Author Archive

Now You See It by Cathy Davidson

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention WIll Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn by Cathy N. Davidson (© 2011, Viking Penguin: New York, NY) shows how the phenomenon of attention blindness shapes our lives, and how it has led to one of the greatest problems of our historical moment. Many of us toil in schools and workplaces that were designed for the last century. Cathy believes we will find the answers we need in places where disruption and distraction are producing exciting results. She paints a picture of the future of work and education as she introduces us to visionaries whose ideas will effect us all. Drawing from the fields of brain science, psychology, education, management science, technology, and more, she presents a picture of an interactive world where each of us can make a valued contribution.

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Invisible Gorilla Revised Summary

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, (©2010, CROWN: New York, NY.) is about six everyday illusions that profoundly influence our lives. They are the illusions of attention, memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, and potential. These are distorted beliefs we hold about our minds that are not just wrong, but wrong in dangerous ways. Once you know about these illusions, you will view the world differently and think about it more clearly. You will recognize when people are taking advantage of illusions in an attempt to obfuscate or persuade. Seeing through these veils will help connect you with reality. I will soon post a summary of Cathy Davidson’s Now You See It which draws heavily on this book.

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Brain-Powered Science Reform Your Science Program

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Reform your science program one activity at a time with Dr. Thomas O’Brien’s three volume Brain-Powered Science: Teaching and Learning with Discrepant Events effort for grades 5-12. It is a cerebral treat for science teachers, science students, and science teacher educators alike. At the heart of each activity is a hands-on discrepant-event, which provides an unexpected outcome. This generates a need-to-know that motivates learners’ to think and often makes science fun and funny. The activities are safe, simple, inexpensive, enjoyable, effective, and relevant. Teachers who use these activities should also find that they serve to open their own doors to learning. In all cases there is a deep connection to recognized national science education standards. (Brain-Powered Science, (© 2010) More Brain-Powered Science, (© 2011), and Even More Brain-Powered Science, (© 2011) are published by the NSTA Press: Arlington, VA.)

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Zig Zag Principle – A Revolution in Goal Setting

Monday, October 10th, 2011

InThe Zig Zag Principle: The Goal-Setting Strategy That Will Revolutionize Your Business and Your Life, Rich Christiansen (© 2012 Mountain Grabbers, a McGraw-Hill Company: New York, NY) offers a goal setting strategy that he believes will revolutionize your business and your life. This book is a step-by-step tactical book. It is not a theory or a vague concept. It offers practical application tips you can use to succeed on the job and in life. While is ostensibly a business book, I believe the concepts apply well to the field of education.

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Thanks Steve

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

Today’s Twitter Feed was almost entirely devoted to Steve Jobs (1955-2011). See my Net Nuggets for quotes, videos, and leadership links associated with Steve. I bought my first Apple II+ in 1979, my first Mac in 1984, my 10th Mac in 2009, and my iPhone in 2011. It’s really a handheld Mac that can make phone calls. I wrote reviews of several Macintosh systems for InfoWorld in the 1980’s and was a speaker at several MacWorld conferences in Boston and SanFrancisco. Needless to say I have been a big fan for the last 33 years.

The last time I cried when a famous person died was when Jim Henson moved on to the afterlife. Two quotes associated with Steve guide my thinking. The first by Henry Ford is “If I asked my customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse.” Somehow Steve knew what we wanted even if we didn’t. The second by Wayne Gretzky is “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it is.” Steve was that rare person who could see into the future and help us get there in a cool way. Thanks Steve.

Thanks to @ArtJonak for his idea of what the new Apple logo should be.

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