Connections make my brain go round.

I like lists.  They help me grasp and remember the most important concepts and then I can keep the nuances and details swirling around in my head.  Then I mash the list and the ideas in my head together as I craft an answer to an essay question, create a presentation, or go grocery shopping for a special dinner.  To me, this is an example of how the brain works.  Or at least how my brain works.  As Reardon pointed out, “each brain is unique.”  According to Reardon, “every brain simultaneously perceives and creates parts and wholes.”  To me this is similar to Zull’s recommendation in The Art of Changing the Brain, that teachers “arrange for firing together…associated things should happen together.”  When I look at the two lists supplied by Reardon and Zull side-by-side, I can see connection everywhere!

Reardon: How the brain works…	Zull: What teachers can do…	My connections
The brain is a parallel processor	Repeat, repeat, repeat	Same info presented in different ways will access different parts of the brain so the parallel consciousnesses can each be accessed.
Learning engages the entire physiology	Misconnected networks are most often just incomplete; try to add to them	Use different parts of the body/mind/spirit to connect to the whole physiology for deeper experiences.
The search for meaning is innate and occurs thru patterning	Try to understand existing networks, build on them; nothing is new	As we connect new patterns to old patterns we create a third pattern with deep roots in something we already retain as knowledge.
Every brain simultaneously perceives and creates parts and wholes	Arrange for firing together; associated things should happen together	I would caveat that don’t always be so sure to exclude something from a group. Look for connections in what previously seemed unconnected.  This is where new ideas come from.
Emotions are critical to patterning	Be careful about resurrecting old networks; error dies hard	Emotional patterns may be the most difficult to break; once overcome, be prepared to address them again if there is a relapse.
Learning involves both focused attention and peripheral perception	Focus on sensory input that is errorless	Don’t distract from the main point with an unrelated tangent; Enhance the main point with a meaningful story providing memorable examples.
The brain remembers best when facts and skills are embedded in contextual memory	Construct metaphors, analogies, similes	Like searching for meaning, roots in something familiar aid in memory and understanding.
Learning is enhanced by challenge, inhibited by threat	Don’t stress mistakes; don’t reinforce neuronal networks that aren’t useful	Stressing mistakes can be very threatening.  Small wins can be very powerful.
Each Brain is unique	Watch for inherent networks (natural talents) and encourage the practice	Build on your strengths to succeed.

I have also made some graphic pictograms for recalling Zull's suggestions for teaching.  I think they are fun devices for understanding how the brain works.  I hope you enjoy them!

 

EI phone home!

What was my biggest a-ha from this weeks reading?

Ever since Emotional Intelligence hit the business world in the 90's, it's been confusing to me. I come from a very smart family.  And that doesn't mean grades.  It's the kind of smarts that other people, go "wow, she's so smart," just from having an everyday conversation.  Learning about EI when the theories were becoming more mainstream was humbling for me.  I was never sure what it meant.  This week's reading, however, helped really define EI for me, so it's a lot less scary.  I have worked really hard to be self-aware.  I have plenty of self-motivation and good social skills.  I now know which areas of EI that I could work on to improve.

How does this apply to my own learning or practice?

Since school learning came easy to me in most cases, EI was not something I paid attention to while in school.   I think as a learner, it's important to be good at self-regulation because you can be motivated, but without some personal discipline, it's like having a spark but never letting it catch into a flame.  Through empathy with others, you may open yourself up to more opportunities to learn.  By listening well in class to classmates, without thinking about what you want to say, you might learn something new in a different way.  This is all true in the workplace, too.

What is your opinion of the importance and/or possibility of teaching emotional intelligence?

I think it's like teaching someone strategies for how to learn.  When teaching ESL in Japan, there were many classes for teaching students how to take the TOEFL test, or other English Language standardized tests which allowed students to study abroad.  These classes were taught in Japanese because they were more about strategy then actually the English lessons.  I thought this was brilliant.  It didn't take away from a students ability or desire to learn English, it added to it by giving them skills to use their knowledge efficiently in this particular situation.  I think this is what could be done with EI.  Since there is no way to effectively measure EI, then it is unfair to judge one person as having a higher EI then another, but we do all have some sense of the different components.  Having someone address the five components in a classroom situation and teaching effective strategies for each would be very helpful.    

What are the possible outcomes of doing so?

One particular outcome that I think would be very helpful is for team building.  An entire team could take a course in EI as a way to build a common language and framework for communication. I believe the team could learn to work better together for more innovation.  When conflict arose, which is inevitable in an innovation process, the team could refer back to the concepts behind the skills as a guide.  In the example we read, it was all about teaching managers how to manage employees or customers.  What if one person was not the only one responsible for this code of conduct?  Wouldn't the work place be better over all for everyone?  I would certainly feel more motivated and valued, being treated in such a way that I could be expected manage myself. Reminds me of the principles and theories discussed in Wlodkowski and Knowles.