Why the Strategy Works
A metaphor is simply a comparison between two seemingly dissimilar items. What is especially amazing about metaphors—what makes them so productive in the classroom—is the way so much meaning is packed into so few words. Just think about all the possible connections implied in Shakespeare’s famous metaphor “All the world’s a stage,” (life is like a play; humans are actors; everyone has a role to play; sometimes life is funny, other times it is sad; the list can go on and on) and you will see how just five words can produce nearly limitless pathways of meaning and expression.
Using metaphors in the classroom has been proven to raise student achievement by a number of researchers including Chen (1999), Cole and McLeod (1999), and Gottfried (1998). In fact, Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock (2001) designate metaphorical thinking as one of the surest ways to improve students’ academic performance. The Metaphorical Expression strategy capitalizes on this documented ability of metaphors to enhance learning, allowing students to gain deeper insights by exploring content with “both sides of their brains” (both analytically and creatively) and through the process of “dual coding”—establishing a linguistic and visual connection to what they are learning.
The Metaphorical Expression strategy can also be used to teach new content by taking advantage of what students already know. For
example, introducing the concept of a computer firewall by having students compare it to a security guard helps students in a computer class
get a firm grip on the new concept of a firewall by connecting it to the well-known concept of a security guard. Metaphorical Expression is originally based on the work of W. J. J. Gordon (1961), who found that guided creative activity, such as the creation of metaphors, naturally engages students in highly productive cognitive states. These states, which lead to breakthroughs of insight, include:
• Detachment—In looking for a creative solution, students first take a step back and detach themselves from the specific problem. Part Four: Self-Expressive Strategies 137
• Deferment—Rich metaphorical activity usually leads to a conscious rejection of the first, easiest, or most literal metaphor. Thus, the
student tries to move beyond “Life is like a roller coaster” to more insightful and creative possibilities.
• Speculation—Once the obvious metaphors have been rejected, students begin playing with the problem by looking for new connections.
• Autonomy—Autonomy results when the student is able to think about the problem and the potential connections and solutions on his or her own terms, clearing the way for a breakthrough.
• Hedonic response—Hedonic responses are those breakthroughs, those “Aha!” moments that erupt from the unconscious. Hedonic
responses are creative and tell the student that his solution is insightful or elegant. Best of all, hedonic responses feel good.
Why the Strategy Works A metaphor is simply a comparison between two seemingly dissimilar items. What is especially amazing about metaphors—what makes them so productive in the classroom—is the way so much meaning is packed into so few words. Just think about all the possible connections implied in Shakespeare’s famous metaphor “All the world’s a stage,” (life is like a play; humans are actors; everyone has a role to play; sometimes life is funny, other times it is sad; the list can go on and on) and you will see how just five words can produce nearly limitless pathways of meaning and expression.Using metaphors in the classroom has been proven to raise student achievement by a number of researchers including Chen (1999), Cole and McLeod (1999), and Gottfried (1998). In fact, Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock (2001) designate metaphorical thinking as one of the surest ways to improve students’ academic performance. The Metaphorical Expression strategy capitalizes on this documented ability of metaphors to enhance learning, allowing students to gain deeper insights by exploring content with “both sides of their brains” (both analytically and creatively) and through the process of “dual coding”—establishing a linguistic and visual connection to what they are learning.The Metaphorical Expression strategy can also be used to teach new content by taking advantage of what students already know. Forexample, introducing the concept of a computer firewall by having students compare it to a security guard helps students in a computer classget a firm grip on the new concept of a firewall by connecting it to the well-known concept of a security guard. Metaphorical Expression is originally based on the work of W. J. J. Gordon (1961), who found that guided creative activity, such as the creation of metaphors, naturally engages students in highly productive cognitive states. These states, which lead to breakthroughs of insight, include:• Detachment—In looking for a creative solution, students first take a step back and detach themselves from the specific problem. Part Four: Self-Expressive Strategies 137• Deferment—Rich metaphorical activity usually leads to a conscious rejection of the first, easiest, or most literal metaphor. Thus, thestudent tries to move beyond “Life is like a roller coaster” to more insightful and creative possibilities.• Speculation—Once the obvious metaphors have been rejected, students begin playing with the problem by looking for new connections.• Autonomy—Autonomy results when the student is able to think about the problem and the potential connections and solutions on his or her own terms, clearing the way for a breakthrough.• Hedonic response—Hedonic responses are those breakthroughs, those “Aha!” moments that erupt from the unconscious. Hedonicresponses are creative and tell the student that his solution is insightful or elegant. Best of all, hedonic responses feel good.
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