So, today.
May. 17th, 2010 01:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dagas_isaJohn Medina, author of Brain Rules, gave a presentation to my class this morning. Mostly it was an amazing, engaging presentation, about the brain, about why he didn't include anything about food and/or nutrition in the book, how power-points are the worst thing ever for engaging the brain, why we can't mutli-task, etc. But one thing pretty much ruined it for me.
Understanding that John Medina is a neurologist. And that he literally wrote a book on how to use brain's characteristics to engage people and help them learn, and that he knows what makes neurons light up...I'm not sure what to think about this.
So, he talks about babies a lot. Which is actually fine. You know, because really if you do want to understand brain science, babies are kind of necessary research subjects. It also dealt with language acquisition, which a happy-making subject for me. And while I think I was mentally prepared for that part of his presentation. I was not prepared for Hemingway's "Six Word Novel"
"For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Used."
Yeah. So, that example, deliberately invoked to produce an emotional response. And I guess maybe I'm the only one in that room (full of women) who reacted so strongly, but considering that there are other examples that would have made his point, I left that presentation feeling not just triggered (which is par for the course for my program, TBH) but that it was a deliberate tactic on his part. Not on me specifically, but on anyone who has had a miscarriage or other similar experience.
So anyway, I e-mailed one of the teachers and basically explained my reaction, and suggested that he refrain from using that example in future presentations. And now, I guess to do something fun or funnish.
Understanding that John Medina is a neurologist. And that he literally wrote a book on how to use brain's characteristics to engage people and help them learn, and that he knows what makes neurons light up...I'm not sure what to think about this.
So, he talks about babies a lot. Which is actually fine. You know, because really if you do want to understand brain science, babies are kind of necessary research subjects. It also dealt with language acquisition, which a happy-making subject for me. And while I think I was mentally prepared for that part of his presentation. I was not prepared for Hemingway's "Six Word Novel"
"For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Used."
Yeah. So, that example, deliberately invoked to produce an emotional response. And I guess maybe I'm the only one in that room (full of women) who reacted so strongly, but considering that there are other examples that would have made his point, I left that presentation feeling not just triggered (which is par for the course for my program, TBH) but that it was a deliberate tactic on his part. Not on me specifically, but on anyone who has had a miscarriage or other similar experience.
So anyway, I e-mailed one of the teachers and basically explained my reaction, and suggested that he refrain from using that example in future presentations. And now, I guess to do something fun or funnish.
