Abstract storm
I agree. "Education" MILITATES AGAINST Creativity. The State has little interest in fostering creativity across a population.
benjamin | 2 years ago
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Abstract storm
My recent pubmed interests have centered around the role of the striatum in cognitive functioning and the biological correlates of fluid intelligence.
A few papers come to mind.
Cereb Cortex. 2008 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read Links
Striatal Dopamine and Working Memory.
Landau SM, Lal R, O'Neil JP, Baker S, Jagust WJ.
Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3190, USA.
Recent studies have emphasized the importance of dopamine projections to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) for working memory (WM) function, although this system has rarely been studied in humans in vivo. However, dopamine and PFC activity can be directly measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), respectively. In this study, we examined WM capacity, dopamine, and PFC function in healthy older participants in order to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between these 3 factors. We used the PET tracer 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-m-tyrosine to measure dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum (caudate, putamen), and event-related fMRI to measure brain activation during different epochs (cue, delay, probe) of a WM task. Caudate (but not putamen) dopamine correlated positively with WM capacity, whereas putamen (but not caudate) dopamine correlated positively with motor speed. In addition, delay-related fMRI activation in a left inferior prefrontal region was related to both caudate dopamine and task accuracy, suggesting that this may be a critical site for the integration of WM maintenance processes. These results provide new evidence that striatal dopaminergic function is related to PFC-dependent functions, particularly brain activation and behavioral performance during WM tasks.
Science. 2008 Jun 13;320(5882):1510-2.Click here to read Links
Transfer of learning after updating training mediated by the striatum.
Dahlin E, Neely AS, Larsson A, Bäckman L, Nyberg L.
Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden. erika.dahlin@physiol.umu.se
Process-specific training can improve performance on untrained tasks, but the magnitude of gain is variable and often there is no transfer at all. We demonstrate transfer to a 3-back test of working memory after 5 weeks of training in updating. The transfer effect was based on a joint training-related activity increase for the criterion (letter memory) and transfer tasks in a striatal region that also was recruited pretraining. No transfer was observed to a task that did not engage updating and striatal regions, and age-related striatal changes imposed constraints on transfer. These findings indicate that transfer can occur if the criterion and transfer tasks engage specific overlapping processing components and brain regions.
Neuroreport. 2007 Jan 8;18(1):39-43.Click here to read Links
Processing speed in recurrent visual networks correlates with general intelligence.
Jolij J, Huisman D, Scholte S, Hamel R, Kemner C, Lamme VA.
Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.jolij@exeter.ac.uk
Studies on the neural basis of general fluid intelligence strongly suggest that a smarter brain processes information faster. Different brain areas, however, are interconnected by both feedforward and feedback projections. Whether both types of connections or only one of the two types are faster in smarter brains remains unclear. Here we show, by measuring visual evoked potentials during a texture discrimination task, that general fluid intelligence shows a strong correlation with processing speed in recurrent visual networks, while there is no correlation with speed of feedforward connections. The hypothesis that a smarter brain runs faster may need to be refined: a smarter brain's feedback connections run faster.
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The striatum is critical; especially the caudate nucleus. It must be protected at all costs. It seems reasonable that increasing recruitment of the striatal dopaminergic neurons will facilitate the effects and adaptations of updating training.
As far as processing speed is concerned, there seems to be no correlation between simple processing and intelligence, only processing that involves making a decision; the relevant circuits here are cortico-cortical connections.
Keep on flexin' the cortex...
A few papers come to mind.
Cereb Cortex. 2008 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read Links
Striatal Dopamine and Working Memory.
Landau SM, Lal R, O'Neil JP, Baker S, Jagust WJ.
Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3190, USA.
Recent studies have emphasized the importance of dopamine projections to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) for working memory (WM) function, although this system has rarely been studied in humans in vivo. However, dopamine and PFC activity can be directly measured with positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), respectively. In this study, we examined WM capacity, dopamine, and PFC function in healthy older participants in order to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between these 3 factors. We used the PET tracer 6-[(18)F]fluoro-L-m-tyrosine to measure dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum (caudate, putamen), and event-related fMRI to measure brain activation during different epochs (cue, delay, probe) of a WM task. Caudate (but not putamen) dopamine correlated positively with WM capacity, whereas putamen (but not caudate) dopamine correlated positively with motor speed. In addition, delay-related fMRI activation in a left inferior prefrontal region was related to both caudate dopamine and task accuracy, suggesting that this may be a critical site for the integration of WM maintenance processes. These results provide new evidence that striatal dopaminergic function is related to PFC-dependent functions, particularly brain activation and behavioral performance during WM tasks.
Science. 2008 Jun 13;320(5882):1510-2.Click here to read Links
Transfer of learning after updating training mediated by the striatum.
Dahlin E, Neely AS, Larsson A, Bäckman L, Nyberg L.
Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden. erika.dahlin@physiol.umu.se
Process-specific training can improve performance on untrained tasks, but the magnitude of gain is variable and often there is no transfer at all. We demonstrate transfer to a 3-back test of working memory after 5 weeks of training in updating. The transfer effect was based on a joint training-related activity increase for the criterion (letter memory) and transfer tasks in a striatal region that also was recruited pretraining. No transfer was observed to a task that did not engage updating and striatal regions, and age-related striatal changes imposed constraints on transfer. These findings indicate that transfer can occur if the criterion and transfer tasks engage specific overlapping processing components and brain regions.
Neuroreport. 2007 Jan 8;18(1):39-43.Click here to read Links
Processing speed in recurrent visual networks correlates with general intelligence.
Jolij J, Huisman D, Scholte S, Hamel R, Kemner C, Lamme VA.
Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.jolij@exeter.ac.uk
Studies on the neural basis of general fluid intelligence strongly suggest that a smarter brain processes information faster. Different brain areas, however, are interconnected by both feedforward and feedback projections. Whether both types of connections or only one of the two types are faster in smarter brains remains unclear. Here we show, by measuring visual evoked potentials during a texture discrimination task, that general fluid intelligence shows a strong correlation with processing speed in recurrent visual networks, while there is no correlation with speed of feedforward connections. The hypothesis that a smarter brain runs faster may need to be refined: a smarter brain's feedback connections run faster.
--------------------------------------------------
The striatum is critical; especially the caudate nucleus. It must be protected at all costs. It seems reasonable that increasing recruitment of the striatal dopaminergic neurons will facilitate the effects and adaptations of updating training.
As far as processing speed is concerned, there seems to be no correlation between simple processing and intelligence, only processing that involves making a decision; the relevant circuits here are cortico-cortical connections.
Keep on flexin' the cortex...
medicalstudent | 4 years ago
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cognitivefun | 4 years ago
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yes... very true...
my undergrad physiology teacher told me that the brain could be viewed as a parasite living on top of the body...
the brain is paramount.
my undergrad physiology teacher told me that the brain could be viewed as a parasite living on top of the body...
the brain is paramount.
medicalstudent | 4 years ago
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Speaking of the importance of the brain, you might enjoy the TEDTalk by Sir Ken Robinson, in which he comments on academics: "They live in their heads... they look upon their bodies as a form of transport for their heads."
That talk is full of great quotes, humorous and serious alike!
That talk is full of great quotes, humorous and serious alike!
cognitivefun | 4 years ago
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cognitivefun | 4 years ago
Reply
cognitivefun,
very interesting stuff; the contention that creativity dissipates in adulthood is something i completely agree with. whether schools actually train us out of it or disincentivize it is separate. in fact, if the latter is true, it could be caused by the former. adults teach kids.
it makes sense for humans to have exceptional cognitive plasticity whilst young to devise and perfect cognitive/motor strategies to optimize adaptation for their current environment. however, in today's world, the environment is much more fickle, changing rapidly throughout life.
transitioning from plastic (childhood) to deterministic (adulthood) operations may reflect an axiomatic tradeoff between these two. can one perfect executing a strategy when one is constantly trying to find novel ways to approach a problem?
i do not know.
this paper (exceptionally deep) is the best ive seen on this topic:
Med Hypotheses. 2004;63(6):939-50.
Pineal attrition, loss of cognitive plasticity, and onset of puberty during the teen years: is it a modern maladaptation exposed by evolutionary displacement?
Yun AJ, Bazar KA, Lee PY.
Stanford University, 470 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA. ayun@stanford.edu
thanks for posting.
very interesting stuff; the contention that creativity dissipates in adulthood is something i completely agree with. whether schools actually train us out of it or disincentivize it is separate. in fact, if the latter is true, it could be caused by the former. adults teach kids.
it makes sense for humans to have exceptional cognitive plasticity whilst young to devise and perfect cognitive/motor strategies to optimize adaptation for their current environment. however, in today's world, the environment is much more fickle, changing rapidly throughout life.
transitioning from plastic (childhood) to deterministic (adulthood) operations may reflect an axiomatic tradeoff between these two. can one perfect executing a strategy when one is constantly trying to find novel ways to approach a problem?
i do not know.
this paper (exceptionally deep) is the best ive seen on this topic:
Med Hypotheses. 2004;63(6):939-50.
Pineal attrition, loss of cognitive plasticity, and onset of puberty during the teen years: is it a modern maladaptation exposed by evolutionary displacement?
Yun AJ, Bazar KA, Lee PY.
Stanford University, 470 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA. ayun@stanford.edu
thanks for posting.
medicalstudent | 2 years ago
Reply
Thoughts re the talk, which is 95% feel-good guff with some reasonable points here and there:
At least in the UK, education seems increasingly to militate against creative or open-ended thinking: learning objectives are declared early and explicitly, essays are always drafted thoroughly (the students have to decide what their conclusion will be before they get going), assessment is highly standardised, often computerised and thus hopelessly blunt...
I think that creativity has to be sacrificed to an extent in order to enable group cooperation and creation of stable structures. In other words, cooperation requires cognitive stability regardless of environmental conditions.
Cognitively plastic creativity before puberty may be convergent (ie. being fundamentally problem-solving activity that aims at integrating cultural artefacts) rather than properly divergent, ie. creating novel artefacts (children are usually *not* particularly good at being creative in this way).
He references learning styles...ugh.
Equating the 'creative arts' with creativity is simplistic - they are just as prone to ossification and a failure to innovate. Even the most lawless of practices quickly develop manifestos, rules, customs - why do graffiti tags always look the same?
At least in the UK, education seems increasingly to militate against creative or open-ended thinking: learning objectives are declared early and explicitly, essays are always drafted thoroughly (the students have to decide what their conclusion will be before they get going), assessment is highly standardised, often computerised and thus hopelessly blunt...
I think that creativity has to be sacrificed to an extent in order to enable group cooperation and creation of stable structures. In other words, cooperation requires cognitive stability regardless of environmental conditions.
Cognitively plastic creativity before puberty may be convergent (ie. being fundamentally problem-solving activity that aims at integrating cultural artefacts) rather than properly divergent, ie. creating novel artefacts (children are usually *not* particularly good at being creative in this way).
He references learning styles...ugh.
Equating the 'creative arts' with creativity is simplistic - they are just as prone to ossification and a failure to innovate. Even the most lawless of practices quickly develop manifestos, rules, customs - why do graffiti tags always look the same?
cevapcici | 2 years ago
Reply
I do not like this statement that has a hidden premise: "I think that creativity has to be sacrificed to an extent in order to enable group cooperation and creation of stable structures. In other words, cooperation requires cognitive stability regardless of environmental conditions."
Creativity does not exclude cognitive stability. No matter where you're getting this, it hasn't been demonstrated at all.
Creativity is novelty generation within any cognitive domain. Any other definition simply misses the point (i.e., other definitions rely on examples, which isn't a definition strictly speaking).
As for the video, however, I think there is a strong case that schools kill creativity. Wherever one looks, the truly novel skills and aptitudes are ignored and in their place is the all-profitable standard of a "national curriculum". It is in this sense that it becomes clear that private schools will always be superior as regards fostering a truly liberal education.
Creativity does not exclude cognitive stability. No matter where you're getting this, it hasn't been demonstrated at all.
Creativity is novelty generation within any cognitive domain. Any other definition simply misses the point (i.e., other definitions rely on examples, which isn't a definition strictly speaking).
As for the video, however, I think there is a strong case that schools kill creativity. Wherever one looks, the truly novel skills and aptitudes are ignored and in their place is the all-profitable standard of a "national curriculum". It is in this sense that it becomes clear that private schools will always be superior as regards fostering a truly liberal education.
? | 2 years ago
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I'm 'getting it' from my own noddle, cf. self, literally creating ideas ex nihilo - impressive, eh?
Constant novelty generation is not required in most contexts - most social groups don't want idea-spewing 'loose cannons,' 'freewheelers' etc with second-long attention spans, faithful only to their last thought, constantly being 'random', blasting social conventions left, right and centre, going 'meta' on their asses, providing a wearily dizzying kaleidoscope of perspectives, writing the meeting minutes in iambic pentameter, presenting sales figures through Noh theatre. Best just to have one ideas (wo)man and everybody else
follows their vision.
By 'cognitive stability' I meant 'predictability to others,' not personal sanity. Group members must be largely predictable to others in order that other members can make reasonable predictions about their behaviour and place in the general scheme of things. Cooperation *is* normativity in action.
What truly novel skills or aptitudes *should* schools be teaching?
Constant novelty generation is not required in most contexts - most social groups don't want idea-spewing 'loose cannons,' 'freewheelers' etc with second-long attention spans, faithful only to their last thought, constantly being 'random', blasting social conventions left, right and centre, going 'meta' on their asses, providing a wearily dizzying kaleidoscope of perspectives, writing the meeting minutes in iambic pentameter, presenting sales figures through Noh theatre. Best just to have one ideas (wo)man and everybody else
follows their vision.
By 'cognitive stability' I meant 'predictability to others,' not personal sanity. Group members must be largely predictable to others in order that other members can make reasonable predictions about their behaviour and place in the general scheme of things. Cooperation *is* normativity in action.
What truly novel skills or aptitudes *should* schools be teaching?
cevapcici | 2 years ago
Reply
What schools should be doing is recognizing that there ARE individual differences. Everything hitherto witnessed in the blindly miraculous workings of educational institutions has consisted in a meticulous zeal of reducing every single piece of individuality and uniqueness to the common denominator. Naturally, this entails that children are examined early and classified early with sophisticated tools so as to determine where they would best belong and what their natural endowments would permit in terms of whatever their individual interests may be or might become. In other words, there should be as many different kinds of education out there and not any one kind up for marketing (contra SAT, ACT, and other "standardized testing" procedures now favored)
At any rate, I do not view creativity in the rather less than positive light you have put on display here. I hold to my definition, and such psychotic, neurotic, and unconscientious individuals you describe in general terms are not necessarily creative by any measure. The higher the degree of novelty (in either form or content), the higher the degree of creativity is indicated and which may be attributed to the individual(s) responsible for the product. Thus, this "cognitive stability"—or rather "predictable" people are not wanting in the fruits that can be described as "creative productions".
Do not conflate social behavior with creative aspirations, for these are more complex and varied, not susceptible to being restricted to the realm of social activity (though it does play a role, it is not the central factor at work).
And by the way, I found it funny that you committed yourself to theological mumbojumbo. Ex nihilo? Only a theologian would believe in such a joke as reality. ;-)
All in good spirit...
At any rate, I do not view creativity in the rather less than positive light you have put on display here. I hold to my definition, and such psychotic, neurotic, and unconscientious individuals you describe in general terms are not necessarily creative by any measure. The higher the degree of novelty (in either form or content), the higher the degree of creativity is indicated and which may be attributed to the individual(s) responsible for the product. Thus, this "cognitive stability"—or rather "predictable" people are not wanting in the fruits that can be described as "creative productions".
Do not conflate social behavior with creative aspirations, for these are more complex and varied, not susceptible to being restricted to the realm of social activity (though it does play a role, it is not the central factor at work).
And by the way, I found it funny that you committed yourself to theological mumbojumbo. Ex nihilo? Only a theologian would believe in such a joke as reality. ;-)
All in good spirit...
? | 2 years ago
Reply
I've got no problem with standardized testing of and through the classic standardized tests - they seem to be the best way to do what they are used to do, but I do have a problem with standardized testing of other tests: of over-prescriptive marking of literature papers, maths etc. Teachers teach to the test and soon enough everyone ends up writing/thinking in the same dull way. Teaching to reasoning tests is fine, it's not as if anyone is going to produce a readable matrices yarn ever.
Anyway, you haven't given me a 'creativity curriculum' or a reasonable idea of a variegated educational system yet; you've just said what you don't like - ie. treating children like robots.
I don't see how one can ignore the social context when considering creative acts; the simplest guiding algorithm for the aspiring creative is 1) imagine the opposite to the norm 2) think of the slightest reason to disregard the reasons not to do it.
Divergent creativity is associated with madness - I give you the great poets!
Anyway, you haven't given me a 'creativity curriculum' or a reasonable idea of a variegated educational system yet; you've just said what you don't like - ie. treating children like robots.
I don't see how one can ignore the social context when considering creative acts; the simplest guiding algorithm for the aspiring creative is 1) imagine the opposite to the norm 2) think of the slightest reason to disregard the reasons not to do it.
Divergent creativity is associated with madness - I give you the great poets!
cevapcici | 2 years ago
Reply
The great poets =/= madness.
This is becoming a thorough waste of my time.
I guess I'll chalk it up to your creative elaboration of the subject. It's a dead end.
Cheers.
This is becoming a thorough waste of my time.
I guess I'll chalk it up to your creative elaboration of the subject. It's a dead end.
Cheers.
? | 2 years ago
Reply
I required: details of a creativity curriculum; proposed structure of a varied educational system geared to multiple intelligences or the like (beyond what is already on offer); rebuttal of simple observation that creative thinking generally occurs in a social context and that those liable to have creative thoughts tend to act creatively in the social domain - ie. creativity is a disposition, not a strategy that can be easily controlled. These were not forthcoming.
Supporting material:
Psychoticism is associated with creativity and is itself associated with low agreeableness, low conscientiousness and independence from group norms:
A. Stavridou and A. Furnham, The relationship between Psychoticism, trait creativity and the attentional mechanism of cognitive inhibition, Personal Individ Diff 21 (1996), pp. 143–153.
H.J. Eysenck, The definition and measurement of Psychoticism, Personal Individ Diff 13 (1991), pp. 757–785.
'The links between mental illness and the creative arts, especially creative writing, are well-established, if controversial. Several studies have found more mental illness in creative writers than in control groups; few studies, however, have investigated the truly eminent, genius-level writers. To address the question of how genius-level writers compare to merely accomplished writers, two historiometric studies examined writers who won the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize. Study One examined 986 20th century writers, while Study Two 889 American writers from the 17th century to the present day. In both studies, both types of prize-winners were more likely to suffer from mental illness than non-winners.'
GENIUS, LUNATICS, AND POETS: MENTAL ILLNESS IN PRIZE-WINNING AUTHORS - James Kaufman
Volume 20, Number 4 / 2000-2001
Imagination, Cognition and Personality
Supporting material:
Psychoticism is associated with creativity and is itself associated with low agreeableness, low conscientiousness and independence from group norms:
A. Stavridou and A. Furnham, The relationship between Psychoticism, trait creativity and the attentional mechanism of cognitive inhibition, Personal Individ Diff 21 (1996), pp. 143–153.
H.J. Eysenck, The definition and measurement of Psychoticism, Personal Individ Diff 13 (1991), pp. 757–785.
'The links between mental illness and the creative arts, especially creative writing, are well-established, if controversial. Several studies have found more mental illness in creative writers than in control groups; few studies, however, have investigated the truly eminent, genius-level writers. To address the question of how genius-level writers compare to merely accomplished writers, two historiometric studies examined writers who won the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize. Study One examined 986 20th century writers, while Study Two 889 American writers from the 17th century to the present day. In both studies, both types of prize-winners were more likely to suffer from mental illness than non-winners.'
GENIUS, LUNATICS, AND POETS: MENTAL ILLNESS IN PRIZE-WINNING AUTHORS - James Kaufman
Volume 20, Number 4 / 2000-2001
Imagination, Cognition and Personality
cevapcici | 2 years ago
Reply
militate? really? strong word.
creativity has to be sacrificed? also strong. or unilateral experimentation? creativity could very well lead to this (especially when coupled with overconfidence), though, so fair concern.
he defines creativity in his talk; indicating lack of universal understanding and descriptive language. also, the neurobiological substrates are ill-defined, precluding assessments from that angle
i like your assessment of the creative arts. by emblazoning 'creative' across the title of the discipline, it attempts to define itself.
either way, thought experiments carried out on these obscureish facets of cognition are naturally difficult... but also naturally necessary; the brain is one. to fully understand one piece is to see the completed puzzle.
creativity has to be sacrificed? also strong. or unilateral experimentation? creativity could very well lead to this (especially when coupled with overconfidence), though, so fair concern.
he defines creativity in his talk; indicating lack of universal understanding and descriptive language. also, the neurobiological substrates are ill-defined, precluding assessments from that angle
i like your assessment of the creative arts. by emblazoning 'creative' across the title of the discipline, it attempts to define itself.
either way, thought experiments carried out on these obscureish facets of cognition are naturally difficult... but also naturally necessary; the brain is one. to fully understand one piece is to see the completed puzzle.
medicalstudent | 2 years ago
Reply
His talk doesn't give an idea of what creativity might mean in the school, beyond having more dance (physical, aesthetic rule-based behaviour rather than cerebral rule-based behaviour) and letting people follow their inclinations (in other words, espousing variety rather than creativity, or more cynically, deacademicising, watering/dumbing down, the school through levelling: 'multiple intelligences' and the like).
The National Curriculum is essential for ensuring continuity across schools and between stages. Otherwise, the most vulnerable pupils (travellers' children and the like) end up missing huge chunks of vital material - there must be a solid core to the curriculum and organisational constraints must be imposed on schools if only for this reason. However, within individual subjects and in individual lessons there is great scope for fun viz. humanity's literary output, for example.
The National Curriculum is essential for ensuring continuity across schools and between stages. Otherwise, the most vulnerable pupils (travellers' children and the like) end up missing huge chunks of vital material - there must be a solid core to the curriculum and organisational constraints must be imposed on schools if only for this reason. However, within individual subjects and in individual lessons there is great scope for fun viz. humanity's literary output, for example.
cevapcici | 2 years ago
Reply
National Curriculum = bollocks and a zero sum outcome
Let us apply the analogy of an organism in its environment. Were it bread to express only one variety or type, with as minimal variation as possible, then when one virus comes around, it could successfully wipe out the entire population.
We must accelerate our novelty generation in order to harvest the fruits thereof.
Therefore: National Curriculum = Anticreativity
Let us apply the analogy of an organism in its environment. Were it bread to express only one variety or type, with as minimal variation as possible, then when one virus comes around, it could successfully wipe out the entire population.
We must accelerate our novelty generation in order to harvest the fruits thereof.
Therefore: National Curriculum = Anticreativity
? | 2 years ago
Reply
Creativity without a cultural base is impossible; the NC is the cultural base, thus pro creativity. The greater the cultural base, the more creative potential: Goethe, Shakespeare...both pretty tooled-up culture-wise, no?
Regarding the variation argument, failing to teach children to count, read or write weakens the individual organism and groups thereof, as it is less able to interact with its environment. Are you suggesting that individual schools/children create new writing or counting systems?
Regarding the variation argument, failing to teach children to count, read or write weakens the individual organism and groups thereof, as it is less able to interact with its environment. Are you suggesting that individual schools/children create new writing or counting systems?
cevapcici | 2 years ago
Reply
facepalm.gif
"pretty tooled up culture-wise"
Goethe and Shakespeare can hardly be said to have participated in a normative educational upbringing. It is a known fact that Goethe was tutored at home.
You're turning my statement into a strawman merely to make your point seem stronger than it really is.
"pretty tooled up culture-wise"
Goethe and Shakespeare can hardly be said to have participated in a normative educational upbringing. It is a known fact that Goethe was tutored at home.
You're turning my statement into a strawman merely to make your point seem stronger than it really is.
? | 2 years ago
Reply
Your point was neither pointed nor pointing in the right direction, it was an off-hand, misspelt analogy that doesn't apply (you did not show that it does); please don't go meta on my ass again.
You failed to explain why the basic skills delivered by a foundational curriculum should be disregarded or creatively replaced or reinvented locally.
Goethe, Shakespeare are merely at the very tip of the graph showing richness of output correlating with richness of input - creativity would not be fostered by merely emptying school life of the cultural heritage; it _would_ be encouraged by combining broad and deep cultural input, rigorous, logical, imaginative teaching and allowing for far greater latitude in the work demanded of pupils.
You failed to explain why the basic skills delivered by a foundational curriculum should be disregarded or creatively replaced or reinvented locally.
Goethe, Shakespeare are merely at the very tip of the graph showing richness of output correlating with richness of input - creativity would not be fostered by merely emptying school life of the cultural heritage; it _would_ be encouraged by combining broad and deep cultural input, rigorous, logical, imaginative teaching and allowing for far greater latitude in the work demanded of pupils.
cevapcici | 2 years ago
Reply
At the risk of contradicting what I ostensibly think (I usually argue against my own position in order 1) to test the plausibility of the counter-argument and 2) to pilfer supporting arguments from my interlocutors for future use), this is excellent on the perils of standardised, ossified, uncreative maths teaching: http://www.maa.org/devlin/LockhartsLament.pdf
cevapcici | 2 years ago
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? | 2 years ago
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