Sunday, October 16, 2016

Embodied Cognition, Making and Proust's Madeleine

Proust’s Madeleine, embodied cognition and making art; what could these things possibly have in common? All things I am fascinated with and passionate about, I have never really understood what they had in common until recently. They were all floating in my head-in that fuzzy cloud where connected ideas hover although I can’t clearly see their connections-and as I ran-which is when most of my ideas work themselves out, it came to me. Proust’s Madeleine was about sensory memory. Biting into that cookie caused Swann to remember having tea at his grandmother’s house. The smell, the taste, the texture of the Madeleine brought it all back. Sensory memories are strong and I have always understood that. But neuroscience and philosophy, until recently, argued that the mind and body were separate and that the brain could exist in a vat without a body. I have always instinctively known that wasn’t true. As a sensory being, I know that my thoughts, memories and ideas are intricately linked to sensation. When I want to remember where I have left my car keys, I remember the coolness of the marble counter and the clink when they hit that hard surface. When I want to remember something I have read, I remember where I was and how I was sitting-in essence what I was feeling-to enable recall. Brain and body are intricately linked. Neuroscience is just now beginning to prove this through fMRIs and other research.

Making art requires sensations. You feel the pencil, as it moves across the page. You know how the clay will feel as you shape it. Without that knowledge you cannot imagine what your work of art might look like. The knowledge of how a material will react is embedded in sensation and in your body as well as your mind-you cannot separate the two. And the joy you feel in creating is in part a sensory experience. I make works on paper, because I love the feel of the brush or pencil as it moves over the surface. It is soothing and exciting at the same time and fulfills me in a way that is inexplicable and primal. Man is a sensory being and we have been making things since before recorded history. Body and mind are linked: thoughts and feelings are permanently joined in our synapses.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Lisa's CV

                  Lisa Yokana
914-523-1610


EDUCATION


Columbia University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: M.A., Art History.

1984
Williams College: B.A., cum laude; elected to Phi Beta Kappa; Studio Art and French Literature major.

1982
Princeton Day School, Princeton, New Jersey: National Merit Scholar.

1964-1977

Innovation and Leadership


Coach, Teachers Guild:
  • Design Thinking coach for IDEO and Riverdale Country School initiative solving educational challenges.
  • Lead Design Thinking workshops and coach individuals through challenges.

2015-present
Innovation Grant Recipient, Scarsdale Teachers Institute:
  • Writing and implementing curriculum around wearable technologies with K-12 teachers.

2015-present
Co-Creator and Consultant, Ethics in Action, Ethics Lab, Georgetown University and The Ethics Institute, Kent Place School:
  • Leading students and faculty solving real world ethical issues through Design Thinking process.

2015-present
STEAM Curriculum Developer, Scarsdale Schools:
  • Creating curriculum and vision for high school Design Lab to open in fall of 2017.  
  • Public advocate for program and fundraising.

2014-present
Innovation Grant Recipient, Center for Innovation, Scarsdale Schools:
  • Created and implemented a K-12 STEAM curriculum for MakerSpaces.

2014-2015
Curriculum Author, The College Board:  
  • A.P. US History Curriculum Resource Guide, “Teaching History Using Cultural Artifacts.”

2013
Team Leader, Interdisciplinary Committee, Scarsdale Schools:
  • Examined existing interdisciplinary work and determined future best practices.

2012-2013
Innovation Grant Recipient, Center for Innovation, Scarsdale Schools:
  • Investigated existing Innovation Education models and launched practices.

2012-2013
Teaching Experience


Scarsdale High School, Scarsdale, New York:
  • STEAM, art and architecture teacher.
  • Interdisciplinary curriculum development and implementation.
  • Design Thinking, STEAM and Making curriculum integration across disciplines.

2008-present
Kent Place School, Summit, New Jersey:
  • Studio Art and Advanced Placement Art History teacher.
  • Incorporated technology into Art History through online course management system.
  • Co-Director of Diversity: Created and implemented survey on diversity issues resulting in creation of position.

2006-2008
MPALS, (Manhattanville Promotes Academic and Life-Long Success), Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY:
  • Teaching studio art and art history to low-income, minority students.

2005-2008
The Wooster School, Danbury, CT:
  • Art and Art History teacher.

2003-2006
Selected Professional Development Workshops, Speaking and Consulting


NAIS conference, presenter: Design Thinking and Ethics in Action

New Jersey Performing Arts Center: Consultant on integrating Making, Makerspaces and the performing arts.

2015

2015
Professional development workshop Leader: Consulting on curriculum development integrating Design Thinking, STEAM and Making for numerous schools across the country.

2014-present
Design Thinking Consultant, The Ethics Institute, Kent Place School: Design Thinking and Business workshop.

2014
Presenter and Panelist, Higher Ed Maker Summit: Making at the High School Level and Maker Portfolios.

2014
Maker Teacher, Agency by Design (Harvard’s Project Zero): Chosen as one of thirty teachers to work with AbD introducing their Thinking Routines into classrooms.

2014-present
Professional Development Leader, Scarsdale Teachers Institute: Integrating Design Thinking, STEAM and Making into teachers’ practice.

2013-present
Curatorial Experience


Guest Curator, Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown, Massachusetts: Organized and wrote catalogue essay for “Anders Knutsson: Gates of Light.”

Curatorial Department, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York: Organized and coordinated exhibitions, international loans from the collection and permanent collection galleries.

1986-1988



1984-1986
Certifications:


Stony Brook University: Administrative Degree, Obtained certification in NY State for District and Building Administration.

2010-2013
Manhattanville College: Post-Masters Certification Program, Obtained NY State Visual Arts, Professional Certification.

2005-2006








Selected Publications and Awards:
Fellow, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, Nominated and awarded fellowship, encourage 21st century enlightenment by enriching society through ideas and action.


A.P. U.S. History Curriculum Resource: “Teaching History Using Cultural Artifacts,” with Margaret Favretti, Stephen Mounkhall and Tom Maguire, http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/apcentral/ap-us-history-curriculum-resource-teaching-history-using-cultural-artifacts.PDF






“Architecture, Psychology and Furniture?” with Fallon Plunkett, http://www.edutopia.org/blog/architecture-psychology-furniture-fallon-plunkett-lisa-yokana


“3 Key Factors for Creating a "Maker Culture" at Your School,” with Blake Auchincloss,


“School Makerspaces: Building the Buzz,” with Blake Auchincloss, http://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-makerspaces-building-the-buzz-lisa-yokana






“Capture the Learning: Crafting the Maker Mindset,” http://www.edutopia.org/blog/capture-learning-crafting-maker-mindset-lisa-yokana


“The Art of Thinking Like a Scientist,” http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol9/909-yokana.aspx


“Four Steps to Becoming a Maker Teacher,” with Gayle Allen http://gettingsmart.com/2014/05/4-steps-becoming-maker-teacher/


“The Student Side of Making,” with Gayle Allen http://www.edutopia.org/blog/the-student-side-of-making-gayle-allen


Grant Work Innovation Websites:












Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Piano Stairs-Igniting Curiosity!

I think a lot about how to make students curious. It seems to me that most of mine have lost the ability to see the world around them and wonder about it. And it makes me sad. Electronics is one easy way to hook them into learning and doing. Take a look at my YouTube channel to see videos of the finished project and some happy students having fun!