WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.779 All right, so welcome to another Deep Dive, and 00:00:02.779 --> 00:00:06.120 today we are going to be looking at an essay 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:09.800 called How I Spent My Summer, Life Teaches a 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.679 Teacher by Gary Ackerman. So it's interesting 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.960 already. It is, and it's a fascinating piece 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:18.359 because, well, first of all, it was published, 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:22.640 I guess, first back in 2008, and then resurfaced 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:27.039 online in 2018. So it kind of had a little bit 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:30.870 of a life of its own there. Yeah. It's also interesting 00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:34.149 because the essay kind of starts out as one thing 00:00:34.149 --> 00:00:36.409 and then quickly becomes something else. I see. 00:00:36.530 --> 00:00:39.130 So like a bit of a twist. Exactly. And maybe 00:00:39.130 --> 00:00:40.609 this is something a lot of our listeners can 00:00:40.609 --> 00:00:42.990 relate to. But Ackerman, he's an information 00:00:42.990 --> 00:00:45.149 technology teacher and coordinator. So he's kind 00:00:45.149 --> 00:00:47.729 of thinking about his summer and how he's going 00:00:47.729 --> 00:00:50.579 to spend it. Right. That time to kind of. decompress. 00:00:51.060 --> 00:00:52.939 Exactly, or finally get to some of those big 00:00:52.939 --> 00:00:54.719 projects that you've been putting off. Like the 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:57.799 ever -growing to -do list. Totally. So he's thinking 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:00.020 about things like his dissertation research, 00:01:01.100 --> 00:01:03.619 attending this New England League of Middle Schools 00:01:03.619 --> 00:01:07.939 board meeting. An LMS. Yep, LMS, exactly. And 00:01:07.939 --> 00:01:11.019 he's also got to tackle these school computer 00:01:11.019 --> 00:01:14.370 network upgrades. Oh, yeah. the joys of IT work. 00:01:14.650 --> 00:01:17.010 Right, so he's got these professional goals lined 00:01:17.010 --> 00:01:20.150 up and it seems like it's gonna be a summer of 00:01:20.150 --> 00:01:22.510 getting things done. Yeah, pretty typical summer 00:01:22.510 --> 00:01:24.569 break for someone in his position, I'd imagine. 00:01:24.810 --> 00:01:27.829 Yeah, totally. But then things take a bit of 00:01:27.829 --> 00:01:32.069 an unexpected turn. Wow, what happened? So on 00:01:32.069 --> 00:01:35.150 May 30th, and this is like the day after he was 00:01:35.150 --> 00:01:37.430 planning to really kick off his summer break, 00:01:37.650 --> 00:01:40.519 he has a stroke. Wow, that's serious. Yeah, it 00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:42.840 was, you know, he ends up in intensive care and 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:44.959 the whole focus obviously shifts to recovery. 00:01:45.239 --> 00:01:46.840 Makes you realize how quickly things can change. 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:48.739 It really does. And he actually mentions this 00:01:48.739 --> 00:01:51.040 nurse telling him how the doctor was, you know, 00:01:51.299 --> 00:01:53.719 just buzzing about what an amazing save it was 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:55.980 by the emergency room team. Wow. So it sounds 00:01:55.980 --> 00:01:57.859 like it was a really close call. Definitely. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:01:59.879 So, you know, from a summer that was supposed 00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:02.260 to be about, you know, dissertation research 00:02:02.260 --> 00:02:05.120 and network diagrams, it becomes this, you know, 00:02:05.379 --> 00:02:07.579 intense journey of recovery and dealing with 00:02:07.579 --> 00:02:10.419 this, you know, very serious medical situation. 00:02:10.699 --> 00:02:12.400 Right. And that's where I guess the life teaches 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:14.719 a teacher part comes in. Exactly. Like he was 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.060 expecting to, you know, learn more about technology 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:20.599 and educational leadership, but instead he ends 00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:23.300 up learning these really profound lessons about, 00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:25.840 you know, just life and how we learn and interact 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.280 with the world. Fascinating. So what were some 00:02:28.280 --> 00:02:30.020 of those lessons? Like, what really stood out 00:02:30.020 --> 00:02:31.939 to him? Well, one of the first things he talks 00:02:31.939 --> 00:02:34.219 about is the work of this, you know, really influential 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:37.699 figure in agitation named Lev Vygotsky. OK, I'm 00:02:37.699 --> 00:02:40.430 familiar with Vygotsky, but... For our listeners 00:02:40.430 --> 00:02:41.810 who might not be, could you give us a little 00:02:41.810 --> 00:02:44.610 background? Yeah, so Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist. 00:02:44.689 --> 00:02:47.110 And even though he died pretty young, his ideas 00:02:47.110 --> 00:02:49.569 have had a huge impact on how we think about 00:02:49.569 --> 00:02:52.169 learning. And probably his most well -known concept 00:02:52.169 --> 00:02:54.430 is the idea of the Zone of Proximal Development, 00:02:54.550 --> 00:02:57.289 or ZPD. Right, so ZPD. I think a lot of people 00:02:57.289 --> 00:02:59.310 have heard that term, but maybe don't fully grasp 00:02:59.310 --> 00:03:02.009 what it means. Yeah, it can seem a little abstract. 00:03:02.469 --> 00:03:05.229 So to put it simply, imagine you have a task 00:03:05.229 --> 00:03:07.909 in front of you. OK. Now if that task is too 00:03:07.909 --> 00:03:10.689 easy, You're not really learning anything new. 00:03:10.870 --> 00:03:13.110 Right, you're just coasting. Exactly. And on 00:03:13.110 --> 00:03:15.409 the flip side, if it's way too hard, you're probably 00:03:15.409 --> 00:03:17.330 going to get frustrated and just give up. Yeah, 00:03:17.409 --> 00:03:20.009 makes sense. So the ZPD is that sweet spot in 00:03:20.009 --> 00:03:21.849 between those two extremes. OK, so it's like 00:03:21.849 --> 00:03:23.569 the zone where you can actually make progress. 00:03:23.729 --> 00:03:26.110 Right. It's where you can successfully complete 00:03:26.110 --> 00:03:29.069 a task, but you might need a bit of help or guidance 00:03:29.069 --> 00:03:31.469 along the way. I see like a scaffold to kind 00:03:31.469 --> 00:03:33.409 of support you. Exactly. And the thing about 00:03:33.409 --> 00:03:36.550 the ZPD that Ackerman emphasizes is that it's 00:03:36.550 --> 00:03:39.120 not like a fixed level. you know, it's different 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:41.280 for each person and it changes over time. Right. 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:44.120 Right. As we learn and develop new skills. Exactly. 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:47.099 And for Ackerman, this abstract idea of the ZPD 00:03:47.099 --> 00:03:49.879 became very real and very physical after his 00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:52.800 stroke. And specifically when it came to walking. 00:03:52.900 --> 00:03:55.379 Walking. Yeah. So, you know, before the stroke, 00:03:55.379 --> 00:03:57.860 he was totally fine walking, like two days before 00:03:57.860 --> 00:03:59.819 he had gone for a five mile walk. Wow. So it 00:03:59.819 --> 00:04:02.180 was well within his capabilities. Totally. Like 00:04:02.180 --> 00:04:04.139 it wasn't even a big deal for him. But then after 00:04:04.139 --> 00:04:06.080 the stroke, just moving from his hospital bed 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:09.599 to a chair was this, you know, Huge effort and 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:11.979 he needed a lot of assistance. It's amazing how 00:04:11.979 --> 00:04:14.860 quickly our abilities can change it really is 00:04:14.860 --> 00:04:16.480 and then he kind of takes us through this whole 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:20.319 process of You know relearning how to walk. Okay. 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:22.620 How did that go? So he starts with needing a 00:04:22.620 --> 00:04:25.120 rolling walker then he's using parallel bars 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:28.060 You know for support then he graduates to a cane 00:04:28.060 --> 00:04:30.300 and eventually he's able to walk independently 00:04:30.300 --> 00:04:33.560 again on different surfaces Wow What a journey. 00:04:33.899 --> 00:04:36.259 Right, and you can really sense the frustration 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:38.500 he felt in those early stages and then, you know, 00:04:38.620 --> 00:04:41.300 the sense of accomplishment with each step forward. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.160 And I bet this whole experience really gave him 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.899 a new perspective on the ZPD. Oh, absolutely. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:49.399 Like he had, you know, taught about the ZPD countless 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:51.480 times as a teacher of teachers. But it wasn't 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:53.860 until he experienced this, you know, drastic 00:04:53.860 --> 00:04:56.459 shift in his own physical abilities that he really 00:04:56.459 --> 00:04:58.600 understood it on this deep level. It's like it 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:00.980 became embodied for him. Yeah, exactly. And he 00:05:00.980 --> 00:05:03.899 talks about how he would get impatient when the 00:05:03.899 --> 00:05:06.639 therapy tasks were too easy, you know, like below 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:08.899 his ZPD. Right. And then he would get discouraged 00:05:08.899 --> 00:05:11.459 when they were too hard, you know, like beyond 00:05:11.459 --> 00:05:14.759 his ZPD. So finding that balance is key. It is, 00:05:14.819 --> 00:05:16.360 and I think this is something a lot of people 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:18.680 can relate to, whether you're learning a new 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:22.199 skill or trying to recover from an injury. Yeah, 00:05:22.339 --> 00:05:24.819 like that Goldilocks zone, where it's challenging 00:05:24.819 --> 00:05:27.920 enough to be engaging, but not so difficult that 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:30.240 you just give up. Exactly. And he also talks 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:32.860 about how important motivation was for him, you 00:05:32.860 --> 00:05:35.240 know, having that clear vision of the end goal, 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:37.040 in his case, the memory of walking normally. 00:05:37.160 --> 00:05:39.259 Right, having that why. Yeah, exactly. And that 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:41.180 really helped him to push through those difficult 00:05:41.180 --> 00:05:43.779 tasks that were, you know, right there in his 00:05:43.779 --> 00:05:46.600 ZPD. And he also talks about how much empathy 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:48.579 he developed for learners who are struggling. 00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:50.720 I can imagine. Because, you know, he saw his 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:52.819 therapist as his own educators during that time. 00:05:52.860 --> 00:05:55.189 Right, like he was the student again. And it's 00:05:55.189 --> 00:05:58.029 interesting, he even mentions that his ZPD for 00:05:58.029 --> 00:06:00.949 walking wasn't always the same. It would fluctuate 00:06:00.949 --> 00:06:03.149 depending on how tired he was, how hungry he 00:06:03.149 --> 00:06:05.709 was. That makes sense. Yeah. Our capacity for 00:06:05.709 --> 00:06:08.550 learning and performing tasks isn't always constant. 00:06:09.290 --> 00:06:11.730 Exactly. And this kind of leads him to another 00:06:11.730 --> 00:06:14.050 important observation about the types of activities 00:06:14.050 --> 00:06:16.050 that helped him to recover. OK, what's that? 00:06:16.410 --> 00:06:19.269 So he talks about this distinction between Exercises 00:06:19.269 --> 00:06:22.470 and what he calls authentic tasks exercises and 00:06:22.470 --> 00:06:25.250 authentic tasks. What's the difference? So the 00:06:25.250 --> 00:06:28.329 exercises were those, you know, very specific 00:06:28.490 --> 00:06:31.410 targeted activities like standing on a foam pillow 00:06:31.410 --> 00:06:34.149 with your eyes open and closed. Okay, so very 00:06:34.149 --> 00:06:36.810 controlled. Yeah, exactly. Like focused on developing 00:06:36.810 --> 00:06:39.129 a very specific skill. And then the authentic 00:06:39.129 --> 00:06:41.370 tasks were more like those everyday activities 00:06:41.370 --> 00:06:42.930 that he was trying to regain, you know, things 00:06:42.930 --> 00:06:44.949 like walking on different surfaces, navigating 00:06:44.949 --> 00:06:46.870 stairs. Right. The things we do in the real world 00:06:46.870 --> 00:06:48.990 without even thinking about it. Exactly. And 00:06:48.990 --> 00:06:51.370 his big takeaway was that both types of tasks 00:06:51.370 --> 00:06:53.610 are essential for learning and recovery. I see. 00:06:53.649 --> 00:06:55.759 So they both play a role. They do. He realized 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:58.740 that the exercises were important for building 00:06:58.740 --> 00:07:01.420 those, you know, foundational neural pathways. 00:07:01.660 --> 00:07:03.720 Okay, like laying the groundwork. Yeah. And then 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:06.100 the authentic tasks were what really strengthened 00:07:06.100 --> 00:07:09.100 those connections in more, you know, complex 00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:12.339 and varied real world situations. So it's kind 00:07:12.339 --> 00:07:14.860 of like learning the individual notes on an instrument 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:17.740 versus actually playing a song. That's a great 00:07:17.740 --> 00:07:19.740 analogy. And he gives this really interesting 00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:22.329 example of this with walking. OK, tell me about 00:07:22.329 --> 00:07:24.750 that. So at first, when he was relearning how 00:07:24.750 --> 00:07:26.889 to walk, they gave him all these, you know, explicit 00:07:26.889 --> 00:07:30.350 instructions like stand tall, lift your toes 00:07:30.350 --> 00:07:31.990 and all that. Right. Like breaking it down into 00:07:31.990 --> 00:07:34.790 the mechanic. Yeah. But he said it felt so overwhelming 00:07:34.790 --> 00:07:36.870 and unnatural. I can imagine trying to think 00:07:36.870 --> 00:07:38.670 about all those things at once. Right. And it 00:07:38.670 --> 00:07:40.689 wasn't until he started practicing walking in 00:07:40.689 --> 00:07:42.730 those real world scenarios, you know, building 00:07:42.730 --> 00:07:44.910 on those basic skills he had developed through 00:07:44.910 --> 00:07:48.089 the exercises that it started to feel natural 00:07:48.089 --> 00:07:50.810 again. So the exercises helped him to kind of 00:07:50.670 --> 00:07:53.730 of internalize those rules. Exactly. And I think 00:07:53.730 --> 00:07:57.189 this has huge implications for education. You 00:07:57.189 --> 00:07:59.689 know, we might introduce a new concept or skill 00:07:59.689 --> 00:08:02.189 through these focused exercises and clear instructions. 00:08:02.189 --> 00:08:05.430 Right. But the real learning happens when students 00:08:05.430 --> 00:08:08.430 have the chance to apply those skills in, you 00:08:08.430 --> 00:08:11.170 know, meaningful, authentic contexts. Yeah, like 00:08:11.170 --> 00:08:12.949 solving a real problem or creating something 00:08:12.949 --> 00:08:15.410 tangible. Exactly. And that helps to bridge the 00:08:15.410 --> 00:08:18.910 gap between theory and practice. So from this 00:08:18.910 --> 00:08:22.540 very personal experience, of relearning how to 00:08:22.540 --> 00:08:25.540 walk, Ackerman then kind of shifts his focus 00:08:25.540 --> 00:08:27.819 to a broader issue. Yeah, it's really interesting 00:08:27.819 --> 00:08:30.240 how he does that. What's that? So he starts talking 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:32.639 about this, you know, big emphasis on competition. 00:08:32.940 --> 00:08:36.200 in education, particularly when it comes to international 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:38.820 test scores and how that kind of frames the whole 00:08:38.820 --> 00:08:41.179 discussion. Right. Like this idea of national 00:08:41.179 --> 00:08:43.700 competitiveness. Exactly. And he admits that 00:08:43.700 --> 00:08:46.419 earlier in his career, he was also focused on 00:08:46.419 --> 00:08:48.740 trying to give his students a competitive advantage. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:50.679 Yeah. I think that's a pretty common mindset. 00:08:50.779 --> 00:08:53.519 It is. But his experience with the stroke made 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:57.000 him really reevaluate that priority. How so? 00:08:57.220 --> 00:08:59.580 Well, he points out that when you look at international 00:08:59.580 --> 00:09:03.080 test results, There are talented and intelligent 00:09:03.080 --> 00:09:05.139 individuals in all sorts of different cultures. 00:09:05.299 --> 00:09:07.340 Right. It's not like one country has a monopoly 00:09:07.340 --> 00:09:09.879 on intelligence. Exactly. So it makes you wonder 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:13.240 if this hyper focus on competition is really 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:15.639 the best way to approach education. That's an 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:17.980 interesting point. And his time in the hospital, 00:09:17.980 --> 00:09:21.240 I think, further reinforced that for him. How 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:23.600 so? Well, he mentions that he was often one of 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:26.059 the older patients and part of a racial minority 00:09:26.059 --> 00:09:28.340 in that setting. Right. So he was experiencing 00:09:28.340 --> 00:09:30.820 diversity firsthand. Exactly. And that probably 00:09:30.820 --> 00:09:34.620 helped him to see the vast range of human potential 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:37.539 that exists beyond any single set of test scores. 00:09:37.860 --> 00:09:39.679 That's a good point. And he even talks about 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:42.960 this thought experiment where he imagines his 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:45.080 own children interacting with the children of 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:47.539 his health care providers. OK. And he pictures 00:09:47.539 --> 00:09:50.360 them in both competitive situations and cooperative 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:52.580 situations. And he consistently comes to the 00:09:52.580 --> 00:09:55.120 conclusion that the cooperative interactions 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.100 lead to better outcomes for everyone involved. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.279 So he's basically saying that collaboration trumps 00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.879 competition. Yeah. And he even brings in some 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:06.659 of his reading to suggest that cooperation has 00:10:06.659 --> 00:10:09.600 been this crucial survival strategy throughout 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:12.139 human history. Interesting. Right. And it seems 00:10:12.139 --> 00:10:15.580 like his own experience of you know, being so 00:10:15.580 --> 00:10:18.139 vulnerable and relying on others during his recovery 00:10:18.139 --> 00:10:21.159 really informed this broader perspective on human 00:10:21.159 --> 00:10:23.019 interaction. It makes sense that he would see 00:10:23.019 --> 00:10:24.980 the value in cooperation after going through 00:10:24.980 --> 00:10:26.840 something like that. Yeah, and ultimately what 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:29.279 he hopes for his own children is that they find 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:31.860 their place in thoughtful, cooperative, and diverse 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:34.860 groups, you know, reflecting the kind of environment 00:10:34.860 --> 00:10:37.279 that supported him during his recovery. That's 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.399 a beautiful sentiment. And this then leads him 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:42.080 to his final big insight, which is all about 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:45.059 being proactive. Yes, and this is where he draws 00:10:45.059 --> 00:10:47.759 on his, you know, two decades of experience in 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:50.580 education. Okay. And he basically observes that 00:10:50.580 --> 00:10:52.980 the people who are proactive, those who prepare 00:10:52.980 --> 00:10:55.940 themselves ahead of time, they tend to handle 00:10:55.940 --> 00:10:58.559 stressful situations better and bounce back from 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:00.700 adversity more effectively. That makes sense, 00:11:00.700 --> 00:11:02.559 like being prepared can make a huge difference. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:05.519 It can, and of course we can't predict every 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:07.379 challenge that life is going to throw our way. 00:11:07.419 --> 00:11:10.779 Right. But he identifies a few key proactive 00:11:10.779 --> 00:11:13.419 steps that he thinks are you know, universally 00:11:13.419 --> 00:11:16.620 beneficial. All ears tell me more. So first he 00:11:16.620 --> 00:11:19.340 talks about the importance of exercise. Of course, 00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:21.279 exercise is always good. Right, we all know about 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:23.919 the physical benefits, but he also points to 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:26.059 all this research that's coming out about the 00:11:26.059 --> 00:11:29.080 cognitive benefits, you know, things like improved 00:11:29.080 --> 00:11:32.120 test scores, reduced need for mental health medication, 00:11:32.679 --> 00:11:34.980 lower risk of dementia. Wow, so it's good for 00:11:34.980 --> 00:11:37.809 our brains too. It is, and he even goes so far 00:11:37.809 --> 00:11:40.669 as to connect our need for movement to our evolutionary 00:11:40.669 --> 00:11:42.570 history. Interesting, so it's like baked into 00:11:42.570 --> 00:11:44.750 our DNA. Yeah, exactly. And then he moves on 00:11:44.750 --> 00:11:46.950 to his second point, which is the value of active 00:11:46.950 --> 00:11:49.210 learning and building a professional network. 00:11:49.389 --> 00:11:51.490 OK. I can see how those would be important. Yeah. 00:11:51.590 --> 00:11:54.370 And he actually uses his experience as a stroke 00:11:54.370 --> 00:11:56.929 patient to illustrate this point. Oh, how so? 00:11:57.070 --> 00:11:59.169 Well, he talks about how he was treated by multiple 00:11:59.169 --> 00:12:01.190 teams of medical professionals, and they were 00:12:01.190 --> 00:12:03.470 all using these cutting edge procedures, some 00:12:03.470 --> 00:12:06.289 of which were very new. Right. So they were really 00:12:06.289 --> 00:12:08.830 on the forefront. Exactly. He kind of reflects 00:12:08.830 --> 00:12:11.230 on what his outcome might have been if those 00:12:11.230 --> 00:12:13.230 medical teams had just relied on their initial 00:12:13.230 --> 00:12:16.289 training. That's a scary thought. It is. And 00:12:16.289 --> 00:12:18.389 it really highlights how important it is to stay 00:12:18.389 --> 00:12:21.549 current, to keep learning, and to be connected 00:12:21.549 --> 00:12:24.710 to other professionals who are also actively 00:12:24.710 --> 00:12:26.850 learning. Yeah, like that synergy that comes 00:12:26.850 --> 00:12:29.809 from shared knowledge and expertise. Exactly. 00:12:29.970 --> 00:12:32.210 And then his final point is all about communication 00:12:32.210 --> 00:12:34.769 technology. OK, that's a big one these days. 00:12:34.909 --> 00:12:37.289 It is. And he actually shares this very personal 00:12:37.289 --> 00:12:40.169 story about his family communicating with the 00:12:40.169 --> 00:12:43.549 ER doctors by phone during his medical evacuation. 00:12:43.889 --> 00:12:46.919 Wow. So in that situation. communication was 00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:49.179 literally life -saving. It was and it really 00:12:49.179 --> 00:12:51.639 brings home how important these digital tools 00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:54.360 are you know for connecting people and sharing 00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:56.700 vital information especially during emergencies. 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:00.039 Definitely and I think his point is that we need 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:02.539 to be comfortable using those technologies before 00:13:02.539 --> 00:13:04.899 a crisis hits. Exactly like you don't want to 00:13:04.899 --> 00:13:06.860 be trying to figure out how to use something 00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:09.279 in the middle of a stressful situation. Not at 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:12.129 all. Yeah. So to kind of sum up all those unexpected 00:13:12.129 --> 00:13:14.509 but profound lessons from Ackerman's summer. 00:13:14.789 --> 00:13:17.490 Yes, let's do that. Remember the power of the 00:13:17.490 --> 00:13:19.590 zone of proximal development in your own learning. 00:13:20.769 --> 00:13:23.529 Think about how you can prioritize cooperation 00:13:23.529 --> 00:13:27.490 in your interactions. Make exercise a regular 00:13:27.490 --> 00:13:30.289 part of your life. Commit to being a lifelong 00:13:30.289 --> 00:13:32.970 learner and build a strong network of fellow 00:13:32.970 --> 00:13:35.330 learners and make sure you're comfortable using 00:13:35.330 --> 00:13:37.350 the communication tools that are available to 00:13:37.350 --> 00:13:39.230 you. That's a great summary. And I think these 00:13:39.230 --> 00:13:41.110 insights are relevant for everyone, not just 00:13:41.110 --> 00:13:44.049 people in education. They really touch on these 00:13:44.049 --> 00:13:47.070 fundamental aspects of how we learn, how we interact 00:13:47.070 --> 00:13:49.610 with each other, and how we prepare for the unexpected. 00:13:49.929 --> 00:13:52.490 They do. And as we wrap up this deep dive into 00:13:52.490 --> 00:13:54.590 Ackerman's essay, we want to leave you with a 00:13:54.590 --> 00:13:56.509 final thought. All right. What's that? We encourage 00:13:56.509 --> 00:13:58.929 you to think about which of these insights resonated 00:13:58.929 --> 00:14:01.799 most with you. Maybe it's the idea of the ZPD 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:04.500 or the importance of cooperation, or maybe it's 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:06.419 something else entirely. Right. But more importantly, 00:14:06.460 --> 00:14:08.519 we want you to think about how you can take just 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:11.019 one of these principles and start applying it 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:12.840 in your life today. That's a great challenge. 00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:16.659 It is because Ackerman's story reminds us that 00:14:16.659 --> 00:14:19.100 even in the face of these unforeseen challenges, 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:22.159 there's always an opportunity for profound learning 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:25.279 and growth. Very well said. Thank you. And thank 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:27.299 you to all our listeners for joining us on another 00:14:27.299 --> 00:14:29.950 deep dive. We'll see you next time. Until then, 00:14:30.110 --> 00:14:31.889 keep learning and keep diving deep.