pages 100-157

November 11, 2010 jhemen
Section 3 pages 100-157

Chapter 5
The world is integrating the Left brain way of thinking and way of doing business and infusing Right brain thinking to conduct business. The thought now is that the types of jobs that have been in the forefront of society can now be completed y people in other countries at lower wages. Now the ‘gig’ paying jobs will be done by people who can see the big picture and do things like inventing, designing, and seeing things in a new ‘light’. To work in these new ways people who are more Right brained will probably get these positions. New workers need to be able to use these aspects in their jobs: storytelling and symphony.

People remember and connect to a story rather than facts. I just spent 180 minutes and about 9 miles on the treadmill listening to and reading the book The Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink. Now I have to write a synopsis of the pages and I’m blank. What I had thought about while walking, listening, and reading, was how would teaching second graders be more effective if I could tell them stories about the major standards that I have to teach. Then I thought what if they told the stories too or made plays or videos. I thought they would probably remember way more about what I taught if they could somehow connect stories. Then I wondered if their connections to learning are way more important than I realize (and I do realize they are important). I wondered if maybe I should do an experiment. I would teach them something, then let them relate whatever they wanted about the subject either verbally or in writing and get back with them later to see what they remembered. I would teach another lesson and not let them make connections and see if the learning was less, the same, or more. Or, would I need to come up with the stories?
Pink in convinced that storytelling is the wave of the future. Without storytelling skills a person would be less likely to be hired in the corporate world. This idea and shift is somewhat fascinating considering the high powered corporate world I remember.
Chapter 6
Symphony ‘is the ability to put together the pieces, to see relationships between unrelated fields. (p.130) The ability to understand metaphors is also a part of symphony thinking. I found out in the 1990’s that not everyone ‘gets’ metaphors. I told some smart, educated people that I had gone to a horse doctor and was asked why I went to a veterinarian. Not everyone ‘gets’ metaphors, sometimes even after you explain the relationship.
Since Symphony is all about the relationship between things, D.H.Pink said that there are three types of people who may be sought after in the ‘new world’ or Right Brainers. These people are the Boundary Crossers, The Inventor, and the Metaphor Maker. The Boundary Crosser can multitask; The Inventor, as you may suspect, comes up with new ideas; and the Metaphor Maker helps to understand and give meaning. The worker of the future will be one who can see the big picture and be able to think ‘outside the box’.