Image versus Substance; What we see as opposed to what really is...

 

In this video short, Malcolm Gladwell discusses his reinterpretation of the Old Testament story about David and Goliath - the basis of his most recent book entitled the same.  Gladwell offers nuanced insights regarding how apparent underdogs may not necessarily doomed because shortcomings only appear so because they are based on a of frame of reference that is set by prevailing perspectives.  

Gladwell echoes a phenomenon discussed by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his provocative, ground-breaking book, "Black Swan".  Taleb's premise is that we develop a sort of veiled consciousness because we are unprepared to see what may not be obvious.  Why?  Because we are locked onto seeing a different kind of obvious that has its roots according to currently held conventions.

I have always found it fascinating that weaknesses can be strengths and vice versa - and that is what this book explores. 

Endnote: You may receive Feedback Credit for submitting commentary on this video under the 1/12 posting criteria, or you may receive the full 5 points if you decide to submit a 1200-1500 book review for the Gladwell book.  Just let me know your intent via e-mail.

Arugument; Is it worth it?

Dr. Cohen discusses arguments, the kinds of argument, and utility of argument.

I eagerly anticipate your arguments on argument.

Meaningful Work - The Utility of Outlined Notes

I like Dr. Dan Ariely.  I like him because he has the ability to explain what motivates Humans.  

I understand this is a 20 minute video, and I understand you have many things that you could probably be doing, but this video is important for two reasons; 

1]  It helps you understand the reason behind my requirement for notes.

2]  It helps you come to realize that your the quality of your education depends on what you put into it.  Simply requesting a re-take for your Assessments, Quizzes and Tests does little for you unless you put some work into understanding the reason for requesting a re-take.  

Something to keep in mind...

Your reward is not in getting the re-take.  Rather, it is in having the opportunity to learn from your mistakes on an immediate level; Learning, and by extension, school is about making mistakes.  The more mistakes you make, the more opportunity you have to learn.  Just so long as you realize that your learning requires that whatever challenges you face must be meaningful.

Now, what I have written here relates to my reasoning behind requiring notes, there are many ways you could interpret this video.  And that is the beauty of learning how to learn; you can apply these lessons to many different situations in life.  These concepts work for relationships, for work, and for motivating people to do something, and even for establishing policy or running organizations from small businesses to government.

Here at SAMS, we have an agreement; you work and we make sure your work is at a certain quality.  Each teacher has a different approach, and mine includes, "Trust but verify."  This means, I want you to do you work, but I cannot force you to care about your work.  

This is why I do not require notes to be turned in at the end of the semester.  Yes, it gives you the opportunity to walk away from your responsibility.  However, it also gives you an opportunity to get "paid" a potentially higher grade.  My question is, If someone offered you an opportunity to paid more for just trying harder, why wouldn't you take it?  The way I see it, you would have to be nuts to not get paid for just loving your job! 

Finally, remember anyone can copy and paste - but your challenge is to make what you have learned your own.  It makes no sense to have beautiful notes that someone else put the effort into.   Using notes created by others makes as much sense as expecting a plant to grow from planting cut flowers.

I would love to know what your thoughts are on this video, how it relates to you, and how you think you can apply this knowledge to your life, or how this information can be related to others in your world.

For those of you who would like to read more about the phenomenon of meaningful work, this is the book where Dr. Ariely explains it in more detail.  I will offer 5 points - that's a half a grade added to your end of semester grade - for anyone who reads the book and gives me a 1200 - 1500 word summary and discussion of what you have learned from what you have read.

The Price of Kindness

 

It costs you very little - if anything - to be kind. 

Years may pass before you ever get to realize the good you have done.  That's one of the big payoffs for being a teacher.

Look up the "butterfly effect," and see if you can make a scientific connection.

What is your "take-away" after watching this video?  I can't wait to read your Feedback Responses.

Always do your best, and never give up.
Mr. M. 

High on Stress? You've got to be kidding! - Stress Resilience & the Biology of Courage

Have you ever  heard people say, "Bad things happen to everyone" or, "How we deal with those bad things reflects our character"  or, "Happiness is a choice."   It appears some of that folksy wisdom may have a biological relevance to it. This is what Science is telling us about the stress response, and here are a couple of the take-aways I got from Dr. Kelly McGonigal's lecture;

• "Character creates  resilience..." 
• "Chasing meaning is better for your health than trying to avoid discomfort. And so, I would say that is really the best way to make decisions.  My advice is, 'go after what it is that makes meaning in your life, and then trust yourself to handle the stress that follows.'"

Here's something to keep in mind;  "Helping others helps me."   

Make your profound statement in life.

Let me know what you got out of this Ted Talk.  You can feel free to expand on what I saw, or discuss whatever you found most compelling.  I can't wait to get your Feedback Responses. Also, this is one of the books written by Kelly McGonigal ph.D.
 

 

Metacognition - How Einstein thought

Note: This video qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.  

However, it must meet the following criteria:  1500 word minimum (to 10,000 words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video.  Make sure it is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.  

Should you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be fun, and rewarding for you.  If you take any other approach to it, or if it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.

Power of Attention - What you focus on, you get more of

Here are the take-aways:

• What you focus on, you get more of.
• When you are upset, you are always focused on what you don't want.
• Upset comes from resisting what is ("It shouldn't be like this!").
•  No problem can be solved unless we focus on what we want.
  

Note: This video qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.  

However, it must meet the following criteria:  1500 word minimum (to 10,000 words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video.  Make sure it is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.  

Should you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be fun, and rewarding for you.  If you take any other approach to it, or if it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.

Teaching Science - "Make Me Laugh, Make Me Care..."

Let's be Honest...

Some of you wonder how I use Scientific Method to effect changes in my world.  These two videos offer insights that I have culled from the research I have done on the topic of Human Motivation.  I would like to offer an In-service for students to help them understand why Humans do what they do, why irrationality some times trumps rationality, and why concepts like "cost benefit analysis," and "reward substitution" work in achieving certain objectives.

Professor Dan Ariely of Duke University touches upon some relevant topics in these videos.  If you are interested in what he is talking about, you can check out his books, "Predictably Irrational," " The Upside of Irrationality," or "The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty."  I have all three on my e-reader (Nook) and you are free to borrow them from me is you have a Nook e-reader."

This blog post is worth the maximum Feedback Response points for the semester.  All you have to do is watch both videos, summarize them and pick at least two concepts discussed in the videos to expand upon by relating them to your own personal life experience.

Pythagorean Theorem - Explained

 

 

Education - then and now

Here is the light version...

 

and here is the meaty one - the whole lesson:

Practice makes Perfect: Neuromodulation , How a Fly Brain can Make You Smarter

Here is some fascinating information that discusses neurobiology of a fly's brain.  Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this video is how it relates to how the brain processes information.  From a purely biological perspective, Michael Dickenson's Ted Talk is fascinating because it demonstrates something electrical about the learning process;  establishing a neural pathway is how the brain 'learns.'  

Dickenson's  research seems to imply that repetitive processes rely on established multiplexes of neurons that fire in a set pattern.  To that end, it makes sense, that when a person learns something, part of that process involves practice until a neural pathway has been burned.  It explains why we practice makes perfect.

It also tells me that making mistakes is a critical component of the learning process.  Learning is about fine-tuning our mistakes until we reach a point considered to be satisfactory.  Thus, regardless of whether we are on  BMX bike, snowboarding, or memorizing PEMDAS, or memorizing y=mx+b, or even learning how to tie one's shoes, it all involves practice & making errors.  This tends to explain why wisdom tends to come with age and experience.  Old people have the potential to be wiser simply because they have had more of a chance to make mistakes!  Now that is a fascinating thought!

Here is the take-away; learning is the process of developing and establishing set neural pathways through trial and error.  Moreover, those who fine tune an action or thought process are neuromodulating.  

The better we neuromodulate is proportional to the amount of errors we make.  The more mistakes we make, the smarter we become.

Conclusion:  Make as many mistakes as you can, but make yourself aware of those mistakes, because when you do, you will fine-tune your ability to develop more refined neural pathways as you build on past experiences.  

In other words: You can only become an expert if you give yourself the opportunity to make mistakes.

The Cloud: Perspectives from a Young Enrerpreneur - Aaron Levie & Data Storage

 

Faster Than The Speed Of Light? Six More Dimensions?

For those of you students wrestling with the concepts of Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and the various hypotheses, laws and constructs you are faced with in Chemistry & Physics, here is the reason why you need to master them; ideas are being bandied, in the world of the mind are slowly progressing toward the notion of a Unified Field Theory - something that eluded Einstein and continues to escape scientists who have followed him.  

The world as we know it is changing rapidly - so much so - that, what we once found to be nuanced a century ago, even decades ago and more accurately, right now is the stuff science fiction didn't even come close to predicting; truth really is stranger than fiction.  

The world of the mind is where each of you will be far more suited to play. I happen to believe it is because the time you were born makes this possible - think of Malcolm Gladwell's arguments.  That said, I strongly adhere to the notion put forth by the scientist, Louis Pasteur who famously said, "Chance favors a prepared mind." 

I cannot come close to explaining what some of these concepts described in this video mean.  However, I have every confidence that there will be people among your generation that may in fact be able to get their heads wrapped around these topics.  To that end, this is why it is so critical that each of you endeavor to master the basic intellectual building blocks you are now studying because without them, you will be left behind, and our world will be the less for it.  

Rest assured, the assiduous efforts you make today will be rewarded in the future.  And, like a spinning bicycle wheel that comes into focus only instantaneously, thus will be your education.  Borrowing from that metaphor, as sure as we cannot see the wheel turning every moment, we none the less know that it continues in its motion. This is how your learning works as well; it turns and reveals itself - stingily at times - but it is building upon a base of knowledge that will serve its purpose in due time.

Now, conceptualizing the world in six more dimensions?  I hope we get there in my life time.

Always do your best and never quit.

Note: This video qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.  

However, it must meet the following criteria:  1500 word minimum (to 10,000 words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video.  Make sure it is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.  

Should you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be fun, and rewarding for you.  If you take any other approach to it, or if it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.

Harnessing the Wind - A 14 Year Old Malawian Boy's Story

"And so I say to you, trust yourself - and believe.  Whatever happens, don't give up." 
 William Kamkwamba

This is a fascinating story about a 14 year-old young man - William Kamkwamba - from Malawi, Africa whose ambition to learn about electricity brought about tremendous changes in his life, the lives of his family and his community.  

He also wrote a book about the experience in, "The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind" - I picked up the book for my e-reader for $2.99.  That's a bargain, and it is a good read.



Note: This book qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.  

However, it must meet the following criteria:  1500 word minimum (to 10,000 words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video.  Make sure it is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.  

Should you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be fun, and rewarding for you.  If you take any other approach to it, or if it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.

I also wonder if this is something that might be repeated in Smart Lab...

Nothing is Impossible...

"Just because I can't do it today, doesn't mean I'm not be able to do it some day..."

I watched this video and wondered how this could have anything in the world to do with science?  It came upon me that the power of the Human Mind is precisely what science has not yet completely tapped into.  More than that, I decided to post this video because it represents all that is good about the Human spirit.  

Lest we forget, many of us come from varied walks of life.  None the less, we all share a connectedness; our Humanity.  This post is important because it reminds me that we all face challenges.  Coming to a new school and adapting to a whole new way of learning has been your challenge, and each of you have come way with varied results.  I am impressed  because - to a person - you are proving that you have what it takes to be successful.  I admire the resolve each of you has demonstrated in this endeavor.  For what might have appeared impossible has become merely routine for each of you.  

To be certain, there is always room for improvement, but at least for me, that means there is hope, because the measure of any given person is not based upon whatever limitations have been put upon them.  It is gauged by their willingness to face those challenges.  It is based upon their refusal to quit despite the odds.  

Since Scientists have already discovered the existence of mirror neurons which account for our ability to mimic behavior, videos such as this are invaluable because they provide patterns which our brains are able to recognize and process.  Regardless of our present inability to vet out the nuances of how this happens at this point in Human history, I am willing to settle for a descriptive such as, 'inspirational' until which time we do grasp precisely what happens when we see fellow Human Beings meet their challenges and realize that we too can follow suit.

Undoubtedly, there are neural pathways being tapped into - through both sight and sound, through musical rhythms, and harmonies that we are only beginning to understand.  And that is what is most compelling to me; I may not understand all the complexities, but it is fascinating what role emotion plays in helping us to prevail over adversity, our ability to make connections and feel a sense of happiness for a complete stranger. 

Never mind that this gentleman's vestibular system and metabolic capacity is dramatically altered through Yoga - truly impressive - and yet, so much more is happening than the physics of motion, or potential and kinetic energy transformations as related to human movement, or the vectors tied to kinesthetic learning and its relationship to robotics etc.  The list could go on and on...  

Thus, my fellow students, regardless of how nebulous this 'inspirational' this video appears at first blush, I am confident your generation will make significant inroads to understanding the components and the roles they play in driving us to do more, discover more and be all that we are capable of being.

"Never give up"

Success - Is it Luck, Preparation or a matter of Timing?

Dear Students and Parents;

First off, I know that watching this post is going to take up a 100 minutes of your life just to watch.  However, this is very likely the most significant video posted on this entire blog - chiefly because it synthesizes what I have been trying to get across since my very first post.  It is about being unique, being brilliant and being able to get along with people.  More than that, it speaks to what it takes to be a success - in whatever one chooses to become.

Louis Pasteur, the scientist who 'discovered' the process of milk pasteurization said, "Chance favors a prepared mind."  

If you have the opportunity, I also encourage you to read all of Malcolm Gladwell's books, but the focus of this video is his book, "Outliers."

Here is my incentive for any of you students who want to receive credit for the entire semester; all you have to do is watch, and give me a written commentary on this one, single video.  In doing so, you will receive credit - for the entire semester's requirement for 12 feedback assignments, or you can also just read, "Outliers" and give me a book review.  My only requirement is that you;

1]  Give me a synopsis - minimum three paragraphs.
2]  Share your thoughts in an intelligently written essay - you choose the approach, all I ask is that you wow me with your brilliance.  I assure you, this will not be difficult.  You have all the brilliance it takes to shine in this assignment. 
3]  The due date for this assignment is 15 December, and the entire paper cannot be less than 1500, or more than 10,000 words.  Some of you people are prolific writers.


For those Seventh and Eighth graders who might think this challenge is out of your league; I do not agree.  I have seen you tooling along all semester, and you are more than holding your own.  As a matter of fact, the best outlined notes I have seen this semester are from seventh and eight graders.  This is what Gladwell talks about when he refers to, 'restriction of range.'

Some of you might argue that this is unfair to anyone who has completed feedback assignments throughout the semester.  My response is that you have an even greater advantage because you have banked some phenomenal information that no one can ever take away from you.  You have already upped your chances because you have invested in preparation.  You are doing what Louis Pasteur talked about.  I assure you that, once you have watched this video, you will better understand why there really are no short-cuts.

I sincerely hope every student takes advantage of this opportunity - think of Wayne Gretsky as a baby, or Gladwell's story about the runner who wanted to run up a hill backwards.  I also hope you share the time to watch this with each other, your parents and your friends.  I even encourage you to work together as a family to write this up, because working together is a good thing.  My reason for encouraging this is also embedded in the video.  There are hundreds if not infinite tangents you can take regarding this assignment.  Its the 'brick-and-blanket' test.

That is why there is no way to 'cheat' this assignment; your reward is directly correlated to your personal investment and contribution to this Feedback Response.  Only you will know if you deserve it.  Make it yours.

It will be interesting to see who takes up this challenge.  Will it be the established die-hards that always give me Feedbacks?  Will it be the tortoises or the hares?  I can't wait to find out. notwithstanding, this offering comes to you on the shiniest night of November 2012.  It just worked out that way.  Let's just call it Malcolm's Moonlight Madness.

Now, grab some popcorn and a note pad... 

Happiness - The Surprising Science

Here is a partial transcript that summarizes Professor Gilbert's findings on happiness and strategies to achieve it:

"... in other words, 'yes,' somethings are better than others.  

We should have preferences that lead us into one future over another.  But, when those preference drive us too hard, and too fast because we have overrated the difference between these futures, we are at risk.  

When our ambition is bounded, it leads us to work joyfully.  When our ambition is unbounded, it leads us to lie, cheat, to steal, to hurt others, to sacrifice things of real value.  

When our fears are bounded, we're prudent, we're cautious, we're thoughtful.  When our fears are unbounded, and overblown, we're reckless and we're cowardly.  

The lesson I want to leave you with from these data is that our longings and our worries are both, to some degree, overblown because we have within us, the capacity to manufacture the very commodity we are constantly chasing when we choose experience."

Dan Gilbert PhD
Professor of Psychology - Harvard University

Some things to ponder:  

What is the lesson you take away regarding happiness and short-term decisions?

• How does this apply to your 'pursuit' of happiness?
• Is it plausible that, when the potential rewards are immediate, we tend to lose sight of how a quick decision affects a long-term outcome?
• Can this explain why we tend ignore the potential damage because a short term reward eclipses long-term goals?  
• Being aware of this reality, are we better armed to handle quick decisions?
• Are quick decisions bad?  Why do you suppose humans are wired to make quick decisions?
• Os there an evolutionary benefit for quick decision makers?
• Is making a decision to decide and sticking with it really that simple?  
• Would you be willing to try it for a short period and see how it works out for you?
• Does deciding to decide seem like settling for second best to you?  Why or why not?
• What does this tell us about cheating?  Choosing the best answer on a test?  Saying the wrong thing because we are inclined to respond quickly rather than thoughtfully? 

Note: This video qualifies as a 5 point maximum extra credit paper for your semester's final Science grade - that's a half a grade added to your final grade.  

However, it must meet the following criteria:  1500 word minimum (to 10,000 words maximum) to include a summary of the video and an exposition that discusses a topic of your choice mentioned in the video.  Make sure it is copy edited, spell checked and set-up in a word document.  

Should you elect to take this challenge, your essay on this post ought to be fun, and rewarding for you.  If you take any other approach to it, or if it ceases to be fun, then you are doing something wrong.

Long Division Style...

The Power of Music - The Power of Understanding

Oliver Sachs MD*, the narrator in this video is a Medical Doctor who specializes in, and has devoted his entire career to neuroscience; study how the brain works.  He has written several popular books - some have even made it into the New York Times Best Seller List.  

This Video offers insight to how the brain is wired.  I believe the most compelling message that I can take away after watching this elderly gentleman is that we Humans know so very little about how the brain functions.  That said, this video also shows me there is hope that we may some day come to understand the complexities of the brain.  It also illustrates how people can devote their lives to helping one another - and more importantly - that anyone with a genuine desire can bring about significant changes in the lives of others.  In this case, it was a Recreatonal Therapist who found a way to help a fellow Human Being - the gentleman named, Henry.

Neurobiology, the science of nerve cells - the tissue components that make up our nervous system - is a rapidly developing field.  And, researchers-turned-writers, like Oliver Sachs have popularized the topic by discussing why we do what we do.  

As a teacher - and because of my curiosity about why things work - I look at this video and wonder how I can apply such findings to my students.  I reach many conclusions.  Here are just three:

1]  All brains work the same - therefore when I see a phenomenon like using music to reach into the mind of someone who suffers, it helps me to understand that there are generalized lessons we can take away regarding how we process information.  In a very real way, seeing this offers hope where once there was none.

2]  I realize that different people respond differently to different stimuli.  Which causes me to wonder if there is something in music, or maybe even just in the way I can approach my students, other fellow Human Beings or creatures in order to make connections that will have positive outcomes.

For instance, in education, a big buzzword term is, "differentiated instruction" which simply means finding ways to teach students according to their need - in other words, customizing the learning process on an individualized basis with the intent of helping a student learn in ways that are easiest for that student.

3]  Communication is über important.  If I understand that thinking, or developing special talents is basically like a having a set of well-traveled pathways developed in the mind, then what are the best ways to develop pathways?  Could it be repetition?  Could it be teaching my students to understand?  How about emotions, and how my students are feeling?  How much does that have to do with helping a student to learn?  Is it better to have a calm student?  How does making learning seem like fun help students to retain information?  

The truth is that I use a lot of Neurobiological concepts and findings to help my students learn.  This is why I never humiliate or yell at my students. This is why I use Youtube videos and music to get into my students' brains.  This is why I use, "the three H's"; High Fives, Hand-shakes and Hugs.  Maybe it should be the Five H's - because Humor and Happiness are critical for optimizing a teacher-student relationship as well ...just a thought...  This is why I practice calm, happy, even goofy behavior that I want my students to model.  

I use this relaxed teaching approach because I am convinced a happy, relaxed student is more apt to learn.  I have made a conscious decision to take my time whenever I am helping a student learn a difficult concept.  I want my students to realize that when we are calm is when we are most likely to develop a deep understanding of a very difficult concept.  I do so because a student that feels respected, calm - even loved - is most likely to flourish in school, and more importantly, Life.  

It is fairly common knowledge that people mimic behaviors, so a child that has been treated with respect will be respectful.  A child treated with kindness learns how to be kind.  

Conversely, a child that has not been valued will not be very pleasant to be around.  To my way of thinking, such a child should not be shunned but rather, understood - because bad behaviors can be changed and people will be just about whatever we expect them to be.

And so, my fellow Human Beings, whether we are teachers or students, let us make as many connections as possible - not only with what we are learning, but - with one another and everything on the planet.  

It is said that knowledge is power.  If that is so, then the most powerful tool we have is understanding, and understanding is nothing more than learning.

Learning is life and Life is learning. 

Always do your best, and never quit.
Mr. M.

*NOTE:  If you see a different colored word in the text, this means it is a link.  You can click on these links for further information on the highlighted word, topic or phrase.  You can then click on the back arrow at the top of your screen to bring you back to this article.