A+Whole+New+Mind


 * A Whole New Mind**, by Daniel Pink, is a worthy metaphor for the journey we are on to improve our skills as teachers in the 21st century. While his book does not specifically address what teachers must do to shift from Left-thinking brain to Right-thinking brain thinking or why they must do it, he does provide stories, images, and a context for what might happen if we continue teaching from the left side of our brain. The train will leave the station and we may find ourselves waving goodbye. Well into the 21st century and still teaching using a 20th century mindset, it is time to refocus our energies and see our classroom as a place in which we serve the learner. With students entering a whole new world, a more globally-connected world that requires them to adapt and respond to changes in their environment, we must rethink whether our methodes help them learn to be adaptive and responsive. Helping them build both Left-thinking brain and Right-thinking brain skills, integrating their skill sets, and applying them in real world situations is our responsibility.

This page will include resources tied directly to AWNM. The section on resources related directly to the book are organized by chapter or by the six senses.

**//DANIEL PINK HOMEPAGE//** Here is a link to Daniel Pink's homepage. I would suggest reviewing it for his insights and some specific resources under education. There were not as many as I would have hoped for.

[|Daniel Pink Homepage]


 * A. Interviews with Daniel Pink **

Oprah Winfrey conducted a series of interviews with Daniel Pink as part of her Soul Series Webcast. Here is the link to the two interviews.

[|Oprah's interviews with Daniel Pink]

**B. Here is a Right-Brain, Left-Brain test that is interesting to take**. "The Brain Type Test is based on the various characteristics associated specifically with each hemisphere of the brain. This test produces results unique to each individual's own left and right hemispheres. Many of the methods used here were pioneered by Dr. Roger Sperry's research on brain lateralization, for which he won a Nobel Prize in 1981. The test examines the categories of linear, sequential, symbolic, logical, verbal, and reality-based, which are associated with the left hemisphere. It also examines the categories of holistic, random, concrete, intuitive, nonverbal, and fantasy-oriented, which are associated with the right hemisphere. There are always exceptions, and while the majority of humans are going to be classified as being left-brained or right-brained, one goal we have as humans is to strive to utilize both halves of the brain when processing information." (a quote on the description of the test).

[|Right-Brain, Left_Brain Test]

**C. Empathy Chapter: The smile or reading the meaning in someone's eyes activities might be worthy endeavors. Check out the sites below.** This is an interesting BBC website on the Human Body and Mind. There are some interesting interactive diagrams on the brain and some surveys that are worth taking. Specifically, there is a survey on reading smiles that is interesting. I took it and got 10 out of 20 correct. How to read whether a smile is genuine or fake. Reading the mind behind someone's expression in their eyes was a very difficult activity. I could see how it relates to empathy. Being able to read facial expressions. There are 36 pictures of people's eyes that have different expressions and you need to decide what expression they are. I got 26 out of 36 correct.

[|BBC Human Body and MInd] [|Reading whether a smile is genuine or fake] [|Reading Facial expressions by seeing someone's eyes]

**D. Interviews with Daniel Pink by Alan November** Alan November interviews Dan Pink, best-selling author of A Whole New Mind, Alan and Dan discuss new school design, global education, assessment and 21st Century learning skills along with the major tenets of Dan’s book. There are three episodes. These are good interviews. Maybe better than Oprah's interviews. These are audio podcasts.

[|Alan November's Interviews with Pink]

E. **Doug Johson (Education World) comments on AWNM, especially as it relates to education**.

His article is interesting because he takes the six senses, adds one on learning, and relates them to education. His bullet points towards the end of the article are work reading. How do we apply this work to the classroom?

[|Doug Johnson comments on AWNM]

**F. Resources Divided by Chapter in AWNM**
 * Chapter Four: Design **

Design is a whole-mind aptitude. This chapter addresses the concept of design as a primary skill or talent needed in the 21st century. There are magnet schools devoted to architecture and design. One of them is the Charter High School of Architecture and Design in Philadelphia (CHAD). Many businesses are focusing more on design skills than traditional Left-brain skills. There are many questions to think about as design relates to traditional schools. How are schools designed? How should curriculum change to incorporate design as a principle--beyond the arts.

1. Here is the website for CHAD

[|CHAD]

2. Check out the website for the new Middle School at Sidwell Friends School in DC.

[|Environmental Stewardship at SFS's Middle School]

3. Continuum is a design company that has an interesting website. Look at the section on social innovation and what they are doing with regard to "unleashing and leveraging the power of the global design community on some of the world’s most intractable problems?"

[|Continuum Design]


 * Chapter Five: Story **

"Story is just as integral to the human experience as design." (p. 101) One pathway that leads to students to higher levels of engagement are through stories. Stories can be captivating. Facts are easily discovered through books, a google search, or a library search. "they are ubiquitous and free." Stories are an attempt to place the facts of our lives or world into a context that creates meaning, power, or influence. "Stories exist where high concept and high touch intersect." (p. 103) "Story" is about storytelling, listening to stories, and being a part of stories. We are storytellers and storylisteners at heart. In school, we may have looked forward to "show and tell" and telling stories about family and friends. At sleepovers, we may have engaged each other in telling scarry stories. Stories matter so why don't we look more closely at how they can enrich our ability to teach.

1. StoryCorps: "StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening." Visit their website to get more information about their work and projects.

[|StoryCorps]

2. StartUp Story Radio is a website with all kinds of resources related to people telling their story. It was conceived by Rob McNealy. He hosts the site and interviews a variety of people, getting them to tell their stories. You can read interviews and stories or listen to podcasts. He interviewed Daniel Pink (see link).

[|StartUp Story Radio.com]

[|Interview with Daniel Pink on StartUp Story Radio]

3. Center for Digital Storytelling: "The Center for Digital Storytelling is a California-based non-profit 501(c)3 arts organization rooted in the art of personal storytelling. We assist people of all ages in using the tools of digital media to craft, record, share, and value the stories of individuals and communities, in ways that improve all our lives." You can watch and listen to stories, find workshops on storytelling, and find other resources related to storytelling. A good website.

[|Center for Digital Storytelling]
 * Chapter Six: Symphony**

1. The Power of Ten Video by Charles and Ray Eames and their web site, Power of Ten

[|Power of Ten Video]

[|Power of Ten Web Site]

2. Web site on brainstorming ideas, Halfbakery

[|Halfbakery]

3. Here is the web site for Betty Edwards, the artist and art educator. Her book on drawing is referenced by Pink in the chapter on Symphony, seeing the whole. He took drawing classes at her studio.

[|Betty Edwards-drawing]


 * Chapter Eight: Play **

1. Dr. Thorson's Humor Scale, this is a test to get some insight into your personality around humor.

[|Dr. Thorson's Humor Scale]

2. This is a cool website that allows you to play with invention. This is part of the Play at Invention exhibit sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute. Check it out. I played the cloud game and built some puzzles, Interesting and challenging. Might be good for students in elementary and middle school.

[|Play at Invention]

3. Here is a connection to an article and podcast of Stanley Pogrow, the author of Teaching Content Outrageously. It appeared in the January 2009 issue of Phi Delta Kappan. Pogrow writes, "What is clear is that, when teachers apply their imagination to teaching, students will apply their imagination to learning. This article OR the podcast is interesting, particularly within the context of Pink's chapter on PLAY. This brings up some fascinating questions around capitalizing on the entertainment culture to engage or capture the imagination of students when we try to teach concepts that are sometimes hard to engage with.

[|Podcast on Outrageously Teaching*] [|PDK Article by Stanley Pogrow]

**G. PDK interview with Daniel Pink and a special edition of their Edge Magazine that features a 20-page text of the interview. There are some good references to education and AWNM.** [|Article from Edge-PDK on AWNM with Daniel Pink] [|Podcast interview with Daniel Pink*]