ConceptualAgeCurriculum

ClaytonNoltkamper
UniversityofColumbia
Summer2016

Noltkamper:ConceptualAgeCurriculum

InGeorgeOrwells
1984
weareexposedtothenewtotalitarianlanguageofNewspeak.
Thisnewlanguageemploysminimalism,eliminatingasmanywordsaspossible,suchas
adjectives,synonymsandevenantonyms.Thegoalbeingthattheconvergenceoflanguage
limitsoriginalthought,thussupportingunquestioningloyaltytoOrwellsfictionalgovernment.
Conversely,philosopherDerridaexposesthelimitationsoflanguageduetodivergence.
Languageisflawedinthatweeachinterpretitslightlydifferent,creatingdivergentimagesinour
mind.Useofdescriptivelanguagecanbringourimaginingsclosertogether,butneverachieve
unity,andatwhatpointdoesthewordingoverpowertheconceptandrenderituseless?In
PoliticsandtheEnglishLanguage,OrwellpresentsDoublespeakandinWhereweLive,
RoyF.FoxappliesDoublespeaktoimagery,coiningSymbolspeak.Bothoftheseterms
speaktotheconfusingandmanipulativeelementsofwrittenorvisualcommunication.Despite
theconvolutednatureofcommunication,bothauthorsprovidewaysinwhichwecanharnessthe
divergenceinserviceofmeaning(Derrida,1967Orwell,1948Orwell,19Fox,1994).
Inthiscontext,divergentthoughtcomestoportrayfreedomanddemocracywhile
convergentthoughtrepresentsthestiflingofsuchthings.Inthisway,theconceptualage
curriculumbecomesaboutpromotingdivergentthinking.Nowconsiderourschoolsandthe
thinkingwefoster.Therealmofk12educationisruledbyconvergentfactsandfigures.What
weneed,saysDanielPink,isAWholeNewMind(Pink,2006).Whoweneedisaleader
whosestrengthsalreadylieinsubjectivity.Weneedthevisualarts,notjustasaparticipant,but
attheforefrontofarevolution.
Inhisbook,
AWholeNewMind
,Pinktellsusthatweareenteringanewage,the
conceptualage.AsasocietywehavetransformedfromfarmsoftheAgriculturalAgeto

Noltkamper:ConceptualAgeCurriculum

factoriesoftheIndustrialAgetoworkingwithknowledgeintheInformationAge.Nowweshift
againandourapproachtolifemustchangewithit.Pinkattributesthisalterationtoabundance,
asiaandautomation.BecauseofthesethreethingswemustaskourselvesCansomeone
overseasdoitcheaper?Canacomputerdoitfaster?IswhatImofferingindemandinanageof
abundance?(p.51).Whentheanswerstothesequestionsareyes,thenyouareobsolete.Inthe
conceptualage,humansmustfindnewrelevance.Theymustadapttolearnanddothethingsthat
otherscannotandthisrequirestheRdirectedthinkingoftherightbrain.Toachievethis,Pink
providessixsensesthatwemustmastertoachievesuccessintheconceptualage:design,story,
symphony,empathy,playandmeaning.(Pink,2006)
Design
TheDesignsensedirectlyrelatestooneofPinksthreereasonsfortheconceptualage:
abundance.Inaworldwherewearesuperconnectedandhavetoomanyoptions,designiswhat
setsbusinessesandindividualsapartandputscertainpeopleahead.Designiscomposedof
utilityandsignificance.Aproductmustbeuseful,utility.Itmustbeunique,significance.
Whenwehavetoomanyoptions,wechoosetheonethatismostuniqueorwelldesigned.
Furthermore,poordesignisdamagingandconfusing,preventingusfrommakingaccurate
decisions.Designthinking,directlyrelatestothethinkingartistmakeintheartroom.(Pink,
2006).
Story
Storyprovidescontextandemotionalimpactthatbindstoourmemorystrongerthanfacts
alone.Qualitativedata,likestoriesareoftenthoughtfrivolousandleftout,however,theyare
key.Storyprovidesthecontextfordatasothatwecantrulyunderstanditandmakegrowth.

Noltkamper:ConceptualAgeCurriculum

Storytellingincorporatesword,rhythm,voice,movement,sound,etc...itisagreatsymphony
ofcommunication.Itsincrediblehowstorybringsimagerytolifeinourminds.Throughstory
weprovideengagementthatcaptivatesourstudentsandaddictsthemtoourcontent.(Pink,
2006).
Symphony
Symphonyisaliteralandmetaphoricalrepresentationoftherightbrain,whichisknownfor
itsabilitytomakeconnectionsandseethebigpictureincontrastwiththedetailorientedleft
brain.Importantconceptualthinkingincludestheabilitytoseeeachelementasapartofagreater
whole.Peopleintheconceptualagemustunderstandtheconnectionsbetweendiverse,and
seeminglyseparate,disciplines(p.134).Everythingisconnected,andtoauthenticallylearna
subjectitmustbeincontextofothersubjectsandlife.Lookingatrelationshipsandsolving
problemsareagreatwaytoimprovethesenseofsymphony.Artdoesthissoeasily,especially
withdrawing.(Pink,2006).
Empathy
Thissenseallowsustounderstandothersandinteractappropriately.Traditionallyknownas
thetouchyfeelysense,empathyisredefiningitselfasthosewithhighempathyfairbetterinthe
conceptualage.Emotionandourabilitytoreadfacialexpressionsisnotlearned,itisingrained
behavior(p.162).Computerscannotaccomplishempathy,soitisourcapacityforemotionand
relationshipsthatmakesusindispensable.Respectcomesfromourabilitytounderstand
someoneelsewhetherornotweagreewiththem.Respectandempathyaresoftskillsthatgo
handinhandandneedtobefosteredtodevelopcommunityintheclassroom.Intheartroom,

Noltkamper:ConceptualAgeCurriculum

strongconnectionsneedtobemadewithstudentstocreateasafeenvironmentforcreativity.
(Pink,2006).
Play

Homoludens
(ManthePlayer)isprovingtobeaseffectiveasHomosapiens(Manthe
Knower)ingettingthejobdone(p.188).Gamersscore30%higheronvisualperception.
Gamerphysiciansmake37%fewermistakesandperform27%faster.Gamesprovideacomplex
structureforhumanstopracticehowtothinkdeeplyaboutcomplexsystemswhereeverything
interactsincomplicatedwayswitheverythingelseandbaddecisionscanmakefordisasters(p.
194).HarvardBusinessReviewsayshumorreduceshostility,deflectscriticism,relieves
tension,improvesmorale,andhelpscommunicatedifficultmessages(p.198).Joyfulemployees
arebetteraswell,Laughingpeoplearemorecreativepeople.Theyaremoreproductivepeople.
Peoplewholaughtogethercanworktogether(p.198).Games,humorandjoyfulnessarethe
elementsofplaythatengagebothworkersinthebusinessworldaswellasstudentsinthe
classroom.(Pink,2006).
Meaning
Iseethesenseofmeaningasthewhybehindtheconceptualage.Havingthesenseof
meaningallowstofindpurposeinourlives.Itkeepsusmotivated.TheAmericanDreamis
notwhatitusedtobe.Lifeisnolongervaluedbyyourabilitytogetadegree,agoodjob,
getmarriedandraisekids.Therearesomanyelementsherethatpeopledontnecessarily
aspireto.Weareaglobaleconomy,moreamixofcultures,traditionsandindividualitythan
everbefore.AchievingtheAmericanDreamhastransformedintofindingmeaninginour
lives.Pinksuggeststhisbeaccomplishedbytakingbothspiritualityandhappinessseriously.

Noltkamper:ConceptualAgeCurriculum

Spiritualityisbeliefinsomethingbiggerthanourselves(p.221).PinkquotesViktorFrankl
thatHappinesscannotbepursueditmustensue(p.225).Thisistosaythatitcomesfrom
withit,itisnotthegoal,butthejourney.Morehappinesscausesmoreproductivityand
higherincomesaysSeligman(p.226).Businesseswanthappy,motivatedemployees.
Happinessrelievesstressandstressistheantilearning.Bybringinghappinessintoour
classrooms,wepromotesuccessfulstudents.Itishumantoquestionourworldandourlives,
findinganswerstothesequestions,themeaning,allowsustocarryon.(Pink,2006).
Artistheperfectplacetoexploremeaning.Inregardstodivergentvsconvergent
thinking,artistheultimatedivergence.Fromthebeginningoftime,humanshaveproduced
art...and
forwhom
?Arthasalwaysbeenawayforustomakemeaninginourworld,toboth
understanditandcommunicatethatgleanedknowledgetoothersacrossbothcultureand
time.
Curriculum
Whenconsideringwhatweteachinourclassroomswemustaskourselves
forwhat
and
forwhom
?Tojustteachthestandardswearehandedisaninjusticetoourstudents.Asteachers,
itisourdutytodiveintodeepreflectionandunderstand
why
wearebeingaskedtoteachthese
things.Wemustunderstandhowtheknowledgeweseektoimpartwillbeofvaluetostudentsas
adults.
Inmyclassroom,Pinksfirstfivesenseswillactinserviceofthesixth,tomakemeaning
ofourworld.Ifthatisthetimelessroleofart,thenthattooshouldbethefocusofmystudents.
Teachingelementsandprinciplesofdesign,mediatechniquesandarthistoryareinserviceof
beingabletointerpretmeaningfromvisualsandcreatemeaningthroughvisuals.Afterlearning

Noltkamper:ConceptualAgeCurriculum

skillsandtechniquesfirstquarter,Iwillaskmystudentstoemploytheseconceptsinpursuitof
answeringbigquestionsthatpromoteunderstandingandvalueintheirlivesduringsecond
quarter.Herestudentswillexplorehowartistsdesignandexecuteoriginalworkstotellastory
andmakemeaning.Secondsemester,theywillapplyallthisknowledgeinpursuitoftheirown
questions,documentingtheirprocessandgrowth,andmodelingalifelongthirstformeaning.
GeorgeOrwellsfamousbook,
1984,
showcasesascaryrealpossibility.Ourexperiences,
whatmakesushumandeservestobecelebrated,notstifled.Ourstudentsdeservethegraspof
divergentthought.Ourcurriculumshouldbethatwhichwillpropelourstudentstosuccessinthe
conceptualage.

Noltkamper:ConceptualAgeCurriculum

References
Derrida,J.(1997).
OfGrammatology
.Baltimore:JohnHopkinsUniversityPress.
Fox,R.(1994).WhereWeLive.
ImagesinLanguage,Media,andMind
.Urbana,Ill:National
CouncilofTeachersofEnglish
Orwell,G.(1984).
1984
.SanDiego:HarcourtBraceJovanovich.
Orwell,G.(1946).PoliticsandtheEnglishLanguage.London:Horizon.
Pink,D.(2006).
AWholeNewMind:WhyRightBrainersWillRuleTheFuture
.NewYork:The
BerkleyPublishingGroup.