Re: [xmca] Re: something magical

From: deborah downing-wilson (ddowningw@gmail.com)
Date: Wed Jun 14 2006 - 09:15:25 PDT


You're right. I was just thinking about how impossible separating emotion
from any form cognition is - but how else do we qualify that 'magical
something' the rush that everyone agrees accompanies successful learning?

On 6/14/06, Jennifer Vadeboncoeur <vadebonc@interchange.ubc.ca> wrote:
>
> Just reading through these, so I may have missed something, but
> wasn't "emotion" there all along? Why has emotion been separated out?
> It seems we are assuming we can talk about thought without
> considering emotion, and while we've practiced doing that, I imagine
> it to be an unfortunate necessity given our language, rather than
> something "real." Hmmmm ... again, I may have missed something.
>
> Best to all - jen
>
>
>
> >Surely it didn't all happen in the final play episode - his understanding
> >had to be building through the earlier description/abandonment moments -
> >Vivian's enactment may have crystallized Franklin's thoughts - but a lot
> of
> >groundwork had been done beforehand. when did emotion enter in - become
> >instrumental in the learning? was it building as well during the
> unpleasant
> >episodes with his classmates? or was it merely in the eureka rush?
> >
> >On 6/14/06, Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>For goodness sake lets agree that we are not talking about the
> >>biochemistry
> >>of
> >>emotion, but of emotion as a bio-social-cogntive aspect of human
> >>functioning
> >>that
> >>is integral to human functioning in the world!
> >>
> >>The self-recognition/identity process in the case of Franklin seems key
> >>to
> >>me
> >>as well. Why couldn't he construct that
> self-knowledge-memory-recognition
> >>from
> >>an other's description and several others' abandonment of him a few
> >>moments
> >>earlier
> >>but could when drawn into the play? That seems to me a crucial question.
> >>mike
> >>
> >>On 6/14/06, deborah downing-wilson <ddowningw@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I agree. like most of us just starting out I've been struggling with
> >>the
> >>> emotional element - trying to come at it from as many angles as
> possible
> >>-
> >>> I
> >>> like Plotkin's speculation that the emotional intensity of the
> >>> parent-child
> >>> relationship suggests emotion has a place in the deliberate passing
> of
> >>> information to the next generation - it seems fitting that it has a
> >>> special
> >>> place in all learning. We certainly do a lot of whooping and
> cheering
> >>> when
> >>> our babies/children learn somehting new. Damasio's work is also
> >>> interesting
> >>> - like others he argues that emotions are socially constructed - but
> >>turns
> >>> the idea around. Instead of being expressions of inner feelings, the
> >>> learned social response (smile) engenders inner subjective feelings
> >>> (joy). can
> >>> we capture and explore these events within the zoped? can we create
> >>> contexts that encourage emotional envolvement? Paley seemed to do it
> >>with
> >>> Franklin - but she and Franklin had a long history together - built
> >>trust.
> >>> so many questions. no time.
> >>>
> >>> Deb
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 6/14/06, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> > I can't explain Deborah. This is just something I've heard about in
> >>the
> >>> > media. I hesitate to say any more and only further display my
> >>ignorance.
> >>> I
> >>> >
> >>> > only know that when you learn something and you get a big emotional
> >>hit
> >>> at
> >>> > the same time, positive or negative, you're not going to forget it.
> >>> > Learning is not a totally 'platonic' process is it - *something*
> >>changes
> >>> > in
> >>> > our body when we acquire habits.
> >>> >
> >>> > Andy
> >>> >
> >>> > At 09:26 PM 13/06/2006 -0700, you wrote:
> >>> > >biochemical affect? please explain.
> >>> > >
> >>> > >On 6/13/06, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net > wrote:
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >>Well I think it would be superficial to stop at emotion (though
> at a
> >>> > very
> >>> > >>basic level the experience of emotion is intuitively accessible
> and
> >>> > >>telling). I think emotions only make sense if we have a handle on
> >>> > identity
> >>> > >>and however we understand what it is that it means to "do"
> >>something,
> >>> to
> >>> > >>be
> >>> > >>an actor in the world. If we leave emotion at the level of
> >>biochemical
> >>> > >>affect we surely have no real way of connecting it with learning.
> >>Why
> >>> > was
> >>> > >>Franklin delighted when he saw that he was the star in this
> little
> >>> play?
> >>> > >>How did he recognise that it was himself?
> >>> > >>Andy
> >>> > >>At 07:37 AM 13/06/2006 -0700, you wrote:
> >>> > >> >My guess is that it is recriprocal emotionality, Andy. A
> >>particular
> >>> > kind
> >>> > >> >of difference that makes a difference.
> >>> > >> >What were people feeling when everyone turned to Franklin as
> they
> >>> > >> >recognized Vivian "being" Franklin? What
> >>> > >> >did they feel when he slapped his knee and said. "You got it
> just
> >>> > >> >right"? And what did he feel? Certainly not bad,
> >>> > >> >judging from the evidence.
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> >And what was THE cause of this convergence of positive affect?
> Its
> >>> in
> >>> > the
> >>> > >> >intricacies of the answer to that question
> >>> > >> >that we need a Zo to help us understand.
> >>> > >> >mike
> >>> > >> >
> >>> > >> >On 6/12/06, Andy Blunden <<mailto: ablunden@mira.net>
> >>> ablunden@mira.net
> >>> > >
> >>> > >>wrote:
> >>> > >> >>Mike Cole said:
> >>> > >> >> >[snip]
> >>> > >> >> >This "something magical" certainly is very important in our
> >>> > >>afterschool
> >>> > >> >> >work. It includes not only the experience and good will of
> >>those
> >>> > >>involved,
> >>> > >> >> >but also strong emotional bonds that grow between
> undergrads,
> >>> kids
> >>> > and
> >>> > >> >> >staff. -- almost a kind of emotional flow.
> >>> > >> >>
> >>> > >> >>Mike, this "something magical" seems to be the emotional hit
> that
> >>> > both
> >>> > >> >>learner and teacher get when the learner makes a breakthrough
> in
> >>> > >>learning
> >>> > >> >>and development, doesn't it? I remember hearing stuff in the
> >>media
> >>> > which
> >>> > >> >>went to the neurological basis of how emotions reinforce
> >>learning,
> >>> > and I
> >>> > >> >>understand it is a regular part of sports coaching nowadays to
> >>> > >>deliberately
> >>> > >> >>manipulate the emotional experiences of performers when they
> do a
> >>> > thing
> >>> > >> >>right or do it wrong supposedly to bring about neurological
> >>changes
> >>> > >>which
> >>> > >> >>will attract or repel repetitions of the action.
> >>> > >> >>
> >>> > >> >>It always seemed to me that in our theory of the use of
> artefacts
> >>> > this
> >>> > >> >>emotional loading tends to be overlooked, and yet that is
> surely
> >>> > exactly
> >>> > >> >>what is magical?
> >>> > >> >>
> >>> > >> >>
> >>> > >> >>Andy
> >>> > >> >>
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >>Andy Blunden, for Victorian Peace Network, phone +61 3 9380 9435
> >>> > >>Global Justice Tours: http://ethicalpolitics.org
> >>> > >>
> >>> > >>_______________________________________________
> >>> > >>xmca mailing list
> >>> > >>xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> > >>http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>> > >
> >>> > >
> >>> > >
> >>> > >--
> >>> > >Deborah Downing-Wilson
> >>> > >_______________________________________________
> >>> > >xmca mailing list
> >>> > >xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> > >http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>> >
> >>> > Andy Blunden, for Victorian Peace Network, phone +61 3 9380 9435
> >>> > Global Justice Tours: http://ethicalpolitics.org
> >>> >
> >>> > _______________________________________________
> >>> > xmca mailing list
> >>> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>> >
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Deborah Downing-Wilson
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> xmca mailing list
> >>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>>
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>xmca mailing list
> >>xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >>http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >--
> >Deborah Downing-Wilson
> >_______________________________________________
> >xmca mailing list
> >xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
>
> --
> ______________________________
>
> Dr. Jennifer A. Vadeboncoeur
> The University of British Columbia
> Faculty of Education
> 2125 Main Mall
> Library Block 272B
> Vancouver BC V6T-1Z4
>
> phone: 1.604.822.9099
> fax: 1.604.822.3302
>
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-- 
Deborah Downing-Wilson
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