? Many of my students do have a "go with the flow" mindset, but what does that mean is light of generations of limited education, poverty and limited opportunities? Where do my students and their parents (grandparents, group homes, foster homes) find the time for sympathy, empathy and play in their lives or in their work? I worry about this constantly and why I have been at my school for nine years because my moral compass says we must bring this population into Conceptual Age.
I believe that we have definitely moved from the information age to the conceptual age and I agree with many of the points that Daniel Pink makes in his book A Whole New Mind. As teachers we really need to prepare our students for a society that is moving from L-directed thinking to R-directed thinking. While I was reading Pink’s book I tried to make connections between my own teaching experiences and the six aptitudes that he discusses in his book. As Sara stated, rote memorization and worksheets were also used as the main means of teaching back when I was in elementary school. Thus, I try to incorporate education beyond these means in my classroom. I feel that as a teacher it is important for me to create a classroom environment that extends beyond the traditional pencil, paper, rote memorization work that plagued so much of my education in elementary school. When Pink discusses the aptitude of story, he states that “most of our experience, our knowledge and our thinking is organized as stories” (Pink 101). I whole heartedly agree with this statement and that is why, like Yorke, I try and get to know each of my student’s personal stories. Each student has a story they want to tell about their life, and as a teacher I feel it is my job to listen to their stories so I can educate them in the best possible way. I have an example of why it is important for a person to do this. Last year, I had a particular student in my 4th grade class, who would always come into class tired, who never paid attention, who remained quiet much of the day, and who missed 45 days of school. Instead of getting angry because she wasn’t participating actively in the classroom I instead listened to her personal story to determine why this was occuring. I found out from talking to her on the playground and after school while she waited for her bus, that she came from a broken home, with only one parent. She had to get up everyday at 4 AM to be taken to a babysitter and babysat for her four brothers and sisters everyday and sometimes at night. At nine years old, this was a huge responsibility to take on. Just from listening to her story, I was able to find ways to help her, and by the end of the year, she was participating in class, turning in her homework, making friends, and coming to school each day. This is one way of why stories are so important and each child in your classroom has one, it is our job as teachers to seek these stories out (which is why this aptitude is so important to our profession). Another way I incorporate R-directed thinking in my classroom is by using the aptitude of symphony. For example, when I was teaching fourth grade if I was reading a book with my students in my literacy groups I always asked them to form a relationship between what they read and their lives. I wanted them to have the ability to put together the pieces and make a connection. I feel that student’s ability to make connections and see relationships will help them to thrive in a world that is moving to an R-directed way of thinking. As I was reading the section of the book on empathy I was immediately reminded of an activity I did with my 4th graders called the Global Village, which would help put them in someone else’s position. In order to be brief, after reading a story called the Global Village I assigned each student a card with different pieces of information on it including: where they lived somewhere in the world, what their job was, how much money they made each year, if they were educated, etc. Each card was different, some students were rich and some were poor, some had great jobs and some did not, but their job was to pretend that this was their new life and they had to write a journal entry describing what their life was like as this person. This activity allowed them to experience life from a new perspective. When I taught at Conn Elementary we had what were called modules. For an hour a day students were immersed in completely hands on experiences, which still aligned with our 4th grade curriculum. Modules encompassed what I think is the essence of an R-directed approach to teaching and thinking. Students were surrounded by hands on activities that gave them perspective on what it would be like to be a textile designer who made quilts, or an engineer who designed a functioning lighthouse, a radio broadcaster, or even an advertiser who had to make commercials for landmark places in North Carolina. My students made connections, developed perspective, created designs, and incorporated aspects of play within these modules all of which focus on using right brain thinking. As jobs are moving overseas and computers are able to accomplish much of what people used to do, it is important that we equip our students with the skills that will make them successful in the conceptual age. I have been witness to this switch from an L-directed approach to thinking to the R-directed approach as I compare my education in elementary school to the education my students now receive. I have also seen how jobs are continuing to change as computers are able to accomplish many of the tasks that we used to need people to accomplish. Our students are going to need to be equipped with skills beyond that of traditional knowledge workers, to those skills of high concept and high touch workers. As this change occurs it is important that we prepare ourselves by incorporating Pink’s aptitudes into our lives; not only as professional teachers, but also as functioning members of society in order be successful people and educators.
When I began reading “A Whole New Mind” by Daniel Pink I first thought his view that society was moving from an Informational Age to Conceptual Age was a radical one. After finishing his book and reflecting on it I completely agree that our society is moving towards the Conceptual Age built upon inventive, empathetic, and big-picture capabilities. I do not have a lot of experience in the classroom and I the examples that I will talk about are derived from my student teaching experience last spring in a second grade classroom.
I thought what Pink had to say about right brain and left brain was particularly interesting. He suggests that we are moving towards R-Directed thinking, right brain and I agree. One experience I can relate to this concept is the struggle that I found with teaching inferences. My students had a difficult time understanding that what I wanted to know didn’t come directly from a picture or book. They were used to using their left brain to communicate with me all the things that had happened in a story by categorizing events. But I wanted them to use their right brain to make inferences about the story to see the “big picture”. One strategy I started using was fun inference cards to help them learn how to draw conclusions and find the characters feelings and motives.
Two other examples that support Pink’s view that we are moving towards a Conceptual Age also come from my student teaching experience. While teaching the concept of subtraction in math I made my students show me two ways of solving the problem. They could use the traditional algorithm, draw out pictures, or use other manipulative such as cubes. I wanted them to solve the problems multiple ways because I was concerned with them understanding the “big picture” of subtraction and the process of it rather than just getting the right answer. I think this method of teaching math is very different from the old method where students were drilled with memorization and math facts. Another example is the importance of integrating the arts into the classroom to improve learning and engagement. When I was teaching lifecycles I had groups of students’ use instruments and movement to create their interpretation of their assigned insects’ lifecycle. They were extremely engaged with this activity as they put movement and sound with each stage of the insects’ lifecycle. After their performances and assessment I found that the students had really learned the stages of all the different insects’ lifecycles. I think that this reflects Pink’s idea of the importance of expression and beauty as well as play in our society.
I agree with Daniel Pink that as a society we are slowly beginning the transition from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. I found his research, insights, and assertions to be fascinating and have already started recommending A Whole New Mind to others. On a personal level, this really opened my mind to begin thinking of the world and my life in a new way. I am admittedly a mainly left-brain or L-Directed Thinker. I have always looked at things in a logical, orderly way just because I think it is most comfortable for me. However, I do consider myself to be good at using my right brain senses of empathy, play, and meaning. Nevertheless, I do not consider myself to be a creative person, and could therefore see the benefit in increasing my senses of design, symphony, and story. These 3 chapters were challenging and inspired me to start thinking more in a synthesizing way, outside of the box. Reading about the benefits and now necessity of R-Directed Thinking has excited me and made me want to explore these other 3 senses in my own life.
As for American society as a whole, I agree that it is time for us to move from the L-Directed way of thought to the R-Directed way because of our current lifestyle of abundance and the outsourcing of many jobs to Asia as well as the fast-growing overtaking of many jobs by computers. In my experience learning to read as a child and then in teaching reading for the past 5+ years, I have seen the pendulum swing from left to right and then back to the middle. In other words, as a child, I was taught with a strict phonics approach, which was honestly a not very fun L-Directed way. However, when I attended Meredith College from 1992-1996, the approach was to teach by whole language, meaning that students learn best when looking at the big picture, an R-Directed approach. For example, I was taught that it was best to teach vocabulary within the context of what the children were reading, not in isolation, such as random spelling words. I found this to be refreshing and was very excited to try this out in the real world of teaching. However….once I entered that world in my first year as a Kindergarten teacher, I soon discovered that although teaching my students in this whole language way did have benefits for students who found learning to read fairly easy, it left students for whom reading was difficult and who learned differently at a big disadvantage. This was because I was never taught ANYTHING about how to teach phonics! I found myself feeling ill-prepared and inadequate as a teacher. After taking a few years off from teaching, I decided to go back and take courses towards becoming a reading teacher. At this time, the term “balanced literacy” was the lingo. I started asking veteran teachers how to teach phonics and began taking workshops in phonics instruction so that I could teach all of my students effectively using a more balance approach. Since then, I have received excellent training as a Title 1 teacher on how to teach reading using phonics in a meaningful context.
In my reading classes, I use Reader’s Theater with my students, just as Denise does with hers. I have seen this get my students excited about reading because they get to “act” out their parts with their voices, which emphases the high touch sense of story that Pink describes by allowing students to express emotion through these types of plays. I also agree with what Kimberly said about our schools being driven by L-Directed thinking via test scores, etc. and that we are not moving into the Conceptual Age of High Concept and High Touch in that respect. Now that I am teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students who are taking the EOG tests, I do feel that these tests are geared towards the left brain thinking and I would like to see more other types of tests such as portfolio tests given to assess the right brain thinking skills that these students will need for their future in the Conceptual Age. If anything, we are moving away from the Conceptual Age in education as long as our students’ success is based on EOG test scores that were created mainly to assess how well they are at left brain thinking. This is a sad thing to me, especially as I hear of how classes such as art and music are being cut from some schools around the country due to lack of funding. These classes are vital to our student’s growth as Conceptual Age thinkers and are some students’ only hope for success in life if they are gifted in these areas but struggle in reading and math or if they are just not good test takers. I hope that school officials and policy makers will begin to recognize this and that someone will give them each a copy of Daniel Pink’s book.
I do agree with Daniel Pink’s assertion that we are entering the Conceptual Age. Prior to reading A Whole New Mind, my reaction was that we must still be in the Information Age. After all so much of what we are encouraged to do, particularly as educators, is grounded in research and backed by knowledgeable experts. However, after reading more about the Conceptual Age I have an understanding of how necessary it is becoming to incorporate the “six senses” into our lives and our careers before our contribution becomes obsolete to society as a whole. I believe that Pink’s notion that in today’s world a combination of right dominant and left dominant individuals are needed to create useful and significant products and services is accurate and moreover individuals skilled in both modes of thinking will be imperative for the 21st Century.
I was one of the high school art students of the 90’s taught through the use of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Up until this point, the only differences in brain hemispheres that I was aware of was that the sides of the body are controlled by the opposite hemisphere. At that time I really believed that the notion of the two sides of the brain as serving different purposes was a concept bought into by people like my art teacher, Mrs. Johnson, who also believed that fairies and wood nymphs populated her garden. Since then, I have come to accept this as a fact of science, but I do understand the speed at which some still dismiss right brain dominance as less contributory to society. I am not stating that I ever agreed with that idea, but I do think that after reading Pink’s viewpoint I see the necessity of right-brainers in our current culture beyond the role of simply artist and musician.
In my role as an educator, it is the instances that I use stories as a prelude to instruction that best teach the lesson of the day. For instance, in order to explain the importance of stating a unit of measurement when answering a question I always tell my fourth grader my story of driving through Canada. I describe how I crossed the border on highway 401 and immediately saw posted speed limits of 100. Of course, I was ready to get to my destination so I did not hesitate to accelerate to 100 mph. As the story goes on, I explain to the students that the measurement was in Kilometers and sometimes I even throw in a little exaggeration about being pulled over. My point is the kids never forget to add measurements to the answers of area, perimeter or word problems and throughout the year I will hear them laughing and retelling the story to others. I think that had I not read A Whole New Mind, I would not have made the connection, nor been able to articulate, the effectiveness of story telling over teaching facts.
In the Conceptual Age, one is valued not only for traditional intellect but also for creativity and the ability to create a sense of continuity between the two. It is reassuring to consider the three questions used to determine if ones career is of value in today’s society and know that educators are not yet at risk of extinction. The difficulty, however, lies in our new responsibility to access both hemispheres in the students we teach and to send them prepared into this demanding and ever evolving society.
As I began reading Pink's book, I thought I would think that he was wrong and that we were still in the Information Age. I was thinking of the focus on technology and how much the world relies on inventions and improving them constantly. After reading Pink's book, I found him to be making many very valid points and convincing me that we have moved to the Conceptual Age.
I look first at a few examples from my personal life. My family lives far away; therefore, I find myself flying home often to see them. As I consider the airline and traveling plans, I have to admit that I am one of those patrons that will only choose to fly Southwest. It is Pink's sense of play that Southwest takes as their priority. I can recall many times having flights delayed or problems arise with flights, but I don't find myself irritated because they keep me comfortable and happy. They tell bad jokes, but regardless they keep you happy. My last flight I recall we were trapped on the runway and I remember the flight attendant taking the situation and finding humor in it.... and people stayed content. No matter how many flights I take with them, they still seem to make me laugh as they go over the safety instructions. They always throw some bit of humor in -- probably to see if you are really listening. Regardless of the reason, they are the only airline that gets my money now.
Another example comes from hobbies of my mom as well as my own. My mom has always enjoyed tracing family history, but now with the Conceptual Age, she can do her traces on the computer to carry on the "story" of our relatives. Recently she even purchased a new program that allows her to not only type in the facts, but upload pictures, documents, etc to further link the family history for future generations - it is virtually a scrapbook -- which is my hobby. I spend countless hours on designing different ways to present events and people in my life. I journal the highlights of the day next to the pictures, I keep little souvenirs from the days to add to the pages, and try to really capture the emotions through the pictures. Our society has really become enthralled with this hobby as more and more stores carry supplies and things to make it easier for people with busy lives to still be able to do so.
I had originally planned on using the examples from my professional role; however, Tina seems to have hit all my points on the EOG and how they do have their R-directed thinking aspects.
Instead of restating her points or trying to defend the EOGs, I am instead going to share some examples of how Pink's senses were demonstrated in my sixth grade classroom. I first think of how my colleague and I created a new approach to teaching novels that allows students to take more of the R-directed thinking to learn the material -- we designed a curriculum, the "Novel Notebook" which takes students away from the factual regurgitation of the novel to the application and allows for the creativity. You don't have to take creativity out of your lessons, but find creative ways to accomplish the curriculum. With our concept (which is really Pink's "design"), students get to use Pink's "symphony" by drawing, his "empathy" by putting themselves in different character's shoes and really reflecting on the events as that character, in his "story" by looking at the different elements of the novel that make it like the hero's journey, and his "play" because the kids get to color, cut, paste, etc like kids and can in some ways forget that they are learning the required information.
I also focus my writing lessons on Pink's "story". Each writing assignment is taught as a reference to the student's life. We then create an autobiography of all their writing and have it professionally bound. Parents have loved this approach to teaching writing for several reasons - they can see their children's writing improve as the year goes on and they can also have a great memento of the child's year in school. The kids love it because they get to design their cover, the pages, and they are writing about one of the easiest topics for them - themselves. No one can tell them the facts or elements of their writing are really wrong because they are the one that lived the event. They know that the focus is merely how they present it. It really helps take some of the anxiety out of writing.
I believe that if you are a teacher you have to have a great deal of R-directed thinking. We are constantly being asked to "recreate" ways to teach so that students benefit most. I think that Pink has really opened my eyes to the way I will view things differently after reading his book.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflections on the plausibility of Pink's perspectives in A Whole New Mind. I agree that it's difficult to disagree with his position. Tomorrow we will have a teacher visit our class who is living Pink's six senses in class with her students. It will be interesting to listen to her and her students talk about the impact of incorporating music as a new literacy in their science class. Does it make learning fun and engaging? Does it have positive effects on achievement? What exactly are the added benefits for this strategy? We'll find out tomorrow.
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