Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Improv games for new ZPDs

The Zone of Proximal development is a concept created by Lev Vygotsky, the legendary Russian psychologist, to distinguish between what a child can learn on his/her own compared to the additional development that takes place when he/she learns with help from an adult or more expert person or in collaboration with a peer.

But Vygotsky also showed that when children (and adults, so it seems) play collectively, they "raise themselves up in the zone of proximal development, as if they were a head taller" and create new shared knowledge. Almost magical.

It's the same principle as emergent order in physical and biological systems, where the new structures, chemicals or species emerge through a process of autocatalysis. It's the "kinetic melodies" or neural sequences of gestures, symbols, signs, ideas, concepts and activity that spark new sequences in the human brain.


These days we define the ZPD more broadly, but this same kind of super-development can occur when we participate in any kind of collective play, such as reciprocal teaching, in an interaction with a computer or via overlapping ZPDs in a community of learners. Other ZPDs include a "zone of proximal reflection" as occurs when you keep a journal and you have conversations with yourself, or when you learn with the guidance of a facilitator, mentor or coach who asks you to think about relevant meta-questions or poses new challenges.

The one sure fire way to create collective ZPDs is via play. The Improvisation kind of play. Simulations. Games. Vignettes. Collective pantomimes. The kind of stuff that actors do on the spur of the moment, starting with just a few words or situation.

Here's just a few different kinds of collective ZPDs. The give ourselves an "A in advance" ZPD (which is what Ben Zander, the conductor does to good effect), the authentic happiness ZPD (which is what Appreciative Inquiry is all about, the spiritual ZPD (where we might meditate collectively), the delighted ZPD (where we engage in activities that delight us), or the wunderkammer/curiosity ZPD (for those who collect and share stories about wierd/interesting/unusual objects).

Here are a few Improv games to help you play with other people in new kinds of ZPDs, as well as a method to create your own:

1. Rich questions game: If you could be a fly on the wall, on whose wall would you like to be and what amazing/interesting things might you discover? One person begins, then the next person says...Yes, and...
2. Invent new words game: In threes, write down three unusual words, then each of you have a turn at creating a new word and definining what it means e.g. crack, outside, singing. Outsidecracksinger - a junkie who sings outrageously loudly when he/she is high and is chucked out of his house by his/her partner.
3. The Wisdom Age game: Each of us invents a new job/profession, some new tools and some new rules to apply knowledge wisely. Then we act out those new roles with those new tools and those new rules...and see what happens.
4. Invent a new "Yes, and" game that begin with a sentence, a word, gestures, numbers, musical notes, colours, drawings, poetry, song, situations, scenes from famous movies...etc.
5. Improv game: Design a new Improv game for 10 people to play around some ethical dilemma e.g. capping BPs oil well in the Gulf.
6. Disussion with a famous person game: One person plays Einstein and the other plays Mahatma Ghandi. Act out what they might say and do.
7. Writing for an audience game: You have to give a speech at TED.org. It's a new concept called TED poster girls and boys for up and coming thought leaders. But rather than give you 20 minutes, they have to squeeze you into 30 minute. Write a one minute thought provoking speech about something the world can learn from you.
8. Create your own Improv and ZPD game. Begin by choosing an unusual kind of zone of proximal development (e.g. a walk through the zoo ZPD)  and describe the rules for the collective game..e.g. (form two teams, each team chooses an animal, and then plays yes-and to describe the animal. The other team has to guess the animal. The team who get to tell the most yes-and stories wins the game.

Teamwork image, created by Alan Lam, from the Zing title, Dreams, Memes & Themes, 50 meetings to power up your organization.

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