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10. Gathering Data through All Senses
Observe perpetually.
Henry James

The brain is the ultimate reductionist. It reduces the world to its elementary parts: photons of light, molecules of smell,
sound waves, vibrations of touch--which send electrochemical signals to individual brain cells that store information
about lines, movements, colours, smells and other sensory inputs. Intelligent people know that all information gets into
the brain through the sensory pathways: gustatory, olfactory, tactile, kinaesthetic, auditory, visual, Most linguistic,
cultural, and physical learning is derived from the environment by observing or taking in through the senses.

Furthermore, we are learning more about the impact of arts and music on improved mental functioning. Forming mental
images is important in mathematics and engineering; listening to classical music seems to improve spatial reasoning.
Social scientists solve problems through scenarios and role-playing; scientists build models; engineers use cad-cam;
mechanics learn through hands-on experimentation; artists experiment with colours and textures. Musicians experiment
by producing combinations of instrumental and vocal music.

Some students, however, go through school and life oblivious to the textures, rhythms, patterns sounds and colours
around them. Sometimes children are afraid to touch, get their hands "dirty" or feel some object might be "slimy" or
"icky". They operate within a narrow range of sensory problem solving strategies wanting only to "describe it but not
illustrate or act it", or "listen but not participate".


11. Creating, Imagining, and Innovating
"The future is not some place we are going to but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the
activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination."
John Schaar, Political Scientist,

All human beings have the capacity to generate novel, original, clever or ingenious products, solutions, and
techniques—if that capacity is developed. Creative human beings try to conceive problem solutions differently,
examining alternative possibilities from many angles. They tend to project themselves into different roles using
analogies, starting with a vision and working backward, imagining they are the objects being considered. Creative
people take risks and frequently push the boundaries of their perceived limits. They are intrinsically rather than
extrinsically motivated, working on the task because of the aesthetic challenge rather than the material rewards.
Creative people are open to criticism. They hold up their products for others to judge and seek feedback in an ever-
increasing effort to refine their technique. They are uneasy with the status quo. They constantly strive for greater fluency,
elaboration, novelty, parsimony, simplicity, craftsmanship, perfection, beauty, harmony, and balance.

Students, however, are often heard saying, "I can't draw," "I was never very good at art," "I can't sing a note," "I'm not
creative". Some people believe creative humans are just born that way; in their genes and chromosomes.


12. Responding with Wonderment and Awe
“The most beautiful experience in the world is the experience of the mysterious."
Albert Einstein.

Describing the 200 best and brightest of the All USA College Academic Team identified by USA Today, Tracey Wong
Briggs (1999) states, “They are creative thinkers who have a passion for what they do.” Efficacious people have not only
an "I CAN" attitude, but also an "I ENJOY" feeling. They seek problems to solve for themselves and to submit to others.
They delight in making up problems to solve on their own and request enigmas from others. They enjoy figuring things
out by themselves, and continue to learn throughout their lifetimes. Some children and adults avoid problems and are
"turned off" to learning. They make such comments as, "I was never good at these brain teasers," or "Go ask your
father; he's the brain in this family. "It’s boring." "When am I ever going to use this stuff?" "Who cares?" "Lighten up,
teacher, thinking is hard work,” or "I don't do thinking!" Many people never enrolled in another math class or other "hard"
academic subjects after they didn't have to in high school or college. Many people perceive thinking as hard work and
therefore recoil from situations, which demand "too much" of it.

We want our students, however, to be curious; to commune with the world around them; to reflect on the changing
formations of a cloud; feel charmed by the opening of a bud; sense the logical simplicity of mathematical order. Students
can find beauty in a sunset, intrigue in the geometric of a spider web, and exhilaration at the iridescence of a
hummingbird's wings. They see the congruity and intricacies in the derivation of a mathematical formula, recognize the
orderliness and adroitness of a chemical change, and commune with the serenity of a distant constellation. We want
them feel compelled, enthusiastic and passionate about learning, inquiring and mastering.



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