Jessica A.

Williams
Unit Paper 2
3/7/2017
Unit Paper 3
Learning is not successful simply based on the merit of factual plentifullness. The

element that is missing is the ability to take these facts and apply them into a context (Pink, ) for

a whole-minded approach to meaning making. Putting facts unto a context forms not only a

series of questions and answers, but also a narrative in which these things takes place. Narrative

imagining- story- is the fundamental instrument of thought, Pink describes (p. 101). It connects

us with others, he explains, to enrich context in order to understand a broader picture than logical

thinking alone can depict (p. 103). How it does this is through empathy, our ability to allow

ourselves to be vulnerable- to be receptive to the possibility of harm- and emotionally experience

the narrative of an experience outside of our own. Pink describes this as out ability to relate to

and understand others (p. 65). In our modern world filled with nearly unlimited instant access to

knowledge and advanced analytical tools, there is a huge emphasis on L-Directed Reason (Pink,

p. 223) that could easily be accomplished by inserting instantly accessible research data into a

computer logarithm. What a computer cannot do is empathize and use a holistic approach to

meaning and solution making. This is a beneficial process, Pink describes in a number of

different fields including business where he narrates how the use of pathos with organizational

storytelling enabled the company to help distinguish itself and its product within a crowded

marketplace (p. 106).

I believe that narratives are not only beneficial for learning- they are a necessary and

unavoidable part of the process of understanding art. Artworks have not only a narrative of their

creation- the context in which they were made- but also the narrative it is visually trying to

convey through or without the use of written or phonetic language. Narrative is rather conveyed
through the use of emotive color, imagery, and a directional flow to lead the eye purposely

around the composition to create an experience. In Visual Think Strategies students discuss this

narrative and attempt to construct meaning. I believe using this approach, particularly through

VTS, I can introduce different difficult topics to my high school students, such as current events,

and have them understand them in a new way. For instance, to hear on the news that there were

two billion deaths in a little-known far-off country they have no personal ties to is a logical

concept. But, to see that number visually represented is a shock to most because two billion is

such a large number that I brain abstracts it instead of seeing it represented clearly. Art can also

show these people as people rather than statistics that show the narrative of their real lives on

themselves from the clothes that they wear to the wrinkles on their faces. Once someone invests

themselves into the process of meaning-making, that meaning then becomes personalized and

sticks with the person with more impact and for a longer time. I believe it is not only an effective

means of teaching ideas to students efficiently, but also is important for their personal growth as

young people to think beyond the constraints of logical thought and to connect with people as

people rather than the abstraction our facts-focused world most often conveys as the norm from

news to social media. I see my job as a teacher not only as teaching my subject, but how can my

subject teach them the things that they will need to succeed in their lives in the context that they

live and will live.

Pink, D. (2005). Introducing the Six Senses. A Whole New Mind (65-67). New York, NY: Penguin Group Inc.
Pink, D. (2005). Story. A Whole New Mind (100-115). New York, NY: Penguin Group Inc.
Pink, D. (2005). Meaning. A Whole New Mind (216-231). New York, NY: Penguin Group Inc.