Editor's Spotlight: Afon
By: Think Tank Team
Editors’ note: We thought this would be a good time to tell you who we are. Not counting our inner stable contributors, this magazine has a staff of seven, living all over the world, who gather at Think Tank Towers in Waikiki every month to produce this magazine. The MindBrainEd Think Tanks are not funded, nor are the contributors or editors paid, so they produce this magazine out of love for language teachers and students.
Why? The reason lies in our training as teachers. Until the eighties, language teacher training, in college, at conferences, and in the literature, was focused on the language, in other words, linguistics. Before acronyms like TESL or EAL eventually came out, language teaching was actually known as “Applied Linguistics.”
However, language teachers everywhere realized that their training in syntax parsing and case grammars was of little benefit in their classrooms and demanded more information about learning in general. The spotlight then shifted from language to learners, especially in terms of motivation, communicative approaches, language functions and notions, and so on. And this helped.
Nonetheless, there were two areas of language learning that still remained in the dark: how the brain actually does language and how it does learning. This was not known in neuroscience either. But at the turn of the century, some of us noticed that neuroscience was starting to figure that out, as well as unravel attention, disabilities, emotion, and so much more. Unfortunately, these discoveries were not being taught to us. Because it is so new, and because neuroscience is so hard to understand, most teacher training programs still lag in teaching these things. The price we pay for this deficit, however, is the well-being of our learners.
Now, however, scattered all over the world, there are a few teachers who are trying to change this; teachers who study neuroscience and psychology and try to pass it on to their peers in an understandable way. They speak at conferences (if they can get accepted), they include brain studies in their research, and they write articles. For teachers like that in language teaching, we, The MindBrainEd Think Tanks, are their home base and launch pad.
This month, meet our wonderful Afon!
This is Afon, the wanderer at the intersection of language, philosophy, art, and brain science. I am a life-long learner in the field of cognitive exploration with a passion for wrestling with the mysteries of the mind and the intricacies of education.
Much like Heather’s discovery of Curtis’s presentation on neuroscience and learning, my journey was sparked by reading the previous issues of our magazine. As I dug deeper into the world of brain science and education, I was intrigued by the MindBrainEd Think Tank and a community of like-minded explorers. With each issue devoured eagerly, my passion for understanding the complexities of the mind grew exponentially, leading to an inevitable rendezvous with Curtis and a journey of enlightenment that continues to unfold. My journey into the depths of understanding began with a curiosity for the human brain and its limitless potential. Through a lens shaped by philosophy and art, I investigated the sophisticated workings of neural networks and the profound implications they hold for education and learning.
Hobbies: I find solace in the simple pleasures of life. Much like Heather, I share a deep love for reading, finding peace in the pages of books that transport the mind to distant lands and realms of imagination. And like a true philosopher, I find clarity amidst the serenity of nature, often embarking on contemplative walks where ideas flourish and insights blossom.
Office: In the verdant expanse of my workspace, overlooking the vast expanse of the ocean or the majestic silhouette of mountains, ideas take flight, and creativity flourishes. Here, amidst the tranquil embrace of nature, I find inspiration to ponder the nuances of the mind and craft new views of understanding.