Brain Yoga: Using Synectics to Enhance Poetry

1. Brain Yoga:Using Synectics to Enhance Poetry By Katie Anderson

2. TEKS • 6.18A: Generate ideas and plans for writing using strategies such as brainstorming, graphic organizers, notes and logs. • 6.11D: Connect, compare, and contrast ideas, themes, and issues across text.

3. Rationale “The writer-thinker is one whose thoughts are best clarified, refined, and expanded through the medium of writing. An effective writing program can give children the opportunity to explore the connections that exist between writing and thinking.” Ronald L. Cramer, Children’ Writing and Language Growth

4. Critical Thinking: A Definition Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them. Foundation for Critical Thinking, www.criticalthinking.org

5. Why is critical thinking a necessary component of the ELA classroom? “…(M)any of the new middle jobs will go to people who are great synthesizers--because the more the flattening of the world connects all the knowledge pools together, the more new specialties will be spawned, and the more innovation will come from putting these specialties together in new and different combinations. And the more that is true, the more good management, too, will be about nurturing synthesis and collaboration within your company-- at a much deeper level.” Thomas L. Friedman, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century

6. “Although Japanese students lead the world in math and science scores, many in Japan suspect that the nation’s unrelenting focus on schoolbook academics might be an outdated approach. So the country is remaking its vaunted education system to foster greater creativity, artistry, and play. Little wonder. Japan’s most lucrative export these days isn’t autos or electronics. It’s pop culture.” Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future

7. What is Synectics? Synectics is a method of problem-solving created by William J.J. Gordon. It is the use of analogies to create new ways of approaching topics and problems. Synectics means “joining together of different and apparently irrelevant elements.” (Gordon) (S. Gilbert, personal communication, January 26, 2008).

8. “Brain Yoga” Metaphoric thinking, as Gordon describes the process, begins with a suspension of purpose. The mind takes a vacation; the mental play of such a vacation leads to open-mindedness which, in turn, allows the creative part of the brain to see new relationships among mundane elements (Manke).

9. Synectics: The Process • Define the problem (I have no ideas to write about! I can’t write a poem! Nothing I write is new!) • List direct analogies • Create a personal analogy • Explore compressed conflicts • Review generated ideas • Write a poem!

10. Direct Analogy A direct analogy compares two seemingly unlike things. For example: • a shoe vs. a bookcover • Coyote vs. Roadrunner • good vs. evil

11. Direct Analogy Activity • Look through your belongings and choose one unique item. • As a table, choose two completely different items (Don’t choose two cell phones, a wallet and a purse, etc.) • Make a list of at least 10 ways those two items are ALIKE.

12. Direct Analogy Example Lip balm vs. Headphones • Both belong in/on my head • Both have a direct relationship to a body part • Soothing • Sold at Target • Get lost in my purse easily • Both smell • Could “MacGyver” these tools/ stick under a table leg • Headphone earbuds size=end of lipbalm • Go in my pocket • Needed when I run • Go everywhere with me • Pulled to Earth by gravity

13. Personal Analogy A personal analogy is created when you put yourself in the place of a problem. You take over the view point of that problem or item.

14. Personal Analogy Activity Choose one of your two objects. Pretend you ARE that object. Free write a short piece from the perspective of your object (first-person).

15. Personal Analogy Example I Am Headphones There is one major perk to this job: music. My daily routine is filled by the rhythms, beats, melodies, and harmonies which fill the eager ear. Anger belongs to hard rock, nostalgia to the classics, exercise to hip-hop, and sadness to ballads. The music shapes me and defines me, and I am proud to be its transporter.

16. Compressed Conflicts How can something be two things at once? This is a compressed conflict or a paradox. How can something or someone be: • Good AND evil • Temporary AND permanent • Rich AND poor

17. Compressed Conflict Brainstorm Other ideas of compressed conflicts: Water as a life force and a destructive force Hamlet: introvert vs. public figure “people’s champ” Death: worst of times, brings out the best in people Spoon: bringing health, digs a grave

18. Temporary wipe off Wear off Get lost Be used up Get eaten Taste fades Permanent Leave a nasty note Stain clothes in washer Be recycled and used for something new Stick a memory to your brain Recommend it to a friend so it continues to sell Compressed Conflict Example:Lip Balm

19. Review and Write Look back at your three types of analogy. Choose one you could use to write a poem about. You may use any format: free verse, couplets, diamante.

20. Student Examples

21. Research “…Teachers tended to use analogies to clarify a complex concept by relating it to something in the students’ experience…. Personifying also helped students build the cognitive skills of interpretation and taking different perspectives.” “Additionally, teachers can use the technique of personifying to make the content more relevant to and fun for the students, to allow them to feel safe about sharing their thoughts in class, and to build the cognitive skills of perspective and interpretation.” Jeff Zwiers, Teacher practices and perspectives for developing academic language

22. Synectics: Across the Curriculum • Great tool for science– students can use synectics to problem solve during experiments and demonstrations. • History– compare points in time, important historical figures, or geographic points. • Compare themes across two texts • This process works well to analyze a character within text • Generate ideas for research

23. “Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time…. The wait is simply too long.” -Leonard Bernstein

24. Works Cited Cosgrove, R., Elder, D., Hale, E., Nosich, G., & Paul, R. (2008). Defining critical thinking. Retrieved June 17, 2008, from http://www.criticalthinking.org/page.cfm Cramer, R.L. (1978). Children’s writing and language growth. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company. Friedman, T.L. (2005) The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century (2nd edition). New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Hummel, L. (2006). Synectics for creative thinking in technology education [Electronic version]. Technology teacher, 66, 22-27. From ERIC (0746-3537). Manke, L.J. (1995). Solitary freedom– creativity in action. The English Journal, 84. Retrieved June 19, 2008 from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2590/stable/819770 Pink, D.H. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right brainers will rule the future. New York, NY: The Berkley Publishing Group. Zwiers, J. (2007). Teacher practices and perspectives for developing academic language [Electronic version]. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 17(1), 93-116. doi: 10.1111/j.1473.4192.2007.00135.x