Teaching Empathy in the Conceptual Age

Audrey Hepburn Explains Empathy “Funny Face” 1957 Retrieved from Youtube

What is empathy? “The ability to imagine yourself in someone else's position and to intuit what that person is feeling." (Pink, 2006,159)

“It is the intrapersonal realization of another’s plight that illuminates the potential consequences of one’s own actions on the lives of others.” (Hollingsworth, 2003)

Empathy involves identifying an emotion in someone else, Simulating their emotional response, Responding to the other’s emotion. Listening, observing, facial expressions, tone, body language Caring, helping, reflection, change Feeling, responding, absorbing

Empathy in Education

2 Questions about Empathy in the Classroom 1.Can empathy be taught? a)Gardener’s “Interpersonal Intelligence” b) “Expressing care for another is not an innate ability present more naturally in some people than others, but rather a skill that can be taught and nurtured through a supportive educational environment.” (McLennan, 2008)

2. Why should empathy be taught? 2 Questions about Empathy in the Classroom 1.Why should empathy be taught? a) Lawyers, Doctors, and GM b) Diversity – Moving beyond tolerance c) Empathy is the basis for living a life of meaning in relationship with others

Theoretical Resonances Lev Vygotsky Zone of Proximal Development More Knowledgeable Other

Standards Content Standards from California’s Curriculum Frameworks History Health Language Arts California Standards for the Teaching Profession Effective Environments For Student Learning Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning

Building an Empathetic Classroom Non-Technological Applications Increase Arts Education Use “I” Statements Sociogram Guest Speakers and Panels Sociodrama and Role-Play Historical Empathy

Building an Empathetic Classroom Technological Applications Blogs Digital Media to Express Emotion (Film, Photography etc.) Connecting Diverse Groups of People Beyond Geographic Location Simulations Social Networking Immediate Ways to Show Caring

Building an Empathetic Classroom Technological Applications Digital Communications and Social Networking

Assessment Empathy Quotient Test – Simon Baron-Cohen’s Empathy test Reading the Emotions in Other’s Eyes – Simon Baron-Cohen’s test on identifying emotions from a person’s eyes Spot the Fake Smile- The BBC’s test on identifying a fake smile (Based on Paul Ekman’s studies) Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test- This is a test that you must pay for but it is a comprehensive and widely used measure of emotional intelligence

Empathy is “a universal language that connects us beyond country or culture. Empathy makes us human. Empathy brings joy...Empathy is an essential part of living a life of meaning” (Pink, 2006, 163) Images for this presentation have been Retrieved from Flickr.com