Using the Brains in our Whole Body

Gentle readers, I humbly present to you my very first published work: The Role of Improvisation and Imagination in Accessing Body-Based Ways of Knowing. Here are some things I wrote about:

•    “What would happen if we used the brains in our whole body?” (from Phil Porter)
•    Simple improv activities I did with my 6th grade world history students
•    Thoughts from cognitive science about the body’s role in thinking
•     Improvisational movement & storytelling as a writing/research tool

I’m so, so grateful to editor Courtney Goto for inviting me to submit to Emory University’s Practical Matters.  I’m looking forward to reading her unique research about InterPlay, when it’s ready for the public.  Go Courtney!!!

And I’m in awe at how much I learned from the my copy editor, Amy Levad.  She was kind, insightful, and pushed my writing to a new level by helping my words be clear, consistent, intentional and powerful.  Thanks, Amy!!

By the way, the paper is an edited-down version of my Masters in Education thesis through Vermont College.  I want to put a shout-out  for Vermont College and my adviser Connie Krosney.  Vermont College’s self-designed program allowed me to let my unconventional intellect run wild, while still fulfilling the requirements for teaching certification and a masters.

My subsequent professional work — from academic coaching to MuseCubes invention — has grown out of the interesting course work I created for myself in this unique Masters program.

Thanks, Vermont College, Connie, Courtney, and Amy — for bringing out the best in me!