What's the big idea?
In Sparks of Genius-The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People, observing, Robert and Root- Bernstein state that “all knowledge about the world is acquired through observing, paying attention to what is seen, heard, touched, smelled, tasted, or felt within the body (p.25).” The essential point of observing is to distinguish the difference between looking and seeing. Take the painting, “Christina’s World” as an example. For people who quickly look at it, many of them would see a woman lying on the grass and facing a building or house. While, if they pay close attention and take another look, they would find out there are so many things they did not see before, such as the painting’s structure, the position of each object, the details of each position as well as the color setting and the texture. The latter example is the practice of observation. While people are observing the painting, they might start wondering questions like: what was the well-dressed young lady doing lying on the grass in the middle of nowhere? Why was she facing to the two houses or barns? Are they her home, or churches? What is the picture trying to tell us? Once people start wondering questions, they are attaching their emotions as well as their imagination in telling/developing the story. Therefore, “the ability of recall or imagining these feeling and sensations (p.25)” is called imaging. Observing is a study based on the truth of an object by using seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, or feeling senses. Imaging is to recall, and recreate based on what was observed.
In Sparks of Genius-The 13 Thinking Tools of the World’s Most Creative People, observing, Robert and Root- Bernstein state that “all knowledge about the world is acquired through observing, paying attention to what is seen, heard, touched, smelled, tasted, or felt within the body (p.25).” The essential point of observing is to distinguish the difference between looking and seeing. Take the painting, “Christina’s World” as an example. For people who quickly look at it, many of them would see a woman lying on the grass and facing a building or house. While, if they pay close attention and take another look, they would find out there are so many things they did not see before, such as the painting’s structure, the position of each object, the details of each position as well as the color setting and the texture. The latter example is the practice of observation. While people are observing the painting, they might start wondering questions like: what was the well-dressed young lady doing lying on the grass in the middle of nowhere? Why was she facing to the two houses or barns? Are they her home, or churches? What is the picture trying to tell us? Once people start wondering questions, they are attaching their emotions as well as their imagination in telling/developing the story. Therefore, “the ability of recall or imagining these feeling and sensations (p.25)” is called imaging. Observing is a study based on the truth of an object by using seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, or feeling senses. Imaging is to recall, and recreate based on what was observed.
“The keenest observers make use of every kind of sensory information. In fact, the greatest insights often come to individuals who are able to appreciate the ‘sublimity of the mundane,’ the deeply surprising and meaningful beauty in everyday things (p.40).” While I was reading these sentences, I happened to have a bowl of strawberries on the desk in front of me. (They were washed and ready to be my breakfastJ) I had never thought about taking a closer look at these strawberries. They are fruit. However, by the encouragement of the Spark book, I pulled the bowl closer and looked at each of them. Wow! There were so many details I had never noticed before! While I was observing them, I also smelled the fresh sweet smell, which lured me to take a bite. So I did, and it tasted even better!
I also instantly noticed this change when I started practicing imaging exercises from the Spark book. For example, before I stood up to get my cell phone, I tried to “see” with my mind’s eye where it was located. I saw my cell phone, a brand new black I-phone, was sitting on the dark brown wood round dinner table that has four chairs around. I also tried to “listen” and “hear” the recommendations from the Spark book as if they were on my favorite TV show. Wow, this practice made the abstract conceptions much more concrete, lifelike and easier to understand!
“If one of the objects of education is to produce lifelong learners, what better recommendation for practicing the skill of observation could one want (p.49).” The examples of taking a close look at a bowl of strawberry, recalling my cell phone and “listening to” the book guide me to look at things more closely, not from the surface by a quick look, but put patience, emotions and feelings to sublimate the observation and imaging. Meanwhile, as an educator, it is my responsibility to incorporate these creative thinking tools into an effective teaching practice. One teaching goal is to guide students to be creative thinkers themselves. For example, “we need practice in noting the sublimity of the mundane (p48).” I applied the suggestion of “collect all of your attention” to my teaching plan. I will be teaching Chinese characters to non-native Chinese speaking students. Before reading this book, I was thinking of giving students a lecture first, and telling them the main features of Chinese characters as well as the structure within each of them. However, now, I will ask them some key questions, and then guide them to observe. Through this process, not only the teacher, but also the students need to actively see things in order to learn. For the next step, I will ask them to reimage the Chinese characters by encouraging them to use any sensory sensibilities. After all, we’re all learners in the life-long learning process, and mastering the tools of observation and imagine is a first step in being a more creative learner. I cannot wait to learn more!
Xin Wang
Focusing on how observing and imaging can positively influence lifelong learning is so important. As a student and teacher, lifelong learning is something that should always be considered no matter what the assignment. You made a couple of really nice points and overall, your reflection depicts this importance - describing how to effectively incorporate elements of observing and reimaging in order to grow as a lifelong learner! Jessica Joy
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