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Preparing for the final part of my @interintellect_ salon on talent tonight (this time, the cultivation thereof) and I'm super excited for it! Here's one final link, plus some discussion about something I thought was super cool: https://interintellect.com/event/nature-vs-nurture-part-2-2-nurturing-our-nature-and-cultivating-talent-with-harry-ramsay/
1/ I wanted to shine a spotlight on this article specifically, because it's one of the most thought-provoking ones I've ever read, I think. Courtesy of @MamanLunettes (and her children!) https://www.roambrain.com/let-the-kids-roam/
2/ There's so much in here that I barely know where to start!
I think Violeta deserves a huge amount of credit for her sensitivity and skill as a parent, though - it's absolutely remarkable. If there's a peak of talent cultivation, this is absolutely near the top of it.
I think Violeta deserves a huge amount of credit for her sensitivity and skill as a parent, though - it's absolutely remarkable. If there's a peak of talent cultivation, this is absolutely near the top of it.
3/ Solid example: I think it says a LOT that I've been using Roam on and off for a year, and yet when I watched this video (created by someone whose age is barely in the double-digits), I still learned a lot of new things.
4/ So the tl;dr is that Violeta encouraged her children to begin using Roam Research at a young age. No forcing, no demand - just a "here you go, this thing exists", and then leaving them to their own devices to discover the methods that worked best for each child.
5/ I'll quote:
"The kids could be journaling their day, writing notes on our morning homeschooling session, keeping track of their assignments for online school, doing said assignments, dreaming about their future, dictating a literal dream from the previous night..."
"The kids could be journaling their day, writing notes on our morning homeschooling session, keeping track of their assignments for online school, doing said assignments, dreaming about their future, dictating a literal dream from the previous night..."
6/
"... watching a tutorial video on 2x speed to take down only the relevant minutes, being in a school Zoom meeting and compiling questions or answers, reading a book/textbook and setting up a kanban to memorize key concepts..."
"... watching a tutorial video on 2x speed to take down only the relevant minutes, being in a school Zoom meeting and compiling questions or answers, reading a book/textbook and setting up a kanban to memorize key concepts..."
7/
"... writing “créations” (a term they use in their arts school for the story line of a sketch, clip, or show), jotting down a word or a phrase they heard in a movie and they would want to use, making a plan for a YouTube video, learning CSS..."
"... writing “créations” (a term they use in their arts school for the story line of a sketch, clip, or show), jotting down a word or a phrase they heard in a movie and they would want to use, making a plan for a YouTube video, learning CSS..."
8/
"... venting out anxiety and failure or chronicling gratitude and wins, writing down a recipe or a joke, and so on…"
Whew! Let's dig into this!
"... venting out anxiety and failure or chronicling gratitude and wins, writing down a recipe or a joke, and so on…"
Whew! Let's dig into this!
9/ The thing that took me aback was the sheer range of usage. Of course, some of these are fairly normal (taking notes for homework or keeping track of assignments, for example).
But journaling? Learning CSS? Kanban?!
In the best possible way, these are not normal kids.
But journaling? Learning CSS? Kanban?!
In the best possible way, these are not normal kids.
10/ Something I found wonderful was Violeta's encouragement to journal and take notes on how they were feeling.
For a 12-year-old child to stop when angry and say "are we in our feelings?" and proceed to break that down - well, many ADULTS never reach this stage. It's humbling.
For a 12-year-old child to stop when angry and say "are we in our feelings?" and proceed to break that down - well, many ADULTS never reach this stage. It's humbling.
11/ Interestingly - although Violeta encouraged them to write when feeling anxious, she wasn't the one to devise the structure for it! Her kids came up with that on their own.
This is another reason why I often think kids don't get enough credit.
This is another reason why I often think kids don't get enough credit.
12/ This dovetails pretty neatly with the way that Stu Jay Raj approached teaching children - don't water it down! (At least, not too much.) There's no need to turn everything into Disney or Teletubbies to get a point across. Just be clear. https://twitter.com/harry_ramsay/status/1387535003383484422
13/ I also noticed that the kids tried out longer-term planning: setting up goals, ideas for YouTube videos, etc. If this is something you're used to from a young age, how much of an advantage are you going to have in life when there are *university graduates* who can't do this?
14/ But this is not some rote enforcement of homework. This is play. This is creativity. This is flow! Writing stories (in both French and English!), capturing ideas you have during the day - this is a wonderful thing to be cultivating, regardless of age.
15/ Violeta also hit on another supremely important bit of psychology:
"Association of the desired action with something pleasant or exciting works extremely well as a habit-forming technique.
Don’t do it as a bribe, do it as a vibe."
"Association of the desired action with something pleasant or exciting works extremely well as a habit-forming technique.
Don’t do it as a bribe, do it as a vibe."
16/ If you try to force someone to do something, it'll be super apparent. Nobody likes being coerced into starting a new habit as a chore.
Instead, if you can get them *excited* about it, and convey your own enthusiasm - BAM, job done. Just try to keep them away.
Instead, if you can get them *excited* about it, and convey your own enthusiasm - BAM, job done. Just try to keep them away.
17/ Violeta also mentions that all of her children have radically different "styles" of note-taking. Some are very neat and organised; others are much more sporadic. That's totally fine, and highlights another important factor: personality. It's got to align with that.
18/ Another important factor: when introducing a person to something new, don't overwhelm with everything at once. Just stick with the basics at first. If they develop a genuine interest, they'll organically take it further of their own volition, but too much will overburden.
19/ There's so much benefit in so many uncountable ways - not least of which is the gradual development of self-confidence. This can be such a delicate thing to cultivate, but encouraging skill-building is one way to let that flower from within. The confidence will be internal.
20/ @MamanLunettes, I don't think we've ever actually spoken directly! But I wanted to let you know just how cool I think your parenting approach is, and how impressed I am with your kids. I've already learned a lot from them directly - please thank them from me! 
