RE: [xmca] Re: something magical

From: Renee (rhayes@mundo-r.com)
Date: Wed Jun 14 2006 - 09:29:44 PDT


Right, I was just thinking something like that when I read Jennifer's
message, too. At first there was some discussion about relationships and
learning and ZPD, and surely emotion and relationships can't be teased
apart?

renee

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of Jennifer Vadeboncoeur
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 6:07 PM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] Re: something magical

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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