Five+Minds+for+the+Future+-+Howard+Gardner

Howard Gardner, PhD Cognitive Psychologist

The Future of Learning: Four Mega-Trends:
 * Globalization: Increasing connectedness of the planet.
 * The Biological Revolution: Relating neuroscience to daily life, education. Using what we know from science to inform our practices.
 * The Digital Revolution: Not just having informational resources at our finger tips but rather how to analyze and use it.
 * Lifelong Learning: All humans are learning everyday throughout our lives.

Five Minds: What's your discipline? What are your methods? How do you convey it?
 * //The Disciplined Mind: (Depth)//**
 * Being an expert in something
 * Working steadily to improve
 * Learning major ways of thinking (the task of school)

//**The Synthesizing Mind: (Breadth)**// This mind has to decide what to pay attention to and what to ignore. People who synthesize have methods. It is our job as educators to allow students to find their own methods of synthesis. Scads of information, esp. on the web Largely undigested and unevaluated The synthesizing imperative Good, bad, and so-so synthesis Psychology has dropped the ball How do you synthesisze? Could you help someone else become a better synthesizer?

//**The Creating Mind: (Stretch)**// Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Imagination Becoming an innovator stems from being an expert in something to then be able to change it. "Thinking outside the box" presumes that there is a box = Discipline, synthesizing. Asking good questions, new questions Being creative is about being open to something new. Involves willingness to take risks, motivation, dedication, and curiosity. Should American schools cultivate creativity? If so, how? Or, are there sufficient lessons about creativity 'one the streets', in Hollywood, Silicon Valley and on Wall Street?

//No credit for respect:// -Kiss up, kick down -Bad jokes -Mere tolerance -Respect with too many conditions What determines an atmosphere of respect or disrespect in a school? How can it be improved?
 * //The Respectful Mind://**
 * Diversity as a fact of life, at home and abroad.
 * Beyond mere tolerance
 * Need to understand others-perspectives, motivation - emotional and interpersonal intelligence - "empathy school"
 * Inappropriateness of 'corporate, top-down model' for schools and perhaps even for corporations!

//**The Ethical Mind:**// This mind thinks of people in terms of the roles that they play. It is not how you think, but how you act. Higher level of abstraction than respectful mind Conceptualizing oneself as a (good) worker Conceptualizing oneself as a (good) citizen Acting appropriately in both roles ow this play out in an educational community

__The three "E's" of Good Work__
 * Excellence, expert, high quality work
 * Ethical, socially responsible
 * Engagement

A Study in Good Work in Young People: (with disturbing results)
 * Students/young workers know the right thing to do
 * Some do it
 * But too many deceive others and themselves- why should I be more ethical than my peers seem to be?
 * Is it enough ti //intend// to do the right hing for the future?

Two chief obstacles in America today: Fear and Greed Educator's should encourage and make time for ethical discussions to find common ground. Could you set a 'commons' in your school? How would you accomplish this? Goodworktoolkit.org Goodworkproject.org