leveraging students’ spirituality for meaningful learning

Leveraging Students’ Leveraging Students’ Spirituality for Meaningful Spirituality for Meaningful LearningLearning

Dave S. Knowlton, Associate ProfessorDave S. Knowlton, Associate Professor

Department of Educational LeadershipDepartment of Educational Leadership

[email protected]@siue.edu

650-3948650-3948

What is Spirituality?What is Spirituality?

““Direct verbal description [of Direct verbal description [of spirituality] in a sober, cool, analytic, spirituality] in a sober, cool, analytic, ‘scientific’ way succeeds only with ‘scientific’ way succeeds only with those who already know what you those who already know what you mean, i.e., people who [can] feel or mean, i.e., people who [can] feel or intuit what you are trying to point to intuit what you are trying to point to even when your words are quite even when your words are quite inadequate in themselves.” inadequate in themselves.”

Abraham Maslow, 1976, Abraham Maslow, 1976, Religion, Values, and Peak-ExperiencesReligion, Values, and Peak-Experiences, p. 84, p. 84


Maslow’s “peak-experiences” and Maslow’s “peak-experiences” and aiming for “self-actualization” aiming for “self-actualization”

Csikszentmihaly’s “flow” Csikszentmihaly’s “flow” Cameron’s “artistic recovering”Cameron’s “artistic recovering” Dyer’s “intention”Dyer’s “intention” Knowlton & Hagopian’s “Ego Knowlton & Hagopian’s “Ego

Engagement”Engagement”


Lived experience, rather than Lived experience, rather than empiricalempirical

Generative, rather than receptiveGenerative, rather than receptive Artisanship, rather than technique Artisanship, rather than technique

alonealone Synthesizing, rather than Synthesizing, rather than

separatingseparating Creates engagement, rather than a Creates engagement, rather than a

gradegrade

ApplicationsApplications

AssignmentsAssignments that allow students that allow students to pursue spiritto pursue spirit

AssessmentsAssessments that allow for insight that allow for insight into spiritual connectionsinto spiritual connections

Assignment Design & Assignment Design & ImplementationImplementation

Some Heuristical Questions for Some Heuristical Questions for ConsiderationConsideration

The nature of spiritual The nature of spiritual activityactivity ““In our studies, we found that every In our studies, we found that every

flow activity . . . provided a sense of flow activity . . . provided a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of discovery, a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new transporting the person into a new reality. It pushed the person to reality. It pushed the person to higher levels of performance, and led higher levels of performance, and led to previously undreamed of states of to previously undreamed of states of consciousness. In short, it consciousness. In short, it transformed the self by making it transformed the self by making it more complex.”more complex.”

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008), Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008), FlowFlow, p. 74, p. 74


flow activity . . . provided a sense of flow activity . . . provided a sense of discoverydiscovery, a creative feeling of , a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new transporting the person into a new reality. It pushed the person to reality. It pushed the person to higher levels of performance, and led higher levels of performance, and led to previously undreamed of states of to previously undreamed of states of consciousness. In short, it consciousness. In short, it transformed the self by making it transformed the self by making it more complex.”more complex.”



flow activity . . . provided a sense of flow activity . . . provided a sense of discovery, a discovery, a creative feeling of creative feeling of transporting the person into a new transporting the person into a new realityreality. It pushed the person to . It pushed the person to higher levels of performance, and led higher levels of performance, and led to previously undreamed of states of to previously undreamed of states of consciousness. In short, it consciousness. In short, it transformed the self by making it transformed the self by making it more complex.”more complex.”



flow activity . . . provided a sense of flow activity . . . provided a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of discovery, a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new transporting the person into a new reality. It reality. It pushed the person to pushed the person to higher levels of performancehigher levels of performance, and led , and led to previously undreamed of states of to previously undreamed of states of consciousness. In short, it consciousness. In short, it transformed the self by making it transformed the self by making it more complex.”more complex.”



flow activity . . . provided a sense of flow activity . . . provided a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of discovery, a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new transporting the person into a new reality. It pushed the person to reality. It pushed the person to higher levels of performance, and higher levels of performance, and led led to previously undreamed of states of to previously undreamed of states of consciousnessconsciousness. In short, it . In short, it transformed the self by making it transformed the self by making it more complex.”more complex.”



flow activity . . . provided a sense of flow activity . . . provided a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of discovery, a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new transporting the person into a new reality. It pushed the person to reality. It pushed the person to higher levels of performance, and led higher levels of performance, and led to previously undreamed of states of to previously undreamed of states of consciousness. In short, it consciousness. In short, it transformed the self by making it transformed the self by making it more complexmore complex.”.”


Complexity of SelfComplexity of Self

““When we develop [and teach] the skill of When we develop [and teach] the skill of learning how we know what we know, . . . learning how we know what we know, . . . we help students sample the rigors and we help students sample the rigors and delights of the examined life. When we delights of the examined life. When we ask students to learn to think for ask students to learn to think for themselves and to understand themselves and to understand themselves as thinkers—rather than themselves as thinkers—rather than telling them what to think and have them telling them what to think and have them recite it back—we help foster habits of recite it back—we help foster habits of introspection, analysis, and open, joyous introspection, analysis, and open, joyous communication.”communication.”

Takacs (2003, p. 28)Takacs (2003, p. 28)

Assessment ApproachesAssessment Approaches

Thoughts on Criteria & GradesThoughts on Criteria & Grades

A Quick ArgumentA Quick Argument

If spirit is unique within each student If spirit is unique within each student and . . .and . . .

if students’ spirit is engaged while if students’ spirit is engaged while interacting with content and ideas, interacting with content and ideas, then . . . then . . .

that content and those ideas are no that content and those ideas are no longer common to all students in all longer common to all students in all situations; and thus, . . .situations; and thus, . . .

objective assessments are irrelevant, objective assessments are irrelevant, while “professional judgment” is a more while “professional judgment” is a more useful construct.useful construct.

Subjective Subjective Applications of CriteriaApplications of Criteria BraveBrave RiskyRisky UncomfortableUncomfortable ProvocativeProvocative Thought-Thought-

provokingprovoking EvocativeEvocative NovelNovel InnovativeInnovative Evidence of Evidence of

“grappling” “grappling”

VirtuosityVirtuosity ArtisticArtistic NuanceNuance IntrigueIntrigue PresencePresence Unique to youUnique to you VulnerabilityVulnerability EquilibriumEquilibrium Intellectual Clarity Intellectual Clarity

& Continuity& Continuity

Subjective Subjective Applications of Applications of GradingGrading Symbolic Symbolic

MarkingsMarkings

– ++– √√

Qualitative Qualitative LanguageLanguage– Not indicative of Not indicative of

college-level workcollege-level work– PoorPoor– FairFair– GoodGood– ExcellentExcellent– SuperiorSuperior

Questions?

Comments?

Reactions?

The Ball is in Your Court

Dave S. Knowlton * [email protected] * extension 3948 * cell:

618.977.8260 *

ReferencesReferences

Cameron, J. (1992). Cameron, J. (1992). The artist’s way: A spiritual path to higher The artist’s way: A spiritual path to higher creativitycreativity. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc.. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: The psychology of optimal Flow: The psychology of optimal experienceexperience. New York: Harper Perennial. . New York: Harper Perennial.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention.discovery and invention. New York: Harper Perennial. New York: Harper Perennial. Dyer, W. Dyer, W. (2006). (2006). Inspiration: Your Ultimate CallingInspiration: Your Ultimate Calling. Carlsbad: Hayhouse, Inc.. Carlsbad: Hayhouse, Inc.

Dyer, W. (2004). Dyer, W. (2004). The power of intention: Learning to cocreate your The power of intention: Learning to cocreate your world your way.world your way. Carlsbad: Hayhouse. Carlsbad: Hayhouse.

Knowlton, D. S. (2010a). Zen and the art of ghost busting within a Knowlton, D. S. (2010a). Zen and the art of ghost busting within a radical classroom milieuradical classroom milieu. Teaching & Learning: The Journal of . Teaching & Learning: The Journal of Natural Inquiry and Reflective Practice, 25Natural Inquiry and Reflective Practice, 25(1), 15-31. (1), 15-31.

Knowlton, D. S. (2010b). Take out the tests, and hide the grades; Knowlton, D. S. (2010b). Take out the tests, and hide the grades; add the spiritual with all voices raised! Professor explications and add the spiritual with all voices raised! Professor explications and students’ opinions of an unconventional classroom milieustudents’ opinions of an unconventional classroom milieu. Critical . Critical Questions in Education, 1Questions in Education, 1(2), 70-93. (2), 70-93.

Sperber, M. (2000). Sperber, M. (2000). Beer and Circus: How Big Time College Sports is Beer and Circus: How Big Time College Sports is Crippling Undergraduate EducationCrippling Undergraduate Education. New York: Henry Holt. New York: Henry Holt

Takacs, D. (2003). How does your positionality bias your Takacs, D. (2003). How does your positionality bias your epistemology? epistemology? Thought & Action, 29Thought & Action, 29(1), 27-38. (1), 27-38.

leveraging students’ spirituality for meaningful learning

Documents

flow activity

creative feeling

sense of discovery

higher levels of performance

undreamed of states

new reality

students spirituality

maslows peakexperiences