Week 7 Readings

 In Search of Memories - Eric R. Kandel

The conversation on cognitive awareness of self in relation to objects is genuine. It reiterates that we all perceive the world in our own way and there is not one truth. I appreciated the connections he made to psycholanalysts, behaviorist, psychologists, and theorists. It further enlightens that we all need to interact and make connections in order to have a more informed synthesis of the world, perception, and self. 

Questions: 

I would like to further learn about how depth, motion, form, and color are studied. I am interested in understanding how scientists are able to know how animals and humans use these "features" of the world in order to inform their cognitive awareness. 

Are there examinations that could give me a clearer understanding of children's "mastery" or abilities with these features? Beyond having children do more observational drawings, what should I look for in order to evaluate if children how a high awareness of self and objects?

Major Points: 

"We can begin to discern the principles of cognitive psychology on the cellular level."

"Sensation is an abstraction, not replication, of the real world."

"Knowledge of space is central to behavior."

Konrad Coolingah: Children Long Ago: Art from the Stolen Generation of Australia 

As an African-American in 2020, there are too many resemblances to the stories and accounts of the Carrolup children and their complex relationship with self, community,  and the institutions of their lives. The introduction especially hit too close to home as the researcher laid out the lifestyle and trajectory of the children. Words like "assimilation," "elimination," "short and sometimes violent lives," and "went on to menial jobs" painted a stark picture of the story of other in America. 

What made all the difference was the acknowledgement of a simple teacher's impact that may have lead to small acts of political resistance. In a system that is not governed by the children's culture, nor desires to know their desires, their teacher Mr. White gave them the space and time to just observe and highlight the world around them from their own perspective. The article says, "White appeared without a curriculum,  but with an understanding of the children's need to find a language that would tell their stories." And someone wise once said that truth cuts through BS like a knife. 

There isn't much I can do about my students' conditions, or about the social darwinistic world that we live in...my impact lies in the space and time I can afford my students. I can also acknowledge my own bias when I approach subject matter, opportunity and potential. We are all so uniquely made and developed that I am further encouraged to know that my task is not to create but to "be." See, live and support.