#this is the kind of intellectual back flipping that makes engaging on this topic so tiresome and boring

[youareprobablywrong]

Take a step back and read what I said, which you quoted. Your response is relation to HAMAS. Which did invade Israel, kill 1,200 people and kidnap another 240. None of which was contested in my response.

I asked if settler violence in the WEST BANK was acceptable. The West Bank isn’t run by Hamas, it is run by the weak and useless Palestinian Authority (formerly PLO).

Would you like to answer the question you quoted, or would you like to continue being a toddler?

For those of you that think Israel "isn't committing genocide because if they wanted to, they would have dropped a nuke already," shut the fuck up.

The Holocaust lasted for more than a decade (1933-1945), with the first concentration camp being erected on March 22, 1933 at Dachau.

The lack of nuclear explosions in Gaza is not evidence that there is not a genocide happening. There are many other variables that go into this determination.

Your ignorance on the suffering and murder of millions of Jews over the course of a decade can stay out of the discussion.

[xstarkillerx]

Hey hey hey :)

I saw your post about wrestling Anakin into submission and I was just thinking...I'm 6'0 ft and a gym rat. I could literally take him in both ways. I dunno but wrestling for his cock, seeing the rush in his eyes at the challenge......

Omfg sorry

Original post referenced

NO don't be sorry because I legit think turning him on might be one of the only ways to avoid him being a sore loser. Because listen, he loves sparring, it's one of life's greatest past-times, but he can easily turn sour if he feels like he should be winning but isn't. * (Accidently went on a sfw, off topic tangent about Anakin and him being Shii-Cho critical because he's arrogant)

In the throws of it though, when it could be anyone's game, when you're both panting and sweating but your muscles still have some steam in there, that's when you see the rush in his eye. There's a subtle tell that a lot of Anakin's peers, people who don't quite know how to read him, overlook or attribute to his arrogance;

if Anakin manages to disarm you in combat, gains possession of your saber, has the undeniable upper hand– if he wins and yet he chooses to discard the sabers and taunt you to engage in hand-to-hand combat, oh boy that's how you know you've got him. Because listen, Anakin likes hand-to-hand combat as much as the next guy, but obviously saber fighting is where it's at for him, he also fights in Djem So, with foundational roots (via Obi-Wan) in Ataru, ending the battle quick is what's fun for him... unless it feels like it's leading to something else.

So that's what I'm picturing, right. You were sparring, he disarmed you but instead of ending the fight as he usually would and resetting back to square one, he tosses the Sabers aside and continues the fight hand-to hand. Maybe that's when he starts to realize he underestimated you. Anakin can fight, he's a swordsman but you, you've got brute athletic strength. He's having the time of his life as you both lose your breath together, trading blows, dodging kicks, bruising each other.

He'd never let you win, you know this, so it's a very genuine thing when you do. He isn't even upset when you get him on his back with his arms pinned under you, I think he'd laugh a pure laugh just from the joy of it, the kind of laugh he lets out on the rare moments he feels at home in his skin, when he's racing, or flying, or after a good fight. It would be infectious, ticking the skin of your face with how close you are to him. The moment would settle though, and all that would be left is the thick air between you two, hearts pumping, bodies close, and a solid warmth against his stiffening cock. Adrenaline fueled sex, two warriors, two athletes, two friends and sparring partners, solid strong bodies against each other. I think there would be something warm and bright about it, the kind of sex were you can't stop smiling at each other, as your tired body works to make him know he's been bested.

In the post where I talked about dominating Anakin as a person much shorter than him, I talked about having to be smart about it, having to know how to shift the balance of power in your favour because he can easily flip you over and take the reins back. In this situation though, the battle for dominance was the foreplay. He'd make some playful efforts to regain control, flipping over, trying to make you cum first, but he knows he's been beat and gladly accepts you taking what you want from him.

Sorry this isn't as erotic as the other one was, as I was writing it I kind of realized how much joy he would probably get out of being challenged this way, to the point where it would bring out a very bright and joyful side of him. Intellectual, mental, or hierarchical domination, anything that may actually make him feel disrespected or less than, is a definite no-go with him, but this stuff I think he absolutely loves. It's fair, it takes a considerable amount of effort that he can feel in his body, it makes sense to him.

[malignedaffairs]

Artist Interview

Some time ago I was asked to answer some questions for a Russian community that collects interviews from various fanartists - what a lovely idea! Here’s the Russian translation along with lots of other interesting interviews. Under the cut is the English version.

On the artist

Nickname: Fifi

Date of birth: December 11th

What city are you from? Berlin

What genre in music do you prefer? Are there any favorite bands/singers? Dark electro, industrial, gothic, EBM, new wave, with a little side of metal and rock’n’roll. My favourite band is Rammstein.

The book that made the most impression and why? There’s nothing life-changing, but I have a ritual of reading before bedtime and some books have been great companions, mostly because they are gripping as hell or because they build up a huge world to blissfully get lost in. I really enjoyed In Cold Blood, The Swarm, Out, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Fifth Woman, Into Thin Air, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings and ASOIAF.

What are your hobbies besides artistic creativity? Video games, reading up/watching documentaries on things like history, nature, the psychology connected to criminal cases or the obscure niche interest du jour, tasting and trying to cook food from around the world, spending time with close friends and family, planning trips and travelling, board games, being outside in nature, doting on my cat.

What movies (TV series) do you like to watch? Is there something you revise (recommend)? I prefer short thriller/mystery/horror series like Zone Blanche, The Sinner, La Forêt, Penny Dreadful, period dramas like Moon Lovers or The Tudors, movies/series that are funny and thoughtful like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Intouchables and Better Call Saul, Tarantino movies, oh and movies/series about food!

Favorite anime? Mushishi, Hellsing Ultimate, Samurai Champloo, Kuroko no Basuke, Dragonball Z

Favorite manga? Vagabond, Blade of the Immortal, Naruto, Dragonball, Rookies, Shokugeki no Soma

Favorite pictures, installations? Romanticism paintings, they’re so atmospheric. And traditional artwork from indigenous cultures.

Is there something that you would have trouble parting with? (Some thing, for example) There are things like my old diaries or my hard drive full of photos and drawings, but in general I’m more attached to places than to things.

What are your future plans? Getting better at my job, falling in love, lots of drawings.

On the art

What was the beginning of your passion? Discovering how crayons work as a toddler, I guess.

Do you think the academic base is obligatory and should everyone go through universities to be good masters? I think a profound education can totally polish your technical skills, so the benefits can be great. But art is very individual, and you don’t need university for expressing yourself creatively. When I graduated from high school I thought about studying to become a professional artist, but decided on keeping it a leisure activity for me to unwind and express myself without any pressure.

How long have you been drawing? I’ve been drawing from early childhood.

Tell us about the process of drawing. Where do you start, how do you finish? How much time is spent on drawing? When I’m super lazy, I just use one layer. I start with a rough sketch and refine it by just adding cleaner lines on top and erasing the messy parts. When I’m less lazy I do a rough sketch and a second layer of clean lines on top. During the process I often adjust proportions by cutting, warping and relocating parts of the content. For a comic I first think of a rough plot and draft the dialogue, then make a rough storyboard with page thumbnails. I usually only plan around three pages at a time, never the whole thing in one go. Colouring is another beast entirely. No system there whatsoever, I just put colours on there and hope for the best. Usually a drawing takes me at least two hours, comic pages take up to eight hours. I mostly use the same three brushes all the time.

How did your nickname appear? Fifi-la-fumeuse is a random thing I found in a book about curiosities I bought in Paris a long time ago. It’s basically a vintage doll that was used for educating students about the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. I liked how creepy it looked and the name sounds nice and a little similar to my real name, so I’ve kept it ever since. Malignedaffairs is an allusion to the “forbidden” nature of Itasasu, which was my OTP when I started my blog back in 2012/13. Nowadays I’m finding the name rather corny, but it’s what most people associate with my art, so I’m just keeping it.

What inspires you? Everyday life, my feelings, media, exchanging ideas with people within the fandom.

How do you feel about criticism? Do you criticize other artists? I’m not here for the criticism. My first and foremost goals in posting art on the internet are expressing my feelings, getting in touch with like-minded people and having fun, not necessarily improving my artwork or meeting any achievement goals. I’m grateful for constructive criticism if I respect and trust the person who gives it. I only give criticism if invited to do so.

Do you have your own characters? Or maybe the whole universe? Tell a little about it. No, I don’t have any OCs at all.

How did you come to the Naruto fandom? What kind of heroes do you draw and why them? My ex bf was a big fan of Naruto and always tried to get me into it, but I found it boring and childish. After we broke up though, I felt really lost and started to watch Naruto as a way to feel a little closer to him, and before I knew it I was super into the plot and the characters and then Itachi appeared and the story of the Uchiha brothers struck a very deep chord with me. I’m very much into beautiful, tragic, brilliant but troubled characters who are sweet cinnamon rolls inside, and Itachi and Shisui are like the posterboys for this concept. I feel like they’re the perfect muses for me to give some kind of shape to my ideals of love and mutual respect.

Do you agree with the opinion that national self-perception, as an intellectual factor, is present in the creative process? You’re always influenced by the social environment, the battles and the values you grew up with, and some of that can be determined by your nationality. Themes like identity, society, communication, politics and ideologies are often expressed in art, and if that’s the case you can’t and probably don’t even aim to separate it from national self-perception. I think it’s more present in original art than in fanart though.

What topics worry you and most often are reflected in your work? Belonging, mutual love, loss, sex.

Do you consider drawing to be your recognition in life? Do you plan to continue to devote yourself to this business? It’s an important part of my life and I’m going to do it as long as it feels right, but I won’t pressure myself.

What advice do you have for novice artists? Expect your drawings to look ugly in the beginning and draw all the ugly pictures anyway. Draw whatever attracts you, however silly it may seem. “Art block” means you should lower the pressure on yourself and allow yourself to draw something ugly, silly or uncreative, or even take a break from drawing. Art is not about achievement but about expression. Don’t take it personally when no one seems to appreciate your art right away. Instead actively seek out like-minded people in online communities or in real life, get engaged and show your art to them. Also: flip that canvas!

[pengiesama]

The Real Library of Alexandria Was the Friends We Made Along the Way (Fic, TOZ/TOB, school AU)

Title: The Real Library of Alexandria Was the Friends We Made Along the Way Series: Tales of Zestiria / Tales of Berseria Pairing: Gen Characters: Laphicet, Mikleo, Sorey, Velvet

Summary: Phi crusades against two Bigger Kids making noise in the library. He winds up discovering some common ground, and becomes leader of the nerdiest gang this side of the hemisphere.

Link: AO3

This was written for After School Heroes ( @ashtaleszine ); a Tales Of zine focusing on school AUs!

The zine's purchase period is now over, but you can check out some of the other fic and art from the zine in the links below.

ASH's Tumblr: http://ashtaleszine.tumblr.com/ ASH's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashtaleszine/

Read on Tumblr!

“…I’m not saying that you’re wrong. I’m just saying that you’re vastly misinformed.”

“So, really, you’re saying I’m wrong.”

“No, I’m saying that you’re misinformed, and that your flair for the dramatic has led you to an incorrect interpretation of our sources…”

Phi did not mind listening to debates on topics that interested him. And this one did -- he’d always liked Ancient History and was happy to hear someone discussing it with such knowledge and passion. His own class at school was currently covering the period, but...well. When all they were expected to do was to be able to name city-states and list off a handful of gods, trying to engage his classmates in discussions was an exercise in futility. Even his teacher wasn’t much better. Such was the struggle of being ten years old and maybe a bit too well-read.

No, no, the topic wasn’t the issue, nor was the debate. There was just a time and place for this kind of thing, and the public library after school fit neither of those items. There also was a need for one’s indoor voice. Phi peeped over the top of his book, scowling. His baleful stare, full of judgement and righteous fury, went entirely unnoticed. This wasn’t really that surprising, as Phi was halfway across the reading room and half-buried under a pile of heavy books at his table. He thought of clearing his throat in an accusatory tone, but the idea of making a peep in the library was anathema to the very core of his being. Sure, this section of the library was deserted except for Phi and the debaters, but...but it was the principle of the thing, and that principle was what set man apart from beast.

The two intrepid historians were wearing uniforms from a high school across town. Their status as Bigger Kids gave Phi some pause in confronting them. But with the library’s honor to defend, could he ever forgive himself if he let cowardice win? Phi thought briefly about how his babysitter Velvet might handle the issue, then paled, and stopped thinking about it, because it was kind of scary.

“—Sorey, your arguments show a level of understanding that I’d expect from someone whose historical knowledge came from half-remembered edutainment cartoons from ten years ago, not from someone who I thought knew better,” said the white-haired boy wearily.

“Look, Mikleo, I know that attributing the destruction of the Library of Alexandria to a single catastrophic event ignores other things that led to its decline—”

“And leads to more public disinformation about a section of history that’s already rife with it.”

“—but,” said the brown-haired boy (the other boy, Mikleo, had called him Sorey), pressing on. “Even if there were other events which led to its eventual decline, dissolution, destruction, etcetera, what I’m saying is that the most important and impactful of these incidents was it being set ablaze in the Siege. Aurelian’s attack on the city and the destruction of the Serapeum are drops in the bucket in comparison, when the bulk of the collection was already lost at that point!”

“But they were still important events in its final decline, no matter what your little fanfic daydreams of travelling back in time with a magic firetruck to play hero! And all this assumes that the Library even was damaged in the Siege, considering that accounts of the time are contradictory.”

“Ancient accounts from any ancient historian worth their salt all agree that the library was damaged by Caesar’s short-sighted shenanigans! And it’s not a magic firetruck. It’s—”

“Yes, yes, it’s powered by advanced technology made possible by a time loop that hinges on the hero saving the Library from being burned. You act as though I don’t pay attention when I edit your work. But if you really want to be taken seriously, you have to address the other aspects of its decline that can’t be solved by a firetruck falling from the sky.”

Sorey squinted at the ceiling in thought. “...the firetruck could fall from the sky onto Aurelian.”

“Then you’re getting into further divergent history when a Roman Emperor gets killed like a wicked witch from the Land of Oz. And there’s still the Serapeum to consider.”

“The firetruck could fall on Theophilus too.”

Mikleo appeared to be dumbstruck by this statement for a brief moment, then nearly flipped the table in rage.

“You can’t solve every tragic historical event by dropping firetrucks on it!” he all but shrieked.

“It’s called poetic irony!” Sorey shouted back. “And it’s art!”

Phi agreed with both boys on their more intellectual points, and neither of them on their thoughts about art and literature. More importantly, he also agreed with them on the importance of preserving cultural institutions, which meant that he was duty-bound to intervene in this fight before they destroyed this library too. Luckily, he knew the Dewey Decimal System like the back of his hand, and quickly collected a volume of text that might be able to smother the flames of this debate before they spiraled out of control.

Phi marched over to the older boys’ table, and – taking a page out of Velvet’s book on confrontations – slammed the volume down as hard as he could onto the wooden surface. But, as he was still a polite boy, he was sure to scream “excuse me” while he did so.

The two older boys stared at him, wide-eyed and silent, as the bang and scream reverbed off the library’s walls. Taking the opportunity for their undivided attention, Phi opened the book he’d brought over to the appropriate page and tapped a heading.

“Ptolemy VIII’s mass purges of Alexandrian intellectuals who opposed his seizure of the Egyptian throne, and the accompanying political turmoil in the Ptolemaic dynasty at the time, weakened the Library considerably,” Phi began, confidently. “This sent the Library into decline, well before Caesar’s invasion over a century later.”

The shock and confusion melted away from Sorey’s face. He reflected quietly on Phi’s thesis and gave an embarrassed little smile.

“...I guess I really did kind of get hung up on the dramatic events, huh?” he said sheepishly. “Man, with all the craziness going on during that period, it’s kind of a surprise the Library didn’t get set on fire sooner…”

“I don’t think there are enough time-travelling firetrucks in the world to drop on all the troublemakers back then,” Mikleo agreed. “But I’m guilty too, of only looking post-Siege, and at the Roman side of things.”

“And you’re both guilty of yelling in the library,” Phi added. “I could hear you all the way over there.

He pointed accusingly towards his table, which was still piled high with books. The two boys looked abashed.

“I’m so sorry,” Mikleo said. “We...we didn’t see you over there.”

Admittedly, from this table, it was quite hard to see where he’d been sitting, buried behind the books. Sorey, for his part, was already on his way over to Phi’s table. He looked over some of the volumes, interest clear on his face.

“Wow...no wonder you schooled us on this. I’ve been meaning to read some of these!”

“Well, don’t start with that one,” Phi said, gesturing to the volume in Sorey’s hand. “You’re not going to understand it without some background knowledge...”

When the time came for Phi to leave, he had lectured both boys quite thoroughly on history – and what’s more, he had quite completely forgiven them for their sins. Despite their...eccentricities, Sorey and Mikleo were very knowledgeable on ancient topics from around the world, and treated Phi as their equal -- not just some novelty to be humored and “corrected” on topics he knew like the back of his hand. They promised to be here again tomorrow, to talk more, and...and Sorey had talked about making an Ancient History Club, for the three of them, and that would just be too cool…

“It sounds like you had fun,” Velvet observed, after Phi had breathlessly explained to her all the above. “Give me your hand until we’re done crossing the street.”

Idly, Velvet wondered whether she should go through the trouble of inspecting these two new friends of Phi’s – and by “inspecting”, she meant putting the fear of god into them, and by the fear of god, she meant the fear of her.

Phi dutifully grabbed Velvet’s good hand and continued. “We’ll have official meetings once a week and unofficial get-togethers on the other days of the week, except Tuesdays, when Sorey has Track club and Mikleo goes to Home Ec club, but that day I think I can go to the library anyway and just plan our activities for the rest of the week…”

…but, honestly, they seemed like they were a perfect fit for Phi already. Velvet walked with him, hand in hand, and decided to hold off. At least for now.

[dpargyle]

This is super long (I’m SORRY) – I have a lot of words inside me, kids.

                               so Thanksgiving was kinda…weird…

went up to my folks’ place in the town higher up into the mountains (above the city where I live) -  and they had some neighbors over –

these neighbors’ little girl is best friends with my little sister (who is 13) (they go to school together, they’re inseparable, etc…) – and my Mum is really good friends with the Mom – and we’ve known them for like seven or eight years now – they’re good peeps, I like them –

ok - so these neighbors have a niece who’s like 22? 23? somewhere around there (she graduated college last year or the year before) - anyways… we (or at least I) first met her about 3 years ago…

cuz, ok – these neighbors are vegetarians or vegans or whatevs – and this girl visits them every thanksgiving I guess – but she’s a meat eater so 3 years ago my Mum’s friend (her aunt) was like “can we bring her over to grab some meat from your meal because she wants at least some meat on thanksgiving?” (who can blame her though?  I’d literally lose my mind not eating meat! – it’s one of my three personal food groups: meat, chocolate, and milk shakes.)

And of course this was long after thanksgiving meal 3 years ago and nobody tells me anything (or maybe I wasn’t listening – that’s highly possible…) – and that night my Packers were playing (getting their asses kicked by their hated rival, the Bears) so, you know – I was sort of pissed off and yelling at the T.V. like an asshole

and then suddenly the neighbors were there with this cute girl [let’s call her Carnie – short for Carnivore - from here on out lol] (it took me like an hour to figure out she was my sister’s friend’s cousin) -

but my Packers were still playing and still sucking ass so I was paying more attention to that than anything else so after that I was like great I barely said anything to this girl (cuz I’m super shy and filled with an avalanche of various anxieties) and now she probably thinks I’m a total Neanderthal cuz I was grumbling at some asinine football game and she seems like the intellectual type so I’m simply gonna file this entire dumb experience to the furthest cabinet at the back of my brain where the dingy light bulbs flicker on and off in the most nauseating way – like I have with so many other dumb experiences before this and probably so many other dumb experiences after this because FAIL.      FAIL, FAIL, FAIL.

So last year Carnie shows up with them again after dinner and we all play some games but my brother and a bunch of his friends were there too, so I literally don’t think I said more than one word to her?  Maybe I did?  (But not much cuz when my big bro is around I don’t really talk to girls cuz I have vivid memories of him mocking my lack of macking skills back in high school and they still haunt me hahaha) In any case, I don’t think I talked to her - dunno, can’t remember, anyway – at least there wasn’t a Packer game on, so I don’t think I completely embarrassed myself that time either…

So now I can finally talk about this Thanksgiving hahaha (gods I’m frikken long-winded – sorry kids!) – so I find out like 3 days ago Carnie & the neighbors will be joining us for the entire day so I’m all

My bro and his wife moved away recently so I knew they wouldn’t be there and I surmised that meant Carnie & I would probably end up talking quite a bit because we’d be the only people around our age there, so I was determined not to be A) a Neanderthal and B) weird, but otherwise I didn’t really have many expectations (again, b4 Thursday I didn’t know much about her at all so why would I?) – I basically just didn’t wanna come off like a douche again….

So when they all come over I’m helping my Mum out in the kitchen with the cooking/getting everything prepared (etc…) – don’t know how much help I was giving tbh, but I wanted to be involved cuz my Dad’s been having leg issues that make him unable to stand for long periods of time and my little sister had been helping with a bunch of other crap throughout those couple days so I was attempting to pull my weight hahaha (and, ok, I knew if I was helping with the cooking when they came in I’d look a lot less like a Neanderthal – but trust me that was low down on the list of reasons why I was helping my Mum out!)

So they come in and we all say hi blah blah blah, but I didn’t really try to engage too much cuz I was helping my Mum with a complicated timing issue with the food, so my focus was on that and not the cutie in the room – so then I finish helping my Mum with that in the kitchen and I didn’t wanna hover and be creepy & weird, cuz you peeps know my default when I’m around cute girls – my brain is like DON’T BE WEIRD!  JUST DON’T BE WEIRD - DON’T BE WEIRD! 

So I was like alright I’m gonna go sit in the living room and try to act like I’m cool and relaxed, so I roll my wheelchair in there, put my feet up - and attempt to exude serenity – and after like two minutes my sis and her buddy come in and start petting my Mum’s cat and talking a bit, but I don’t really enter the conversation cuz they seemed very happy talking amongst themselves and I didn’t wanna butt in –

But then Carnie comes and joins them, and we start talking a little bit and she picks up a random magazine from a coffee table and starts flipping through it and there was an article or something about homeless people and she’s talking about it and then turns to her little cousin and goes [something along the lines of] “you know, I’ve heard you should call them ‘people currently experiencing homelessness’ not ‘homeless people’ – because they’re still people.” And the kid kinda gives her a blank look so Carnie goes [something along the lines of] “hey – if I can influence you for the better, I’m gonna try!”  (She definitely didn’t say that but something similar and with much better wording…)

So I’m like, hey, this girl isn’t a ruthless capitalist – good to know [files that away].

(I mean, I’m not necessarily saying I agree with her – it’s a similar argument to when people say “you should say people with disabilities, not disabled people” – and I get what people are doing when they say that – they’re trying to be person-centric and sometimes, as a disabled person, I appreciate that - but sometimes I wonder if that kinda stuff actually helps at all)

However, it demonstrated she thinks about that kinda stuff and aims to be empathetic and that’s certainly not nuffin’.  

Then we got to talking and she told me she lives/works one state over (interestingly, it’s a blue state) and really likes it – but then my Mum needed some more help so I went back in the kitchen to help her out – and while I was there Carnie comes bouncing over (yes – she bounces – it’s adorable – she kinda reminded me of a particularly vivacious koala if that makes sense? (but attractive lmao) – anyway…)

– and her aunt is talking to my Mum and we’re all in the kitchen and Carnie comes in and goes up to her aunt and [smiling] goes –

“Am I not cool anymore???”  Cuz I guess she used to think her little cousin thought she was cool and hip (looked up to her) and now the kid’s giving her the cold shoulder a bit hahaha and she was laughing cuz she thought she was the cool older cousin and the aunt was like “that’s just cuz she’s 13 and that’s how they are” and I was like “I’ve never been cool to [my little sister] – welcome to the club!”  and Carnie laughed –

and then we talked about how we think my sis and her cuz are the “Queen Bees” of their middle school which I said I was amused by b/c back in grade school I was always the weirdo ubernerd and she said she was always the funny (she’s actually really funny and quick-witted) geeky friend to all the pretty girls and I almost said “but you’re pretty too!” but then I didn’t cuz it was right in front of her aunt and my Mum and again I was trying very hard NOT TO BE WEIRD hahahaha…

So, anyway, we talk on and off throughout the night (I was super careful to give her space and not be all up in her grill even though I realized I was beginning to kinda like her) – but more often than not she sought me out (probably because we were the only ones around our age group/generation there) but she seemed to genuinely appreciate my company and we made each other laugh – and tbh y’all - she was just really easy to talk to – like we GOT each other, you know?  Or maybe that was simply just my perception and my head is up my ass again (more than possible) – but I was getting a good VIBE you know?

Anyway…. so we’re talking in the kitchen again – and we start talking about books and OMG OMG OMG

I’m pretty sure she brought up the topic – and she mentions how she’s a huge fantasy fan (magic, dragons) and I guess my face did a thing or something

cuz her Aunt (who was passing us on her way to the fridge or something) goes “uh oh, watch out [Carnie,] [bundles] will start having a crush on you if you keep talking about dragons!” (which, OK, fair enough, but does EVERYONE know how fuckin NERDY I am hahaha?) so at this point I’m like

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT in my head and I’m like OMG BUNDLES DON’T BLUSH DON’T BLUSH DON’T YOU EFFIN BLUSH….but knowing me,

I probably did.

(Like I really don’t think I was being obvious – but who knows, maybe I was?  I honestly just think her Aunt was teasing me and literally didn’t mean anything by it) – in any case I was trying SO HARD to control my face at this point that I didn’t really get a good look at Carnie’s reaction – though I don’t think she blushed or anything, she mighta just smirked…

So we keep talking and Carnie says that even though fantasy is her fictional bread & butter she’s trying to do this system where she reads one fantasy book “for fun”, then a book for professional improvement, then a book for personal improvement, then goes through that same cycle all over again, which – first of all-

But secondly, it shows someone who’s attempting to grow and improve themselves and I 100% approve of that kind of attitude to life – because not everyone is like that, you know?

And then we exchange Goodreads info – hers is her full name [important for later] and mine is dbundles42 like everywhere else on the internet because synergy, man!

And without hesitation, Carnie goes “oh, 42, like from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?”  And not many people get that reference, but she got it literally immediately and I was like

So, basically, she was impressing the shit outta me is what I’m tryna get across here lol…

The night deepens, and we continue talking – eventually everyone goes downstairs, sits around the gaming table – and starts playing games – and in a brief moment of Zen boldness I channel someone much more badass than I

And I go “[Carnie] – you’re on my team!” (cuz for one of the games we were playing a team-based trivia game) and she grinned, came over, and sat right next to me.  

(So I wanted to be on a team with her cuz A) it was a good excuse to get to know her better B) I thought we’d kick ass cuz we’re the same generation and might be able to communicate better than we would with people not of our generation C) she’s wicked smart D) I wanted to see how well we’d cooperate and E) I often feel like I tend to steamroll people if I’m on a team with them cuz my mind goes so fast and I’m yelling out the answers without consulting my team (my family are VERY competitive when it comes to games) and I wanted to challenge myself by not being that sort of jackass (you know, self-improvement ftw!) – and I wanted to listen to what she had to say anyway)

So we play this trivia game and I try VERY hard not to steamroll her but I must admit I sometimes did – but I did better than usual and we KICKED ASS and won.  It was amazing.  Our enemies’ lamentations were melodious to our conquering ears.   

Anyway, that’s not the point – this is the point – so halfway through the game I begin to realize Carnie’s and my legs are touching (under the table).  And had been touching for like at least ten minutes before I realized they were and I was like

(And I suddenly had this hilarious/horrific flashback to that one time in college ( @lmnp– you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about hahaha) when I was eating at a dunkin donuts with this cute girl I was friends with and her boyfriend and she suddenly started playing footsie with me under the table and I was like OMG I’m about to get my ass kicked lmao)

So now I’m like WTF? How is this happening right now????? (sometimes, I agree with @puddle--wonderful in that I very much feel like Artoo where he gets himself into these ridiculous situations again and again and again and all he can do is just SCREAM as they’re happening to him and just hope for the best, you know?)

So I’m like alright Bundles, calm down, she doesn’t mean anything by it, it’s probably just-

But what if she does mean something by it?

I mean, she’s been drinking a lil – but nothing close to getting sloshed – like she might be lightly buzzed but nothing more –

And then I start thinking like -  what if she just thinks I’m paralyzed from the waist down and can’t actually feel my legs or something – like she just wants to touch someone with no consequences (this is literally my thought process at this point – as nonsensical as that sounds) – so I’m like

OK, OK, OK – this is sort of amazing and all – but like I gotta do something to show her I can feel my legs and that I’m aware our legs are touching (again maybe I was reading something into absolutely nothing – I’m a touch-starved person so maybe it was literally not a thing on her mind – BUT WHAT IF IT WAS???)

So I’m like OK, I’m gonna just move my leg (again, when I’m sitting in my chair that isn’t the easiest thing to do – but I can do it) so she knows that I’m not paralyzed (why am I always trying to prove myself lmao?)

So I do – I move my leg. 

And then like two minutes later our legs are touching again.  Even more now, probably.  Again – maybe just a coincidence?  Maybe I’m blowing things out of proportion???  I’m probably blowing things out of proportion.  But then again –

OK – in a normal situation – if two relative strangers’ legs start touching, they very quickly move them, right?  Unless they’re interested in each other, right?

And so our legs are touching again and she just doesn’t even move hers.  So I’m like alright I guess I’m not gonna move mine then, am I? 

Like why did I move my leg in the first place?  Why am I trying to deprive myself of something nice?  And it was nice.  Her warmth. Her company.  Her vivaciousness.  Like shit, it felt so good. I felt warm.  And happy.  Why do I so often think I don’t deserve happiness?

I’ve been hurt before, I guess.  That’s why. I’ve been hurt – all the times – before. So I’m defensive and pessimistic and I find reasons why something might not be the way I want it to be even if all evidence points to it being that way – I mean -

We just left out legs like that.

For a good fifteen minutes.

It was nuts.

I mean, it was through two pairs of jeans but that is literally the longest I’ve been in such close contact with a woman.  Ever. I guess that sounds incredibly pathetic. I’m 28.  

And maybe that’s just a thing she does with her buddies and it’s literally not a big deal at all to her – she did say she was super good at making friends really quickly so maybe it was a friend “I’m gonna rub your leg against mine for 15 minutes straight” but now that I’ve typed that shit out IT DOESN’T ADD UP.

IT JUST DOESN’T ADD UP!

I think she was flirting with me?

Holy shit I think she was flirting with me.

She was flirting with me!

Anyway – lemme wrap this up cuz I’ve been going on for thousands of words right now and I’m sure you’re all tired of my nonsense lmao…

Turns out she’s sort of a Packer fan too – she said “I’m not really into sports but if I was the Packers would be my team” (and she said that b4 I told her how much of a cheesehead I am so she wasn’t saying that just for my benefit) so maybe she didn’t even think I was a frikken Neanderthal the first time we met?  And I’ve been feeling like an idiot for three years for NO FRIKKEN REASON???????????? ARGHHHH!

She also said I was funny, which was nice :D

Also – during the last game we played – (it was one of these “you gotta use a one-word clue in order for your teammates to connect that clue to other random words on the board” games – and I was the person coming up with the clue (Codenames is the name of the game for those curious)) -  

For one of the turns, I chose to give the clue ‘Penzance’ in order to get my teammates to guess ‘Opera’ and ‘Eye’.  (I was thinking ‘Pirates of Penzance’ (which is a Gilbert & Sullivan opera) – admittedly ‘eye’ (cuz eyepatch) was a bit of a stretch but I really don’t think ‘Opera’ was cuz my Dad was one of my teammates and he’s ye olde and English so I thought he’d get it in a heartbeat…

So for this game my Dad and a couple other guys were on my team while my Mum and Carnie were on the girls’ team and at that point I was on the opposite end of the table – while my Dad faced me (sitting down) – and my Mum & Carnie were standing behind him looking at the word cards on the table –

And it takes my Dad FOREVER to figure out the connection between my clue and those cards – meanwhile my Mum knew it immediately (of course) – but what surprised me is that Carnie got it immediately too (like holy shit, for serious this girl is on another level!) – but they’re on the opposing team so of course they’re not gonna say anything

But they’re both cracking up behind him and my other teammates as they take like 10 minutes cuz they have no idea what words connect with ‘Penzance’ and our other teammates go “Where’s Penzance?”  So my Dad goes into this long diatribe about Cornwall and the seaside and how there are railroads???? for some reason and I can’t say anything either like HE’S SO FAR OFF MY CLUE AT THIS POINT

So my expression must be completely frustrated at this point and my Mum and Carnie are dying with laughter like Carnie is literally jumping up and down a bit with the energy of holding in the answer (which totally reminded me of something Ja’lin might do, @marisolinspades – honestly, she reminded me of her quite a bit – just totally gregarious and, well, bouncy)

I dunno, it was just a really funny moment…

Anyway – all good things, etc… - the night was finally coming to a close (at like 12:30 AM lol) – but before they left we were all talking in the foyer, etc… - and Carnie is talking to people and leans her body on the handlebar on the back of my chair (she was super tired by that point, she said) –

I’m 90% she didn’t realize that I kinda see my chair as an extension of myself and my own body (dunno if you feel that way about your chairs, @puddle--wonderful @justrollinon?) – so I’m pretty sure she didn’t know how intimate that can come across – either way, it was really nice – like she felt safe enough around me to do that?

Usually when people lean on my chair I’m like GTFO but when they’re sweet, beautiful women I get more lenient about that hahahaha

So perhaps not as telling as the whole legs situation, but still.  It was nice.

So, yeah, that was my Thanksgiving…

Ughh and now I’m all like crap I met this girl who’s really cool and easy to talk to and a total nerd but she doesn’t even live in this godsforsaken state and UGHHH why must the divinities taunt me so?????????

So we did add each other on goodreads but now I’m like maybe I should add her on facebook too to try and keep in touch with her?  Or is that too creepy?  Have I already left it too long???

Should I maybe move on completely – I mean my family is already good friends with this family I don’t wanna do something potentially weird – should I just leave it be? – should i just

I just don’t really want to.  Even if it doesn’t work out romantically or whatevs I’m not one to leave a potential good friendship in the dust – and it’s really not everyday I meet someone who can keep up with me as effortlessly as Carnie did.  People like her don’t come around very often.

I dunno – what do you kids think I should do?  TELL ME - I’M LOSING IT (as usual).  

Maybe I just read the situation completely wrong and I’m totally up my own ass trying to see things that aren’t there…I just….

I didn’t get that impression this time?  Like it was just…..I didn’t have to work so hard to get her to like me, you know?  It was effortless - like we’d been really good friends for years -  And that was…

nice. 

______

I’m leaning towards adding her on facebook - but what do you kids think?  I’m also gonna tag -

@aspiringwarriorlibrarian, @pepperonicombos

@crazy--little--things – tagging you as well.  You’ve always given me good advice, ever since we were in high school.

And anyone else who wants to give advice, you are welcome to too - though I doubt anyone else has read this far lmao...

gods I’m long-winded...

[my-ownbestfriend]

"We celebrate 30 days, 60 days and 90 days.."

"So how'd you do it?" they always ask whenever someone claims a sobriety anniversary.

Me? I went broke. I skipped a meeting on my 30 day, so I'll tell you, journal. I'm more comfortable with you anyhow.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The day I decided I needed to make a change (again) I had spent my last dime a week before my next pay. I stayed the night at my friend Maddie's house. I used it simultaneously as a way to spy on Tyler, her roomate, a former fling. I truly enjoy Maddie's company and insight, but there are feelings with Tyler that linger.

Every time I bump into her I remember why I put the distance there in the first place... she's so damn fine though. It's lust. She's smart but there's a level of intellectual disconnect. She's a lot less mature. She doesn't process her emotions well and makes everyone else in the room hurt whe she hurts. I don't have faith in her loyalty. Plus, she uses heavily. I told Becky about her over a cigarette at work and phrased it perfectly.

"She's a perfect person to waste time with... I just don't wanna waste time anymore."

and yet there I was, in their trap. Wasting away and calling it fun.

It was fun. We threw down on a gram of coke, had some beers. I was told we needed to hide the coke from Ty because she was making the effort to be clean. When Mad told me this it stopped me in my tracks. How the tables had turned. Now I'm a fiend.

The last time I'd spent the night with them, months before, I did my best to stay up, engage in their interesting conversations as they did line after line. I made a bed on the floor next to them and eventually dropped at 3 AM because I had to open my store the next morning.

"I wish I still did blow, just for the simple fact that I miss you guys and I don't want to fall asleep. I don't see you enough, I don't want to lose any time."

"I'm really mad you just looked at me and apologized for being clean." Tyler barked back. She kissed my forehead before I fell asleep.

Maddie attacked fatter lines than I'd seen anybody conquer in my life. Especially impressive because she can't weigh more than 100 pounds and stand taller than 5'1. I had to double tap the shit she portioned in front of me, I felt a little childish. Downed them nevertheless. We gossiped, vented, smoked and eventually found ourselves out by the playground of her apartment complex, spread out on blankets painting blank canvases. I started to create something nearly worthwhile, but then my brain kept telling me to start over. By the end of it all my canvas was nothing but a plain purple brown, a combination of too many paints together.

"I'm so fucking artistic but for some reason this is the only thing I can create???" I was swirling the paint around with my fingers, frustrated at myself.

The sun was rising, the birds were chirping, it goes without being said that neither of us slept. There's something gratifying about watching the morning take over the night high on cocaine. It was beautiful.

"I live for days like this, I'm glad I made it out." I only felt slightly pathetic after saying so.

I ubered myself to work a few hours later, Maddie drank herself to bed. Depression, guilt, shame all struck the second I walked into my store, abosring its good energy . A flip of a switch. I knew I looked fucked up. I had to gather myself, watching Becky serving customers behind the counter, my lighthouse through rough waters, there was no way I could lie to her.

I set my belongings down on a table in the back, hopped in line to order a cup of soup, hoping that it'd give me the sustenance I needed. An older woman, 14 year veteran of the store rang me up and forgot the crackers for my soup, so I stood there patiently until someone noticed me.

"What do you need honey?" Becky swooped in.

"Crackers." I said and looked down, my voice cracking.

"What?"

"I need crackers." I said this time, my temper slipping.

She handed me a packet, paused, then gave me five more in a panic as if they were bandages for a wound she wanted, needed to nurse. I walked away before she could make that eye contact with me.

It only took a minute before she trailed behind me as she always does when I decide to dine-in off the clock. We itch for each other's company. She sat down and tried to talk business with me, I wasn't having it. She tried to ask me what was wrong and I gestured toward her with my hand for slience. She seemed offended for a second, but then she understood. I couldn't say anything without bursting into tears. I picked at a few crackers, accepting that nothing was going to make my body feel better. I ended up just throwing the soup away. She wandered into our office after she accepted she wasn't going to break my wall down.

After about 20 minutes, I changed into my uniform and joined her in the office. I started typing away on our desktop in silence, she was counting a till full of money to the left of me. Mindlessly clicking, the words were rising out of my throat.

"So uh.... the next time you go to one of those meetings, you should probably take me along."

without a second to think or breathe-

"Absolutely." "Absolutely, we'll go next monday. And can I just say, I knew it?"

"I fucked up man, I kind of can't believe myself."

"You're only twenty, forgive yourself."

I kept looking at the desktop, tears welling in my eyes.

"You've been more irritable than usual.. I even asked Liz if she thought you were using again.... "

-------------------------------------------------------

The first meeting she took me to, I was coming down off coke again. Though I knew in my soul that the times needed to change I thought I could be in this room full of people and just absorb their tactics of recovery, not fully committed or sure that it's what I wanted for myself in the first place. Observation. They all thought I did great when I shared, I'm not afraid to speak in front of people of course. I looked to the left of me after I shared and Becky was in silent tears. I've never seen her like this. Rarely do I catch glimpses of how much I mean to her, I always savor it.

The topic at the second meeting she took me to was honesty.

"Honestly guys, what lead me here in the first place wasn't the desire to get clean, or even concern for my well being, I'm just here because I'm broke, and I fucking hate being broke. I know I need to care for myself more than I do."

"Thanks Myah." the room chanted in unison.

--------------------------------------------------------------

So how did I do it? I went broke. The rest fell into place. I kept going to these meetings when I felt like isolating myself, or using my new found 21 year old power to waste away at a bar. Sometimes talking, others just listening. My body does feel better, my nose isn't bleeding. There's a lot that I miss. Ultimately what propels me forward is my list of goals I need to achieve, needing the finances to do so. Why'd I have to fall for such an expensive vice? Makes me feel like if I were a millionaire I'd blow it all... literally.

Baby steps.

[ralph31ortiz]

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Suzanne Creswell on episode 244 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Students have reasons for how they behave, particularly if they have learning differences and learn in unique ways. Occupational and physical therapist, Suzanne Cresswell, helps us understand children and why some of them just can’t stop moving.

Jennifer Gonzalez has released her 2018 Teachers Guide to Technology with over 200 education technology tools including tools for assessment, flipped learning, presentations, parent engagement, video engagement and more. Jennifer gives you a description in simple language, a screenshot of the tool in action and then a play button that takes you to a video about how the tool works. Learn more at coolcatteacher.com/guide

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

  ***

Enhanced Transcript

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e244 Date: February 1, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking to Suzanne Cresswell. She’s an occupational therapist and physical therapist. Her expertise is really helping us understand the unique learners in our classrooms.

Now Suzanne, what is a unique learner?

Suzanne: A unique learner is a little bit of all of us, really.

Children and adults have their own way of making sense of the world around them. When we think of learning, we think of the sensory system taking in information visually, auditorily, tactilely.

Each one of us has our own unique way of interpreting that information, but in general, there are patterns of how the brain collects this information.

In our education model, we augment that understanding of the developmental model in teaching incrementally, as the child can develop these skills

But a unique learner tends to be on a little different path. They tend to learn at a different pace.

The emphasis in my book Unique Learner Solutions, is that these students learn differently — not incorrectly, necessarily, but it’s a difficult thing sometimes to capture in our general education classroom, where we’re focus on the curriculum and the standards and meeting certain timeframes.

They tend to learn at a different pace

Certain ideas are needing to be presented to the classroom.

So, the unique learner can be that child that causes the teacher to take a deep breath sometimes, when they think about planning their morning or planning their day, because this is an individual who doesn’t always follow the flow, the rhythm, the timing of the learning that goes on in general in the classroom.

Vicki: So two of my three children have what I call learning differences. I don’t call them disabilities because my children can learn. They just learn differently.

So would you say that someone who has a learning difference is a unique learner, or not always?

Suzanne: No. We’re talking about the same person. Yes, they are the same.

Vicki: These children are learning differently. We realize that. Sometimes they’ll show it by acting.

Sometimes they’ll show it as you look at them and you know they’re trying really, really hard. But they’re just not understanding it.

What do we do? Where do we start?

Where do we start?

Suzanne: I’ll start with the comment about when they’re acting out.

That right there requires a little more inquiry as to what might be motivating the child to act in a way that we would characterize as acting out.

Are they physically moving frequently in their chair?

Are they interrupting and are off-topic?

Are they head on the desk and not interacting type of acting out?

To go beyond that, to take it to the next step and start to look at what might be contributing to that particular “strategy” on the student’s part.

What I’ve learned in working with this population for 30 years — in a medical setting and in a school setting and and sports setting with young athletes — some young people tend to develop strategies even on a subconscious level in order to assist their brain to stay engaged.

We’re hard-wired to learn.

We must take in information.

We must integrate that with past events or memory, and process that in terms of our intellectual understanding in order to take the next step.

This is something that is as necessary as breathing in and breathing out.

So to make that essential process work, for some of these children that have a different way of perceiving information, they come up with strategies.

Some of these children come up with strategies

Some children require a heck of a lot of movement to keep their body going, and I’d like to explain a little bit about that if I might. It goes into big fat neurophysiologic words. But I think that it helps to understand.

Vicki: I know, for example, I have a lot of kids who have ADD or other things. We’ll do planks in our classroom. We’ll stop and say, “OK, we’re going to do push-ups, or maybe planks. I’m going to go for just a minute, just to try to get some of that energy out.”

Is that what you’re talking about?

Suzanne: I want to tell you why you’re doing planks and why that’s working.

But first of all, let me put my hands together and applaud you. That’s fantastic!

So let’s talk about that busy child, a busy one… hyperactive child, ADD. Those are often the students that we’ll see in a general education setting.

They’ve got a good understanding of many of the academic concepts when they are in a situation in which they can demonstrate that to the teacher.

And yet, they are at a little different rhythm than the other students. They’re moving more, or they’re at the end of the answer when you’re still really looking to see how the child solves it and the process.

They are at a little different rhythm than the other students

These types of things are — shall I say — some days it might be upsetting. It offers another avenue for the teacher, and sometimes that’s difficult to integrate, so it ends up being the language that the child is having an upset or an outbreak or what have you.

I totally understand the use of that language. The interesting thing is to look a little bit beyond that. You see that in order to learn is a very developmentally wired process, starting in infancy and moving on.

Let me just quickly take you back:

In infancy, we’re moving out of a buoyant environment inside our mommy’s womb. The first experience we have, the first neurologic thing that our brain understands is the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface. Everything moved from the buoyancy. (laughs)

Moving out of a buoyant environment inside the womb

That’s the very first thing that happens, and the brain connects with that feeling, and then must tell the muscles what to do in order to respond to gravity.

So rather than going — if you don’t mind my saying, kind of — collapse, flat. “OK, that’s gravity, and I need to tell my head and neck and arms basically to do a little bit of a plank if I’m on my tummy so I can lift my head and continue breathing. Ultimately, then move to a source of food and that tactile nurturing.

Well, that right there — feeling gravity and then telling your muscles and joints what to do — is this part of our sensory system.

We have senses — taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing.

But these two senses — feeling gravity (vestibular system) and feeling your muscles and joints respond to your commands (proprioceptive system) — we continue to feed the vestibular and proprioceptive systems.

Vestibular and proprioceptive systems

We continue to feed our sense of feeling gravity operate on our body, feeling our muscles and joints respond optimally to gravity all of our life. But we move it to a part of our brain that we don’t really interact with that much.

That’s why we like walking. That’s why we like exercise. That’s why we like yoga as adults.

These are things that we do. We bring it into our life. It’s in our mind, it’s in our body and our muscles and so forth.

That’s why you’re doing planks for these kids, because you’re stimulating their proprioceptive center and you’re stimulating their vestibular center.

The children that require movement, that are moving in the class at a different rhythm, different rate — and moving at all when the other children are sitting still — this is a child that needs to interact with the vestibular center and the proprioceptive center in order to keep the brain charged for learning.

Understanding that, then we can create a safe way for that child to be able to function in a social classroom environment.

Accommodating those needs

If they need movement, then we provide them with perhaps a seat pan cushion that’s slightly inflated, so that they can move and yet they’re physically within their seat, so they’re not interrupting others.

Some classrooms will obtain the yoga ball, the therapy ball, and find a collar for it so it doesn’t roll anywhere. The student will sit on the ball.

Of course if you’re sitting on a round chair or a round surface your brain is continually interacting with the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface and your body’s ability to respond to those movements. That continually feeds the brain and keeps the brain active for learning.

Vicki: This is so related to flexible seating, isn’t it?

Suzanne: Yes, yes, exactly.

Yeah, it’s very much the same concept, so once we begin to understand that it’s a strategy — we look beyond the erratic behavior, if you will, and look at what that might be cause by — then we can provide solutions for the student.

Then the student is able, in their unique way, to keep their brain and body geared up and continuing to participate in the classroom lessons and the learning that occurs.

But my tendency is to walk into a classroom to see the student I’ve been invited to provide some assistance with, and to look at the child basically as already perfect, if you will.

They are doing the best they can in order to function within their circumstances, and (determine) how successful is that?

Sometimes the way they’re acting is exactly what you want in the gymnasium, but not in the library, and they can’t tell that distinction. So they need to be taught the place for things, and how to be able to identify that.

But why you’re doing planks — that’s putting pressure through the joints of the arms and hands. That pressure is what informs the brain — the proprioceptive center — and overall, that leave the brain with a calming feeling.

When you think planks, when you think movement breaks, even if you think of recess and lunch breaks — that’s all the yoga in the middle of the day if that has meaning for you. Or that’s the taking a walk in the middle of your workday.

That’s what we all need, but children even more need movement infused frequently during their day. Useful movement!

Children even more need movement infused frequently throughout the day

The planks are wonderful. Other movement patterns that help learning readiness are that right brain left brain types of movement as well, where you’re crossing your arms across midline and those types of movement breaks are useful in the classroom all the time.

Vicki: Well, we’ve learned so much today, and the truth is that there is a reason that so many kids can’t stop moving.

There’s nothing wrong with them.

They don’t need to be “fixed.”

They don’t need to be just told to have more control.

I think, as a teacher, that giving brain breaks, giving movement breaks, giving flexible seating — this is all part of being a good teacher. I think that Suzanne has given us a healthy way to view why some our students just can’t stop moving!

Suzanne: That’s true. Yes. Absolutely.

I have information for you on our website, and I have an eBook for your listeners as well that they can access at our website, http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/ebook.

It provides some red flags and it reviews what you and I were just talking about in terms of just scratching below the surface and finding out what’s motivating that behavior that seems so nonproductive.

And the teachers are doing that now. The modern education model embraces movement, a very kinetic model. It’s delightful to see it helping a lot of different learners.

Vicki: It really does make a difference.

I hope that all of us will learn more about all of these different topics and introducing more movement into our classrooms.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted

Suzanne Cresswell is an occupational and physical therapist who has worked with unique learners for over three decades. Suzanne works to educate and provide proven solutions and strategies to those that parent, instruct and work with unique learners. By creating an understanding of unique learners and their learning behavior, she helps parents, teachers and the students themselves find the ability in learning disability.

Blog: http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e244/

[aira26soonas]

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Suzanne Creswell on episode 244 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Students have reasons for how they behave, particularly if they have learning differences and learn in unique ways. Occupational and physical therapist, Suzanne Cresswell, helps us understand children and why some of them just can’t stop moving.

Jennifer Gonzalez has released her 2018 Teachers Guide to Technology with over 200 education technology tools including tools for assessment, flipped learning, presentations, parent engagement, video engagement and more. Jennifer gives you a description in simple language, a screenshot of the tool in action and then a play button that takes you to a video about how the tool works. Learn more at coolcatteacher.com/guide

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

  ***

Enhanced Transcript

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e244 Date: February 1, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking to Suzanne Cresswell. She’s an occupational therapist and physical therapist. Her expertise is really helping us understand the unique learners in our classrooms.

Now Suzanne, what is a unique learner?

Suzanne: A unique learner is a little bit of all of us, really.

Children and adults have their own way of making sense of the world around them. When we think of learning, we think of the sensory system taking in information visually, auditorily, tactilely.

Each one of us has our own unique way of interpreting that information, but in general, there are patterns of how the brain collects this information.

In our education model, we augment that understanding of the developmental model in teaching incrementally, as the child can develop these skills

But a unique learner tends to be on a little different path. They tend to learn at a different pace.

The emphasis in my book Unique Learner Solutions, is that these students learn differently — not incorrectly, necessarily, but it’s a difficult thing sometimes to capture in our general education classroom, where we’re focus on the curriculum and the standards and meeting certain timeframes.

They tend to learn at a different pace

Certain ideas are needing to be presented to the classroom.

So, the unique learner can be that child that causes the teacher to take a deep breath sometimes, when they think about planning their morning or planning their day, because this is an individual who doesn’t always follow the flow, the rhythm, the timing of the learning that goes on in general in the classroom.

Vicki: So two of my three children have what I call learning differences. I don’t call them disabilities because my children can learn. They just learn differently.

So would you say that someone who has a learning difference is a unique learner, or not always?

Suzanne: No. We’re talking about the same person. Yes, they are the same.

Vicki: These children are learning differently. We realize that. Sometimes they’ll show it by acting.

Sometimes they’ll show it as you look at them and you know they’re trying really, really hard. But they’re just not understanding it.

What do we do? Where do we start?

Where do we start?

Suzanne: I’ll start with the comment about when they’re acting out.

That right there requires a little more inquiry as to what might be motivating the child to act in a way that we would characterize as acting out.

Are they physically moving frequently in their chair?

Are they interrupting and are off-topic?

Are they head on the desk and not interacting type of acting out?

To go beyond that, to take it to the next step and start to look at what might be contributing to that particular “strategy” on the student’s part.

What I’ve learned in working with this population for 30 years — in a medical setting and in a school setting and and sports setting with young athletes — some young people tend to develop strategies even on a subconscious level in order to assist their brain to stay engaged.

We’re hard-wired to learn.

We must take in information.

We must integrate that with past events or memory, and process that in terms of our intellectual understanding in order to take the next step.

This is something that is as necessary as breathing in and breathing out.

So to make that essential process work, for some of these children that have a different way of perceiving information, they come up with strategies.

Some of these children come up with strategies

Some children require a heck of a lot of movement to keep their body going, and I’d like to explain a little bit about that if I might. It goes into big fat neurophysiologic words. But I think that it helps to understand.

Vicki: I know, for example, I have a lot of kids who have ADD or other things. We’ll do planks in our classroom. We’ll stop and say, “OK, we’re going to do push-ups, or maybe planks. I’m going to go for just a minute, just to try to get some of that energy out.”

Is that what you’re talking about?

Suzanne: I want to tell you why you’re doing planks and why that’s working.

But first of all, let me put my hands together and applaud you. That’s fantastic!

So let’s talk about that busy child, a busy one… hyperactive child, ADD. Those are often the students that we’ll see in a general education setting.

They’ve got a good understanding of many of the academic concepts when they are in a situation in which they can demonstrate that to the teacher.

And yet, they are at a little different rhythm than the other students. They’re moving more, or they’re at the end of the answer when you’re still really looking to see how the child solves it and the process.

They are at a little different rhythm than the other students

These types of things are — shall I say — some days it might be upsetting. It offers another avenue for the teacher, and sometimes that’s difficult to integrate, so it ends up being the language that the child is having an upset or an outbreak or what have you.

I totally understand the use of that language. The interesting thing is to look a little bit beyond that. You see that in order to learn is a very developmentally wired process, starting in infancy and moving on.

Let me just quickly take you back:

In infancy, we’re moving out of a buoyant environment inside our mommy’s womb. The first experience we have, the first neurologic thing that our brain understands is the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface. Everything moved from the buoyancy. (laughs)

Moving out of a buoyant environment inside the womb

That’s the very first thing that happens, and the brain connects with that feeling, and then must tell the muscles what to do in order to respond to gravity.

So rather than going — if you don’t mind my saying, kind of — collapse, flat. “OK, that’s gravity, and I need to tell my head and neck and arms basically to do a little bit of a plank if I’m on my tummy so I can lift my head and continue breathing. Ultimately, then move to a source of food and that tactile nurturing.

Well, that right there — feeling gravity and then telling your muscles and joints what to do — is this part of our sensory system.

We have senses — taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing.

But these two senses — feeling gravity (vestibular system) and feeling your muscles and joints respond to your commands (proprioceptive system) — we continue to feed the vestibular and proprioceptive systems.

Vestibular and proprioceptive systems

We continue to feed our sense of feeling gravity operate on our body, feeling our muscles and joints respond optimally to gravity all of our life. But we move it to a part of our brain that we don’t really interact with that much.

That’s why we like walking. That’s why we like exercise. That’s why we like yoga as adults.

These are things that we do. We bring it into our life. It’s in our mind, it’s in our body and our muscles and so forth.

That’s why you’re doing planks for these kids, because you’re stimulating their proprioceptive center and you’re stimulating their vestibular center.

The children that require movement, that are moving in the class at a different rhythm, different rate — and moving at all when the other children are sitting still — this is a child that needs to interact with the vestibular center and the proprioceptive center in order to keep the brain charged for learning.

Understanding that, then we can create a safe way for that child to be able to function in a social classroom environment.

Accommodating those needs

If they need movement, then we provide them with perhaps a seat pan cushion that’s slightly inflated, so that they can move and yet they’re physically within their seat, so they’re not interrupting others.

Some classrooms will obtain the yoga ball, the therapy ball, and find a collar for it so it doesn’t roll anywhere. The student will sit on the ball.

Of course if you’re sitting on a round chair or a round surface your brain is continually interacting with the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface and your body’s ability to respond to those movements. That continually feeds the brain and keeps the brain active for learning.

Vicki: This is so related to flexible seating, isn’t it?

Suzanne: Yes, yes, exactly.

Yeah, it’s very much the same concept, so once we begin to understand that it’s a strategy — we look beyond the erratic behavior, if you will, and look at what that might be cause by — then we can provide solutions for the student.

Then the student is able, in their unique way, to keep their brain and body geared up and continuing to participate in the classroom lessons and the learning that occurs.

But my tendency is to walk into a classroom to see the student I’ve been invited to provide some assistance with, and to look at the child basically as already perfect, if you will.

They are doing the best they can in order to function within their circumstances, and (determine) how successful is that?

Sometimes the way they’re acting is exactly what you want in the gymnasium, but not in the library, and they can’t tell that distinction. So they need to be taught the place for things, and how to be able to identify that.

But why you’re doing planks — that’s putting pressure through the joints of the arms and hands. That pressure is what informs the brain — the proprioceptive center — and overall, that leave the brain with a calming feeling.

When you think planks, when you think movement breaks, even if you think of recess and lunch breaks — that’s all the yoga in the middle of the day if that has meaning for you. Or that’s the taking a walk in the middle of your workday.

That’s what we all need, but children even more need movement infused frequently during their day. Useful movement!

Children even more need movement infused frequently throughout the day

The planks are wonderful. Other movement patterns that help learning readiness are that right brain left brain types of movement as well, where you’re crossing your arms across midline and those types of movement breaks are useful in the classroom all the time.

Vicki: Well, we’ve learned so much today, and the truth is that there is a reason that so many kids can’t stop moving.

There’s nothing wrong with them.

They don’t need to be “fixed.”

They don’t need to be just told to have more control.

I think, as a teacher, that giving brain breaks, giving movement breaks, giving flexible seating — this is all part of being a good teacher. I think that Suzanne has given us a healthy way to view why some our students just can’t stop moving!

Suzanne: That’s true. Yes. Absolutely.

I have information for you on our website, and I have an eBook for your listeners as well that they can access at our website, http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/ebook.

It provides some red flags and it reviews what you and I were just talking about in terms of just scratching below the surface and finding out what’s motivating that behavior that seems so nonproductive.

And the teachers are doing that now. The modern education model embraces movement, a very kinetic model. It’s delightful to see it helping a lot of different learners.

Vicki: It really does make a difference.

I hope that all of us will learn more about all of these different topics and introducing more movement into our classrooms.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted

Suzanne Cresswell is an occupational and physical therapist who has worked with unique learners for over three decades. Suzanne works to educate and provide proven solutions and strategies to those that parent, instruct and work with unique learners. By creating an understanding of unique learners and their learning behavior, she helps parents, teachers and the students themselves find the ability in learning disability.

Blog: http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e244/

[patriciaanderson357-blog]

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Suzanne Creswell on episode 244 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Students have reasons for how they behave, particularly if they have learning differences and learn in unique ways. Occupational and physical therapist, Suzanne Cresswell, helps us understand children and why some of them just can’t stop moving.

Jennifer Gonzalez has released her 2018 Teachers Guide to Technology with over 200 education technology tools including tools for assessment, flipped learning, presentations, parent engagement, video engagement and more. Jennifer gives you a description in simple language, a screenshot of the tool in action and then a play button that takes you to a video about how the tool works. Learn more at coolcatteacher.com/guide

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

  ***

Enhanced Transcript

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e244 Date: February 1, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking to Suzanne Cresswell. She’s an occupational therapist and physical therapist. Her expertise is really helping us understand the unique learners in our classrooms.

Now Suzanne, what is a unique learner?

Suzanne: A unique learner is a little bit of all of us, really.

Children and adults have their own way of making sense of the world around them. When we think of learning, we think of the sensory system taking in information visually, auditorily, tactilely.

Each one of us has our own unique way of interpreting that information, but in general, there are patterns of how the brain collects this information.

In our education model, we augment that understanding of the developmental model in teaching incrementally, as the child can develop these skills

But a unique learner tends to be on a little different path. They tend to learn at a different pace.

The emphasis in my book Unique Learner Solutions, is that these students learn differently — not incorrectly, necessarily, but it’s a difficult thing sometimes to capture in our general education classroom, where we’re focus on the curriculum and the standards and meeting certain timeframes.

They tend to learn at a different pace

Certain ideas are needing to be presented to the classroom.

So, the unique learner can be that child that causes the teacher to take a deep breath sometimes, when they think about planning their morning or planning their day, because this is an individual who doesn’t always follow the flow, the rhythm, the timing of the learning that goes on in general in the classroom.

Vicki: So two of my three children have what I call learning differences. I don’t call them disabilities because my children can learn. They just learn differently.

So would you say that someone who has a learning difference is a unique learner, or not always?

Suzanne: No. We’re talking about the same person. Yes, they are the same.

Vicki: These children are learning differently. We realize that. Sometimes they’ll show it by acting.

Sometimes they’ll show it as you look at them and you know they’re trying really, really hard. But they’re just not understanding it.

What do we do? Where do we start?

Where do we start?

Suzanne: I’ll start with the comment about when they’re acting out.

That right there requires a little more inquiry as to what might be motivating the child to act in a way that we would characterize as acting out.

Are they physically moving frequently in their chair?

Are they interrupting and are off-topic?

Are they head on the desk and not interacting type of acting out?

To go beyond that, to take it to the next step and start to look at what might be contributing to that particular “strategy” on the student’s part.

What I’ve learned in working with this population for 30 years — in a medical setting and in a school setting and and sports setting with young athletes — some young people tend to develop strategies even on a subconscious level in order to assist their brain to stay engaged.

We’re hard-wired to learn.

We must take in information.

We must integrate that with past events or memory, and process that in terms of our intellectual understanding in order to take the next step.

This is something that is as necessary as breathing in and breathing out.

So to make that essential process work, for some of these children that have a different way of perceiving information, they come up with strategies.

Some of these children come up with strategies

Some children require a heck of a lot of movement to keep their body going, and I’d like to explain a little bit about that if I might. It goes into big fat neurophysiologic words. But I think that it helps to understand.

Vicki: I know, for example, I have a lot of kids who have ADD or other things. We’ll do planks in our classroom. We’ll stop and say, “OK, we’re going to do push-ups, or maybe planks. I’m going to go for just a minute, just to try to get some of that energy out.”

Is that what you’re talking about?

Suzanne: I want to tell you why you’re doing planks and why that’s working.

But first of all, let me put my hands together and applaud you. That’s fantastic!

So let’s talk about that busy child, a busy one… hyperactive child, ADD. Those are often the students that we’ll see in a general education setting.

They’ve got a good understanding of many of the academic concepts when they are in a situation in which they can demonstrate that to the teacher.

And yet, they are at a little different rhythm than the other students. They’re moving more, or they’re at the end of the answer when you’re still really looking to see how the child solves it and the process.

They are at a little different rhythm than the other students

These types of things are — shall I say — some days it might be upsetting. It offers another avenue for the teacher, and sometimes that’s difficult to integrate, so it ends up being the language that the child is having an upset or an outbreak or what have you.

I totally understand the use of that language. The interesting thing is to look a little bit beyond that. You see that in order to learn is a very developmentally wired process, starting in infancy and moving on.

Let me just quickly take you back:

In infancy, we’re moving out of a buoyant environment inside our mommy’s womb. The first experience we have, the first neurologic thing that our brain understands is the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface. Everything moved from the buoyancy. (laughs)

Moving out of a buoyant environment inside the womb

That’s the very first thing that happens, and the brain connects with that feeling, and then must tell the muscles what to do in order to respond to gravity.

So rather than going — if you don’t mind my saying, kind of — collapse, flat. “OK, that’s gravity, and I need to tell my head and neck and arms basically to do a little bit of a plank if I’m on my tummy so I can lift my head and continue breathing. Ultimately, then move to a source of food and that tactile nurturing.

Well, that right there — feeling gravity and then telling your muscles and joints what to do — is this part of our sensory system.

We have senses — taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing.

But these two senses — feeling gravity (vestibular system) and feeling your muscles and joints respond to your commands (proprioceptive system) — we continue to feed the vestibular and proprioceptive systems.

Vestibular and proprioceptive systems

We continue to feed our sense of feeling gravity operate on our body, feeling our muscles and joints respond optimally to gravity all of our life. But we move it to a part of our brain that we don’t really interact with that much.

That’s why we like walking. That’s why we like exercise. That’s why we like yoga as adults.

These are things that we do. We bring it into our life. It’s in our mind, it’s in our body and our muscles and so forth.

That’s why you’re doing planks for these kids, because you’re stimulating their proprioceptive center and you’re stimulating their vestibular center.

The children that require movement, that are moving in the class at a different rhythm, different rate — and moving at all when the other children are sitting still — this is a child that needs to interact with the vestibular center and the proprioceptive center in order to keep the brain charged for learning.

Understanding that, then we can create a safe way for that child to be able to function in a social classroom environment.

Accommodating those needs

If they need movement, then we provide them with perhaps a seat pan cushion that’s slightly inflated, so that they can move and yet they’re physically within their seat, so they’re not interrupting others.

Some classrooms will obtain the yoga ball, the therapy ball, and find a collar for it so it doesn’t roll anywhere. The student will sit on the ball.

Of course if you’re sitting on a round chair or a round surface your brain is continually interacting with the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface and your body’s ability to respond to those movements. That continually feeds the brain and keeps the brain active for learning.

Vicki: This is so related to flexible seating, isn’t it?

Suzanne: Yes, yes, exactly.

Yeah, it’s very much the same concept, so once we begin to understand that it’s a strategy — we look beyond the erratic behavior, if you will, and look at what that might be cause by — then we can provide solutions for the student.

Then the student is able, in their unique way, to keep their brain and body geared up and continuing to participate in the classroom lessons and the learning that occurs.

But my tendency is to walk into a classroom to see the student I’ve been invited to provide some assistance with, and to look at the child basically as already perfect, if you will.

They are doing the best they can in order to function within their circumstances, and (determine) how successful is that?

Sometimes the way they’re acting is exactly what you want in the gymnasium, but not in the library, and they can’t tell that distinction. So they need to be taught the place for things, and how to be able to identify that.

But why you’re doing planks — that’s putting pressure through the joints of the arms and hands. That pressure is what informs the brain — the proprioceptive center — and overall, that leave the brain with a calming feeling.

When you think planks, when you think movement breaks, even if you think of recess and lunch breaks — that’s all the yoga in the middle of the day if that has meaning for you. Or that’s the taking a walk in the middle of your workday.

That’s what we all need, but children even more need movement infused frequently during their day. Useful movement!

Children even more need movement infused frequently throughout the day

The planks are wonderful. Other movement patterns that help learning readiness are that right brain left brain types of movement as well, where you’re crossing your arms across midline and those types of movement breaks are useful in the classroom all the time.

Vicki: Well, we’ve learned so much today, and the truth is that there is a reason that so many kids can’t stop moving.

There’s nothing wrong with them.

They don’t need to be “fixed.”

They don’t need to be just told to have more control.

I think, as a teacher, that giving brain breaks, giving movement breaks, giving flexible seating — this is all part of being a good teacher. I think that Suzanne has given us a healthy way to view why some our students just can’t stop moving!

Suzanne: That’s true. Yes. Absolutely.

I have information for you on our website, and I have an eBook for your listeners as well that they can access at our website, http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/ebook.

It provides some red flags and it reviews what you and I were just talking about in terms of just scratching below the surface and finding out what’s motivating that behavior that seems so nonproductive.

And the teachers are doing that now. The modern education model embraces movement, a very kinetic model. It’s delightful to see it helping a lot of different learners.

Vicki: It really does make a difference.

I hope that all of us will learn more about all of these different topics and introducing more movement into our classrooms.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted

Suzanne Cresswell is an occupational and physical therapist who has worked with unique learners for over three decades. Suzanne works to educate and provide proven solutions and strategies to those that parent, instruct and work with unique learners. By creating an understanding of unique learners and their learning behavior, she helps parents, teachers and the students themselves find the ability in learning disability.

Blog: http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

[athena29stone]

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Suzanne Creswell on episode 244 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Students have reasons for how they behave, particularly if they have learning differences and learn in unique ways. Occupational and physical therapist, Suzanne Cresswell, helps us understand children and why some of them just can’t stop moving.

Jennifer Gonzalez has released her 2018 Teachers Guide to Technology with over 200 education technology tools including tools for assessment, flipped learning, presentations, parent engagement, video engagement and more. Jennifer gives you a description in simple language, a screenshot of the tool in action and then a play button that takes you to a video about how the tool works. Learn more at coolcatteacher.com/guide

Listen Now

Listen to the show on iTunes or Stitcher

Stream by clicking here.

  ***

Enhanced Transcript

Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e244 Date: February 1, 2018

Vicki: Today we’re talking to Suzanne Cresswell. She’s an occupational therapist and physical therapist. Her expertise is really helping us understand the unique learners in our classrooms.

Now Suzanne, what is a unique learner?

Suzanne: A unique learner is a little bit of all of us, really.

Children and adults have their own way of making sense of the world around them. When we think of learning, we think of the sensory system taking in information visually, auditorily, tactilely.

Each one of us has our own unique way of interpreting that information, but in general, there are patterns of how the brain collects this information.

In our education model, we augment that understanding of the developmental model in teaching incrementally, as the child can develop these skills

But a unique learner tends to be on a little different path. They tend to learn at a different pace.

The emphasis in my book Unique Learner Solutions, is that these students learn differently — not incorrectly, necessarily, but it’s a difficult thing sometimes to capture in our general education classroom, where we’re focus on the curriculum and the standards and meeting certain timeframes.

They tend to learn at a different pace

Certain ideas are needing to be presented to the classroom.

So, the unique learner can be that child that causes the teacher to take a deep breath sometimes, when they think about planning their morning or planning their day, because this is an individual who doesn’t always follow the flow, the rhythm, the timing of the learning that goes on in general in the classroom.

Vicki: So two of my three children have what I call learning differences. I don’t call them disabilities because my children can learn. They just learn differently.

So would you say that someone who has a learning difference is a unique learner, or not always?

Suzanne: No. We’re talking about the same person. Yes, they are the same.

Vicki: These children are learning differently. We realize that. Sometimes they’ll show it by acting.

Sometimes they’ll show it as you look at them and you know they’re trying really, really hard. But they’re just not understanding it.

What do we do? Where do we start?

Where do we start?

Suzanne: I’ll start with the comment about when they’re acting out.

That right there requires a little more inquiry as to what might be motivating the child to act in a way that we would characterize as acting out.

Are they physically moving frequently in their chair?

Are they interrupting and are off-topic?

Are they head on the desk and not interacting type of acting out?

To go beyond that, to take it to the next step and start to look at what might be contributing to that particular “strategy” on the student’s part.

What I’ve learned in working with this population for 30 years — in a medical setting and in a school setting and and sports setting with young athletes — some young people tend to develop strategies even on a subconscious level in order to assist their brain to stay engaged.

We’re hard-wired to learn.

We must take in information.

We must integrate that with past events or memory, and process that in terms of our intellectual understanding in order to take the next step.

This is something that is as necessary as breathing in and breathing out.

So to make that essential process work, for some of these children that have a different way of perceiving information, they come up with strategies.

Some of these children come up with strategies

Some children require a heck of a lot of movement to keep their body going, and I’d like to explain a little bit about that if I might. It goes into big fat neurophysiologic words. But I think that it helps to understand.

Vicki: I know, for example, I have a lot of kids who have ADD or other things. We’ll do planks in our classroom. We’ll stop and say, “OK, we’re going to do push-ups, or maybe planks. I’m going to go for just a minute, just to try to get some of that energy out.”

Is that what you’re talking about?

Suzanne: I want to tell you why you’re doing planks and why that’s working.

But first of all, let me put my hands together and applaud you. That’s fantastic!

So let’s talk about that busy child, a busy one… hyperactive child, ADD. Those are often the students that we’ll see in a general education setting.

They’ve got a good understanding of many of the academic concepts when they are in a situation in which they can demonstrate that to the teacher.

And yet, they are at a little different rhythm than the other students. They’re moving more, or they’re at the end of the answer when you’re still really looking to see how the child solves it and the process.

They are at a little different rhythm than the other students

These types of things are — shall I say — some days it might be upsetting. It offers another avenue for the teacher, and sometimes that’s difficult to integrate, so it ends up being the language that the child is having an upset or an outbreak or what have you.

I totally understand the use of that language. The interesting thing is to look a little bit beyond that. You see that in order to learn is a very developmentally wired process, starting in infancy and moving on.

Let me just quickly take you back:

In infancy, we’re moving out of a buoyant environment inside our mommy’s womb. The first experience we have, the first neurologic thing that our brain understands is the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface. Everything moved from the buoyancy. (laughs)

Moving out of a buoyant environment inside the womb

That’s the very first thing that happens, and the brain connects with that feeling, and then must tell the muscles what to do in order to respond to gravity.

So rather than going — if you don’t mind my saying, kind of — collapse, flat. “OK, that’s gravity, and I need to tell my head and neck and arms basically to do a little bit of a plank if I’m on my tummy so I can lift my head and continue breathing. Ultimately, then move to a source of food and that tactile nurturing.

Well, that right there — feeling gravity and then telling your muscles and joints what to do — is this part of our sensory system.

We have senses — taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing.

But these two senses — feeling gravity (vestibular system) and feeling your muscles and joints respond to your commands (proprioceptive system) — we continue to feed the vestibular and proprioceptive systems.

Vestibular and proprioceptive systems

We continue to feed our sense of feeling gravity operate on our body, feeling our muscles and joints respond optimally to gravity all of our life. But we move it to a part of our brain that we don’t really interact with that much.

That’s why we like walking. That’s why we like exercise. That’s why we like yoga as adults.

These are things that we do. We bring it into our life. It’s in our mind, it’s in our body and our muscles and so forth.

That’s why you’re doing planks for these kids, because you’re stimulating their proprioceptive center and you’re stimulating their vestibular center.

The children that require movement, that are moving in the class at a different rhythm, different rate — and moving at all when the other children are sitting still — this is a child that needs to interact with the vestibular center and the proprioceptive center in order to keep the brain charged for learning.

Understanding that, then we can create a safe way for that child to be able to function in a social classroom environment.

Accommodating those needs

If they need movement, then we provide them with perhaps a seat pan cushion that’s slightly inflated, so that they can move and yet they’re physically within their seat, so they’re not interrupting others.

Some classrooms will obtain the yoga ball, the therapy ball, and find a collar for it so it doesn’t roll anywhere. The student will sit on the ball.

Of course if you’re sitting on a round chair or a round surface your brain is continually interacting with the gravitational pull of the earth’s surface and your body’s ability to respond to those movements. That continually feeds the brain and keeps the brain active for learning.

Vicki: This is so related to flexible seating, isn’t it?

Suzanne: Yes, yes, exactly.

Yeah, it’s very much the same concept, so once we begin to understand that it’s a strategy — we look beyond the erratic behavior, if you will, and look at what that might be cause by — then we can provide solutions for the student.

Then the student is able, in their unique way, to keep their brain and body geared up and continuing to participate in the classroom lessons and the learning that occurs.

But my tendency is to walk into a classroom to see the student I’ve been invited to provide some assistance with, and to look at the child basically as already perfect, if you will.

They are doing the best they can in order to function within their circumstances, and (determine) how successful is that?

Sometimes the way they’re acting is exactly what you want in the gymnasium, but not in the library, and they can’t tell that distinction. So they need to be taught the place for things, and how to be able to identify that.

But why you’re doing planks — that’s putting pressure through the joints of the arms and hands. That pressure is what informs the brain — the proprioceptive center — and overall, that leave the brain with a calming feeling.

When you think planks, when you think movement breaks, even if you think of recess and lunch breaks — that’s all the yoga in the middle of the day if that has meaning for you. Or that’s the taking a walk in the middle of your workday.

That’s what we all need, but children even more need movement infused frequently during their day. Useful movement!

Children even more need movement infused frequently throughout the day

The planks are wonderful. Other movement patterns that help learning readiness are that right brain left brain types of movement as well, where you’re crossing your arms across midline and those types of movement breaks are useful in the classroom all the time.

Vicki: Well, we’ve learned so much today, and the truth is that there is a reason that so many kids can’t stop moving.

There’s nothing wrong with them.

They don’t need to be “fixed.”

They don’t need to be just told to have more control.

I think, as a teacher, that giving brain breaks, giving movement breaks, giving flexible seating — this is all part of being a good teacher. I think that Suzanne has given us a healthy way to view why some our students just can’t stop moving!

Suzanne: That’s true. Yes. Absolutely.

I have information for you on our website, and I have an eBook for your listeners as well that they can access at our website, http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/ebook.

It provides some red flags and it reviews what you and I were just talking about in terms of just scratching below the surface and finding out what’s motivating that behavior that seems so nonproductive.

And the teachers are doing that now. The modern education model embraces movement, a very kinetic model. It’s delightful to see it helping a lot of different learners.

Vicki: It really does make a difference.

I hope that all of us will learn more about all of these different topics and introducing more movement into our classrooms.

  Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford kymberlimulford@gmail.com

Bio as submitted

Suzanne Cresswell is an occupational and physical therapist who has worked with unique learners for over three decades. Suzanne works to educate and provide proven solutions and strategies to those that parent, instruct and work with unique learners. By creating an understanding of unique learners and their learning behavior, she helps parents, teachers and the students themselves find the ability in learning disability.

Blog: http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

The post Why Kids Can’t Stop Moving: The Neuroscience Behind a Student’s Need to Move appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/e244/

[edtechsummitafrica-blog]

Energized and Transformed

18 August, 2017

By Sabrina Goldberg, Ed.D.

(photos by Sipho Mpongo)

From beginning to end, EdTech Summit Africa 2017 (ETSA17) was exhilarating! That’s right - exciting! At times it was nerve-wracking as I hadn’t traveled by myself internationally (in over 36-years), and adrenaline-charged (feeding a giraffe and petting lion cubs), but overall, personally and professionally this experience was eye-opening and gratifying. It was about teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and tech integration pedagogy, but it was also about workshop attendees and presenters sharing ideas, frustrations, curricular constraints, and forging new relationships.

Pre-Travel Context

In preparation for my trip to South Africa, I read widely and deeply. From Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (2012), to Plan B by Sheryl Sandberg (2017) because I wanted to feel vital and share what I know, but also to push personal boundaries and stretch professionally following the death of my husband. I also read research on teachers’ perceptions of professional development workshops on tech integration (Anyanwu, 2015), and about teachers’ attitudes on computer tech training (Sabzian & Gilakjani, 2013). An article on tech integration pedagogy (Okijie, Olinzock & Okojie-Boulder, 2006) stood out. At the time it felt like due diligence, but I was nervous and eager to make a good impression. Anyanwa (2015) cited the importance Web 2.0 tools in tailoring professional development workshops to make a positive impact on teachers. Whereas Sabzian & Gilakjani (2013) considered a full array of tech basics from social media and tech integration to face-to-face integration with hands on collaboration ideal. Okijie, Olinzock & Okojie (2006) cited how teachers are generally not involved in technology decision-making, and how relevant objectives and methods of instruction are considered key to making a dynamic classroom. Given my teammates bios and areas of expertise, I was certain that these themes would be addressed, and I wasn’t disappointed! Nothing, however, prepared me for the actual physical beauty of laid back Cape Town, urban Johannesburg, travel to Pretoria, or the challenge of working with ETSA2017 Fellows.

Cape Town

Cape Town’s Green Market, National Gallery, Slave Lodge, and Long Street filled with authentic African wares stood out. Likewise the array of tourists in Cape Town was impressive. The absence of police and fire engine sirens was eerie. Kind-hearted and inquisitive merchants were the norm. Curious about me, and the purpose of my visit, they offered unsolicited opinions on the South African educational system. One black African woman wanted corporal punishment reinstituted to end behavior problems in public schools. A white African shop owner bemoaned his educational experience citing memorization, exams, and parental expectations. A third, a white African shop owner complained about how her son had to compete with non-whites for university admission. Inevitably folks asked my opinion of our current president versus his predecessors, President Obama and President Clinton. Interestingly enough, an Uber driver asked, “Do you think Michele Obama will run for president like Hillary Clinton?” There wasn’t a dull moment.

In fact, seeing an exhibit by Lionel Davis at the Nat’l Gallery in Cape Town, experiencing his collages, and a video on the artist himself, as a black South African under house arrest during apartheid, I wondered how I’d be perceived. How my workshop, educational background, my skin tonality, my journey, would be received. Altogether, the places that I explored alone in Cape Town reminded me of places I know and love -- Brooklyn, the Caribbean, especially Negril (Jamaica) and because of the racial and ethnic diversity, I felt at ease.

The backdrop of Table Mountain and Signal Hill were dramatic counterpoints to the Atlantic Ocean in the Sea Point district where we were lodged during Orientation Days 1 & 2. Going on township tours, visiting schools in Lupongo, and working at the Bandwidth Barn in Khayelitsha where we strategized and tweaked our slide presentation decks stood out because we came together as a team, collaborated and gave each other feedback, which I sorely needed after visiting the township schools. In fact, I revamped my entire presentation at the Barn. The impact of the township schools was profound. The only thing close to my experience touring a post-apartheid government township was a trip to a Shinnecock Indian reservation back in the 60’s in Long Island, New York. Poverty in NYC and in the Caribbean looks very different from poverty in a Cape Town township because of the proximity of living spaces and density of township inhabitants, which was mindboggling.

Cape Town Summit

Following school tours and observations on Wednesday, and Orientation meetings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s Summits at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI) were qualitatively different. On Friday workshop attendees were academic and tertiary faculty from UCT, UWC CPUT and Stellenbosch in addition to others. They were tech savvy and engaged in my workshop. They were also incredibly patient when I was technologically challenged. Dialogue was thought provoking and I felt successful. Later I sat in on some creative presentations and learned how to use meditation from Haydee Lee Toro in her presentation on “Leading with Love,” and Kahoot from Kevin Baloyi in his workshop “Developing a Growth Mindset and Game-based Learning.”

In contrast, Saturday for R-12 teachers was challenging because there were more teachers in attendance and my room was packed, therefore the icebreaker took longer and responses to the question, “Why did you become a teacher?” were more complex and nuanced. The theme of becoming a teacher out of necessity vs. becoming a teacher out of genuine love for teaching and learning was riddled with emotion for many. In that moment (reflection in action!), I thought about how important it is for teachers to talk with one another and be given the opportunity to reflect, compare notes, and bond.

Later I sat in on Karen Blumberg’s presentation “Taking Control of Your Professional Life: Use Social Media for 24/7 Access to Learning,” and Kenny Graves workshop, “Teaching with Creativity: How to Use New Media to Engage Students in Projects.” I also sat in on part of Professor Dick Ng’ambi’s workshop, “Unleashing Creativity Through Fun and Play - Website Design for Educators.” Each presentation was inspired and offered hands-on collaboration, relevant objectives, and methods for instruction and tech integration. I felt like I was in phenomenal company and wished that I could have seen them all, fortunately working with the “Travel Fellows” gave me insight on what I missed.

Travel Fellows

Though I didn’t think that it was possible, working collaboratively with “turnkey” fellowship travelers to create slide presentations that they would share back home in their education communities eclipsed Saturday’s Summit experiences. This was an intellectual exercise, an open-ended heuristic -- meaning exploratory in nature and experiential. Through this dynamic I discovered what the Fellows learned and valued about our workshops. While the Fellows were challenged during our “focused training” session to identify what they learned from our Summit presentations and thought was important to share, they did so without benefit of any prior knowledge on how to create Google slides or PowerPoint presentations. This event was choreographed like speed dating and stood out as an opportunity for my topic, “flipped-teaching.” I wondered if Fellows had access to our resource folders… If I had the opportunity to do this over, I would have assigned Fellows some videos to watch, and challenged them to find instructional videos that were better than the ones I suggested, or I would have given them some articles to read on how to organize and craft slide decks if they didn’t have internet access. Even so, this activity was a highlight for me because I got to know each and everyone better – Presenters and Fellows.

Johannesburg & Pretoria

We flew to Johannesburg and stayed at a bed-n-breakfast in Melville. Traffic at rush hour rivaled traffic in N.Y.C. Its architecture, minus the barbed and electric wires, channeled an L.A. vibe, appearing green (in spite of the drought), pristine and impenetrable. During down time I took in the sights and bought a ridiculous amount of African waxed textiles. I visited the Apartheid Museum, a Lion Park, and Maboneng, Joburg’s Art District which was incredibly vibrant, filled with hip craft and food venders, as well as visual and performing artists. In this venue it was hard to believe that apartheid had ended in the past 26 years.

Back in presentation mode, we visited LEAP 4 Science and Maths High School in Diepsloot (a northern township) and presented for 90 teachers from LEAP 4, LEAP 3 (based in Linbro Park, Alexandra township) as well as neighboring Akani School in what was called an EdTech Summit ‘Pop Up’ with light and quick versions of our workshops to be held at the University of Pretoria (UP) Mamelodi Campus on Saturday morning. This was a challenging task! We were each given 15 minutes to present a compact version of a 90-minute individual presentation alongside 2 other colleagues to a classroom of teachers. We transitioned after our collective 45-minute pitch to repeat our 3-way pitch in two additional rooms, jammed with teachers. I loved compacting my deck and thought this exercise was fun! This task was followed up on Saturday with our original 90-minute presentations for R-12 teachers at the University of Pretoria.

My final workshop was great! The level of engagement and participation was high. I had fewer tech challenges. Phew! At this session one teacher tearfully shared her frustrations about teaching 52 second grade students in one classroom and the chaos that erupted when she showed a video. I offered some strategies, like collaborating with her colleagues to implement technology integration rules and behavior expectations for students. Then I described grouping strategies, such as creating station rotations with only one group of students at a time allowed to view the video, and each student assigned a specific task within each group at each station. I also advised her to group students deliberately for academic and social emotional reasons, and to experiment with showing a video to one group a day to ensure the control she wanted. It felt like I was reinforcing behaviorism, but she needed direction on how to implement student choice and learning menus, and I think the entire group benefited from this discussion as well.

Another theme teachers brought up was a lack of time to implement non-traditional instructional strategies, such as flipped-teaching and project-based learning, and limited or no access to technology. A teacher-in training talked about how his father was a goat farmer and had sacrificed so much so that he could pursue a teaching career, but the kicker was when he described being an intern and how difficult it was to juggle a prescribed curriculum, moreover how defeated he felt knowing that his own professor was dissatisfied with the very curriculum they were mandated to instruct. I shared how important it is to cultivate a growth mindset and advised this student to find another professor to counterbalance his current situation. And, I also promised to give him Professor Ng’ambi’s email!

The next day was spent in a focused training mode with our new Travel Fellows; a second group of sponsored “turnkey fellowship travelers.” A highlight of this session was learning and using Flipgrid, an application that we all downloaded on our phones to record responses to questions about the ETSA17 experience. I’m going to use this app to facilitate student self-assessments following project-based learning.

Post-Travel Mode

It took over 24-hours to get home and I’m still thinking and talking about this incredible journey! I feel energized and transformed. I made new friends and enjoyed sharing what I know and love with peers. I will forever be indebted to Karen Blumberg, tech integrator extraordinaire with a big heart and great sense of humor for recommending that I apply. I am also indebted to the ETSA17 leadership team; Gugulethu “GuGu” Radebe for helping me tweak my presentation at the Bandwidth Barn, Khayelitsha; Kevin Baloyi for introducing LEAP Science and Math schools in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and also for showing us his Alexandra; Siobhan Thatcher for her Iron Woman strength and thoughtfulness. Most of all, a big thank you to Karen “K2” Kirsch Page, founder of ETSA. K2 interviewed me and took a risk inviting me to join this cohort. She’s a visionary leader, teacher, and techie! And, for all of these reasons, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

[nikolasfuturist]

Each week on a Wednesday Nikolas Badminton, Futurist highlights the top stories from the past week relating to the incredible rise of artificial intelligence and its application in society, the workplace, in cities, and in our lives.

In Artificial Intelligence Bulletin – Human Job Quotas we look at legislating for quotas of human workers, battling Wiki Bots, medicine disrupted, artificial problems, and please don’t hire a CAIO.

Rise of robotics will upend laws and lead to human job quotas, study says

Innovation in artificial intelligence and robotics could force governments to legislate for quotas of human workers, upend traditional working practices and pose novel dilemmas for insuring driverless cars, according to a report by the International Bar Association.

The survey, which suggests that a third of graduate level jobs around the world may eventually be replaced by machines or software, warns that legal frameworks regulating employment and safety are becoming rapidly outdated.

The competitive advantage of poorer, emerging economies – based on cheaper workforces – will soon be eroded as robot production lines and intelligent computer systems undercut the cost of human endeavour, the study suggests.

While a German car worker costs more than €40 (£34) an hour, a robot costs between only €5 and €8 per hour. “A production robot is thus cheaper than a worker in China,” the report notes. Nor does a robot “become ill, have children or go on strike and [it] is not entitled to annual leave”.

Read more at The Guardian

Wiki Bots That Feud for Years Highlight the Troubled Future of A.I.

Heads up, humans: Automated software bots patrolling Wikipedia regularly engage in fights that can last for years, according to new research.

The autonomous software agents are tasked with correcting spelling, maintaining links, or even undoing digital vandalism on web pages. But when two bots find themselves with conflicting missions, they can glitch out into patterns that disrupt service.

The behavior is significant, said researchers from the University of Oxford and the Alan Turning Institute, because it suggests that even the most basic kinds of automated programs and artificial intelligence agents can display unpredictable behavior when interacting with one another.

The researchers tracked the behavior of Wikipedia’s autonomous edit bots between 2001-2010 on 13 different language editions of the popular online encyclopedia. They found that the edit bots’ behavior was often unpredictable as they virtually crossed paths while doing their jobs. For instance, two edit bots programmed to make conflicting changes to a webpage would circle back and make edits over and over, each undoing the other’s work in a potentially infinite loop.

“We find that, although Wikipedia bots are intended to support the encyclopedia, they often undo each other’s edits and these sterile ‘fights’ may sometimes continue for years,” the researchers wrote.

Read more at Seeker

A.I. VERSUS M.D. – What happens when diagnosis is automated?

“It’s easy to diagnose a stroke once the brain is dead and gray,” she said. “The trick is to diagnose the stroke before too many nerve cells begin to die.” Strokes are usually caused by blockages or bleeds, and a neuroradiologist has about a forty-five-minute window to make a diagnosis, so that doctors might be able to intervene—to dissolve a growing clot, say. “Imagine you are in the E.R.,” Lignelli-Dipple continued, raising the ante. “Every minute that passes, some part of the brain is dying. Time lost is brain lost.”

She glanced at a clock on the wall, as the seconds ticked by. “So where’s the problem?” she asked.

Strokes are typically asymmetrical. The blood supply to the brain branches left and right and then breaks into rivulets and tributaries on each side. A clot or a bleed usually affects only one of these branches, leading to a one-sided deficit in a part of the brain. As the nerve cells lose their blood supply and die, the tissue swells subtly. On a scan, the crisp borders between the anatomical structures can turn hazy. Eventually, the tissue shrinks, trailing a parched shadow. But that shadow usually appears on the scan several hours, or even days, after the stroke, when the window of intervention has long closed. “Before that,” Lignelli-Dipple told me, “there’s just a hint of something on a scan”—the premonition of a stroke.

Read more at The New Yorker

Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Problems

Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers recently took exception to current US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s views on “artificial intelligence” (AI) and related topics. The difference between the two seems to be, more than anything else, a matter of priorities and emphasis.

Mnuchin takes a narrow approach. He thinks that the problem of particular technologies called “artificial intelligence taking over American jobs” lies “far in the future.” And he seems to question the high stock-market valuations for “unicorns” – companies valued at or above $1 billion that have no record of producing revenues that would justify their supposed worth and no clear plan to do so.

Summers takes a broader view. He looks at the “impact of technology on jobs” generally, and considers the stock-market valuation for highly profitable technology companies such as Google and Apple to be more than fair.

I think that Summers is right about the optics of Mnuchin’s statements. A US treasury secretary should not answer questions narrowly, because people will extrapolate broader conclusions even from limited answers. The impact of information technology on employment is undoubtedly a major issue, but it is also not in society’s interest to discourage investment in high-tech companies.

Read more at Project Syndicate

Please Don’t Hire a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer

Every serious technology company now has an Artificial Intelligence team in place. These companies are investing millions into intelligent systems for situation assessment, prediction analysis, learning-based recognition systems, conversational interfaces, and recommendation engines. Companies such as Google, Facebook, and Amazon aren’t just employing AI, but have made it a central part of their core intellectual property.

As the market has matured, AI is beginning to move into enterprises that will use it but not develop it on their own. They see intelligent systems as solutions for sales, logistics, manufacturing, and business intelligence challenges. They hope AI can improve productivity, automate existing process, provide predictive analysis, and extract meaning from massive data sets. For them, AI is a competitive advantage, but not part of their core product. For these companies, investment in AI may help solve real business problems but will not become part of customer facing products. Pepsi, Wal-Mart and McDonalds might be interested in AI to help with marketing, logistics or even flipping burgers but that doesn’t mean that we should expect to see intelligent sodas, snow shovels, or Big Macs showing up anytime soon.

Read more at the Harvard Business Review

  The post Artificial Intelligence Bulletin – Human Job Quotas appeared first on Nikolas Badminton, Futurist Speaker.