Another Dan Pink book to ponder

A couple of years ago at the National Middle School Association annual conference Dan Pink was a keynote speaker talking about his then best-seller, A Whole New Mind (AWNM).  Although I had read and used AWNM in a technology and learning class for several semesters, I was pleased to hear Pink (and later meet him) and to think about the six senses, the heart of the book, that Pink describes in depth.

As an educator, I always try to apply his work to schools and students and finding such applications is not difficult at all...just as in Drive.  Here are several key points that Pink makes in AWNM.

1. Explore new metrics—measure more than IQ which gets lots of play in schools, but doesn't begin to include the full range of intelligences. With the emphasis on NCLB and standardized testing for so long, schools are struggling to stay focused on a wider range of expectations beyond achievement. Whatever happened to "the whole child" that we used to talk about?

2. Get real about STEM—of course math and science and engineering are important, but so are the arts, literature, foreign languages, physical education and many other areas that have traditionally been part of the K-12 curriculum, but now receive less time and emphasis. Interesting since STEM is getting more and more attention and just about everything else less and less.

3. Re-think motivation. Stress doesn't work as an incentive, nor fear, nor many of the things that we use as motivators in schools. Instead the big three—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—are the elements we should focus on. Think about what motivates us as adults. Don't we want to respond to these three critical elements?

4. More forest, less terrarium—more need for the big picture; also, we need to have a larger view when dealing with problems. Time to consider alternatives, like Google's notion of allowing employees to spend 20% of their work time on projects they are interested in. You read about FedEx time in Drive. What do you think about teachers and administrators having this kind of time to do this type of work?

5. Finally, infuse the arts throughout the curriculum. No question how important this is and how much more should be said about it.

For those of you who are reading  A Whole New Mind as your podcast book, I hope this hasn't given away too much! Another thoughtful read.