Mindful Learning for a Changing World - Presentation
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This document summarizes a conference on mindfulness and intercultural learning. It begins with an introduction to mindfulness as paying attention purposefully and non-judgmentally to the present moment. Benefits discussed include increased self-awareness, managing stereotypes, and handling stress. Intercultural scholars note parallels with developing empathy and considering multiple perspectives. Practicing mindfulness can enhance students' learning and educators' teaching by improving focus, resilience, and openness. The document encourages applying mindfulness through awareness of the senses, emotions, stillness, ambiguity, vision, and judgments.
Mindful Learning for a Changing World - Presentation
- 1. MINDFUL LEARNING FOR A CHANGING WORLD CIEE 2015 CONFERENCE Berlin, Germany Tara Harvey, PhD CIEE, Academic Director, Intercultural Learning Catherine Menyhart, MEd CIEE, Manager, Training & Development Tina Kirk, MBA Higher Education Professional
- 2. STILLNESS 2
- 3. Small Group Discussion • Introduce yourselves briefly. • What do you know or have you heard about mindfulness? What does it mean to you? • Why do you think mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular/mainstream these days? • Based on your own experience and the article we’ve read, what relationships do you see between mindfulness and intercultural learning? • How might mindfulness benefit your students? • How might mindfulness benefit you? 3
- 4. What is Mindfulness? • About being fully present • Opposite of mindlessness • Involves paying attention to our internal and external environments, and the relationship between the two • Meditation a means for practicing, although not synonymous • Secular, or can be tied to a spiritual practice 4 Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. – Jon Kabat-Zinn
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- 6. “The growing mainstream acceptance of meditation and mindfulness continues to amaze me. In just a few years, what was once a fringe movement has become an accepted line of research for academics and scientists, a valid treatment for soldiers and sick patients, and a reliable performance enhancer for groups such as the Boston Red Sox and the U.S. Marines. And it’s just getting started.” – David Gelles 6
- 7. Mindfulness and Intercultural Communication 7 Mindfulness means being aware of our own and others’ behavior in the situation, and paying focused attention to the process of communication taking place between us and dissimilar others. – Stella Ting-Toomey Stella Ting-Toomey (1999): • Mindless vs. Mindful Stereotyping • Mindful Intercultural Communication Model So how do we become more mindful? PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.
- 8. 8 Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally. – Jon Kabat-Zinn
- 9. Relationship/Parallels with Intercultural Teaching & Learning • Self-awareness is key • Involve bringing judgments into awareness • Importance of affective, as well as behavioral learning • Both related to Emotional Intelligence (EQ) • Facilitator’s own practice/development is fundamental 9 With mindfulness, we relate to each other and ourselves differently. - David Gelles
- 10. Benefits of Mindfulness for Intercultural Teaching & Learning For Students: • Enhance self-awareness • Help curtail automatic responses and self-regulate • Cultivate compassion and empathy • Open awareness to multiple perspectives and responses • Think creatively • Better handle uncertain and fast- changing conditions • Enhance resiliency • Increase somatic awareness Additionally, for Educators: • Enhance awareness of self and learners; meta-level awareness • Improves focus • Help handle stress and challenging situations • Increase comfort/confidence to hold the silence, let the right response emerge 10
- 11. Personal Leadership A methodology designed to serve anyone who is living and/or working across cultural differences or in situations of uncertainty and transition. Mindfulness About becoming more aware of our habits and default cultural programming when faced with difference. Creativity About being curious and creative in how we interpret things, and making a conscious choice about how to respond in the given situation.
- 12. Personal Leadership Practices Attending to Physical Sensation Attending to Emotion Cultivating Stillness Engaging Ambiguity Aligning with Vision Attending to Judgment
- 14. Think / Pair / Share How can you apply these ideas during the remainder of the conference? 14
- 15. Thank You. Do you have the patience to wait Till your mud settles and the water is clear? - Lao Tzu (Taoist Chinese Philosopher)