Getting Into The Zone

Cognitive flow, or just flow in the field of psychology) is the mental state in which one can perform a process with a certain focus and enjoyment. The concept was named by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (say that 5 times fast) and is widely referred to as “being in the zone.” This phrase is often used by sports commentators when an athlete is doing particularly well and seems to be extremely focused. Being “in the zone” often evokes an image of someone wearing horse blinders. They can only see what’s ahead of them with no distractions.  In flow, someone usually reaches their full potential and peak productivity. They are enjoying themselves and often lose track of time. They can often perform the tasks without actually thinking about them, kind of like being on autopilot.

In my own life, I experience flow through a variety of different activities. The three best examples I can come up with are typography, running, and reading. I like sitting down with a sketchbook and hand drawing letters ad different fonts. I can sit in a café and doodle half the day away. I am also an avid runner and run several miles almost every day. Running is great way to relax and relieve stress.  I also really enjoy reading and will often have my nose in a few different books at one time. I find all of these activities enjoyable and time flies when I am doing them. I often become much less aware of the world around me just focus on the process in front of me. People probably find flow in all sorts of different hobbies, which is probably why they enjoy doing them.  These activities (especially reading) relate to my personal PLN because I will be teaching Language Arts with different novels and reading skills.  I will also be doing a lot of reading for professional development and to keep up with current educational trends. 

Flow is important in education and in the classroom because it can help students learn more effectively. If students can reach a state of flow while doing something educational, imagine how easily the learning process could become for them. Flow helps them learn without really being aware that they are learning! R.F. McKay talks about how using games in the classroom can help students get into the zone.  Playing games gives students freedom and choice and allows them to have fun. Games shouldn’t be looked at a way of dumbing down learning objectives, but as way of letting students engage and explore content on their own terms. Achieving flow in the classroom requires that learning finds a balance between easy/boring and difficult/strenuous. 

Another famous theoretical linguistics researcher, James Paul Gee, argues that games can help students become literate. He claims that there are multiple literacies that students should become familiar with beyond reading. Some of these new literacies include new technology and digital resources. Gee is most known for his work with video games and how they can help students enter cognitive flow and learn.  

 Sources

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Secret to Happiness; Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow 20 July 2016

McKay, R.F. Learning To Play; Retrieved from http://news.stanford.edu/2013/03/01/games-education-tool-030113/ 20 July 2016

Shapiro, Jordan. Games Can Advance Education; Retrieved from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/07/03/games-can-advance-education-a-conversation-with-james-paul-gee/ 20 July 2016