Education and the "Conceptual Age:" the thinking of Daniel Pink

If you are an educator and you are not yet familiar with the thinking and writing of Daniel Pink, here are some links to serve as an introduction. Pink is the author of four books including A Whole New Mind; Free Agent Nation; The Adventures of Johnny Bunko, and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. He has written articles for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Wired.
Pink's insights have major relevance for all areas of the academic and arts curricula. According to Pink, "the Information Age" is now giving way to "the Conceptual Age" and this has implications not only for the corporate world, but for pedagogy.

It used to be the abilities that matter most in work were characteristic of the 'left hemisphere.' They were the logical, linear, sequential, analytical SAT spreadsheet - dare I say 'no child left behind' - kind of abilities. Those kinds of abilities are absolutely necessary - 100% necessary - but they are no longer sufficient. Right brain abilitites - abilities having to do with artistry, empathy, inventiveness, big picture thinking - these are now the abilities that matter most...in nearly every profession and a whole range of industries.... These metaphorically right brain abilitites are becoming the first among equals; they are becoming basically the engines of the economy....

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/brain.html   (Revenge of the Right Brain, Wired)



Related to this argument is Pink's investigation of motivation. Linked below is a Ted talk entitled "Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation" filmed July, 20009.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html


If we really want to get out of this economic mess - if we really want high performance on those definitional tasks of the 21st century - the solution is not to do more of the wrong things - to entice people with a sweeter carrot or threaten them with a sharper stick. We need a whole new approach. The good news is that the scientists who have been studying motivation have given us this new approach. It's an approach built much more around intrinsic motivation - around the desire to do things because they matter, because we like it, because they're interesting, because they're part of something important. Management is great if you want compliance, but if you want engagement, self-direction works better.

He cites the examples of Microsoft's encyclopedia "Encarta" vs. "Wikipedia."

Microsoft started a new encyclopedia called Encarta. They deployed the right incentives. They paid professionals to write and edit thousands of articles. Well compensated managers oversaw the whole thing to make sure everything came in on budget and on time.

A few years later, another encyclopedia got started. Different model: do it for fun, no one gets paid a cent or a euro or yen, do it because you like to do it.

Now if you had gone to an economist and said, "Hey, I've got these two different models for creating an encyclopedia! If they went head to head, who would win? Ten years ago, you could not have found a single, sober economist anywhere on planet earth who would have predicted the Wikipedia model.

According to Pink


This is the Ali-Frasier of motivation. Instrinsic motivators vs. extrinsic motivators. Autonomy, mastery and purpose vs. carrots and sticks. And who wins? Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose in a knockout!

The implications of Pink's thinking on the arts curriculum are obvious and myriad. In fact, Pink cites the fact that many corporations are catching onto the skills artists can bring to the workplace.

Corporate recruiters have begun visiting the top arts grad schools...in search of talent....With applications climbing and ever more arts grads occupying key corporate positions, the master of fine arts is becoming the new business degree.

Administrators and teachers who are privy to current trends in the economic sector can no longer afford to relegate arts instruction to the periphery of the curriculum.

http://www.drawingonthepromises.com/blogs/blank/2005/03/mfa-is-new-mba.html

http://www.danpink.com/

"The Maestro" and the Marching Band

Dr. William P. Foster, who also became known as "The Maestro," was an extraordinary and innovative human being. Foster, who died at the age of 91 in August, 2010, had faced racial barriers all his life. One of these obstacles prohibited him from fulfilling his original dream of becoming a conductor. This impediment only motivated Foster to one day lead an all black marching band that would surpass all other bands.

According to Richard Goldstein, writer of Foster's obituary for the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/sports/football/30foster.html

Dr. Foster introduced shows that infused black popular culture into his routines, blending contemporary music, often jazz or rock, with imaginative choreography, his green-and-orange uniformed band members carrying their instruments at a 45-degree angle, legs bent to the same angle.
Below is a video featuring the unprecedented famous Marching 100 Band of Florida A&M University

http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?a=marching100