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

The Power of a Good Story

Stories are an age old way of connecting, of sharing, of passing on, and preserving ideas, knowledge, culture and to sow the seeds of a vision. We are all storytellers, some of us more adept than others! So what does it take to tell a good story and how do we develop our ability to spin a yarn?

Some good insights here - take a look at this brilliant example of visual storytelling!

What You See Next

Today, my first break after nearly twelve months of unceasing work, job changes, new friends, new work, deadlines, grief, joy, turbulence and moments of calm. Seems that life can bloom only in the gap between deadlines. And in this gap, my first blog post in months. There’s lots to share.

A while ago, I’d shared a couple of posts about SelectiveAttention and Perceptual Blindness. Deeper perspectives on the art and science of observation can be found in this write up by Maria Popova (an amazing treasure trove of insights!). She introduces us to the book, On Looking: What11 Experts Tell Us About Seeing Our Familiar City Block with New Eyes, byAlexandra Horowitz. 

I haven’t been able to get my hands on this book yet, but Popova is a brilliant curator, holding our hands as she walks us through its pages and illuminating the winding pathways,  and helping us understand the truths and insights revealed. Truly simple truths, and a must for anyone in the creative field, it will open up your mind!

Loved this the most and can’t wait to get to the book.

“The thing you are doing now affects the thing you see next.”

These words are echoing inside me and waves are running up and down my spine. Key word NOW. It holds the key to NEXT. These words have put me into a tizzy, and energised me and given me the secret password to changing my course. Change your now, and change your next.  

More to share.

Stumbled upon two wonderful learning resources and signed up for five MOOCs (yes five, and no one to say when - water for the thirsty!) organized by FutureLearn (thank you for making this so very accessible!).

Also discovered, through FutureLearn, bookboon.com and got my hands on some wonderful reading –yes, free books still give me a thrill!