It's Just Fiction

Rain clouds again today. It's been weeks of dark and gloom. To add to this, a burglary in the middle of the night, with the iron grill that protects our first floor balcony hacked and forced open, our space trespassed, and my Sony handycam stolen. But grateful that we were not harmed, and that my desktop computer that I use for work was not taken!

We are shaken at the thought of these thieves who walked into our home in the middle of the night. It gives us a sense of how vulnerable we are, and how fragile our doors and grills to such a violation. Apart from the physical breach of our home space, there is the transgression into our mind space, into our peace, and into our sense of being safe.

Now, we keep the lights in the balcony on all night. Now, I wake up with a dread, and walk around in the middle of the night, checking that the doors are still bolted tight. There is a guilty sense of the fear and dread that millions of people living in war zones must live with for years, and possibly die with. More than that, a realization that the sense of safety we had been living with was largely just fiction concocted in our minds - that no one can breach those grills.

Speaking of fiction, I recently met my cousin whose happy six year old is learning about the difference between fiction and non-fiction in grade 1. It surprised me. Has this distinction become so critical that it must be taught to children in grade 1? Must our six year olds  learn to coldly classify and label Santa Claus, fairies,elves and brownies, genies and magic carpets, and wands and wizards as not-real, and just fiction? And then, the thought crossed my mind - could a child at age six or even perhaps at age ten, or thirteen, or even fifteen possibly grasp this distinction, when in today's world, full grown adults have difficulty identifying fiction from non-fiction? A whole generation of youngsters (my own included) having spent countless hours chasing Pokemon, and hence saved from a life of crime, suddenly being asked to put their minds on Reset:It's Just Fiction. To this point, when I asked the happy six year old whether fairies are fiction or non-fiction - she happily declared:  'Of course fairies are NON-fiction!'

For more on fiction vs non-fiction, do read Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. A gripping story full of insights about the human race that will help you understand why you feel so restless sitting at your desk all day and why you need to be out on the savanna. It tells of our origins and evolution as a species, and how the spread of humanity has left destruction in its wake. No, really, it's true, humans have left a trail of destruction wherever they've gone!

But what led to this limitless spread of our species?  Harari explains that what sets us apart from ants and chimps is our ability to comprehend fiction and stories. It is this ability to narrate and share real and not so real stories, and create shared meaning, that has played a dominant role in unifying humans. It is our ability to suspend disbelief and embrace fiction that helped build cohesive societies capable of fighting predators and enemies, colonizing the world, obliterating all that stands in our way.

Legends, myths, gods, and religions appeared for the first time with the Cognitive Revolution. Many animals and human species could previously say ‘Careful! A lion! Thanks to the Cognitive Revolution, Homo sapiens acquired the ability to say. ‘The lion is the guardian spirit of our tribe.’ This ability to speak about fictions is the most unique feature of Sapiens language…You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven.

Hear him speak here. Read what he says about humans being a 'post-truth species'.

A sinking sense of how much our lives are ruled by fiction. As more and more incidents of senseless lynchings are reported in India, as mobs run amok fueled by fiction (a.k.a.fake news). As wars and bombings for a variety of 'causes' continue all over the world around us. A realization that the very fiction that once bonded humans and made them strong - is now being used to tear us apart and destroy us.

But not all fiction is destructive. Sometimes fiction can be revealing of truth, a metaphor, an analogy, perhaps an easier way of facing and coming to terms with truth. The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. I could not put this down. Listen to it here. A beautiful, magical, (fictional) tale of coming to terms with our true selves. Though it may fall into the category of children's literature, to my mind, the telling of the story was hypnotic, and enchanting, as it drew me into its world of dragons, and the hard work of wizardry and learning about our own true nature.Even if it's just fiction.

Denying the Demons Within

We are in pain again. The light and life of a little girl, Asifa Bano has been snuffed out, just as the light and life of a million other girls like her, and the light and life of India has gone.

The defenders of the crime are in denial. They are not able to accept that these demons are from within. They are not able to face the truth, and prefer the darkness to the light, the lie is better than the heinous truth, that these demons have come from among them, and still lurk within them.

The terror she felt, and the pain and anguish are reverberating, with a loud clanging that won't stop.

Are these not the ways of terrorists, are these schemes any different from those of ISIS? They use terror as a means to achieve their agendas. Such people have no creed, no faith, no country, no gods. They look like humans, but they have no humanity. They work in gangs, and gangs have no conscience, just agendas that drive them.

They have harmed us all, and no longer is this land a place where the mind is without fear, and the head is held high.

But there are still a few good people, and I do not give up hope.

The demons must be vanquished and we must all do our bit and fight the battle, every day, wherever we are, in whatever way we can. But for that, we must look within, and shine the light on them. Don't let these demons win. Remember, silence is complicity.

"We live in a time when it is hard to see clearly. We are surrounded by more fiction than at any other time in history or prehistory. (Although paradoxically we are watched continually; it is said that on a normal outing when I travel from my home to central London I will be filmed at least 300 times on CCTV.) Any ‘fact’ can be challenged, any anecdote can have claim on our attention as ‘truth’. One fiction in particular surrounds us continually. The one that seeks to divide us. From the truth. And from one another. That we are separate. People from people. Women from men. Human beings from nature." Simon McBurney,

A Billion Dreams: Helping Learners Excel

I recently watched the movie Sachin: A Billion Dreams and it was inspirational. 

At the heart of it, the story of one young man's intense striving and effort to achieve excellence,  in his own words. The humility with which he acknowledges the support of his family and coach, the recognition that it was a constant battle against complacence, and the great respect for the coach who deliberately refused to applaud him, to make him stretch, and keep stretching the boundaries of what he could achieve. And also the immense desire to make his country proud, and win for his country. A warming and energising story. 

It brought to mind one of the most important fundamental principles of learning design -- the experience must be designed with a recognition and understanding of the knowledge, experience and assumptions that learners bring with them, and that there are distinct differences in the way experts and novices perceive their world. Read this article How Experts Differ From Novices for more insight. 

In one scene of the movie, we see Sachin batting with his eyes closed, to improve his accuracy and timing. Incredible brain training, to develop the sense of where and when to strike, an instinctive feel for the motion of the ball. 

'...experts have acquired extensive knowledge that affects what they notice and how they organize, represent, and interpret information in their environment. This, in turn, affects their abilities to remember, reason, and solve problems.'

It's about developing fluency. Here is another really insightful discussion of the differences between Experts and Novices. 

There are many lessons in this for learning designers -- the need to first and foremost, offer learners an insight into what it takes to become an expert, and the milestones they must pass in that journey from Novice to Expert. Many of our learners are thrust into the journey without that critical road map. 

If you are engaged in teaching young learners or any learners really, even adult learners, then, this holds many insights about the need to develop strong conceptual foundations and identify gaps and misconceptions early in the learning experience. In an educational system that rewards marks, and misses out on identifying and plugging fundamental conceptual gaps, this is dangerous,...

'...because it’s the bits they may be getting wrong that cumulatively have a considerable impact on future learning (the 10-20%). Taking even the smallest misconception forward could make future learning less clear and more difficult.'

For more insight, read How Experts Differ From Novices and Current Theories on Expert and Novice Thinking

Life Doesn't Frighten Me

It's Holi today. As the children and their parents gather in the lane and play with colours, I relish the spring morning at home, with plenty to read...Brainpickings is one of my favourite sites...thanks Maria Popova for exploring and sharing with us and walking us through the infinite cosmos of books.

Today is all about children's books. I am longing to get my hands on these treasures...when will they come to Mumbai?

She shares snippets from Maya Angelou's Life Doesn't Frighten Me and you can even hear Maya Angelou reading out the verses on Soundcloud.

In another post, she writes about Toni and Slade Morrison's collaboration in The Big Box. Which parent won't identify with Morrison when she says this:

The plight (and resistance) of children living in a wholly commercialized environment that equates “entertainment” with happiness, products with status, “things” with love, and that is terrified of the free (meaning un-commodified, unpurchaseable) imagination of the young. (Although children participate enthusiastically in the “love me so buy me” pattern, I think they are taught to think that way and that on some deep level they know what is being substituted.)

Would love to get my hands on Conversations with Toni Morrison.

More enchanting art and children's books - she introduces A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School, and I absolutely loved the visualisation of the ants demolishing breakfast. This children's tale will be much relished by many a grown up simply for it touches a cord within all of us - thank you Davide Cali and French illustrator Benjamin Chaud! And here's a little more about how his illustrations take shape!

Once you're done with this, do explore the transformation of the grumpy teacher in Peter Brown's My Teacher Is a Monster (No I am Not) as it weaves a tale with an age old message - that sometimes we may not see a person for who they really are until we get the opportunity to look deeper. 

And then, the story of how great art evolves from a thought to the final finished work here as Klass Verplanckes shares his secrets and how Applesauce was born.

Source: http://blog.picturebookmakers.com/post/109965770341/klaas-verplancke

No Honking!

Today's post is about honking. For those who live in Mumbai, honking is a disease we must live with. We grit our teeth and bear it. Many however feel, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! So, in Mumbai, at all hours, morning, noon and night people in the driver's seat of vehicles with roaring engines honk at other people.

Even at dawn, when the rooster should be crowing, and the air should be filled with birdsong, you will hear the honking of cars, motorbikes, scooters, and all other breeds of vehicles. Just like the Internet creates the illusion of anonymity, getting into a car or on a bike creates in their minds an illusion, that they're invincible and no one can see how nasty they're being, honking at the old lady hobbling to cross the street.

It's actually an outlet for many a troubled soul. They use this to channelize their rage. So, they honk at everyone and everything, and spread more rage. That's how the disease spreads. Instead of using brakes and slowing down, they step on the accelerator, and honk out all obstacles, be it man, woman, child, cow or crow.

Speaking of crows, is there anything more relaxing than the cawing of crows on a hot afternoon? And to go with it - a cup of coffee to block out the Honking Hobos. Here's what I've been getting my teeth into lately as summer days come upon us:

For those interested in history, dip a toe into the Big History Project.

Some good food for thought at The Blog of Bill Gates An interesting analogy on how using the wrong data points can lead to incorrect decisions on How Dinosaurs Could Help Us Fight Malnutrition. 

You can also get a free download of a chapter from his favourite business book and read his full review. He hits the nail on the head:

"Brooks’s work is a great reminder that the rules for running a strong business and creating value haven’t changed. For one thing, there’s an essential human factor in every business endeavor. It doesn’t matter if you have a perfect product, production plan, and marketing pitch; you’ll still need the right people to lead and implement those plans...." Bill Gates

Then, you could also listen to this reading of Blueberry Girl.

Catching up

These days, there is little time to pause and think. The days and nights seem to meld as I check off as Done-Done-Done the ceaseless endless list of tasks to be accomplished.

A day off in the midst of all this was all I needed. To pause and feel the sand under my feet. To feel tired, and sad and joyful again. To stop feeling impatient, and just allow time to dawdle along, with nowhere to go and nothing to achieve. Just to be.

Eckhart Tolle's Stillness Speaks helped me remember to breathe in and enjoy the moment.

I'm also reading The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra, in which he draws a parallel between the principles of quantum physics and the mysticism of many religions, and the concept of we are all one.

So much is happening in the world as I live in this cocoon with my books and the never ending deadlines. These are times of war and extremism. Millions of people are displaced. Millions hungry. Millions cold.

In India, change is slow to come in many ways. Watch this DW documentary on Sexual Violence.
Who is accountable? Who should be punished? Who pays?
Hats off to the people who fight for light and right.

There is an immense restlessness and the need to do more and give more. The question, framed by Parker J. Palmer is this:

"What do I want to let go of and what do I want to give myself to?”

I love this poem:

QuestionsBefore Dark
by Jeanne Lohmann

Day ends, and before sleep
when the sky dies down, consider
your altered state: has this day
changed you? Are the corners
sharper or rounded off? Did you
live with death? Make decisions
that quieted? Find one clear word
that fit? At the sun's midpoint
did you notice a pitch of absence,
bewilderment that invites
the possible? What did you learn
from things you dropped and picked up
and dropped again? Did you set a straw
parallel to the river, let the flow
carry you downstream?

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom. 

Maya Angelou