Welcome to Footprints of Emergence

Re: Welcome to Footprints of Emergence

by Scott Johnson -
Number of replies: 3

Hi Roy,

Try not to jump around too much.

As a visual tool, the footprint works fine. The dimensionality removes some of the distortion of change appearing to be so straight / direct and “sudden.” Have to work with the diagram itself but there seems room for all participants. I would add rest or re-consideration benches on the slope down to chaos.

One thing that came to me was my notion of emergence itself was too global. Maybe all the talk of “innovation” (linked to emergent ideas) as an economic driver had me thinking these things are public or openly noticeable when in fact they appear first as personal change. Something “emergent” to me may be entirely new to the whole universe or something new only to myself. I can chew AND blow bubbles with bubble gum. Why did I put what looked like a pencil eraser in my mouth anyway? And why bubbles? Can chew but can’t blow bubbles with broccoli—something in the colour green prevents it:-(

You mentioned dance and that connects to mirror neurons and enactment of the things others are doing. I’ve read Chimps will show their young how to crack nuts by demonstration. After a while the parent will leave a nut on a suitable anvil stone and a suitable hammering rock near by. This kind of intentional structure is suggestive over prescriptive and doesn’t “force” a particular interpretation style. Though this could also be seen as cultural conditioning, I think of it first as a path to personal realization and see ownership in the skill left to the young chimp (Stephen’s “participant” learning something new for themselves).

Understand Peter Rawsthorne’s point about measurement and testing. Doesn’t really show learning. Was thinking about tests for our mechanics’ ability to diagnose a mechanical breakdown. To me diagnosis is proof of interaction with a subject or process that reduces the simple reliance on memory, reveals paths of reasoning and encourages imaginative operations. Not all cases will allow for failure of this process (medical, aeronautical) but it does produce a measureable outcome that itself can be learned from. What I like about this is properly practiced it dishonour the attempt.

Dance:

Emily S Cross academia. Edu page: http://bangor.academia.edu/EmilySCross

Link “Research Interests” lower left of page then “Dance and the Brain”

In reply to Scott Johnson

Re: Welcome to Footprints of Emergence

by Roy Williams -

Scott, I love the idea of chimps creating learning objects which they place strategically for their young to explore - just like a Montessori environment.

Looks to me like we need to distinguish something like '[open] learning objects with intentionality', and [closed] 'learning objects with instruction' (corresponding to emergent and prescribed learning, perhaps?) - the point being that the learner can accept and explore the intentionality and internalise it in some way, but the instruction only allows for complicance, and there is no need (or motivation?) for internalisation.

This certainly applies to Montessori materials, and would be a useful tool to discriminate between 'well designed' Montessori materials, and (mere) 'learning objects'.  I can think of many examples, from the 'scubbing table' throught to complex mathematics. 

And ... I will have to set aside some time to visit Emily Cross at academia ... thanks ... 

 

In reply to Roy Williams

Re: Welcome to Footprints of Emergence

by Nick Kearney -

to discriminate between 'well designed' Montessori materials, and (mere) 'learning objects'.

this has always seemed to me the key to the work we do, it is not a question of objects, but of carefully anticipated processes, that each require differing degrees of intevention and mediation

looking at it from this perspective, within contexts where we are charged with the responsibility of "making learning happen", emergent learning is just part of a range of mediation options, in which the mediator sets up a framework in which learning emerges, and then follows certain patterns in many cases...

it sounds churlish to say it, this is nothing new...we should be addressing the reasons why we have to keep saying it..

In reply to Nick Kearney

Re: Welcome to Footprints of Emergence

by Roy Williams -

Nick, love "carefully anticipated processes" - spot on. It complements, or reconfigures (?) the ideas on 'intentionality' in other discussions in these forums, no? 

And yes ... why do we have to keep saying all this?