ProsperityHorizons Educational Blog, Issue 1
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Publishers:
Norm & June McHardy
Prosperity Horizons Educational Portal
http://www.prosperityhorizons.com
IN THIS ISSUE
*I Dare You
*Why Teach Thinking? Why Not?
Education is one of the most important ingredients to creating a successful life. By education, I don't necessarily mean schooling, although of course going to school and getting a degree or certification greatly increases your chances of succeeding. You can also read books and listen to tapes, study on-line, seek out experts.. In short, do anything that causes you to keep learning and growing. Use your creative powers to try new ways of doing things. The following guest articles are examples of people who are using their creative abilities to change their environment.
Prosperity Horizons Educational Portal
http://www.prosperityhorizons.com
IN THIS ISSUE
*I Dare You
*Why Teach Thinking? Why Not?
Education is one of the most important ingredients to creating a successful life. By education, I don't necessarily mean schooling, although of course going to school and getting a degree or certification greatly increases your chances of succeeding. You can also read books and listen to tapes, study on-line, seek out experts.. In short, do anything that causes you to keep learning and growing. Use your creative powers to try new ways of doing things. The following guest articles are examples of people who are using their creative abilities to change their environment.
. ........
June
I DARE YOU
By Oscar Bruce
The world at
large steals your youthful enthusiasm and unbridled
confidence, piece by piece, bit by bit. Friends and
relatives throw sand in your dream machine. They've
conformed to the pressures to become ordinary, and insist
that you do the same. They compromised by downsizing their
dreams and restricting their field of vision.
I DARE YOU to free your mind from these cultural constraints. To RESIST the pressure to become ordinary. To IGNORE those who give you're their version of why you can not rise above mediocrity.
I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU to free yourself from the shackles of your past conditioning, to break the chains that bind you to false beliefs about what you can do with your life.
I DARE YOU to aim at something worthy of the best that is in you. I maintain that you are a better, more capable person than you have experienced so far, or that others have led you to believe you are.
TODAYS PREVAILING IDEOLOGY IS NOT SELF IMPROVEMENT. It is self preservation. People no longer dream of surmounting difficulties to gain all they desire. Most people live in complete servitude to the "survival mentality". They hope merely for "coping".
I AM PROMISING YOU that living aggressively changes the whole complexion of life. Not until you dare to attack will you master your fears completely. Suddenly you step into a new world of adventure. Horizons are pushed back on all sides. Opportunities open up that were previously unseen. The sleeping giant within you is stirred and awakened. On that priceless day you will discover that have a new power, the power to rise above the lives of those around you.
CHALLENGES ARE THE STUFF OF LIFE. Going after what you want, pursuing what is important to you, these are keys to happiness. Everybody loves to be a winner, a star, a hero. Nobody wants to be a loser, a failure. Americans love to be number one.
IT IS THE BASIC NATURE OF MAN TO ACHIEVE, to explore the full potential of the human spirit. Deep down in every heart is the desire to be somebody, to get somewhere, to be respected. Every individual yearns to make something of his or her life.
NO PERSON CAN BE HAPPY unless they are expressing their inherent potential, fully and completely. A life that satisfies is impossible without a sense of achievement and fulfillment.
THE BRAIN NEEDS OBJECTIVES. Most of us begin our journey with no end in mind. Then one day we find ourselves somewhere we don't want to be and don't have a clue how we got there. Nothing diminishes a life more than having nowhere to go. A mind with idle time and nowhere to go becomes filled with contradiction and doubt. On the other hand, nothing enriches a life like being a part of something big.
THINK WHAT IT WILL MEAN TO YOU to possess the calm assurance that you are one of the few people in the world who know exactly where they are going and how they are going to get there - and that attainment is only a matter of time. That you have something to believe in, a mission that gives purpose to your life, your days filled with meaningful tasks.
I DARE YOU to think bigger, to act bigger and to become bigger and I promise you a richer life, a more exciting life. The rewards for daring in this world teeming with opportunity were never so rich or so plentiful. Science, business, education are all looking for rare individuals who dare to face life creatively and aggressively, who dare to attach, rather than to defend or compromise.
IS WHAT YOU HAVE NOW WORTH WHAT YOU MIGHT BE MISSING?
I DARE you to stop putting conditions on the words commitment and dedication. I dare you to stop putting limitations on your dreams!
..........................................................................................
Oscar Bruce's publications are textbooks for getting through life unscathed and undefeated.
Additional information and access to his free newsletter are available at http://www.oscarbruce.com/
Oscar Bruce's publications are textbooks for getting through life unscathed and undefeated.
Additional information and access to his free newsletter are available at http://www.oscarbruce.com/
Author Contact
Email:
mailto:oscar@forwardpromotion.com
...........................................................................................
Why Teach Thinking? Why Not?
By Dr. Alvin
Chan
The word
‘creativity’ has so many diverse meanings and
interpretations. I remember telling an audience of teachers
that creating a mess is also creative as long as new things
and views are being conjured up. This led to much laughter
and discussion about the meaning of ‘creativity’ (This
notion of ‘creative mess’ was taken from master-thinker, Dr
Edward de Bono).
Most people feel that creativity has to garner results or products,and it is not wrong to think so. However, by giving such conscious or subconscious constraints, creativity may be unduly hindered. One must remember that many creative ideas and innovations were once considered impractical and ‘crazy’ but now, they are part of our life. Take for example, the prevalent usage of computers at home. It was once doubted by Thomas Watson Sr. (the founder of IBM) as an impossibility but is now a reality. This demonstrates the point that the once unthinkable could one day be a fact of life in the near future.
Why is creative thinking an important and much talked -about topic these days? Why is the government of Singapore so intent about creating ‘ Thinking Schools, Learning Nation’? Have we just begun to realise that without creativity and innovation, we cannot progress andwill lose our competitive edge in the global markets? I just hope we are not too late in realising this obvious fact that creative ideas, products, services, policies are the forces that drive an economy like Singapore which is not endowed with natural resources. It is time we learn to enhance and manage effectively our BRAINWARE (a term taken from the management guru, Tom Peters) and forge our path towards knowledge capital rather than physical capital!
I am much relieved that the far-sighted government of Singapore has taken steps to address this fact by initiating numerous think-tank groups to tackle this lack of innovation and competitive edge in these turbulent times. Let me rephrase my sentence for better resonance. It is for SURVIVAL!!! To survive in this global economy when your neighbours are producing at a comparatively lower cost, we have to seriously consider other ways and means to attract foreign investors in terms of knowledge and innovation to compensate for what we lack. How do we go about doing this as we are nearing the end of this millennium?
The answer is EDUCATION. It is imperative that we educate all Singaporeans, especially the young, to see the importance of being creative. In early June 1997, PM Goh Chok Thong unveiled his vision of‘ Thinking Schools, Learning Nation’ and this fuelled a revamp of the education system. This has led to numerous changes in the curriculum and also the training of teachers in the use of thinking tools. Many schools have started their own thinking program to keep in tandem withthe vision.
As with any new initiatives and programs, there are obstacles andproblems along the way that will be faced by the schools. One of the major obstacles faced by Singaporeans at large is that we suffer from creative paranoia. Creative paranoia is a term I coined to describethe insecurity of most Singaporeans in their ability to be creative and as a result, they cease any attempts to be creative. Such negativity will definitely hamper Singapore in its pursuit to be a hub of creativity and innovation. This is a major problem in the educationof the young on creative thinking. The courses on teaching thinking by the ministry are necessary and a great help to many teachers who are meandering in the ‘jungle’ of teaching thinking. In my opinion, the main concern of this paradigm shift towards a thinking culture in school is not the pupil’s lack of ability to absorb thinking skills. On the contrary, perhaps it is the educators who are imparting the thinking skills to the young that deserve our attention. Are educators here psychologically prepared to be vessels of thinking skills to the future pillars of Singapore? Or, are we still victims of self-induced creative paranoia? We have to break the shackles of creative paranoia first, before we, as educators, are able to impart the thinking skills to the young with fervour and passion.
Another problem of implementing a thinking program in school is the resistance to change of the teachers. Teachers who are used to their traditional methods of teaching may find the learning and use of new teaching strategies a chore for them. A word of advice to heads of schools who are planning to implement this program - NURTURE the change. A program will not be successful unless every member involved is ready for the changes ahead and are willing to undertake their tasks with responsibility and passion. Thus, the success of this program is inevitably dependent on the ability of the head of the school to communicate the vision and to garner support from the staff involved.
In short, a credible thinking programme should not just enhance the brainware but also the ‘HEARTWARE’. There is a need to inculcate a creative thinking culture in schools for thinkers (including staffs and students) to challenge them to seek continuous improvements. Slogans such as ‘ DARE to CHANGE, DARE to INNOVATE’ and other inspiring messages must be taught and be ingrained in the hearts and minds of our people. It may remind one of the Cultural Revolution in China with the slogans and the brainwashing. Yes, I have to admit that this is a revolution indeed! A ‘Thinking Revolution’ that will ensure Singapore’s progress and prosperity in these turbulent times as we marched into the next millennium.
To reiterate, unless our hearts are in touch with the vision of‘ Thinking Schools, Learning Nation’, the desired outcomes will not materialise. Total commitment to the vision is critical!
There are also other concerns to ponder upon, namely the choice of which thinking models to adopt. There are a few models for teaching thinking that are currently used in some schools. For example, Robert Schawtz’s Infusion method of teaching thinking. Other models include Spencer Kagan’s Multiple Intelligence and the comprehensive thinking system of the ‘G.O.D is CREATIVE’ program by Brainwerks Research.
With the various models of teaching thinking available, a principal has the difficult task of selecting an appropriate model to be used in the school. It will be advisable that such imported models of teaching thinking should be adapted and integrated into the local curriculum by the heads and the teachers for better results.
To conclude, this article does not seek to explain fully the workings of nurturing a thinking culture /program in Singapore’s education system but to create an awareness of its importance to meet the nation’s future challenges. There will be glitches along the path towards the vision but I am sure we, the educators of Singapore, would THINK SMART and INNOVATE to ensure its success. So, should we teach thinking? The question is rhetorical.
......................................................................................................
Dr.Alvin Chan is an Innovation Research Specialist in Asia. He has consulted for and aid in the development of managerial innovations and effective learning methodologies in several organizations. mailto:alvinchan@firstquatermain.com
Dr.Alvin Chan is an Innovation Research Specialist in Asia. He has consulted for and aid in the development of managerial innovations and effective learning methodologies in several organizations. mailto:alvinchan@firstquatermain.com
.....................................................................................................
ADVERTISEMENTS:
TO ADVERTISE in The Prosperity Horizons Educational Blog, go to http://ezshoppingportal.com/edu/adform.htm
ADVERTISEMENTS:
TO ADVERTISE in The Prosperity Horizons Educational Blog, go to http://ezshoppingportal.com/edu/adform.htm
To Subscribe to the Educational Blog
_______________________________________________________
See you soon!
Norm and June McHardy
http://prosperityhorizons.com
See you soon!
Norm and June McHardy
http://prosperityhorizons.com
