Micromoments in Neuroplexure

CONCEPTS

The following are concepts that were explored during collaborative investigations of micromoments. Many of the definitions are paraphrased or re-phrased from the work of scholars in related fields. Some of the concepts are original to this work and are presented with newly developed terms.

Actionable Uncertainty: A moderately intense form of uncertainty or doubtfulness that is accompanied by both a feeling of being “stuck” and a motivation to explore possibilities.  🤔

Activist Philosophy: A philosophy of difference, especially focused on how difference alters the unfolding event. This philosophy questions neurotypical perspectives of subject and volition and engages with neurodiversity in an active collectivity.

Assemblage: The human-nonhuman grouping that is foregrounded in a given context and in a given moment. An assemblage is a shifting becoming-with that is always multiple and inter-related. 

Creative learning: Personal and collaborative meaning-making. Knowledge that is in the process of formation during emergent learning events. 

Creative opening: During a social interaction, such as a classroom lesson, the emergence of possibilities for the exploration of concepts and ideas which might ultimately create new understandings (creative learning) for one or more people. 🎇

Creative professional learning: Professional learning designed, implemented and experienced as creative learning.

Deep structures: Foundational social structures for a given organization that are in accord with specific value systems. In schools, these include institutionalized curricula, codes of conduct, hidden curriculum and approved school languages. 

Emergent learning event: A happening in time and space where creative learning is emerging during the interactions between shifting assemblages. Creative learning as becoming-with, without a predetermined beginning or end. 

Guided improvisation: Teaching techniques for emergent learning events which utilize structure, or enabling constraints, and flexibility, or improvisation, so that creative learning can occur in various ways for diverse students and teachers.

Inclusive education: Education that is committed to, not only the physical inclusion of traditionally marginalized groups of individuals, but the social, emotional and academic inclusion of all people by designing deep structures that value difference, interdependence and full citizenship. Inclusive education is strengths-based while also assuring each student has the accommodations needed to fully participate in and contribute to the group’s learning without relying on labels and diagnoses. 

microMeme: A meme, or an imitation with variance, resulting from actions in and/or the study of a micromoment. 

microMemento: A memento, or souvenir that serves as a reminder of a past emergent learning event and especially of its micromoment(s). 

Micromoment: An unplanned, unexpected moment, perceived as a rupture from the routine, in which creative potential emerges. Micro denotes not only the miniscule conception of the event in time, but also in space, relationality and reality(ies).

microMoment-ing: The collaborative (re)creation of micromoments and an exploration of their possible movements. Role-playing and/or storying micromoments.

microMovement: The movement of a micromoment, which might or might not, develop into creative openings and creative learning.

Neurodiverse: A wide range of modes for learning, thinking, communicating and behaving.

Neurodiversity-inspired perspective: An educational perspective that differs from neurotypical schooling by, (a) a shift from thinking about students as being, a focus on static attributes, to becoming, dynamic multiplicity in humanness, and (b) from learning as the attainment of knowledge to a becoming-with (e.g., with human and nonhuman others joined in assemblages in a given environment) in emergent learning events. The neurodiversity perspective holds that there are multiple ways of being, thinking, knowing, learning, communicating and interacting which are all valuable to society. 

Neuroplexure: The act of weaving together neurodiverse and multiple modes, of knowledge. A form of multi-textured, multi-media research-creation specifically attuned to neurodiversity. Refers to the process as well as the tangible ‘weaving’ that can be interacted with further. 

Neurotypicality: A dominant perspective of normality in ways of being and knowing, upheld in societal structures (i.e., governmental, medical, educational, recreational) through policy and practice, written and unwritten rules. A value system that can lead to ableism.

Poly-experiments: Experimentation that engages multiplicity, plurality, creativity and imagination.

Post-oppositional framework: A framework, or theorizing, about social justice that supports the transformation of all parties by including multiple directions, disciplines and perspectives in the conversation.