Mirador without Organs!

Here, I have decided to present different aspects of this class by dissecting a video that Mally, Chris, and I love! I have always loved this video and was happy that Mally was so curious about it. Today I had Mally watch it a couple of times and I asked him to tell me a little bit about what he thought of the video.

Mally says, "It's about a little birdy on an adventure and he's finding shortcuts to go back home." Chelsea: "Are his adventures planned? Does he know where he's going before he gets there?" Mally: "No! It's like they just come out of nowhere." Chris: "What did you think about the part where he's running through all the trees and then the trees lose their leaves?" Mally: "I thought it meant, you're almost home."

Here is a list of some things I notice in this video:

• It shows the idea of potential
• It shows a balance of organization and disorganization
• Rules develop as the birdy moves through his city
• Fun and excitement of the unknown is what keeps the birdy going
• Individuals and society coexist together
• Each individual is important to emergence
• The attractor is getting home
• The birdy is not overly conscious of himself, he falls down and gets back up
• ELOB principles - self discovery, the having of wonderful ideas, success and failure, the natural world, and solitude and reflection
• BwO - connection of desires and intensities
• Desire as something we yearn for
• Making connections
• Confusion leads to desire

Through Mally's enjoyment of this video, I've realized that kids get this idea of a body without organs - they are able to see the fun and excitement that happens when you allow emergence to take place in this process . This video also shows that it is possible to combine organization with disorganization and come up with something amazing. Mirador shows the beauty, adventure, and emergence that happens when you allow some disorganization to take place. The little birdy goes on an adventure, but it seems that he does not know he is embarking on such an adventure. Through the disorganization around him, emergence takes place and he's climbing mountains, running through forests, flying in hot air balloons, floating through the clouds, and falling through an underground city. Each event unfolds and leads to the next event - emergence takes place. His home has aspects of organization combined with disorganization, there are clear paths, but where they take you is often unknown. Each individual he encounters influences, in some way, what happens next.

As the birdy moves through each new place, it seems as though thought is emerging within him. This story can be used as a metaphor for confusion developing and leading to emergence. After he falls into the forest floor, shapes of all sizes and colors fall from the sky and the disorganized/organized city he just came out of. After the pieces fall, trees grow. I saw this as confusion and disorganization leading to growth and potential. Doors on trees develop and lead this birdy to unknown places, he just keeps following the paths, however confusing, until he gets back home. When he gets home, he takes pleasure in it and then seems to be ready for another adventure. This fits in well with Massumi's interpretation of the soccer game, as the birdy getting home is a metaphor for his obtaining knowledge, through confusion and emergence. When he obtains this he is ready to begin again!

I want to show this video to more kids - I think it puts these ideas in a format that can be comprehended in many ways. If I could have the classroom equivalent to this story, that would be amazing!

The classroom without order-words?

From my understanding of Deleuze and Guattari's order-word, it is a limiting aspect of language, as well as the main form of language that we, as humans use to communicate. There is much emphasis on the order-word as having a negative connotation, even equating it to a death sentence. The order-word is a command and is instantaneous. In contrast to the order-word, I recall the most meaningful conversations I have had with people and they are those harmonious, open-ended flows of thought, and they are non-judgmental.

Deleuze and Guattari state that, "Every order-word, even a father's to his son, carries a little death sentence - a Judgement, as Kafka put it." (D&G, 76) When communicating with each other in a judgmental way, even when that is the least of our intentions, we are limiting potential. Statements that attach judgement are placing assumptions or labels, forcing emergence and potential to stop.

Also in November 20, 1923: Postulates of Linguistics, the idea was mentioned that, "narrative consists not in communicating what one has seen but what one has heard, what someone else said to you. Hearsay." (D&G, 76) A bee communicates in the opposite way: by displaying or expressing what it has seen, but not what has been communicated to it. As an advocate for all life forms, I insist that this is a language. I believe that every living being has a language, but many communicate differently from our own - maybe better? When I am able to communicate what I have seen with my eyes, heart, body, and soul, what I am verbalizing is that much more real and honest. Although, I do believe that much of what we say does replicate or is something we heard from someone else, probably much more than we want to believe.

Deleuze and Guattari seem to be projecting the idea that the 0rder-word contributes to this notion of incorporeal transformation. The definition of incorporeal is not consisting of matter, without material body or substance. And the definition of transformation is a marked change, as in appearance or character, usually. Incorporeal transformation denotes a marked change, an observable change, that does not show itself physically or even in character. It is a shift that occurs immediately and instantaneous. The example is given of a hijacked airplane, the incorporeal transformations that are occuring are the plane-body turning into a prison-body and the passengers becoming into hostages. These changes take place instantly and without physical change. They are incredibly significant changes. These incorporeal transformations take place when the order-word is spoken. When a judge gives an accusatory sentence, the accused is immediately a convict. When someone says, "I love you," you are now someone who is loved by that person.

In the classroom without organs, potential is an important factor in emergence and positive change. By using a language that consists of an abundance of order-words, potential is limited. Before commanding a classroom body, it is important to realize that what is said has the potential of assuming an incorporeal transformation. One sentence can create a change in an individual or an entire classroom body. When communicating and sharing with the classroom something I have seen and not just heard from someone else I am creating an open and honest atmosphere. I am using a unique language. By encouraging students to use this language to share ideas and thoughts with each other, the potential and possibilities are endless.