We are inconsolable at the recent loss of a very dear friend. We are devastated that this lovely, kind, crazily funny saxophone player, the rock of his family, devoted father to his son, friend to all, in a moment of darkness, chose to end it all. Dear Simon, thank you for the always ready, helping hand, the many, many hot cups of tea, the laughter and the fun we shared. We would have loved to see you without your teeth on your ninetieth birthday. You left us too soon dear friend.
And so today, I will write about the need to teach Mindfulness. A while back, I read about Mindfulness in Thich Naht Hanh’s book - Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World.
You can also listen to Daniel J. Siegel’s insightful explanation of the concept of Mindsight and the need to teach Mindfulness. These ideas are being implemented in many schools in the US.
Mindsight is the ability to step out of and see your mind, to be an aware observer. It is the ability to pause and observe your thoughts and emotions. "Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to the present moment."
Mindfulness techniques have been used in schools to decrease bullying, increase empathy, and to teach children to pause before acting.
Going further, he speaks about the correlation between Mindsight and mental health and the role of relationships and experiences in changing synaptic connections in the brain.
Read also about the Mindfulness in Education Network – working to cultivate compassion and empathy in school settings. They see mindfulness as an “antidote to the growing stress, conflict and confusion in educational settings”.
Today, we need to be strong in body, mind and spirit. And we need to teach our children to be strong, and resilient so that they can bounce back and pick themselves up and carry on in the face of hardship.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Saturday, 17 July 2010
The Selfish Gene
We are back in the chaos of Mumbai again and it feels as though we were never away. Construction work is going on everywhere, and traffic jams at every point give me lots of time for meditation. Tall buildings have sprung up in many places and it's hard to believe how quickly change has happened. Property prices have soared so much that I cannot see how future generations of young people will ever be able to buy their own homes. Large popoulations live in faraway suburbs and commute 3-4 hours daily. And another section of people are paying hundreds of millions for small one bedroom homes. The city is is held together and functions because of drivers, policemen, security guards, cooks, maids, taxiwallas, and rickshawallas and the indispensible dabbawallas. The exploitation of one class by another continues. As it has since the times of early Man.
There is still too much poverty. It is hard to stand by and watch. So people have developed an indifference to the scenes that greet them everyday, at railway stations, along railway tracks, near shanty towns that they must pass to get to work. Yet there is an amazing spirit and good naturedness about the working people of Mumbai, who are resigned to the steady degradation of their environment and the daily struggle.
Richard Dawkins' book The Selfish Gene, first published in 1976 makes for good reading even today and provides an insight into the genetic basis of human psychology and social interaction. He explains the genetic roots of selfishness and altruism, of racism and patriotism. He describes Man as "the survival machine", the vehicle used by genes for their own continuity. "A body really is a machine blindly programmed by its selfish genes" (p. 146).
He talks about "evolutionarily stable strategies", designed and programmed into Man for the perpetuation of the species. While genetics to some extent, explains the fundamental differences in outlook and worldviews of men and women, he also recognises the role of culture in shaping behaviour. He goes on to explain the genetic roots of Kamikaze behaviour, cooperation and self-sacrifice, and parasitic organisms. But at the end of it all, there is the recognition that Man is perhaps the only machine that can override genetically programmed instructions.
"One unique feature of man....is his capacity for conscious foresight. Selfish genes...have no foresight. They are unconscious, blind, replicators."
BUT,
"We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines, but we have the power to turn agains our creators. We, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators."
Much needed insights for survival in Mumbai.
There is still too much poverty. It is hard to stand by and watch. So people have developed an indifference to the scenes that greet them everyday, at railway stations, along railway tracks, near shanty towns that they must pass to get to work. Yet there is an amazing spirit and good naturedness about the working people of Mumbai, who are resigned to the steady degradation of their environment and the daily struggle.
Richard Dawkins' book The Selfish Gene, first published in 1976 makes for good reading even today and provides an insight into the genetic basis of human psychology and social interaction. He explains the genetic roots of selfishness and altruism, of racism and patriotism. He describes Man as "the survival machine", the vehicle used by genes for their own continuity. "A body really is a machine blindly programmed by its selfish genes" (p. 146).
He talks about "evolutionarily stable strategies", designed and programmed into Man for the perpetuation of the species. While genetics to some extent, explains the fundamental differences in outlook and worldviews of men and women, he also recognises the role of culture in shaping behaviour. He goes on to explain the genetic roots of Kamikaze behaviour, cooperation and self-sacrifice, and parasitic organisms. But at the end of it all, there is the recognition that Man is perhaps the only machine that can override genetically programmed instructions.
"One unique feature of man....is his capacity for conscious foresight. Selfish genes...have no foresight. They are unconscious, blind, replicators."
BUT,
"We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines, but we have the power to turn agains our creators. We, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators."
Much needed insights for survival in Mumbai.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
The Musaafir Must Move On
The view from Porth Clais Campsite, St. David's, in Pembrokeshire
We are returning to Mumbai to be back with the family. And to an exciting new role working to develop innovative science education resources for schools in India. An opportunity to repay the debt I owe the wonderful teachers and all the people who have played their part in my education there.
Some people ask me why I am leaving this beautiful place and do not understand me when I say I am terribly homesick. No, I am not homesick for the traffic, the noise, the pollution. I am homesick for all the wonderful people who shared my journey over there, and it is hard to live in heaven without the people who matter most.
So when I read this brilliant piece by David Brooks in the New York Times, I felt I had to share it on this blog. He discusses the research and study of the relationship between happiness and money:
"If you want to find a good place to live, just ask people if they trust their neighbors. Levels of social trust vary enormously, but countries with high social trust have happier people, better health, more efficient government, more economic growth, and less fear of crime (regardless of whether actual crime rates are increasing or decreasing).....The overall impression from this research is that economic and professional success exists on the surface of life, and that they emerge out of interpersonal relationships, which are much deeper and more important...."
He goes on: "The second impression is that most of us pay attention to the wrong things. Most people vastly overestimate the extent to which more money would improve our lives. Most schools and colleges spend too much time preparing students for careers and not enough preparing them to make social decisions. Most governments release a ton of data on economic trends but not enough on trust and other social conditions. In short, modern societies have developed vast institutions oriented around the things that are easy to count, not around the things that matter most. They have an affinity for material concerns and a primordial fear of moral and social ones."
Does this resonate with you?
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Keep Evolving - your descendents will thank you!
I really liked this line from an advertisement for the Scientific American magazine! To keep evolving, we must constantly respond to change. Which involves both learning and unlearning. For those of you who enjoy living on the cutting edge of change, visit Unlearning 101 for some useful and thought-provoking insights, for example this Powerful Lesson in Unlearning.
Coming back to the Scientific American, I was reading an article, Watching the Brain Learn, by R. Douglas Fields, in which he discusses the research into the changes that occur in the brain as a result of learning a new skill, such as juggling.
You may also enjoy this discussion on the brain and the myth of multi-tasking. Thank you Brain Friendly Trainer.
The journey continued from here to Dr John Medina's site where I found this excellent slideshow, a must for all interested in learning and teaching, as it explains how patterns and emotion influence how we assimilate information and the downsides of divided attention. Two important things I carried in a doggy bag from his blog (there's lot's more, but you'll have to read it yourself!):
1. Words presented in a logically organized, hierarchical structure are much better remembered than words placed randomly
2. Meaning before details - embedding associations between different pieces of information improves retention
Check out the YouTube videos, I especially liked the Death by Powerpoint clip.
Coming back to the Scientific American, I was reading an article, Watching the Brain Learn, by R. Douglas Fields, in which he discusses the research into the changes that occur in the brain as a result of learning a new skill, such as juggling.
You may also enjoy this discussion on the brain and the myth of multi-tasking. Thank you Brain Friendly Trainer.
The journey continued from here to Dr John Medina's site where I found this excellent slideshow, a must for all interested in learning and teaching, as it explains how patterns and emotion influence how we assimilate information and the downsides of divided attention. Two important things I carried in a doggy bag from his blog (there's lot's more, but you'll have to read it yourself!):
1. Words presented in a logically organized, hierarchical structure are much better remembered than words placed randomly
2. Meaning before details - embedding associations between different pieces of information improves retention
Check out the YouTube videos, I especially liked the Death by Powerpoint clip.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Human Touch - A Key Ingredient
Hello there! Good morning and hope you are well and that the sun is shining over you!
It has been a while since I last posted to this blog. The past few weeks have been filled with a whirlwind trip to Mumbai, and then a chilling return to the coldest winter in thirty years in the UK.
Picking up from where I left off in the last post, today, we'll talk about a key element in human interaction that is often missing in human-computer interaction and in digital resources created for e-learning – the friendly touch. What does this really mean, and why is the human touch necessary for positive, gainful, interaction? Some recent research sheds more light on the subject.
“A warm touch seems to set off the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps create a sensation of trust, and to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol”.
Aha. This is something that perhaps we all instinctively know and understand. Yet, isn't it amazing how the human touch is often missing in the way we communicate, and in the way we create learning for the new age.
For those of us whose bread and butter often depends on hours spent on a machine that has become a much revered family member , and who like me, must work in virtual teams and do not often experience the joy of face to face communication with the project team, this becomes a critical factor in how we work together as a team and cooperate and collaborate. Ever thought about how the tone of your email can change with a simple greeting at the start?
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot. About the need to change the way we communicate, both online and offline, in a way that metaphorically at least, communicates the human touch. Very much a design issue don’t you think?
It has been a while since I last posted to this blog. The past few weeks have been filled with a whirlwind trip to Mumbai, and then a chilling return to the coldest winter in thirty years in the UK.
Picking up from where I left off in the last post, today, we'll talk about a key element in human interaction that is often missing in human-computer interaction and in digital resources created for e-learning – the friendly touch. What does this really mean, and why is the human touch necessary for positive, gainful, interaction? Some recent research sheds more light on the subject.
“A warm touch seems to set off the release of oxytocin, a hormone that helps create a sensation of trust, and to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol”.
Aha. This is something that perhaps we all instinctively know and understand. Yet, isn't it amazing how the human touch is often missing in the way we communicate, and in the way we create learning for the new age.
For those of us whose bread and butter often depends on hours spent on a machine that has become a much revered family member , and who like me, must work in virtual teams and do not often experience the joy of face to face communication with the project team, this becomes a critical factor in how we work together as a team and cooperate and collaborate. Ever thought about how the tone of your email can change with a simple greeting at the start?
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot. About the need to change the way we communicate, both online and offline, in a way that metaphorically at least, communicates the human touch. Very much a design issue don’t you think?
Sunday, 13 December 2009
The Social Brain and The Need to Connect
I am a die hard fan of Dr Who, a British science fiction television series, in which the last of the Time Lords, (Dr Who) travels to different worlds in his amazing ship, the Tardis.
It’s a lonely life for the Doctor, whose world and people have long since been destroyed. Of course, it is the Doctor’s lovely lady companion, a woman from Planet Earth, who keeps him centred and helps him in his task of saving the different worlds from annhilation.
Now why am I going on about all of this? In one particular episode, New Earth, Dr Who discovers a hospital in which there are hundreds of pods containing artificially-grown humans, forcibly inflicted with numerous diseases. These human lab rats have never had contact with other humans and have never experienced being touched. Imagine that.
If you’ve not guessed it by now, the topic today is Social Brains.
The Channel 4 documentary, Man on Earth explores how Homo Sapiens survived the last Ice Age, and the events that led to the disappearance of their cousins, the Neanderthals. It is because the Neanderthals lacked our 'social brains', that they were unable to work out simple trades for goods and get help from outsiders, and this is what eventually led to their starvation and dying out in lonely communities.
Ralph Adolphs discusses the role of the social brain, or the “orbitofrontal cortex, which is located at the base of the frontal lobes, right behind the eyes, and the amygdala, a small structure deep within the brain. These two seem to integrate cognition and emotion, linking what we see in the outside world to an emotional response to it.” He describes the case of Phineas Gage and other patients who have suffered damage to the orbitofrontal cortex.
“If you ask these patients what their main difficulty in life is, they’ll tell you it’s social—they can’t understand other people’s emotions…In fact, their impairments in many respects resemble those seen in people with high-functioning autism.”
For more insight into the role and importance of social networks, the need to stay connected, and how even perceived isolation can be damaging, watch this video in which Professor John Cacioppo, co-founder of the study of social neuroscience, outlines the vital importance of altruistic behaviour, social connection, and inclusive communities.
Now what does all this tell us? And what should we now keep in mind when we try to create more effective learning programmes?
It’s a lonely life for the Doctor, whose world and people have long since been destroyed. Of course, it is the Doctor’s lovely lady companion, a woman from Planet Earth, who keeps him centred and helps him in his task of saving the different worlds from annhilation.
Now why am I going on about all of this? In one particular episode, New Earth, Dr Who discovers a hospital in which there are hundreds of pods containing artificially-grown humans, forcibly inflicted with numerous diseases. These human lab rats have never had contact with other humans and have never experienced being touched. Imagine that.
If you’ve not guessed it by now, the topic today is Social Brains.
The Channel 4 documentary, Man on Earth explores how Homo Sapiens survived the last Ice Age, and the events that led to the disappearance of their cousins, the Neanderthals. It is because the Neanderthals lacked our 'social brains', that they were unable to work out simple trades for goods and get help from outsiders, and this is what eventually led to their starvation and dying out in lonely communities.
Ralph Adolphs discusses the role of the social brain, or the “orbitofrontal cortex, which is located at the base of the frontal lobes, right behind the eyes, and the amygdala, a small structure deep within the brain. These two seem to integrate cognition and emotion, linking what we see in the outside world to an emotional response to it.” He describes the case of Phineas Gage and other patients who have suffered damage to the orbitofrontal cortex.
“If you ask these patients what their main difficulty in life is, they’ll tell you it’s social—they can’t understand other people’s emotions…In fact, their impairments in many respects resemble those seen in people with high-functioning autism.”
For more insight into the role and importance of social networks, the need to stay connected, and how even perceived isolation can be damaging, watch this video in which Professor John Cacioppo, co-founder of the study of social neuroscience, outlines the vital importance of altruistic behaviour, social connection, and inclusive communities.
Now what does all this tell us? And what should we now keep in mind when we try to create more effective learning programmes?
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Bits of Psychology - Ego and Learning
Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, shares some of his research and insights in this video 9 Ways to Take Your Site from One to One Million Users.
The first point he makes is about Ego. He hits the nail on the head when he asks us to consider whether what we offer does anything to increase users' self-worth. There is much research to support this. This is good business practice and has much to do with user uptake of any offering. I think we should keep this in mind when we develop learning resources or any programme in which learner participation is crucial. In order to develop engaging and effective learning, we need to connect with learners and cultivate learning dispositions. He examines the Twitter story and why Followers work and how simple rewards and perks can make all the difference. Definitely worth thinking about in this world where the locus of control in education and training is now shifting and learning is a social activity. You can read a little bit more about psychology and understanding the people you design for here, How to Understand Your Users with Personas.
The first point he makes is about Ego. He hits the nail on the head when he asks us to consider whether what we offer does anything to increase users' self-worth. There is much research to support this. This is good business practice and has much to do with user uptake of any offering. I think we should keep this in mind when we develop learning resources or any programme in which learner participation is crucial. In order to develop engaging and effective learning, we need to connect with learners and cultivate learning dispositions. He examines the Twitter story and why Followers work and how simple rewards and perks can make all the difference. Definitely worth thinking about in this world where the locus of control in education and training is now shifting and learning is a social activity. You can read a little bit more about psychology and understanding the people you design for here, How to Understand Your Users with Personas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)