@inspirelilminds // ashleybcongdon@gmail.com
CEP 818: Creatively Teaching & Learning
"Whether we are attempting to understand ourselves [or] other people...it is imperative that we learn to use the feelings, emotions, and intuitions that are the bases of the creative imagination. That is the whole point of gourmet thinking and education." ~Root-Bernstein
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Veja du
An everyday item with a slight twist. How often do we take the time to really look around us? How often do we take the time to observe? Our surroundings? Our thoughts? Our emotions? With the fast-pace nature of our world today it can take an unusual something, an out of the ordinary or strange something, to catch our attention… to slow our movements… to give us pause for thinking, questioning, observation. Veja du, or making the familiar look strange, asks us to rethink our thinking, to notice how we are thinking, creating, or processing information so that we are better thinkers all around. To the side, there is a set of photos. This is my attempt to “veja du” an everyday object. It was an opportunity for me to rethink this object and others...objects I normally “see” became objects that I began to “feel” and interact with. When you're ready to take a guess, click here.
How Do I Love Thee: Perceiving Dawn
Perception is how we make meaning, how we interpret our world. Perceptions are built from
personal experiences – in school, at home, or
interactions with friends and among strangers. What meanings have been most useful thus far in life? Our perceptions are strategic and initially based on our natural fight or flight response, we are born ready to notice the novel or frightful.
However, perception is malleable. A valuable part of the art of perception is that we are able to train our minds to take it further than fight or flight. Individuals can be strategic in honing our own perceptive habits. Given a particular reason for building meaning, and when partnered with intentional practice, we can tailor our perception, or the way we make meaning, for uses that go beyond our natural instincts.
For this module, I observed dawn, a moment that everyone experiences daily. My initial observation felt systematic. When I woke up I went through a series of steps to get from Point A (the bed) to Point B (the classroom). It was a “safe” way to wake up because everything in my day was
planned or mapped out, and after thinking about our natural instincts of perceiving threats or the unpredicted, it makes sense that I would want to cover my grounds. In my initial observation I had checked off checklists even before stepping out of bed. I was jumping head first into the later part of my morning without savoring the senses. The image above is my attempt to capture my first perception of dawn. It consists of to do lists, reminders that are running through my head, and the day's schedule. The colors are black and white to signify the muted senses with which I greeted my morning.
As I re-imagined dawn, I gave greater focus to my senses. I noticed...the sound of Zoe’s soft breathing. The coolness of the sheets and slight breeze from the fan. The stillness of the day. The smell of freshly brewed coffee. I recognized that my senses were just reset and rebooted with a night's rest. I had skipped over them entirely during my initial observation, and I wanted to capture this perception in days going forward. My re-imagining is reflected by the "morning mantra," which is how I envisioned this focus on the senses -- a new, directed “slowing" of the mind. I did not jump straight to the day's schedule, but I realized that it is within my reach to begin each day with a much looser, more freeing awareness.
What I found through this practice of re-perceiving dawn is that during my second try I was attempting to train my mind to filter through the extra thoughts. I was trying to focus my mind on my senses, on the familiar surroundings that I had become so accustomed to. I am with my body all day, which makes it no longer novel. To pause just long enough in the morning to notice how I was feeling or what intentions I had for my day, was a practice of acknowledging myself, my limbs, my thoughts, my environment, all of which I had not been perceiving in the mornings prior to this experience. In truth, old habits can be difficult to break, and in the mornings following this re-perceiving exercise I struggled to adapt to this slowed or more in-tune form of perceiving dawn. This is the reason behind the "morning mantra" scroll. To achieve the continued "rethought" morning, I am actively, with much effort, guiding my thoughts in a certain direction and away from others. I admire all of the scientists, artists, business people, teachers, and others who have stepped into this re-thinking mindset enough times that it has become their usual way of perceiving the world around them. It made me realize how practice with re-perceiving is necessary to re-train our ingrained train of thought.
Mindfulness is about focusing your attention. Mindfulness is a practice that I am slowly incorporating into my classroom, but I need to experience it personally before I can truly share with my students. I am glad that I have begun to practice focused attention in the morning. The process of rethinking my mornings gave me a greater understanding of how moments throughout the day, throughout life, can be understood in such a vast number of ways that I have yet to experience. I’ve been yearning for a creative outlet, which is why I chose this class. And while it is exciting to realize that the freedom to create is within my grasp, I have also experienced frustration attempting to train my perceptive lens. I read about a new word the other day -- precrastination, which was defined as getting things done just for the sake of it, at the expense of thoughtful execution (Mindful, December 2015). And I would like to transform the way I perceive dawn from a precrastination tone to one of mindfulness.
The Creative "I": Defining Creativity
Through the interview process, I uncovered narrowness in my thinking of which I was not aware. As explained in Sparks of Genius, there is a "myth embodied in the assertion, 'Give ten artists a scene to paint and you will get ten different paintings, but give ten scientists the same problem to solve, and if they solve it correctly, you will get ten identical answers,'" (Root-Bernstein, page 131). When preparing for the interview, I immediately asked Robin and Mike if they would share their thoughts on creativity. I realized it was because I associated creativity with the visual arts. Both Robin and Mike graduated from the College for Creative Studies, and are currently in advertising and design, jobs that immediately draw creativity to mind.
The interview was held around the kitchen counter as friends and family were visiting. On our last morning, I approached my interviewees for their insight. The experience began as an interview and shifted into a conversation among almost seven people.* I think this occurred because creativity is a tool that impacts more than the visual arts; it is a part of our human experience. When my other aunt and uncle began to chime in, an executive in telecommunications and an engineer, I questioned my immediate response to interview Robin and Mike. The topic of creativity pulled in almost all of my family members, and I recognized my definition of who qualifies as creative needs to shift as well. Creativity was defined as thinking outside of the box, non-linear thinking, not the usual. The creative process was explained to be looking at something old in a new way, doing the opposite of what has been done.
I believe creativity is universally appreciated even though it is difficult to define. A creative lens looks at something differently, is a shift in perception which allows for initial observations to expand. One must acknowledge failure and diversity as part of this process. In seeking to be different, realize that mistakes, and standing out as unusual, are essentials when heading down the creative path. To become more creative in my own life, I would find ways to capture "outside of the box" moments, which could look as simple as taking a new trail the next time I walk Zoe to learning something (maybe knitting) in front of my students. If I purposefully incorporate "outside of the box" thinking as a part of my daily process, I believe it would become a more natural way of understanding the world. Since I also want to celebrate creativity within the classroom, my students need a space where they are safe to make mistakes and stand out as different. By providing a NEW rubric within the classroom, our classroom could talk about the creative products students make. I also
recognize a need for flexibility when assessing students' creativity.
*Please click here if you would like full notes on the interview turned conversation.
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How Do I Love Thee: Patterning
Patterning is when you identify repetition, whether it is in similarities or in variation, that then allows for useful associations or connections to be made that were not made previously. The topic I am focusing on is mindfulness, and during my initial exploration I was viewed the images that are related to mindfulness. I compiled several images into a document where I then noticed several patterns, including nature (water droplets, water rings, stacking stones, sand, water, trees or landscapes), docks, meditating or seated practice, arrows, the words “now,” “here,” and “present,” as well as images of solitude. I found patterns in coloring as well. Many images related to mindfulness incorporated earth tones (blue, green, brown, and yellow) while others used various gray shades. One other pattern that stood out is the recurrence of the head. This image makes sense due to the fact that MIND-fulness is a very powerful mental practice. In order to further my search of patterns, I created a word cloud using the text from several mindfulness articles. Using this method, I was able to identify vocabulary patterns, which include the repeated, "attention, awareness, one, feelings, thoughts, suggests, emotions, moment, helps, breathing, and body." (Side note: I used a Wordle that I felt mimicked the stacked stones image.) The images and text provide a visual connection and representation of an
Image
internal practice. The images help unite the mind and body. Seeing these images elsewhere could help a student remember the feelings, thoughts or emotions they experienced while practicing mindfulness at a prior time. This is why I consider these visual patterns to be helpful cues. The images and text have potential to guide students toward focused attention, non-judgment, calm or peace, if they are used in combination with their practice. A class might be directed by a teacher’s voice or by a sound (e.g. singing bowl). And when the sounds is used in combination with visuals, students now have both senses to combine with the invisible practice within their minds, possible visible practice of their body (relaxed limbs, resting face, slowed breathing, etc.).
When forming a pattern, I was searching for a way to mesh the existing patterns of text and image. Can I create a unit from these patterns? A unit that can be repeated and manipulated? A unit that will also provide a way to make combinations for meaning? I thought that by interacting with layers of the visual cues, I could provide students with a method for making a very internal process, visible, as well as personalized. I searched for letters within the images. And then I created a text + image of the word mindfulness using found pieces of images. Students could use this "anchor artifact" as an example, and then create their own patterns of images and word(s), maybe even designing their own images of what mindfulness mean to them.
Text + Image
How Do I Love Thee: Abstracting
Abstracting is portraying an essential element of a concept in a way that feels as if the entire concept is simplified, but by doing so, you actually provide a deeper understanding of the concept as a whole.
The concept I am exploring is mindfulness. I view mindfulness as a way of being. A mindful life incorporates the belief of living in the present moment. A mindful person reminds themselves to slow down and to pay attention. Mindfulness encourages non-judgment, and it is this last piece of mindfulness that I am abstracting. When a person embraces a non-judgmental mind, an essential element of mindfulness, that person is acknowledging their thoughts without passing judgment. The charge is to sit with your thoughts. It is necessary not only to sit with your thoughts but to also acknowledge them. The non-judgmental mind accepts internal thinking without labeling thoughts in any way. Ultimately, this provides room for someone to embrace their truth.
The two abstractions I developed include a drawing and a poem. I chose a drawing in order to provide a concrete and visual representation of a practice that is based on an “invisible” process of internal thinking. The drawing is an abstract of an abstract thought process. When I began I was intent on creating the end image, where the silhouette is sitting among all of the emotions. However, I wanted to provide depth and a sense of time to the visual to emphasize the work and the time necessary for a non-judgmental mind. The desire to capture the sense of time led me to creating a stop motion clip.
I chose to write a poem as a second method of abstracting. I chose poetry because I wanted to give the non-judgment element a voice. Further, as I write this explanation I see another connection or link between the two abstracts. The essential element that came about as I explored these abstracts as a pair is that a non-judgmental mind is always present. The mind is fluid, flexible, and malleable, moving with you as you move throughout life. While the mind and your thoughts are with you wherever you body goes, you can also recharge your non-judgmental side as you practice purposeful meditation. While your practice does not have to be while seated, I am enjoying the jump between the two abstractions. The visual emphasizes the importance of time spent practicing while the poem offers context for ways in which your practice can empower the rest of your life, “I am a container for my thoughts, but my thoughts do not define me.”
It is with a non-judgmental mind that we gain greater perspective on life, our decisions, and all of the choices we have available. It is important to acknowledge that while our thoughts are always with us, we have the ability to control our actions and reactions.
"My thoughts"
I am a container for my thoughts,
but my thoughts do not define me.
I am at ease, alone with my mind.
i seek peace among the unpredictable.
i seek peace through the repetative.
free of judgment,
I nod a greeting toward my thoughts.
observing, welcoming, accepting
my container of thoughts.
i am a container for my thoughts,
but my thoughts do not define me.
Creative "I": Variations on a Theme
Blending the likes of Outkast's "So Fresh, So Clean" with the information from Henriksen, Mishra and the Deep Play Research Group of Michigan State University, allowed me to explore my personal creative process, and my variation, "New Knobs, New Connections," can be viewed here.
"SAY YES, AND YOU'LL FIGURE IT ALL OUT AFTERWARD." ~Tina Fey
Recently, one of the speakers at a teacher-led TEDTalk asked our faculty to consider Fey's advice of "Yes!" The session was titled, "Yes, and..." to highlight the value in trying something new whether you have it all figured out or not. Variations on a Theme allowed room to step outside the box, and I decided I would approach it with a strong, "Yes!" I chose a song that incorporated a very quick beat, and it was difficult for me to emulate initially. However, I realized that part of the creative process for myself is simply starting. While Outkasts's rap verses were challenging to mirror, after spending time analyzing the syllables and sentence structure, I found more connections between the song and the research than previously thought. The connections were available because I had filled a necessary "inspiration pool" and began building my rapping know-how. My takeaways work hand in hand. First, realize that saying, "Yes!" allows for opportunities to stretch yourself as a learner. Second, by saying yes and investing time in as many learning experiences as possible you broaden your knoweldge base, bringing to light the once "invisible" knobs. Only when knobs are visible, are they are ready to manipulate, permute, and combine. In other words, only when you open your mind to rapping will it be within your grasp.
How Do I Love Thee: Embodied Thinking
Embodied thinking is when you pay attention to what your body is telling you -- gut feelings, movement, energy, posture, muscles, body extensions, etc. -- and allow it to support your understanding of the world. I would also refer to embodied thinking as a sixth sense. Empathizing is when you extend yourself to connect with something outside of your own person, whether it is human, animal, or inanimate, so that you and the something are one in the same. These practices provide a thinker with greater insight into his or her personal understanding and greater perspective of other beings.
I would argue that even though mindfulness takes place primarily within the mind, a large component of the practice encourages the connection between our mind and our bodies from the beginning. When I introduce mindfulness to students, many tend to isolate the practice to the one or two times each day we practice in school as a class, and there are many students that do not initially connect mindfulness with embodied thinking. For this reason, I decided to complete this assignment with particular students in mind – those who have difficulty with embodied thinking even though it is an integral piece of mindfulness at the start.
Specifically, I want to support students with mindfulness and body language; I noticed a handful of students that react to situations in ways, which don’t always support positive interactions with their peers (eye rolling, scoffing noises, crossed arms, etc.). They don’t see how their body is talking, or thinking, for them. I’m asking students to mindfully consider what their movements, posture, facial expressions, etc. are saying to others, in hopes of developing more mindful communication.
I’m asking students to consider how our bodies talk to one another. I’m connecting the mindful exercises we’ve practiced in class individually into a daily and interpersonal context. How do we read another person’s embodied thinking? What messages are we sending with our body language? How are our bodies feeling and thinking? First, students analyze characters from Pixar’s Inside Out -- Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust, and then we created a poster of our own to teach other students about embodied thinking. Click here to view the students' examples of mindful embodied thinking.
When students understand how to think with their bodies, or extend themselves with empathetic thinking, they are better participants in our classroom mindfulness practice and begin transferring the technique to moments outside of school. Through embodied thinking students are better able to verbalize what they are thinking or feeling when practicing mindfulness in a concrete way. For example, “My body feels still. My breath is slow and deep. My body is showing me that I’m calm.” Through empathetic thinking students are better able to relate to their peers, connect with people that are different from them, and understand abstract concepts we are studying in the classroom (fractions, Civil War, parts of speech, etc.).
How Do I Love Thee:
Modeling & Dimensional Thinking
Modeling is when a concept is communicated through a medium that makes the concept tangible or workable in a way that it was not previously. The model allows the user to learn about the concept through a different material, scale, dimension, perspective, etc.
The topic I continue to explore is mindfulness. And I am attempting to model mindfulness through the combination of mapping, symbols, and reflection. The mapping model of mindfulness gives a perceivable depth to a very internal and personal practice. The learner gains perspective on several dimensions of mindfulness when reading the map. It is an interesting paradox that you can sit in a room full of others meditating, practicing mindfulness, and still have little to no idea of what anyone else is experiencing. “In almost all cases, the point of a model is to make accessible something that is difficult to experience easily,” (Sparks of Genius, 229). Through the graphic representation of mindful mapping a person may choose to share their journey and how such a private practice vastly intersects with other people in their life.
I chose to highlight two main spaces (home and school) through images because they are constants within most of my days. There are several dimensions that are modeled in the two images. The images, themselves being the first dimension, provide a visual connection to mindfulness. Time, space, frequency, level of interaction, and reflection are also included. The time is listed in the notes for each marker. Spaces are identified through the images as well as the positions of the markers. The number of markers models the frequency of mindful moments. I also decided to include various colors to represent the level of interaction, or in other words the number of people that are effected by the modeler’s mindfulness, which I defined as independent (black), small group (blue), or large group (green). For example, I found that I have more independent moments of mindfulness at home than at school. Additionally, brief reflections offer context for each marker.
I believe there are several educational implications when thinking dimensionally about mindfulness. I see various types of users – users that are mapping their mindfulness and users that are learning from others’ mapping by noticing patterns. By zooming into the process at several levels connections are made that were not initially visible. For example, a group of students could map their days of mindfulness over images from their personal learning spaces, playground, lunchroom, and hallways. It would be very interesting to see where mindfulness is being practiced in a school setting and how students perceive their practice as impacting others. Each student could model on their own layer, but all layers would be visible. Maybe students find that they have several markers within the classroom, and then compare this space to the playground (where I often have conflict due to
miscommunication in game situations). It would be so interesting to compare the frequency of markers on the blacktop or play set areas to those in the classroom. This type of modeling would support a variety of conversations, as well as support student use on many levels. The mindful mapping would highlight how influential and widespread their personal practice is capable of being.
Furthermore, I can see this method of modeling opening up learning opportunities beyond the individual learner or individual classroom. If mindful mapping were used on a school-wide level, the connections could potentially inform school character initiatives and even support conversations between home and school. This modeling provides information that could be gathered over time (days, weeks, months even) allowing comparisons and dialogue around mindfulness and its impact on a personal and community level. Another variation I am considering for this model is wearing a GoPro camera to document different portions of a day so that groups of learners could analyze moments for mindfulness. Ultimately, the big picture is that this dimensional modeling of mindfulness provides a means of opening up an internal practice. This way of living that is embodied within, a confined practice, gains a voice through modeling.
Creative "I": Architecture of Space
I prefer to complete most of my work -- as a student, as well as for teaching & for life events -- at coffee shops. However, I am particular about the shops I frequent because I don't find all coffee shops to be engaging work environments. Caribou Coffee has been my favorite chain, but with several of the Caribou shops closing nearby, I was forced to begin exploring other workspaces. I found another compatible replacement in The Office Coffee Shop. Part of the reason I zeroed in on The Office Coffee Shop for this assignment was because it was local, but I want to broaden my scope to coffee shops with locations that are a bit of a drive. Reason being, as I began to develop a list of coffee shops I could quite possibly live in, I observed patterns existing across them all. A few of my favorites include: Raven Café (Port Huron, MI); Grand River Coffee Café (East Lansing, MI – closed); Kresge Court (Detroit, MI); Great Lakes Coffee (Maple Theater, Birmingham, MI). These spaces are special, engaging, and useful in my opinion because of these specific similarities.
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a warm and cozy feeling – fireplaces, log cabin/natural materials
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comfortable atmosphere – padded furniture, various heights for seating/tables, calmer music
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home away from home – welcoming coffee shop staff that have a “yes” attitude for customers
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scalable working spaces – areas for individuals, pairs or groups and conducive to various types of activities
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open floor plan – uses some creative methods to create separate spaces so that concentration is possible all while the coffee shop feels completely connected
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inviting community in – bands, artists, or presenters from local community, and a space for dinners or events
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playful – board games, live music, interactive chalkboards, personalized, book swaps, little twists (designs in the coffee, holiday décor, staff picks)
In “Four types of spaces that support creativity & innovation in business” writers at Enviable Workplace emphasize the importance of spaces that offer stimulation, reflection, collaboration, and play. My favorite coffee shops provide these four characteristics, and more. The “more” factor is explained by the Deep-Play Research Group in “A Room of their own” when they say that truly engaging spaces are formed around their inhabitants’ needs, rather than the architect’s vision. Only when the architect’s vision and the needs of the inhabitants are one in the same, does the space truly support its people. It is possible that if the architect studies the interactions of the people using the space they can create an engaging space. While each of these coffee shops is a business and needs to meet certain requirements, I feel that their spark, or special quality, is that they have personalized the space for their patrons by taking note of their needs (providing newspapers, a bulletin board for local events, allowing customers to move furniture, interactive walls filled with books or photos of frequent visitors). The paying customers have been made a part of the shop, provided with freedoms and choice that isn’t always possible in other workspaces.
If these qualities are so important in a space that I am choosing to spend time in, doesn’t it make sense that my classroom should function in a similar manner by providing students with spaces of inspiration, for thinking, to share, as well as explore? I certain think so.
Note: I wanted to represent all of the spaces mentioned above, so the collage is made up of images gathered via Internet. The Office Coffee Shop was within a reasonable distance, and you can view my photos of this engaging space here.
 GreatLakesCoffee |  GreatLakesCoffee2 |
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 OfficeCoffeeShop |  OfficeCoffeeShop2 |
 OfficeCoffeeShop3 |  Caribou |
 Caribou2 |  Caribou3 |
 Caribou4 |  GrandRiverCoffee |
 GrandRiverCoffee2 |  GrandRiverCoffee3 |
 GrandRiverCoffee4 |  GrandRiverCoffee5 |
 GrandRiverCoffee6 |  GrandRiverCoffee7 |
 B&N |  B&N2 |
 Kresge |  Kresge2 |
 Kresge3 |  Kresge4 |
 Kresge5 |  Kresge6 |
 Raven |  Raven2 |
 Raven4 |  Raven5 |
 Raven6 |  Raven7 |
How Do I Love Thee: Play
I think of play as learning that is without a box -- there are no parameters, not necessarily rules to follow unless you create them yourself, and certainly no pressures of grades, timelines, or even an end goal. Purposeful play is always the right fit because the learner is in charge and automatically personalizes his or her space, challenge, supports, and tools. This freedom allows room for growth, room for the unexpected, and room for happy accidents that might not have occurred in other settings.
I am using a combination of Zentangles & National Geographic’s Music Mixer as an introductory activity to mindfulness because I find both of these art forms to be playful, as well as full of meaning. Within the last few years, I realize that I have let myself drift too far from the days of folding paper, shading designs, building everything from scratch, and making, simply for the sake of making. When I was contemplating an introductory activity I asked myself when the last time I felt naturally connected with my body and in the present moment (without the purposeful intent of my mindfulness practice in gear). In drifted a memory from this summer - a lovely, whimsical birthday gift had landed in my lap - a coloring book and set of fresh, sharpened colored pencils! The first chance I got, I “lost myself” in this book of designs. I was so caught up in what I was doing; it was freeing, and I was fully in the moment.
The purpose of this introductory activity is to encourage mindfulness, being fully in the moment, maybe even reflection through both of these arts - doodling and DJ-ing. Let’s practice mindfulness without any real demands at the start to see how promising it feels! The play component is not only felt within each of the separate activities, but also in how each will then feed off of one another. Taking a closer look, students have a choice of which activity they would like to start with (Zentangles or the Music Mixer), but their follow up activity is to use someone else’s creation in the opposite category to inspire their next composition. For example, let’s say Zachary creates a DJ mix from the Zentangle I’ve provided as a start. From there Janet creates another Zentangle from Zachary’s mix. The back and forth between tangles and beats as if the art forms are holding their own conversation! The possibilities are limitless.
Zentangles and NatGeo’s Music Mixer are playful because there is room for aimlessness and for making mistakes! There is no right or wrong answer to either of these activities, and students will embody the “flow” of creation that will hopefully transfer to an idea of what mindfulness, or being in the present, feels like. There is “no direct or directing purpose outside of itself. Play is simply for the fun of it, for the enjoyment of doing and making without responsibility. There is no success or failure in play, no holding to account, no mandatory achievement. Play breaks the rules of serious activity and establishes its own. Play is frivolous, wandering according to the whims of curiosity and interest,” (Sparks of Genius, 248). The reasoning behind the webbed-interaction is to mimic the fact that people are all connected to one another. We feed off of each other’s energy, and we have control over our actions and reactions regardless of someone else’s decisions. I know that the amount of fun I had playing will be magnified when I introduce it to the true masters of play!
How Do I Love Thee? A Synthesis in 3 Parts
