This is a partial and edited transcription of a Skype video conference I did with a rural school district. By using Skype, the staff was able to see and hear me, and I them. It was almost like being there and is becoming an great asset in terms of professional development.
Also, think of the great possibilities of your school or class with others around the world! Businesses are also tapping into this powerful resource, as shown by Daniel Pink's upcoming video-visit to Des Moines to talk about his new book, Drive.
Our conversation was centered around the thinking tool of Sensory Image. Let's pick it up near the beginning of the conversation:
"So when I think of how the brain uses images or their senses to construct meaning, what comes to mind is a camera. When we look at a camera, just an image of a photograph, it’s so one-dimensional. It doesn’t get us very deep past the surface; we see something and we can describe it, but it doesn’t get us very deep. What the camera in our brain allows us to do is take the focus lens and go deep, but also every time we are looking through a different lens at an imagine or an idea, what happens is it tags that in our memory differently.
Let's think of the click of a camera as each one of your senses. If kids look at a photograph of a car, they only are able to get into that idea with one sense. They can see it. But in my mind… if I can get a picture or an image of a car in my mind, here’s what the mental 'camera' does: I can see it, click, click; oh, now I can see it and hear it. Now my brain's 'camera' has helped me zoom in a little bit deeper, notice that?
I can see it and hear it and, with my brain continuing on, now I can smell the exhaust coming from the car. Now I can see it, hear it, feel it, smell it, I can almost sometimes taste it. You know what I’m saying?
So every time you "click the lens" of the image in your brain you are solidifying that image or idea so deeply and literally, in terms of brain research, the more lenses that you look through, the deeper it’s embedded in your memory.
Each one of those clicks or each one of those senses is a memory tag holding that image in your brain or holds that idea in your brain. And the two most powerful lenses are smell and emotion, believe it or not. Smell and emotion. Smell will get you back to an idea or a concept immediately and it’s even – if you look at the neurology behind that, the neurons that go from your nose, it literally goes straight to your brain. That’s why a smell can get you back to a moment absolutely quick and we know the power of emotion.
The power in knowing the function of how your brain uses images, not only to understand an idea, but to remember it and to access it, is incredibly important that when kids see they’re not just thinking of a flower in their mind, but if they really work at being a good photographer in their mind, the idea of sensory image is like this million dollar camera that you have in your brain.
The tool is the tool; a hammer has the exact same function for a three-year old as it does for somebody building a million dollar skyscraper. These are non-negotiable. What I’m sharing with you is a way to describe in a consistent language what a hammer does, or what saw does.
Now the nuances of using it are contextual. You’ve got the basics; these seven are the basics. The key is watching a skyscraper maker use the hammer and then going and watching somebody building a birdhouse use the hammer. The application of the strategy comes after understanding what is a hammer, that thing is called a hammer, so when I see it I recognize it and then why do I use it, when does I use and how does it work. That’s all we’re doing right now; we’re not getting into the depths of what it looks like in a book or what they do. We’re just simply describing the toolbox.
We’re just building sort of a protocol, if you will, for all of the strategies. The lessons and the conversations that you’ve already had with students have absolutely been valuable in their learning. They brought in awareness that describing images and getting yourself into an experience through your senses is powerful."
This was just part of our conversation. We had some great questions, discussions, and even some grappling as to what has already been taught in their classrooms and where or how this type of lesson was to be implemented. Great conversations!
Our goal is putting students in a position to being a fully in control, mindful, strategic learner. Being able to, at any point in time, when they’re in trouble or when they get off track or when they need to really be sophisticated in their competencies, grab their learning toolbox and say, “I need this and I’m going to use this and I’m going to use this.”
My own goal in this type of conversation, is making sure teachers leave with having such an anchor lesson solid or at least get a sense of how they might get started with this kind of "toolbox" learning so kids can make meaning
Because that’s really what learning is about. It’s our ability to get to meaning. I don’t care if it’s math or science, you want to get to the point where you go, “I get this. I so get this.”
There was so much more to this call besides the conversation above, and in addition to the questions and answer period. We were able to model an actual lesson, discuss and develop additional ways to implement some of the strategy spread throughout the school day, and plan for our next call.
I have a feeling that, in 2010, I'll be doing a lot more of these types of professional development calls using Skype or Elluminate. I'd love to hear from others doing so, or even have a discussion with your team on how we can put such a call to work in your schools.
