Imaginative Education

Vygotskys Theories Several of Vygotskys theories are the cornerstone of imaginative education. Several of Vygotskys theories are the cornerstone of imaginative education. Sociocultural theory of development Sociocultural theory of development Mediation and the Zone of Proximal Development Mediation and the Zone of Proximal Development Concept Development Concept Development Cultural/Cognitive tools to aid thinking Cultural/Cognitive tools to aid thinking

Dr. Kieran Egan Theories One key to educational success is to engage students imaginations in the knowledge being taught. One key to educational success is to engage students imaginations in the knowledge being taught. Considering the Vygotskian notion ofcognitive tools, our ancestors invented and developed all kinds of devices to making sense of the world and acting more effectively within it have become part of our cultural inheritance. Considering the Vygotskian notion ofcognitive tools, our ancestors invented and developed all kinds of devices to making sense of the world and acting more effectively within it have become part of our cultural inheritance.

Egans Theories on Cognitive Tools Oral language is one of our great toolkits in our cultural storehouse; it is a cultural toolkit. Oral language is one of our great toolkits in our cultural storehouse; it is a cultural toolkit. When we use words and concepts we have incorporated these tools into our thinking, they become a part of us, our cognitive tools. When we use words and concepts we have incorporated these tools into our thinking, they become a part of us, our cognitive tools.

Egans Theories on Cognitive Tools Similarly some people in the past invented and developed a writing system. Similarly some people in the past invented and developed a writing system. Writing language, along with all of the complex conventions involved in the composition of texts and documents, constitute another of our great cultural toolkits. Writing language, along with all of the complex conventions involved in the composition of texts and documents, constitute another of our great cultural toolkits. A third of our great inventions is theoretical thinking, which allows us to explore abstract ideas in our minds. A third of our great inventions is theoretical thinking, which allows us to explore abstract ideas in our minds.

Egans Theories Contd Each of these toolkits are composed of sets of useful cognitive tools. Each of these toolkits are composed of sets of useful cognitive tools. Our imagination might be thought of as the feature that allows us to reach out within our minds and pick up new cultural tools to learn with. Our imagination might be thought of as the feature that allows us to reach out within our minds and pick up new cultural tools to learn with. Egan suggests that to help students become more engaged that we should focus on developing their toolkits of oral language, literacy, and theoretical thinking. Egan suggests that to help students become more engaged that we should focus on developing their toolkits of oral language, literacy, and theoretical thinking.

Cognitive Tools Kieran Egan has identified various levels of understanding. Three of these (stages associated with K – 12 learning) include: Kieran Egan has identified various levels of understanding. Three of these (stages associated with K – 12 learning) include: Mythic: Oral Language Mythic: Oral Language Romantic: Literacy Romantic: Literacy Philosophic: Theoretical Thinking Philosophic: Theoretical Thinking

Mythic Understanding Here are some of the cognitive tools associated with oral language. Here are some of the cognitive tools associated with oral language.

Cognitive Tool: Story Shape our emotional understanding of content Engage emotions and imagination into the material of the curriculum Real-world content (promises the most value for teaching) Meaning in stories is emotional Power of story is twofold: -communicate information that is memorable -orient listeners feelings

Cognitive Tool: Metaphor To see one thing in terms of another (words, image, action, sound) A way to give richer or stronger meaning Creating a metaphor or understanding a metaphor stimulates imagination and creativity - Magical Image forming: helps with fluency and comprehension with reading, writing, listening and speaking

Cognitive Tool: Abstract Binary Opposites A simple way of creating meaning, emotionally powerful, abstract. Simplistic and not representative of the complexity of the world Help children to organize topics simplistically, before discriminating further -hot/cold initially -warm and cool later -small/big - tiny and enormous Guides us or our students understanding when topics are introduced, which we can elaborate from and go beyond

Cognitive Tool: Rhyme, rhythm, and pattern Effective tool Aids memorization in oral cultures Small scale: Use of sound (voice, drum, instrument, clapping, tapping) Large scale: Emotional patterns (despair and hope, oppression and revolt, youth and age)

Cognitive Tool: Jokes and humor More powerful if used orally, rather than in writing Rely on metaphor, Fluid and complex Mini story within the joke, Moral lessons Development of language Language can be manipulated Looking at one thing in one context or category (a jar) and seeing it in another context (narrow opening)

Cognitive Tool: Images Words can generate images in the mind Oral cultures: Myths are full of vivid or exotic images of places and beings (memory aid) A powerfully spoken description of a place or a person, although fictitious, can be very vivid in the listeners mind Images can evoke feelings and thought Need to be evoked as part of learning

Cognitive Tool: Games, drama and play Play is vital, develops symbolic functions Fantasy games: taking roles, spinning imaginary worlds Making contractual arrangements about rules Enables reflection upon the world, but freed from everyday purpose Dramatic play develops self-control Dramatic play enables children to take on different perspectives

Cognitive Tool: The recognition of mystery Creates excitement Whatever we learn about is a tiny fragment of what is to be known More intellectual riches and experiences are awaiting A sense that there is more to see, hear and experience Through exploration, we can learn more Go from the familiar to some question or concept beyond what is being learned

Romantic Understanding Here are some of the cognitive tools associated with literacy. Here are some of the cognitive tools associated with literacy.

Cognitive Tool: The Sense of Reality Development of disembedded, rational. Logically structured forms of thinking eased by literacy. Historical source of understanding of the processes by which nature work. Seeing the natural world as a complex system of which we are a part.

Cognitive Tool: Extremes and Limits Features of reality that powerfully engage students imaginations Reality tends to be romantic Focus on the extremes, on the most exotic and bizarre features of reality, on the most terrible and courageous events. Sensational (Guinness Book of Records)

Cognitive Tool: Associating with heroes Enables us to overcome some of the threat of alienation involved with the new sense of reality. Associating with those things or people that have heroic qualities to gain confidence to face the real world. Gives us the ability to imbue any aspect of reality with heightened importance.

Cognitive Tool: The sense of wonder Key toll in our initial explorations of reality. Enables us to focus on any aspect of the world around us, within us and see its particular uniqueness. Recognizing the wonderful in every feature of the world. Allows us to recognize something wonderful behind even the most routine and taken-for- granted things. I wonder why?

Cognitive Tool: Humanizing of meaning Enables us to see beyond the surface of any knowledge to its source in human emotion. All knowledge is human knowledge, discovered or invented as a result of some human emotion. Allows us to see knowledge through the emotions that were involved with its past creation or current use, and so grasp its deeper human meaning

Cognitive Tool: Narrative understanding Related to our ability to best make sense of things when we can grasp their emotional meaning. A narrative context for knowledge can establish its emotional importance while also conveying the knowledge about physics or mathematics no less than about history or literature.

Cognitive Tool: Revolt and idealism Related tools during this period of life. Students both resist the adult world while they shift to find a place within it, and they desire to see it better than it is. Revolt implies an ideal, whose absence justifies the revolt.

Cognitive Tool: Changing the context Enables the imagination to grasp the richer meaning of any topic. Shifting the context in which knowledge is learned –by use of often simple devices–students imaginations can be brought vividly to like, engaging the material much more richly.

Cognitive Tool: The literate eye Develops as students become familiar with texts and such symbolic forms as the list, flowchart, diagram, etc. Shift to literacy reflects also a shift from a dominance of the ear to the eye in gathering information. Shows students how literacy can expand our powers to organize and use knowledge.

Cognitive Tool: Embryonic tools of theoretical thinking Will be picked up while students mainly use the tools of literacy and increasingly the new tools will be engaged as students become more familiar with using abstractions and theoretic forms of thought. Provide opportunities for students to begin using some of the later toolkit even if in embryonic form. In Vygotskys terms, this might be seen as drawing the students forward I their zone of proximal development

Exploring Metaphor and Image Mapping of the Mind We can find ways to represent thought and map our minds using non-linear ways to express our thinking. Using metaphor can be a powerful means to explore our thinking.

Visual Metaphors: Help us develop theories of the mind and project patterns. We can explore the fundamental way in which we conceive of the world. Help us develop theories of the mind and project patterns. We can explore the fundamental way in which we conceive of the world. Expert problem-solvers are hyper-conscious of their own thinking Expert problem-solvers are hyper-conscious of their own thinking Some people look for metaphors or imagery. Our metaphors arent just describing our experiences, they are shaping our experiences. Some people look for metaphors or imagery. Our metaphors arent just describing our experiences, they are shaping our experiences.

Four Types of Metaphors Thinking as moving Thinking as moving Thinking as perceiving Thinking as perceiving Thinking as object manipulation Thinking as object manipulation Thinking as eating Thinking as eating

Thinking as a journey I want to get through this mountain of French terms. I want to get through this mountain of French terms. I will conquer these polynomials. I will conquer these polynomials. Learning the periodic table is a grind. Learning the periodic table is a grind.

Thinking as Moving Studying for that test felt like a marathon. Studying for that test felt like a marathon. I need to pace myself through my homework tonight. I need to pace myself through my homework tonight. I didnt have the stamina to work through those physics problems. I didnt have the stamina to work through those physics problems.

Thinking As Moving I am going to immerse myself in this Smalygax work. I am going to immerse myself in this Smalygax work. I want to dive right into Mechanics this year. I want to dive right into Mechanics this year. I dont know if I will sink or swim in Science class. I dont know if I will sink or swim in Science class.

Thinking As Eating (eat, sit, digest, eliminate) Let me chew on that for a while. Let me chew on that for a while. I need to digest these new ideas. I need to digest these new ideas. I just cant swallow what you are telling me. I just cant swallow what you are telling me. I am hungry for information. I am hungry for information.

Thinking like a road map (synapses) I need to see where we are going with this. I need to see where we are going with this. I want to understand the big picture. I want to understand the big picture. I am lost again! How did I get that answer before? I am lost again! How did I get that answer before?

Thinking As Object Manipulation I store facts like a filing cabinet and can always pull out what I need for the exam. I store facts like a filing cabinet and can always pull out what I need for the exam. I just remember what I have to for the exam and then who cares about that information. I just remember what I have to for the exam and then who cares about that information. Hopefully this one isnt you after our workshop. Hopefully this one isnt you after our workshop.

TRY IT YOURSELF To think about your own thinking, as it turns out is like negotiating traffic. You try to remember how you got to places youve been before. To think about your own thinking, as it turns out is like negotiating traffic. You try to remember how you got to places youve been before. The metaphors help us to construct a picture of how we think. We can shift our problem solving through metaphor. The metaphors help us to construct a picture of how we think. We can shift our problem solving through metaphor.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME Any questions / comments? Any questions / comments? Planning frameworks and sample units available at Planning frameworks and sample units available at Lauri Burgess ~ Lauri Burgess ~ Raegan Sawka ~ Raegan Sawka ~