Category Archives: Metaphors and Narratives around children and learners

What comes first – the motor pattern or the feeling?

Posted on February 19, 2015 by backyardbooks

Again, and still working with Moshe Feldenkrais’s ideas, this is such an interesting stance on learning… Feldenkrais once wrote: “It takes us longer to think the numbers from twenty to thirty than from one to ten, although the numerical intervals … Continue reading →

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what language wires in to us

Posted on February 18, 2015 by backyardbooks

Another very interesting interview with Moshe Feldenkrais: “When the brain comes into the world, it is fit to do only what any animal brain can do: it attends to breathing, to digestion, to the automatic processes of the body. Beyond … Continue reading →

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Talent is not an inborn thing

Posted on February 17, 2015 by backyardbooks

“Talent is a word that grown-up people have found to describe a quality once it’s there and everyone knows that it’s there. Therefore, talent is not an inborn thing.” ~ Moshe Feldenkrais (p.122) I loved reading this interview! Here are … Continue reading →

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earlier theories of play

Posted on February 5, 2015 by backyardbooks

Again, still working with some historic publications… Brian Sutton-Smith once gave an overview of the history of play theories. To quote some of the bits I found interesting, he wrote: “The earlier nineteenth-century theories of play – those of surplus … Continue reading →

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The three aspects of personhood

Posted on February 2, 2015 by backyardbooks

According to Moshe Feldenkrais: “A person is made of three entities: the nervous system, which is the core; the body – skeleton, viscera, and muscles – which is the envelope of the core; and the environment, which is space, gravitation, and … Continue reading →

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metaphorical and metonymical language use in children with ASD

Posted on January 21, 2015 by backyardbooks

Reviewing the literature on metaphor and metonymy usage/difficulties in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sergio Melogno, Maria Antonietta Pinto, Gabriel Levi write: “Linguistic and communicative difficulties in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are frequently the focus of experimental research. In fact, these … Continue reading →

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Conceptual Metaphor Theory vs. cognitive narratology

Posted on January 17, 2015 by backyardbooks

Michael Sinding explains the theories of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and cognitive narratology and how he understands these together. He writes: “I take the notion of the schema as the main type of conceptual structure that links cognitive research on metaphor … Continue reading →

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The freedom to learn is a great liability

Posted on January 16, 2015 by backyardbooks

Moshe Feldenkrais states: “The freedom to learn is a great liability; initially, it also is a restriction. There is no freedom of choice or free will when there is only one way of acting. Learning makes it possible to have … Continue reading →

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Behavior and self-image

Posted on January 13, 2015 by backyardbooks

“The behavior of human beings is firmly based on the self-image they have made for themselves. Accordingly, if one wishes to change one’s behavior, it will be necessary to change this image. What is a self-image? I wouild argue that … Continue reading →

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Very few teach

Posted on January 9, 2015 by backyardbooks

“All animals learn; very few teach.” ~ Sara-Jayne Blakemore & Uta Frith, Quoted, p.17 Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa (2011) Mind, Brain, and Education Science: A Comprehensive Guide to the New Brain-Based Teaching. W.W. Norton & Company: New York and London

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