Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/opportunities-for-ambient-learning/5025570/
What determines why we feel a certain way? Chances are it is due to something we saw or read, even though we may not remember doing so. That is because the most powerful messages are those that do not snag our consciousness, those we are aware of seeing and recording. Instead, our mindset is framed by stimuli that are part of the background.
An entire industry has been built around influencing people through what they see. Expenditures for advertisements in the U.S. in 2019 were $240.7 billion dollars. Facebook recently reported $16.6 billion in advertising revenue for last year’s fourth quarter, alone, and revenue for the billboard and outdoor advertising industry was $8.5 billion in 2019. Clearly, what we see affects us even if we are not fully aware that it is happening. John Coleman (2013) identifies “place” as one of the six components of corporate culture, and that is especially true for organizations that are designed to teach values, foster growth and support care: schools.
What is on the walls and lining the halls reflects and promotes value judgments and actions that affect children, their caregivers and staff members. Often our attention is focused elsewhere—we are watching a child, anticipating ...