Some assembly and multiple intelligences required . . .

Clip art: Clker

The season brings its challenges . . . like interpreting made-in-China instructions for assembling grand children's toys for Santa. I was struck by the parallel with HICP work, especially from one perspective: I was required to use multiple "intelligences" which are generally outside or on the edge of my preferred set. A good exercise is to rank Gardner's 7 (or 8) intelligences as they apply to you, personally. It becomes immediately clear just how fluid and context-dependent our cognitive preferences are.

What I find most striking is that the highly kinaesthetic-spatial-intrapersonal character of key HICP procedures and techniques appears to contrast markedly with what I generally identify as my own preferences, namely linguistic-interpersonal-musical. How could that be the case? Although there are, of course, clear footprints of my "intelligences"--such as they are--throughout the system, the central concepts, namely, haptic learning and anchoring, are key. It is merely a question of how I like to learn versus what is the most efficient way to get others to.

Teaching outside or at least on the "fringe" of your preferred intelligence/comfort zone is unimaginably liberating--and essential. May your time outside of your "instructional zone" over the holidays be blessed, liberating--and, of course, moving! Be back next year! Bill