Summer Information Share

Anyone interested in teaching students with difficulty in mathematics should check out the following Professional Development presentation:
Click through at your leisure

Independent study project submitted for credit toward a Master of Education at MSVU.

miss my links..?..

Origins of us

Three part BBC series (1 hour per episode)

If you are just now joining us in this digital lifelong learning process, I suggest reading the blogs chronologically to enjoy the experience with the most optimum perspective.

This may mean scrolling down and even going to older posts on page two, before viewing any of the immediately visible blogs.  

The choice is yours.

:~)

A term in the Life / long Learning Process

For my seventh and final blog, I have decided to use this opportunity to review key components that I felt were invaluable take home messages throughout this winter term. The sources for this acquired understanding will be the three assigned books, the blogs I’ve read, and the discussions that occurred in class. Before going into detail about the specific lessons learned from each of these sources, I want to first express genuine gratitude to Dr. Plumb for his guidance, and extend further thanks to all those enrolled in GSLL 6206 this term. Without this shared supportive environment and the discussions generated thanks to everyone’s different backgrounds and prior experience, I would not have made the discoveries and connections that follow.

Tomasello’s Cultural Origins of Human Cognition reminded us that by understanding our closest relatives, we can develop a better understanding of ourselves through the examination of our evolutionary heritage. Personally, this appreciation was strengthened upon learning that humans strive to recreate the warm environment that we, primates, experienced long ago, in Africa. This is seen in the cultural traditions of clothing ourselves to be warm and keeping our houses at ‘room temperature’, the natural atmosphere of a country like Kenya. Tomasello provides us with insight into the uniquely human capacity to develop culture. Through joint attention, we share in a learning process that highlights the co-operative nature of learning. However, there are also competitive ways in which we learn, seen when someone improve upon a pre-existing concept, which Tomasello calls the ratchet effect. Whether studying our biological history through the similar genetic material found in primates or the evolutionary history of our shared culture, I’ve found that humans experience developmental processes through ongoing trajectories, complicated as they might be. Thanks to Tomasello, I have a better understanding of the development of my natural skills, such as balancing & walking and the acquisition of new skills, such as language & reasoning.

As Tomasello left me with a clearer view of myself as an individual human being, Wenger expanded the scope outward to include the notion of social learning, which is realized by negotiating meaning in a community of practice. It is through communities of practice that we create an environment of joint learning. The raw manner in which we experience life, by reading Tomasello, is given a method in which to process these experiences, by reading Wenger. In Wenger’s Communities of Practice, we are introduced to the idea of boundary objects, an outside factor that can influence one's state of mind, which in turn can influence one's actions. Thanks to Wenger, there is so much more to consider. My eyes are no open to the notion that our lifelong experiences are not only being affected by the people who surround us, but the multiple social circles to which we belong. Our actions are guided by the words we choose to use and by the ways we are held accountable. Life is action. We participate, we progress, we align ourselves with people or policies that we trust. With boundaries in place, we are enabled to acquire new information through a shared repertoire. I have learned that good teaching is more than just being efficient in a classroom setting. A learner is not someone who should be taught to, rather learning should be seen as a complex multi-layered interaction between people, objects, and languages.

If Wenger connects me, the human, to me, the co-operative collaborator in a community of practice, Bracher helps me develop a better sense of self. Bracher's Radical Pedagogy is a look into one's own identity. At first this creates a sense of vulnerability. However, once I was open to the different qualities of identity and registers of recognition, the path of my lifelong journey began to take shape. Encouragement to reflect on the decisions that I've made and the person that I've become, provides me with a clearer view of the path ahead. Furthermore, this act of self-discovery, gives me a more educated perspective on the identity needs of others. Bracher reminds us that identity is not only determined by what/who we choose to align with, but by what/who we choose not to align with as well. I can identify with Bracher. The ways in which he takes apart the potential negative affects of different teaching strategies shows a courage to question the status quo. This serves as a cautionary example to all who read his book. In my opinion, the awareness that emerges from his scrutiny is worth the breakdown of recognized practices.

Although I learned much from the assigned readings, I absorbed a great deal of insight and knowledge through classroom discussions and our shared blogging experience. This was the first of many firsts for me and many more in our class. Whether learning how to tie a bowline knot, from professor Plumb; finding out that sometimes we “crash into each other, just to feel something”, from the feature film; recognizing the value of the Head/Heart/Hands approach, from a classmate; or being inspired to examine lifelong learning in a variety of ways, thanks to all of the peer-created blogs, information was shared amongst a thriving community of practice. This course has shown me that as educators we should view education as a social construct with an ongoing need to be examined. If we imagine things as something different, and take note not to take things for granted, we create the potential for change. Being a responsible educator requires substantial conscious effort, as we are all involved in teaching and/or learning. As I conclude this blog, hours away from leaving for a honeymoon vacation, it occurs to me that the grade doesn't matter. The important part is the learning process, not the final outcome but the development that occurs getting there.

Desperately seeking self...

Over the years, I have asked: “Who am I?” on a number of different occasions. This existentialist question has likely been posed by millions, if not billions, of people on the planet. Answering this question may incite one to develop a strong sense of self or core identity that many refer to as the ‘real me’, the inner self, or simply I. This core may give the impression that identity is fixed, remaining more or less the same, and therefore supports Bracher’s view that continuity is one of the qualities of identity. On the other hand, this contrasts the notion that identity can also be seen as an assembled list of characteristics and affections. This duality of identity is evident in Erik Erikson’s (1959) Identity and the Life Cycle in which he suggests that “the term identity expresses such a mutual relation in that it connotes both a persistent sameness within oneself and a persistent sharing of some kind of essential character with others” (p. 102). Reading Bracher’s (2006) Radical Pedagogy: Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation has opened my eyes to how important the subject of identity factors in to our personal development and to what lengths we go to defend it. Identity becomes significant variable in our education, our interactions, and our impact on the world. In this blog, it is my intent to explore what I believe to be the fickle nature of identity; identity not as just a constant, but as a living, changing entity as well.

Identity is a topic of such magnitude that it seems as though the entire Lifelong Processes course has been leading up to the careful scrutiny of this subject. We began by learning through Tomasello's The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition how our bodies develop natural abilities to balance, walk, and associate with others. Next, we studied Wenger's Communities of Practice who helped us see how we learn together through shared interactions in different communities. We now put the mirror up to ourselves and examine the role of identity in learning and how it is registered through i) how we feel about ourselves, ii) how we see ourselves in the world, and iii) the words we use to describe ourselves. This path has lead me to see education as a forum for identity development rather than being synonymous with socialization. To assist in the development of students’ identities, the purpose of education, is to encourage learning and understanding. In order to foster this learning environment, one must have a firm understanding of who their identity. Like they say one cannot love another until one loves oneself.

The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology (1994) submits that in the quest for identity, there exists a division between two groups: optimists and pessimists. Optimists seek greater individuality, flexibility, and self-understanding as they have a wider range of identities. They are also more likely to discover their inner self without the imposition of traditions, culture, etc.. Pessimism allows for the rise of narcissism as they lament life, become more self-absorbed and selfish. This division, drawn from looking up 'Identity' in a sociology dictionary, is the inspiration for this easy test of character. See if your metaphorical glass is half full or half empty by reading the following to yourself.

OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE

In my opinion, whether or not you read the passage as ‘opportunity is nowhere’ or as ‘opportunity is now here’ does not define you as a pessimist or an optimist; but it can improve one’s self-awareness. I believe that circumstance has an equal part to play in establishing an identity. We wear different masks, put on different hats, and change the tone and pitch of our voice depending on the situation. This emphasizes the role that society plays in determining our individual identity. As Berger (1963) states: “Identity is not something ‘given’, but it is bestowed in acts of social recognition. We become that as which we are addressed. Identities are socially bestowed and socially sustained” (p. 99-100). It is for this reason that identity-bearing signifiers can interfere with learning. A connection resonated with me, as I pondered the possibility of someone hiding their acquired knowledge so as not to be seen as “abandoning their own heritage and identity” (Bracher, 2006, p.19). A student willing to protect their social stature will do anything to defend the appearance of a certain identity. This personality can, in effect, block the acquisition of knowledge, as in the idea of being ‘too cool for school’. Here is an example of one culture’s identity defined by its contrast to an established academic culture. If you are not familiar with the gangsta peace symbol, please refer to the following figures.

Essentially it is the adopted victory sign (two fingers in a V), but presented horizontally rather than vertically. I believe that it is possible that someone using the gangsta peace symbols is demonstrating an understanding of the basic mathematical principal of inequalities (namely greater than and lesser than). This ego-boosting, identity-affirming gesture, as seen in the facial expressions of those portrayed below, confirms that they see themselves as ‘greater than all others. It also implies that anyone else around is ‘lesser than’ them.

                               

Does this signify an individual with a strong number sense who also identifies with a particular sub-culture? Perhaps, or perhaps the individual is not aware of this display of numeracy or aware of it, but only subconsciously. I don’t think it is possible to concretely define any one individual’s identity. We can, most certainly, get a sense of person by taking in how they portray themselves; but as Miles Davis once said: “If you understood everything I said, you’d be me”. Do you understand everything that I've said?

References

• Anonymous. 2012. [photographs] retrieved from google image search for “gangsta peace sign”.
• Berger, P. (1963). Invitation to Sociology, A Humanistic Perspective. New York: Anchor Books.
• Bracher, M. (2006). Radical Pedagogy, Identity, Generativity, and Social Transformation. New York: Palgrave
• Davis, M. (n.d.). Retrieved March, 2012 from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/54761.Miles_Davis
• Erikson, E. (1959). Identity and the Life Cycle. New York: International Universities Press.
• Marshall, G. (Ed.) (1994). The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Be the change.

Reading Etienne Wenger's (1998) Communities of Practice - Learning, Meaning, and Identity was much like digesting a rather filling full-course meal. Inspired by his choice to illustrate concepts through a slice of the life of claims processors, as seen in Vignette I; for this blog, I will draw from his text and relate several ideas gained from his work to the realities of mine. These will include, but are not limited to: negotiation of meaning, preservation and creation of knowledge, spreading information, and home for identities (pp. 251-253) highlighting the impact of communities of practice. In the last five years I have witnessed first-hand the changing structure of a community-based learning network, as an Adult Learning Program (ALP) instructor, in a learning centre and work activity program. My employment as a math instructor to adult learners began as two communities of practice to which I belonged collided – the math man in me (academic success) and the teacher in me (Theatre and English as a Second Language). Despite not having a Bachelor of Education, I was eager to explore teaching a subject that I have always been quite fond of. However, as I did not have the formal training of my colleagues, I was able to connect with Wenger's words on how “practice is a shared history of learning that requires some catching up for joining” (p. 102). My first year as a full-time math instructor was spent adjusting to the written rules of the organization and the unwritten rules of the classroom. Fortunately, I was asked to review the newly drafted ALP Level II & III curriculum outcomes. After additional exchanges with experienced professionals, I began to acquire a shared repertoire with which to communicate ideas for further development.

One of the first identifiable priorities was to improve the poor example of reification in effect, in which graduating students were being supplied with identical copies of the chapters they had just completed. By simply redistributing replicas of what they had already finished, the learner is justified in feeling left out of their learning path. This was not the learning environment I wanted to condone. Throughout the years working for my current employer, I have inadvertently taken care to include the important factors within the social fabric of learning that Wenger reminds us of. In order to sustain a history of practice in the organizational design of my class curriculum, I created multiple units of study, designed specifically to accommodate the needs of adult learners, using an arrangement that builds upon previously acquired skills. Learners are also encouraged to participate in the process of owning the newly presented concepts. This is done through the maintenance of a math journal of terminology, hints, rules, examples, etc. that will also serve as a reference guide. Providing this continuity of learning and retention through a self-made resource are both examples of negotiation of meaning.

My experience teaching within Nova Scotia's School of Adult Learning (NSSAL) under the Department of Labour and Advanced Education has shown me that there is no short supply of adult learners who are eager to gain the skills needed to attain their Adult High School Diploma. To further meet the needs of our community, our organization submitted proposals for two new programs. Upon approval, we expanded our services to include Level I learners and an ESL class for newcomers to Canada. Each program was full with an ever-growing waiting list. Every adult’s decision to show up to school and upgrade his or her skills provides further proof of Wenger's thought that “learning is inherent in human nature” (p. 226). Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) is utilized on intake to acknowledge existing skills and previous experience. These efforts, as well as the latest trend to incorporate the essential skills needed for the workplace into our lesson plans, are examples of the preservation and creation of knowledge.

The spreading of information has been shared through the professional relationships that have developed within different communities of practice. This happens while networking at conferences, participating in professional development workshops and faculty working groups, and attending classes in a Graduate Studies program in Lifelong Learning. Topics of interest have included classroom management, teaching tools and resources, online learning, and methods of instruction for students with learning differences, to name a few. Until reading Wenger, I always felt that I had the power to control the method in which my classroom functioned. Furthermore, I thought that the more information I gained in the field of adult learning the better my class curriculum would be. When Wenger explains that “communities of practice are about content, not about form and that one can design a curriculum but not learning” (p. 229), I understand that as instructors we do not cause learning; we create a supportive environment in which the learning occurs.

I am grateful for the initial advice I was given to not view the classroom as teaching 15-20 students, rather to see the classroom as 15-20 individual classes. This approach made it possible to work within a program with ongoing enrolment. Learners move at their own pace without feeling bored or left behind. The structure of the class then gives way to groups, promoting shared learning amongst students learning similar material. These were the metaphorical building blocks used to create a community of learning, or rather a home for identities. Identities that learners would bring forth through the discovery of their own potential. Our organization's most recent initiative to include a public business under the same umbrella allows participants to put their recently acquired skills and knowledge in practice in a real life setting.

This blog does not afford the capacity required to list all the ideas found in Wenger's book that surface in the daily-monthly-yearly goings-on of a community-based learning network. The examples that could be discussed are perhaps too numerous and certainly always accumulating, which has led me to the realization that what Wenger says about identity of formation is also true about learning itself. It “is a lifelong process whose phases and rhythms change as the world changes” (p. 263). Whether a learner is on an academic or vocational path, I hope to continue to shape my classroom to provide both a curriculum and atmosphere that encourages and engages the learner to imagine themselves progressing through the program, connecting the content to their life choices, realizing their potential, and furthering their lifelong journey of learning. To do this, I will embrace change and relish in the adaptable nature of life, the growth of relationships, and the ever-changing communities in which we belong.

Bonus Blog

A novel, graphic example of non-participation.

♫ La la lala la ♫ la best community of practice

In the spirit of sharing the discoveries I have made in class, this blog will take you through the process of how I came to realize that the Smurfs could be the ideal community of practice. As suggested in Wenger's (1998) book, communities of practice can be recognized through numerous different indicators. My interest here is to highlight the characteristics of the most ideal community of practice beneficial to the process of lifelong learning. In my own experiences in this class, I have discovered that learning can be attained in many ways. My 'aha' moment came through assigned readings and classroom discussions. It is through these discoveries that I arrived at the conclusion that the best example of a community of practice that I could think of was the Smurfs living in their village.

In our GSLL 6206 class, we have seen how human beings experience life in an unrefined primate-like manner. Some knowledge comes naturally or instinctively; like scratching an itch, balancing to stand, or developing the skills to walk. Tomasello does well in guiding us to the point of becoming humans in Cultural Origins of Human Cognition. This served as an appropriate introduction to Wenger, who examines how we, as humans, learn with and from each other. In his book, Wenger provides a detailed list of what one might consider criteria for a community of practice to exist. It is from these indicators that I will make my associations.

From Wenger's indicators of a community of practice (p. 125-126)

1. sustained reciprocal relationships
2. mutual engagement
3. rapid flow of information
4. ongoing interactions without preface
5. ability to quickly set up discussions of resolve
6. mutual consensus of who belongs
7. knowing each other’s contributable strengths
8. reciprocally shaping identities
9. able to measure actions and products as appropriate
10. use tools and artefacts specific to their culture
11. common ground based on shared stories
12. integrative terminology easing communication
13. certain manners representing membership
14. shared view of the world

When Pierre Culliford (Peyo) created the Smurfs in 1958, he may not have intentionally set out to portray an excellent example of a community of practice. He has in fact given us an ideal society in which learning occurs through interacting with each other. Everyone's own expertise in a certain area uses their particular set of skills to contribute to the group. If there is some heavy lifting to be done, the Smurfs call on Hefty. To have a hearty laugh, follow Jokey around. Enjoy the beauty of music with Harmony. Learn to love your self like Vanity. Need something fixed, Handy will handle it. The list goes on and on, but I want to focus now on how this long standing community of practice reflects the same qualities as mentioned by Wenger.

In relation to Wenger's fourteen indicators of a community of practice:

1. lifelong relationships with each other, Smurfette, and her evil creator Gargamel
2. shared participation at work and play
3. easily communicated ideas in a closely-knit community where..
4. understood meanings facilitate information sharing
5. issues most often resolved directly by Papa Smurf
6. those who are blue and about three apples tall belong
7. each smurf is able to contribute to their cooperative society
8. celebrations, adventures, events are all shared
9. can distinguish between good and bad, do what is best for the community
10. a range of tools from Handy's toolbox, Painter's paints, to Papa Smurf's potions
11. shared cultural history from years of living together
12. the word 'smurf' used as a noun, a verb, or affixes in almost any situation (a smurfy day to go smurfing for smurfberries) 
13. all but Papa Smurf and Smurfette wear white pants, white shoes, and a white hat
14. a united society with family values

The discussions we have had in class further build on this idea. Separated groups were assigned the task to list the qualities needed to fulfil Wenger's ideal community of practice. Without referencing his book, some of the key elements that we thought necessary included: a shared interest, open communication, self-motivation, trust, respect, being open to different ways, and a desire to belong. These qualities are also present in the land of the Smurfs. They are happy to be a member of their society, respectful to each other, with equal contributions, open to others as they demonstrated in welcoming Smurfette to their group, and in a way dependent on each other's strength and sense of unity.

This notion of drawing from each other to benefit the group is a manner in which to learn from the individual strengths of others. Through this collaborative process we share our skill set with those who are interested, and we learn with the help of experts from all walks of life. This collaborative learning environment supports Wenger's idea that “we cannot become human by ourselves” (1998, p.146). It might not be a very practical choice in our daily lives, as we are expected to participate in an educational system designed with specific curricular outcomes. Fiscally it might be difficult to have so many specialists on hand to share their acquired knowledge with others. With so many different professionals, a structured schedule of learning may be a challenge administratively. The example of Smurf village as a viable community of practice may not be a realistic possibility as there would be practical issues to overcome. Although it might not be the most ideal community of practice, I think that we can all agree that it is the smurfiest.

Here comes the sun...

This tale originates many millions of years ago when an important group of mammals existed on planet earth, the primates. Classified into two distinct groups: the Prosimians and the Simians, who tend to be larger. The Prosimians resemble earlier primates, and include the lemurs of Madagascar. The island of Madagascar was a result of a piece of landmass breaking off of India about 88 million years ago (Torsvik, T. et al., 2000). Lemurs found their way onto this island 62 to 65 million years ago by means of rafts made vegetation (Huber & Ali, 2010).  Like the primates, lemurs can be distinguished by size; the smaller being more solitary and nocturnal, whereas, the larger are more social and active during the day. Like most animals, this group of lemurs has much potential. Within their species, they communicate with each other through sounds and calls, establish relationships, and work together. In essence, they live in a social environment. For the purpose of this blog, I will take artistic license by personifying the lemurs to provide an example of the concept brought forward by Wenger (1998) regarding reification within a society.

Let us consider for a moment the lives of a group of lemurs that co-habit a shared nesting area. It should be noted that prior to this, the lemurs would always sleep in. They lived their lives day by day, awake after dawn and nestled in before dusk. The sun seemed everlasting to them. Our story begins one morning, when this group of lemurs wake up at sunrise. The littlest lemur woke up earliest, went for a walk, and gasped in disbelief. Returning to the others, he proceeded to wake them up to share in this amazing discovery. As the sun rose over the east coast of the island, each and every lemur basked in the clearing they were led to under this powerful source of light and warmth. Having been the first time that they witnessed the complete rising of the sun, the group was all a twitter about its significance. They had always taken this light for granted. To them it was a given that there was light during the day. The day went on with excitement and restlessness in the air. The enthusiastic lemurs were buzzing about this newly observed phenomenon. Given the limitations of their vocal patterns, this big great thing soon became referred to as “Oooii”. 

Now that they had a shared understanding of this entity in the sky, Oooii was the hot topic during the day’s activities. What began as a shared experience at dawn had now trickled into their daily routine. Their lives were now permanently altered. It became commonplace for a lemur to stop whatever it was doing to stare at the sun, for a moment, in wonderment. As the first day under Oooii’s light grew longer and nightfall approached, they anxiously saw the sun slowly set over the horizon. That first night was long. Some awoke in the dark of night, uncertain; some had trouble getting to sleep. The important new role that the sun played in their lives was already having a significant impact. The lemurs were beginning to attribute meaning to it. Needless to say, they no longer simply cared for themselves and each other; they now took into consideration the powers of this far-away object. The next morning, the lemurs collectively woke up to witness the sunrise. This practice persisted and became more elaborate as days passed. Some would dance to celebrate the new day; others would leave food on the east shore of the island as offerings to the brightest star. At dusk, the group would all gather and collectively vocalize their desires for the sun to return.

The lemurs seemed to have complete control of their lives until that one fateful day when they witnessed the rising sun. On one occasion, the group had begun to prepare a welcome for the newest member of the community, but it was overcast. Although there were rays of light beaming through the clouds, the sun was nowhere to be seen. Panic set in amongst the group. Next morning, upon seeing the sun rise, the more socially dominant female of the group began to migrate west, hoping to see where Oooii went each evening. The rest of the group followed suit. The next night saw the demise of a number of lemurs. The most eager of the group went further ahead in their journey to track the sun. As it began to set off the west coast of the island, lemurs gave up their natural connection to land and continued to follow their mighty sun off of cliffs, only to be swallowed by the ocean.   

Lemurs react to the sun as it emerges through an overcast sky.

This story illustrates the dangers of giving too much meaning to something which has reified into one’s society. In Wenger's (1998) book, Communities of Practice, he states that reification exists when “we project our meanings into the world and then we perceive them as existing in the world, as having a reality of their own” (p. 58). The example of the lemurs following the sun to their eternal resting place, no doubt demonstrates how putting more emphasis than necessary on something can be detrimental; highlighting how misappropriated power can affect the way we live our lives. In the case of the lemurs, the amount of power attributed to the sun began to take control of their lives. This cautionary tale allows us to see some of the risks involved with reification.

Words, words, words

In this blog, I will examine how humans develop their abilities to impact their cultural surroundings. A vital contributing factor to this cultural impact is 'language'. For a moment let us consider this weighty word. 

"Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about"

Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897 - 1941)

Language, from the Latin term for tongue, plays a lead role in the feature films that are each of our lives. Such basic skills, speaking and then in turn the written word that are often taken for granted, but are the foundations that we, as a collaborative and cooperative society, have built upon. To grow, to seek happiness, to live – these are simple goals. To achieve these objectives, we need to be able to share. To do this we need to transfer information. To do this we need language. This remarkable innovation, fuelled by humans, has been modified to accommodate our daily lives. We live in the world that we do as a result of our upbringing, our education, our creations; and would any of this be possible without language? Tomasello's book The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition has no shortage of new vocabulary worthy of a second look. Suitably, this acquisition of new terminology enables us to communicate about such lifelong learning concepts. To name a few: the ratchet effect (the evolutionary process of our innovations), joint attention scenes (awareness and shared attention with intention), emulation learning (stimulus → force → result), verbal island constructions (verbs having different connotations which become more complex verbal phrases), and my personal favourite, holophrases (one word representation for multiple meanings).

As I connect the dots between the information I receive through classroom discussions, readings, and my own experiences, I am reminded of teaching English as a Second Language to international learners of all ages. For the most part, my students have been quite keen to gain as much knowledge as possible, to improve their ability to communicate in an english environment. Therefore, an effective method to guide them is introducing several new words when a new term is acquired (act, acting, acted, actor, actress, action, act-out, react, reacted, reaction, etc.). What I find extremely interesting is that although we share this uniquely human ability to speak through language, we have expanded this inherent capability into different languages. This seems like it could be detrimental to the simplicity in which we communicate with each other. More separations (ie: language diversity) lead to less collaboration. On the other hand, the non-human species undeniably have their own ways to communicate with the use of their own vocalization. I wonder if there is one dog language or several different dog languages? One method of communication that animals share, human and non-human alike, is body language. As discussed in class recently, when visiting a new country where one doesn't speak the local vernacular, gestures and charades play an important role in communication.

  

In instances of humans showing inability with language skills, new ways to communicate develop. These could be brail for the blind, closed captions for the deaf, or the written word for the mute. Because of the nature of our environment, humans naturally want to interact with society. As we develop, we learn from meeting our needs through our surroundings. At first we learn gestures and their intention. We learn letters which are symbols used to create words. Then we learn the symbolic meaning behind these words. It has been suggested that we enter the human race three times: first, when we are conceived; second, when we are born; and third, when we reach 9-12 months and gain the ability to understand others' intentions. I'd suggest a potential fourth emergence into humanity – the case of feral children.

When I first learned about feral children, I immediately thought that this would present an excellent opportunity to examine a human in a non-human environment. After doing some research, I discovered that there are only a handful of well-documented cases. National Geographic's Feral Children, an excellent video (about 50 minutes in five parts), refers to children separated from society and found living in the wild for an extended period of time. Each wild child adapted to their non-human environment. In order to communicate, they imitated the behaviours and sounds of their surroundings. In a very real sense, they lost their humanity. However, once re-integrated into cultural society, they each learned how to be human again – potentially the fourth emergence.

In closing, let's consider human culture without language. Take a moment to think about the idea of learning through storytelling without words.  A picture is worth a thousand words. How well are we able to interpret images as stories without our capacity to communicate? To expand on a known conundrum, which came first the image or the word? What of the ability to tell a story without a single word, nothing spoken, nothing written; complete with well-developed characters, a through-line, and even a message to impart. There is no doubt that we can communicate with pictures. Case in point, The Artist, a silent movie nominated for ten 2012 Academy Awards. As you view the following link: What were you raised by wolves?, ask yourself why you are able to appreciate the story – is it because of your extensive vocabulary? Is this ability to tell a story without words made possible through years of inheriting our cultural history through language, or could this story be told without the existence of words, words, words?

References

• A picture is worth a thousand words. (1921). In Wikipedia.

• Brosgol, V. (2010). What were you raised by wolves? Retrieved January 26, 2012, from verabee.com
• Christenson, H. & Matthews, V. (Writers). (2007). Feral Children. [Video File]. National Geographic.
• Hazanavicius, M. (2011). The Artist [Motion Picture]. France & Belgium: La Petite Reine. 
• Tomasello, M. (1999). The cultural origins of human cognition. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
• Whorf, B. L. (1964). Language, thought, and reality. Cambridge: MIT Press.
• Words, words, words. (1987). In Wikipedia.

First Impressions

In the field of education, interest has risen in the notion of learning through multiple intelligences, such as: spatial, kinesthetic, logical, linguistic, naturalistic, musical, and personal (see: Frames of Mind, H. Gardner, 1983). This concept illustrates how unique we are individually within our species, and furthers the idea that we each have our own way of learning. Before we achieve this level of cognition, individuals first each undergo developments in the methods or processes of thinking. To reach a full understanding of this cognitive development, let's examine the first impressions humans made on this planet through evolution and the emergence of learning amongst humans.

Learning is...


Knot working

In our first GSLL 6206 Lifelong Learning Processes class, Dr. Plumb, showed us how to tie a bowline (non-slip) knot. Before demonstrating varied methods of instruction, he engaged the class, creating a desire amongst students to acquire this new skill. Each student, with their provided piece of rope attempted to duplicate his knot, by following his actions. This instruction was non-verbal and purely visual. Dr. Plumb performed the necessary steps to tie a bowline knot as any sailor naturally would. At least one student was able to achieve the goal (I was not). The second attempt was through a handout illustrating the five steps to tying a bowline knot.   

  

Following the steps in the image allowed us to work at our own pace, a benefit compared to the duplication required in the first attempt. However, once again, I was unable to recreate the knot with confidence. It was now clear to me that I learn best through verbal or linguistic teaching methods. Fortunately, the next approach Dr. Plum took was more specific instruction (ie: make the rope in the shape of a 6) and storytelling (the tree grows from the ground the rabbit comes up from the hole, goes around the tree, and back down the hole). In the end, I was able to accomplish the task, retain the new skill, and teach others to tie a bowline knot using a combination of the methods used. Many animals have the ability to problem solve. A non-mammal example of problem solving skills can be seen through the following link illustrating the remarkable intelligence of crows, with a video in which a crow goes through several steps to reach food with the use of multi-tools.

Evolution

Human beings were not the first form of life on planet earth. Once animals began to emerge and evolve, amongst those that came into existence were primates. To understand how we think as humans we can begin by seeking to understand our ancestors. Tomasello reminds us in The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition (1999) how much we have in common with chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos. After reading and classroom discussions, much of what I was taking in seemed familiar. It then occurred to me that I had seen an excellent series on the same subject material (BBC - Walking with Cavemen). Through several episodes the viewer can witness the emergence of bipedal primates, their separation into groups, the rise of their abilities to use tools, and form relationships. In short, this lead to the beginning of societal tendencies. The choices made by our ancestors become our evolutionary heritage, this provided a history of acquired knowledge to build upon. Our inherited knowledge accounts for why the terminology developing the ability to walk is more accurate than learning how to walk.

A major factor in determining who we are and where we came from has been and will continue to be our surrounding environment. Though I agree with Tomasello in that it should be noted that enculurated apes (those raised in captivity) do not provide a true representation of their natural existence; I found there to be a lack of focus on exploring the elements that make each human being unique from the other. Tomasello reaffirms that although primates share the ability to learn through emulation and imitative learning, what distinguishes humans is understanding the intentions of our actions. It may be a safe presumption that if Tomasello agrees with the expression: monkey see, monkey do; he may build upon it into: human see, human do with intention.
  
The following video, taken last month in the Ugandan forest, shows the primates sharing their attention on one fixed event; evidence of relationships and status as the alpha male enters the scene and attention is again shifted. The further we explore the connections we share with our primate ancestors; we are reminded that we are all apes with potential.  

Culture

Tomasello suggests that cumulative cultural evolution is a result of cultural transmission. This is evidence of the ratchet effect (building upon something) shown in primates' cooperative and collaborative learning. Who are we but how others see us. In my opinion, our lives are and can be seen as a collection of different experiences shared with others, during our time on this planet.

Drawing from personal experience as a math instructor for adults, it could be argued that it is socially acceptable to be bad at math. I believe this to be an example of one's surroundings having an impact at a crucial age. Many parents read their children to sleep to benefit their acquisition of new vocabulary. This is an act of parenting that is encouraged. However, we rarely hear people say: “Count to your children” to improve their numeracy. In this way we contribute to the socially accepted notion of having poor math skills.

The learning capacities of primates and by extension humans are evident in our own existence. Videos available through Youtube provide examples of non-primates using their own cognitive development to achieve an objective, be it nourishment or entertainment. For example, a crow showing definite intent towards an object, even if the intent is to enjoy the act of tubing; and dolphins creatively finding an alternative to feeding.