Geekend: Want To Be Smarter? Draw, Sing, Teach - InformationWeek

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Comments
Geekend: Want To Be Smarter? Draw, Sing, Teach
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impactnow
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impactnow,
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8/22/2014 | 2:04:08 PM
Artist learning

 

Dave I think this is great information especially at a time when our schools are eliminating programs in the arts. Children absolutely benefit from music appreciation theater and art in general, it provides them with different approaches to problems. The research has long existed that appreciation for classical music fuels math and science skills. My school is now expanding STEM to include STEAM or the inclusion of the arts. I personally have my child spend a lot of time in art related endeavors as well as traditional subjects because I see the benefit!

nasimson
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nasimson,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/23/2014 | 9:30:52 PM
Re: Artist learning
@Impact:

I like the transition from STEM to STEAM. So what exactly do you do as a parent to foster creativity in your child. I particularly found drawing to be versatile, more handy, easy to manage and less messy.
impactnow
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impactnow,
 User Rank: Author
8/26/2014 | 3:12:02 PM
Re: Artist learning
I try to incorporate the creative into our family time, everything from kids events that have crafts included to regular trips to the theater and exposure to tactile arts like pottery. It really works the brain differently than tradtitional learning and build on motor skills. Appreciation for the arts and art in general is really being lost in schools.
Broadway0474
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Broadway0474,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/26/2014 | 9:46:58 PM
Re: Artist learning
Impactnow, you said it. Schools are driven to teach what is tested, and then only teach to the test itself ... andn not for the sake of learning. Top that off with resource shortages in most public school districts and you have a recipe for not-well-rounded children growing up in uninspired teaching environments. Keep up the good work at home!
impactnow
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impactnow,
 User Rank: Author
8/28/2014 | 1:37:48 AM
Re: Artist learning
Thanks broadway I will do my best. Our educational system needs to realize that testing does not make a child successful. The most successful adults represent a mix of interlligence, social skills and likeability. Testing and labeling children is not helping them suceed.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 5:56:42 PM
Re: Artist learning
@nasimon- Both of my kids like to draw like crazy. So i never had to foster that. The youngest loves to build with legos so I think he's got creativity down. The older one is taking music now and is loving it. I think mainly you just stick kids in front of stuff and they'll roll with it.
nasimson
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nasimson,
 User Rank: Ninja
9/29/2014 | 10:12:11 PM
Re: Artist learning
@David:

> I think mainly you just stick kids in front of stuff and they'll roll with it.

I've found this to be working for my kids. But what is even better is that when I start to use it. They just want to do it own their own then. Works like car ignition. You just have to use they key once and then the car goes on its own.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 5:46:58 PM
Re: Artist learning
@impactnow- Oh, I like STEAM instead of STEM. that's the first i've heard that. That's a really smart strategy to get arts funded in school, too. I've got a new suggestion. How about STREAM- with the "R" standing for reading?
impactnow
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impactnow,
 User Rank: Author
8/30/2014 | 11:15:29 PM
Re: Artist learning
Dave I thInk stream is a great add, reading is a foundational skill that influences mastering so many other disciplines.
PedroGonzales
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PedroGonzales,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/22/2014 | 2:05:07 PM
different kinds of intellegence
I think all these are great strategies but they measure a specific kind of intelligence.  Many other others authors in these area have indicated something refer to as emotional intelligence.  I think different kind of intelligence is what really makes a better person to deal with the various types of challenges we face in our daily lives.  I would encourage any one to pick up a pen or start playing an instrument.  They are fun hobbies. 
jastroff
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jastroff,
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8/22/2014 | 4:18:54 PM
Re: different kinds of intellegence
@dave -- all great ideas and I've done all of them. I like to think it makes me a more valued resource, and a better manager. Bringing this all into the workplace can be difficult, but getting people to move from their "defined paths" or ruts can bring about more innovative thinking and better problem solving, that is, if the company culture permits risk-taking
WaqasAltaf
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WaqasAltaf,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/24/2014 | 1:55:34 AM
Re: different kinds of intellegence
jastroff, in continuation to your point, companies must ensure that staff get a flavour of other tasks too therefore they must formally ensure that people get job rotation. Viewing things from a different angle leads to development of an innovative mind.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 5:52:58 PM
Re: different kinds of intellegence
@jastroff- I sure think so. the more managers I meet, the more I realize the best ones have skill sets that don't look obviously directed at their jobs. They have a set of skills and viewpoints that help them see other ways of doing things.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 5:51:38 PM
Re: different kinds of intellegence
@PedroGonzales- True. Basically, I don't think they measure intelligence at all, but just achievement. They are really a set of learning skills that allow for better learning. But we tend to shorthand that in society as "smart." I'm not actually as smart as most of my friends. But i'm a better learner than a lot of them, so some think I am. I just learned a skillset. I think the key to all of this is to help you find a set of skills that help you use your intelligence best.
PedroGonzales
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PedroGonzales,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/29/2014 | 3:40:53 PM
Re: different kinds of intellegence
@ David.  you really explained in a great way.    I know people that are really booksmart, but their personal life is a mess.  At other times,   I think of bill gates or Steve jobs whom wheren't good at school, but they were smart business men.  They were sure able to use their intelligence in a great way.
Susan Fourtané
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Susan Fourtané,
 User Rank: Author
8/23/2014 | 10:49:35 AM
You teach better what you need to learn
Dave, 

Quite interesting. I am no convinced that drawing skills are interconnected with being smarter as it is related with which brain hemisphere is in use and the kind of abilities developed in that part of the brain. There are multiple intelligences, not only one kind. 

The music study: being used to having music/noise as background doesn't make you smarter. You focus better later in a noisy working environment because you are used to doing stuff with noise in the background. 

A kid drawing a person with more than four limbs might not be drawing a human being but a different kind of being product of his imagination. 

The recent study that says that teaching improves learning has not discovered anything new. Old studies have previously published that people teach better what they need to learn.

I don't think these "studies" have convinced me of anything, or have brought anything new.  

The drawing is super cute. :)

-Susan  
SaneIT
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SaneIT,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/25/2014 | 7:24:06 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
I just want to add to the list of things that help cognitive function.  Exercise is a big one as is taking up a hobby.  I think that the bigger picture here isn't art or music it is activity.  Humans who wind down to nothing and become vegetative also lower their brain function.  Those who keep engaged and moving tend to build up that cognitive function.   I think this is one of the reasons Google's side project love is so good for the company.  Keeping people from sinking into a rut is good for them.
PedroGonzales
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PedroGonzales,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/25/2014 | 10:05:13 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
@SaneIT. I agree. Staying active is an excellent way for people to health boost their mental capacity.  Exercising is a great way to keep a healthly body, specially where obesity is a huge problem in the U.S.  Also, if people are participating is stimulating activities is always better than being a couch potato.
tzubair
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tzubair,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/25/2014 | 3:25:03 PM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
I agree. Exercise is an energy booster and I have found it to be the single most motivational activity of my day to day routine ever since i started it. It leads me to a sense of fulfillment in terms of doing justice to my body and makes me naturally more considerate about what i eat in the day. Ensuring good fitness and less medical expenses :-)  And as the old adage stands, A healthy mind lives in a healthy body, I have to admit a healthy lifestyle has made a great impact on my performance at work.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 6:15:55 PM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
@tzubair- You are right about exercise as a motivator. At first, i hated going to the gym. Now, it is my favorite thing to do. I get cranky when I don't get to go. That hour or so of really paying attention to your body and not your mind is quite invigorating.
tzubair
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tzubair,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/31/2014 | 10:57:16 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
@David: Do you not think gamification can be a way to make people work out and head to the gym? How about an app like Temple Run which can get attached to your treadmill and you have to physically run to play the game and score points?
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
9/2/2014 | 11:48:46 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
@tzubair- I know hard core gamification would work for me. If there was such a thing as a Star Trek holodeck I'd be in i for hours on end because of the real experience of running around a world (or maybe simulating being in an NFL game ore something) would be more fun. I personally don't like the treadmill as much as the real world. 

that said, I see gyms give pts for workouts and other gamefication techniques that don't work. I think the most important thing is that the game is fun. 
Susan Fourtané
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Susan Fourtané,
 User Rank: Author
8/25/2014 | 4:11:38 PM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
SaneIT,

Exactly. :) Great points. As long as you keep your mind and body in constant activity the brain keeps on working.

-Susan
SaneIT
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SaneIT,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/26/2014 | 9:25:42 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
I've been seeing this a lot lately with parents and the parents of friends.  Once you start slowing down physically it seems like the mental acuity is not far behind.  Aside from any issues like Alzheimer's or dementia the brightest elderly people I know lead very active lives.  They didn't just retire to the living room.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 6:13:59 PM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
@SaneIT- Agreed to an extent. I think certian activities are better than others for certain skills you want to cultivate. But yes, something is always better than nothing. And activity is always cultivating something in the brain.
SaneIT
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SaneIT,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/29/2014 | 7:36:02 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
I don't doubt that some activities are better suited for specific skills but I tend to see trends or fads driving people more than consideration of the skills they need day to day.  One thing that I've found very odd though is the number of tech guys who are heavily involved in lifting heavy things. It would seem that the process of strength training is something that tech guys can get into easily.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/29/2014 | 11:52:42 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
@SaneIT- I hadn't noticed that. But I'm guessing the reason is that when you do a job that uses almost entirely your brain, it is nice to find a hobby that does the opposite. My nearby gym now has one of those giant tractor tires people flip to workout with. I doubt I could flip it right now, but I'm really tempted to join the gym just so I can. 
SaneIT
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SaneIT,
 User Rank: Ninja
9/2/2014 | 7:26:36 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
It's kind of funny when I run into other guys who lift competitively and we sit around talking about coding or tech.  The whole meathead stereotype is lost on us I guess.  I do think it has to do with having such a brain heavy job and you want the down time but I also think the analytical skills carry over to competitive lifting because the techie guys have an easier time programing training, diet and technique.
WaqasAltaf
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WaqasAltaf,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/30/2014 | 1:32:12 AM
Re: You teach better what you need to learn
SaneIT

"One thing that I've found very odd though is the number of tech guys who are heavily involved in lifting heavy things. It would seem that the process of strength training is something that tech guys can get into easily."

Yeah that's a nice way to prepare a tech guy to face challenges. But (having dual meaning) tech guys must only pickup those weights that their body can tolerate or shouldn't let users do things which forces tech guys to lift weights they aren't qualified/capable to lift.
SachinEE
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SachinEE,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/23/2014 | 2:27:08 PM
No stranger
I am no stranger to the fact that a background music really helps you concentrate, and that is why most workplaces where workload is high use musical backgrounds. If we talk about a corporate group rather than children we see that even the lighting system and the temperature of the room can motivate a person to work harder.
WaqasAltaf
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WaqasAltaf,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/24/2014 | 1:38:01 AM
Re: No stranger
SachinEE, background music never works for me. I like pindrop silence to concentrate. Thank God I don't share a room with my colleagues in office else my performance would have been much lower.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 6:06:48 PM
Re: No stranger
@waqasaltaf- Learn a musical instrument. In two years you'll be able to handle the noise. :) Report back here on what you play and how it worked. :)
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 5:55:10 PM
Re: No stranger
@sachinEE- It actually isn't that music in the background helps you concentrate. It is that music knowledge helps you concentrate while there is a distracting noise in the background. 

The other might also be true, but that wasn't what was tested. Personally, I work better in quiet. But I also can't play an instrument or sing. So that might tell you something.
Susan_Nunziata
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Susan_Nunziata,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 7:52:56 PM
Re: No stranger
@Dave: In my experience, both are true. In fact, in all of your examples, what I see is the ability to get into a "flow" state that allows you to concentrate and absorb or impart information regardless of what is happening around you.
tzubair
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tzubair,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/25/2014 | 3:21:34 PM
Better concentration with drawing.
Well speaking from my personal experience, I noticed a considerable improvement in my over all temperament and concentration once i put myself to learn drawing. It was quite tricky and demanding at the start but also warranted total concentration for coordinated hand-eye movement. This helped me in other areas of life and day to day work so i stand testimony to this study myself.
kstaron
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kstaron,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/27/2014 | 2:20:40 PM
One room schoolhouse approach
My mother went to a one room school house where the older kids were supposed to help teach the younger ones. Thre really is no better way to learn something than to teach it. Not only are you forced into knowing more than you normally would need to (what if there is a question?) But you also end up learning enough to blast away the misconceptions you had while you are putting together a lesson plan.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/28/2014 | 6:18:55 PM
Re: One room schoolhouse approach
@kstaron- Interesting. I don't know if there are one room school houses anymore, but my daughter is a multi-age classroom. She's now the oldest in the room and we're looking forward to her solidifying her skills by teaching the little ones. It is goign to be a very interesting year.
zerox203
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zerox203,
 User Rank: Ninja
8/29/2014 | 8:40:20 AM
Re: Want To Be Smarter?
Thanks for this, Dave. I think this is an idea most of us have heard about now and again, or thought about intrinsically - being creative is good for your intellect - but it's nice to have some research, facts, and specifity attached to it for a change. After all, it's sort of the case here that people can use their personal beliefs to enact a self-fulfilling prophecy. "I'm smart because I'm creative, and I'm creative because I'm smart." That doesn't really tell us all that much, does it? A real study with some real (re: failable) criteria attached to it is a different beast entirely - and I am glad to see that creativity scored pretty highly in the end.

Still, I wonder how great of advice this is on it's own, especially to someone specifically going into a STEM field. As others have pointed out, each of these three studies individually doesn't necessarily tell us much that isn't obvious. Likewise, it's tricky to correlate any one of them to one specific benefit - the example you give about underpriviliged children needing to study in noisy places is a good thought, but scientifically seems a little spotty. I think the value here is the three combined, and what they mean together - building any of these skills (or, lots of other creative ones not listed here) makes a solid foundation for students... and now we have the science to prove it.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
8/29/2014 | 11:54:40 AM
Re: Want To Be Smarter?
@zerox203- Right. There's nothing here that can be totally 100% prescriptive. I can't tell anyone how to be truly smart. What I can say is that certain skills can be honed through certain actions that you wouldn't notice have a direct connection. And that's cool.


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