Last Friday, I had the opportunity to do what I suggested you should do, I went to listen to Daniel Pink. I must say, after watching his DVD and reading his book A Whole New Mind, I found myself wondering what my evolving perceptions would be after I heard him speak in person. Would I conclude that he was a Poet, capable of presenting powerful and complex ideas in simple and elegant language; a Prophet who really could help us set ourselves up for success by giving us a glimpse of what was just beyond the next horizon but still within our reach; or would I conclude that he was just some Madison Avenue form of a “Punk” bullying us with his own agenda that was rooted in a self serving ideology that would actually cause us harm if we adhered to his advice and council!

 

Before I tell you what I concluded, I want to build in some “common language”, or schema as the linguist might say, to help frame my opinion. Being a 21st century kind of guy trying to advance his ideas through a blog I consulted Wikipedia as a primary source for some new age assistance. Consider these Wikipedia definitions before you proceed any further.

 

“Poets are people who write Poetry: Poetry (from the Greek "ποίησις", poiesis, a "making" or "creating") is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its ostensible meaning. Poetry may be written independently, as discrete poems, or may occur in conjunction with other arts, as in poetic drama, hymns or lyrics."

 

Prophet: Let’s agree to skip over the religious definitions of the word. We do have a national election going on where you can get that point of view almost daily. "Traditionally, prophets are regarded as having a role in society that promotes change due to their messages and actions. The label 'prophet' can be extremely subjective; without exception, a person considered a 'true' prophet by some people is simultaneously considered a false prophet by some others. In the late 20th century the appellation of a 'prophet' has been used to refer to individuals particularly successful at analysis in the field of economics, such as in the derogatory 'prophet of greed'. Alternatively, social commentators who suggest escalating crisis in environment and society due to a lack or failure of due care are often referred to as prophets of doom."

 

Punk: "In its original nature, the punk culture has been primarily concerned with individual freedom, which tends to create beliefs in concepts such as individualism, anti-authoritarianism, anarchism and free thought. Punk ideologies have often included a critical view of the world; seeing modern day societies as placing extensive limits on humanity. Punk ideologies are usually expressed through punk rock music, punk zines, independently-published literature and spoken word recordings.

 

Punk culture originated as a movement of shock, rebellion, and discontent; and from certain points-of-view, it has evolved into an overt socio-political movement”

 

So here is my summative, albeit cursory, assessment of the man’s point of view; I would not call him a true Punk, besides that sounds nasty, he is in fact a Poet, and he may just be a Prophet, you will have to decide if he is a "true prophet" or a "prophet of doom". More on point he is definitely a Provocateur, a person capable of making you rethink both your point of view and your daily practice. If you are open to new ideas, Pink will make you wonder what will happen to our schools our country and out planet if we do not get dialed in to this conversation quickly. His emerging picture of current and future reality framed with evocative metaphors and challenging provocations should stir us to action.

 

Please reconsider what I laid out in my last blog: Pink suggests that the scariest word in our language will be the word “ROUTINE”. If someone overseas can produce your product cheaper, if a computer can do it faster and if what you offer is not in demand in an age of abundance you will simply be out of luck. That provocation would apply whether you are in the “widget business” or the school business. Your endeavor simply will not be relevant in the e-market place or any market place that relies on and values a 21st century skill set. People on the other side of the globe or the other side of the street will out “widget you” and your current and future students will simply get their education from other more flexible, adaptable and responsive suppliers. If you are a student who stays with the “factory delivery systems” of schools, game over for you economically young graduate, if you have to live and compete with 20th century skills in this global market place. On the macro level, game over for our nation if we can not or will not look ahead, the status quo simply will not cut it…..

 

Think of the ramifications of these ideas: What if he is right!! What if Pink’s list of “right-directed aptitudes”, the six senses (design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning) are really the new essential skills? Are we doing anything to shift our thinking, are we prepared to re-tool our educational delivery system? Are we willing and able to change?

 

Let me leave you with a few more provocations from Pink and then some summary comments that may help to extend this conversation.

 

* Why do good ideas stop at the school house door? Ouch that one really hurts

 

 

 

* Schools look and smell like they did in the 70’s. If your dentist office smelled and looked like it did in the 70’s would you still go in there? Will these new age students with their “IMDs” keep coming to our schools?

 

 

 

* “We need to prepare kids for their future not our past” Talk about an engagement problem!

 

 

 

* Novelty, nuance and customization VS routine, standardization, automation

 

 

 

 

* We need to help young people develop flexible minds capable of reasoning both arithmetically and aesthetically with adaptable and fluid dispositions capable of toggling back and forth between the two

 

 

 

* Several top-rated medical schools are now taking their students to Art museums so they can learn the powers of observations that artist bring to their work. What ramifications does this new practice have for our K-12 Schools?

 

 

 

* Cutting the arts is lunacy in the conceptual age. The MFA is the new MBA. How did Pink’s six key abilities influence this trend?

 

 

 

* If a picture is worth a 1000 words than a metaphor is worth a 1000 pictures. What are the powerful metaphors that will help you transform your schools?

 

 

 

* We have a constipated view of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). We simply must integrate “Conceptual Age Design Tasks” and a whole new way of thinking about how we use STEM to engage students in authentic learning. IN case you did not notice, the planet is dying!!

 

 

 

* A good speech, like a good blog should include these three elements; Brevity, levity and repetition. Ok this blog is a little long, but I hope you tolerate my light- hearted side and the intentional repetition built in from my last blog.

 

 

 

* “The guy who invented the wheel was an idiot; the guy who invented the other three was a genius” Is there any truth to this Sid Caesar smart remark? Funny guy that Sid Caesar, did you know that humor is a right brained ability!!

 

 

 

* Three compelling forces that provide the understructure for Pink's Call to Arms: (Asia, Abundance and Automation) Do you buy his argument? If you don’t maybe you should reconsider your point of view!

 

 

 

In my next blog I will have more to say about Pink’s six senses; AKA the right- directed abilities and how I think they over lap with the 12 Principles from High Schools on the Move (HSOM). I also will have a few things to say about the DOE Transformation document, another dot connecting opportunity.

 

Hope you will continue to follow the blog.

 

Thanks for your time