After allowing myself to drop this project completely for the last month and a half, I feel a stirring to pick it up again....
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Stop. Shoot. Send.
During Fall 2012 I took a course called New Literacies (LRC430/530) and was exposed to a great resource:
Lesson Plans for Developing Digital Literacies
Edited by Mary T. Christel and Scott Sullivan (2010)
In it is a lesson by Louis Mazza named "Stop. Shoot. Send: Using Phone Cameras to Find Meaning and to Engage Students" and I created a presentation reflecting on the plan (see also companion Student Self-Evaluation).
It came to mind in relation to the work of Richard Burnett and colleagues (referenced in last post ".b").
And now, I'm considering ways of using these ideas in my own lesson plans.
Lesson Plans for Developing Digital Literacies
Edited by Mary T. Christel and Scott Sullivan (2010)
In it is a lesson by Louis Mazza named "Stop. Shoot. Send: Using Phone Cameras to Find Meaning and to Engage Students" and I created a presentation reflecting on the plan (see also companion Student Self-Evaluation).
It came to mind in relation to the work of Richard Burnett and colleagues (referenced in last post ".b").
And now, I'm considering ways of using these ideas in my own lesson plans.
.b
"
Stop. Breathe. Pay attention. "Our mental health and well-being are profoundly affected by where and how we place our attention". In this enlightening talk, Richard guides through a short mindfulness meditation, and shares his experience of teaching mindfulness in schools. He reveals some of the amazing benefits being mindful can bring to the classroom and inspires the audience with simple ways to bring more awareness to how we respond to our everyday experiences.
Richard Burnett is co-founder of the Mindfulness in Schools Project. With Chris Cullen and Chris O'Neill, Richard wrote the highly-acclaimed 9 week mindfulness course, .b (pronounced dot-b), designed to engage adolescents in the classroom. He is a teacher and Housemaster at Tonbridge School, the first school in the UK to put mindfulness on the curriculum, an event covered by press, TV and radio in early 2010. Since then, thousands of young people have been taught .b in a wide range of educational contexts, from independent girls' schools like St Pauls to Young People's Support Services for those excluded from school. .b is now being taught in the UK, USA, Germany, France, Finland, Denmark, Holland and Thailand. For more information on the Mindfulness in Schools Project go to www.mindfulnessinschools.org
"
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Mindful Eating vs. Mindless Eating
Gaiam posted an excerpt from "Savor: Mindful Eating Mindful Life" called Zen your Diet: Thich Nhat Hanh on 7 Ways to Eat Mindfully
Brian Wansink, Ph. D., author of "Mindless Eating: why we eat more than we think," offers extensive research on the psychology of consumption. The findings of Wansink's work provides us with many reasons to take up mindful eating practices as described by Thich Nhat Hanh and others.
Brian Wansink, Ph. D., author of "Mindless Eating: why we eat more than we think," offers extensive research on the psychology of consumption. The findings of Wansink's work provides us with many reasons to take up mindful eating practices as described by Thich Nhat Hanh and others.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Edutopia.org Selection of Videos
Edutopia on Arts Integration:
Mixing Art + Politics -- Integrated Studies in High School
Edutopia on Project Based Learning
Edutopia on Social Emotional Learning:
Spirit Science
A fun and engaging animated program available online is The Spirit Science, and here's the full 2012 series via YouTube:
Monday, July 22, 2013
"Planting Seeds: The Power of Mindfulness Film Trailer"
For more Mindfulness campaigns on IndieGoGo click here
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Mindfulness & Meditation, Techniques & Channels
I do not pretend to be an authority on the subjects at hand but here's what I've gathered thus far.
Meditation can take place in a variety of ways. It's worth noting, however, that meditation is less an activity one does and more an experience one may have by being in or setting up conducive circumstances for it to happen. I.e. it is a state of being rather than a action, per se. With that said, there are particular actions and techniques one can enlist to create a space for meditation to take place. Hence, icons or symbols of meditation often include a figure sitting with eyes softly closed, perhaps with particular mudras (hand postures), and so forth. Some techniques for concentration meditations include yantras (usually a 3D figure, symbol, object, et cetera and sometimes 2D representations of such items).
An example of a focused meditation could be done with a resource such as Arunachala-live.com
In addition to the visual channel, there are auditory and kinesthetic channels of meditation/intuition as well. While these various modes of entering meditation may overlap in ways, there tends to be some distinction within the experiences depending on which is emphasized and/or the contents of one's intention during such a 'pursuit.'
Transcendental Meditation is a prominent form that is less structured or concentrated and rather a way of becoming the witness of all arising thoughts, feelings.
Here are some resources I found very helpful in discovering the meaning of meditation:
8 Basic Kinds of Meditation c/o IAM-U.org (this site has much to offer in addition to this link)
5 Styles of Meditation c/o FitSugar.com
And, Ken Wilber (co-creator and promoter of Integral Life) on 3 Types of Meditation:
And, lastly, Plotinus One is a blog with interesting prompts and thought provoking (as well as thought eliminating techniques) posts. The author of this blog has provided inspiration and many pieces of content herein.
Meditation can take place in a variety of ways. It's worth noting, however, that meditation is less an activity one does and more an experience one may have by being in or setting up conducive circumstances for it to happen. I.e. it is a state of being rather than a action, per se. With that said, there are particular actions and techniques one can enlist to create a space for meditation to take place. Hence, icons or symbols of meditation often include a figure sitting with eyes softly closed, perhaps with particular mudras (hand postures), and so forth. Some techniques for concentration meditations include yantras (usually a 3D figure, symbol, object, et cetera and sometimes 2D representations of such items).
An example of a focused meditation could be done with a resource such as Arunachala-live.com
In addition to the visual channel, there are auditory and kinesthetic channels of meditation/intuition as well. While these various modes of entering meditation may overlap in ways, there tends to be some distinction within the experiences depending on which is emphasized and/or the contents of one's intention during such a 'pursuit.'
Transcendental Meditation is a prominent form that is less structured or concentrated and rather a way of becoming the witness of all arising thoughts, feelings.
Here are some resources I found very helpful in discovering the meaning of meditation:
8 Basic Kinds of Meditation c/o IAM-U.org (this site has much to offer in addition to this link)
5 Styles of Meditation c/o FitSugar.com
And, Ken Wilber (co-creator and promoter of Integral Life) on 3 Types of Meditation:
And, lastly, Plotinus One is a blog with interesting prompts and thought provoking (as well as thought eliminating techniques) posts. The author of this blog has provided inspiration and many pieces of content herein.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Ethereal Education @ http://u.arizona.edu/~tjvi
I went ahead with the initial name that had come to me for this project and jumped on a wave of inspired action. Design enriched with a Janet Tifft Fine Art background on rich, though softened, emerald and ocher.
u.arizona.edu/~tjvi
It's not perfect, but there is a point when I have to release my inner perfectionist and simply trust the process. Just enjoying the stepping stones and excited to see what's next.
u.arizona.edu/~tjvi
It's not perfect, but there is a point when I have to release my inner perfectionist and simply trust the process. Just enjoying the stepping stones and excited to see what's next.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
MindfulEducation.org
Excerpts from http://www.mindfuleducation.org/
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is paying attention here and now with kindness and curiosity. Mindfulness reconnects students to their five senses, bringing them into a moment to moment awareness of themselves and their surroundings. Research shows that mindfulness increases attention skills, reduces test anxiety, and improves emotional regulation.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is paying attention here and now with kindness and curiosity. See the research page for information on the benefits of mindfulness.
Examples of mindfulness practice include:
-Becoming aware of the breath;
-Feeling the various physical sensations of an emotion;
-Noticing thoughts as they pass through the mind;
-Paying attention to all the sounds in the room;
-Noticing what happens in the body when there is stress;
-Watching the thoughts that arise when there is boredom;
-Feeling the stomach rise and fall with each breath
Mindfulness practice is widely used in business, healthcare, and education to improve attention and well being.
Mindfulness practice does not depend on or interfere with any religion, cultural context or belief system. Mindfulness can be completely secular. Fortune 500 companies provide mindfulness instruction to their employees to reduce on-the-job stress, hundreds of hospitals refer patients to courses in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to develop skills to cope with physical and emotional pain, and dozens of schools (private and public) across the country are using mindfulness practices to help their students succeed.[1,2,3]
Mindfulness practice can save time in school
Mindfulness practices help students focus and pay attention. A few minutes of mindfulness practice can improve the learning environment. Many teachers report that on the days when students practice mindfulness, the students are calmer and the class accomplishes more than on days when mindfulness is not practiced.[4]
1 - Ryan, Oliver. "How to Succeed in Business - Mediate" CNN Money. July 20, 2007
2 - Elias, Marilyn. USA Today, 6/8/09 Mindfulness Meditation Being Used in Hospitals, Schools
3 - See the Association for Mindfulness in Education Mindful Education Map
4 - See testimonials on the Association for Mindfulness in Education Mindful Education Map
"The faculty of voluntarily bringing back a wandering attention, over and over again, is the very root of judgment, character, and will. . . An education which should improve this faculty would be the education par excellence"
Monday, July 8, 2013
Mindful Schools
It is ever so encouraging to be finding an abundance of very promising research on mindfulness and resources being developed on the subject of integrating mindfulness into K12 education.
There is a part of me that becomes almost overwhelmed by the large volumes of information I'm finding, though only briefly. I am mostly very excited for the future of education with increasing evidence of integral education advocates. Integral Institute and affiliated characters, namely Ken Wilber, having really developed the concept and understanding of what an integral approach looks like. For the purposes of this project, the focus is more specifically on integrating mindfulness into K12 curricula. One of the first segments of the web-resource in the making will be research findings, a collection of mostly current examples of mindfulness in K12 classrooms or other spaces relevant to the project.
Point of Departure 1: Mindful Schools
http://www.mindfulschools.org/resources/sample-lesson/
"It is often said that mindfulness is simple, but not easy. This is because while the principles, instructions, and techniques in mindfulness are very universal and accessible, employing them regularly, spontaneously, or continuously of your own volition can be very challenging. In the same way, teaching mindfulness might seem simple, but it’s actually not easy to do effectively. This is because in order to be effective in teaching mindfulness, one must first embody and demonstrate mindfulness with their behavior."
For this reason precisely, it has been imperative for me to integrate mindfulness in my life as thoroughly as I can. In the last few months, since decided to do this project, I've been all over the map with mindfulness. It's been a bit turbulent - to say the least. I feel like this is a huge part of why this project has been very compelling and of great importance to my education.
As the Hindu proverb goes "To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach."
I'm somewhere between... And, aiming for mastery while humbled by the truth of the first statement in the quote above. There is a certain paradox to the simplicity of mindfulness.
There is a part of me that becomes almost overwhelmed by the large volumes of information I'm finding, though only briefly. I am mostly very excited for the future of education with increasing evidence of integral education advocates. Integral Institute and affiliated characters, namely Ken Wilber, having really developed the concept and understanding of what an integral approach looks like. For the purposes of this project, the focus is more specifically on integrating mindfulness into K12 curricula. One of the first segments of the web-resource in the making will be research findings, a collection of mostly current examples of mindfulness in K12 classrooms or other spaces relevant to the project.
Point of Departure 1: Mindful Schools
http://www.mindfulschools.org/resources/sample-lesson/
"It is often said that mindfulness is simple, but not easy. This is because while the principles, instructions, and techniques in mindfulness are very universal and accessible, employing them regularly, spontaneously, or continuously of your own volition can be very challenging. In the same way, teaching mindfulness might seem simple, but it’s actually not easy to do effectively. This is because in order to be effective in teaching mindfulness, one must first embody and demonstrate mindfulness with their behavior."
For this reason precisely, it has been imperative for me to integrate mindfulness in my life as thoroughly as I can. In the last few months, since decided to do this project, I've been all over the map with mindfulness. It's been a bit turbulent - to say the least. I feel like this is a huge part of why this project has been very compelling and of great importance to my education.
As the Hindu proverb goes "To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach."
I'm somewhere between... And, aiming for mastery while humbled by the truth of the first statement in the quote above. There is a certain paradox to the simplicity of mindfulness.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Subtle Shift
As I've begun verbalizing my ideas, hopes, and plans for this project to friends and family there has been nearly unanimous attention given to the name "Ethereal Education." It seems to have a reception of being too ...well I guess ethereal! Too vague, out there. Perhaps the alliteration makes it almost cheesy even. I don't think so, but, clearly it deserves thinking about. After all the name of this endeavor will essentially be people's first impression of the project and thus a potentially make or break component.
A Subtle Shift
The whole point of using the word ethereal is that it has a certain vagueness, a mystical quality that makes it difficult to precisely pin down and define. Yet, of course, it has an array of definitions pointing to its meaning - and (a sample of which) as follows:
As I attempted to conjure up something (perhaps) more pleasing for an audience beyond myself the next thought was involving the notion of subtlety. This whole Mindfulness business is all about the subtleties, attuning our attention to include the 'subtle body' - as it's sometimes called.
A Subtle Shift
The whole point of using the word ethereal is that it has a certain vagueness, a mystical quality that makes it difficult to precisely pin down and define. Yet, of course, it has an array of definitions pointing to its meaning - and (a sample of which) as follows:
As I attempted to conjure up something (perhaps) more pleasing for an audience beyond myself the next thought was involving the notion of subtlety. This whole Mindfulness business is all about the subtleties, attuning our attention to include the 'subtle body' - as it's sometimes called.
By now I'm thinking that Subtle Shift could be a good domain name, then I realize - why am I so interested in making it an alliteration? I suppose it's just a matter of finding it more catchy. It does not need to be, but why not?
The real issue I'm up against has little to do with the name, but rather, who is my intended audience? What am I trying to achieve? What do I aim to communicate? How can I achieve my aims and gain reception?
Some tentative answers to these questions:
Ultimately the purpose of this project caters to K12 students, but, via teachers. So the audience in mind is those teaching little ones, youth, adolescents, teens, and so forth. Students of all different stages of life, backgrounds, and contexts. For the sake of a 1 unit Independent Study, however, my goals will likely have to shrink initially. As such, I'll just say for now that my intended audience will be teachers and mentors of middle school students ~ this is strategic and I'll explain further in later posts, but basically, I'd love to support the efforts of Project SOAR if possible.
My hope is to achieve a better understanding of mindfulness myself and to pay it forward in whatever ways available. The goal in mind specifically is creating a web based resource for teachers (and myself) to build better lesson plans that incorporate mindfulness exercises.
I aim to communicate prompts for powerful experiences that can potentially uplift and empower the lives of many precious individuals, as I've seen happen in myself and peers participating in such practice.
How to achieve this and gain reception? The only answer I have ample faith in is - by following my heart and trusting the work that is not of me to flow through me!
May there be light upon this endeavor!
With much love and endless gratitude.
Amen.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Tripura Foundation
A compelling campaign that incorporates values and aspects overlapping with mindfulness is the Tripura Foundation. Though its aims diverge a bit from this project, I felt it was worth mention and promoting. Here's the headline from the website:
Tripura Foundation energizes with HoPE. We share science-based, transformational tools through educational programs that activate the highest potential of people oppressed by poverty. The result? Empowered children, inspired families and uplifted communities who open doors to a world of peace, love and prosperity for all.
Additional excerpts:
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Introduction & Ideation
This blog is created with the intention to collect and composite relevant ideas and research on the topic of mindfulness in education.
In fact, this is a venture inspired by a class entitled Values and Mindfulness in Education (HED330) that I took this last spring at the University of Arizona. My final goal as an undergraduate, and final step to complete my degree, is an Independent Study that will be explored via this blog and aligning with its mission.
The aim is to pay forward the opportunity to experience mindfulness in the classroom, to encourage curriculum integration (namely via mindfulness integration), and generally investigate mindfulness along with overlapping concepts.
To support this aim, this blog will be used as a receptacle for research found on the methods, benefits, cautions, et cetera currently available on the topic. A future directions sections will be composed at a future time to offer thoughts on ways to proceed (potentially thoughts I will return to as a graduate or otherwise).
HED330 offered me profound and valuable exposures that I hope to emulate through the development of lesson plans for mindfulness integration for K12 education.
The vision begins its emergence!
To be continued...
:)
In fact, this is a venture inspired by a class entitled Values and Mindfulness in Education (HED330) that I took this last spring at the University of Arizona. My final goal as an undergraduate, and final step to complete my degree, is an Independent Study that will be explored via this blog and aligning with its mission.
The aim is to pay forward the opportunity to experience mindfulness in the classroom, to encourage curriculum integration (namely via mindfulness integration), and generally investigate mindfulness along with overlapping concepts.
To support this aim, this blog will be used as a receptacle for research found on the methods, benefits, cautions, et cetera currently available on the topic. A future directions sections will be composed at a future time to offer thoughts on ways to proceed (potentially thoughts I will return to as a graduate or otherwise).
HED330 offered me profound and valuable exposures that I hope to emulate through the development of lesson plans for mindfulness integration for K12 education.
The vision begins its emergence!
To be continued...
:)
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