http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:00:37 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/28/140654.php#comment-732309 Best book among all those linked above, is FLOW. It's entirely about engagement and life satisfaction. So far as education in particular, it is unfortunately the case that no one is writing about the incorporation of play in the middle and senior curriculum. I've actually had to resort to primary education texts. 732309@blogcritics.org Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:00:37 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/28/140654.php#comment-731726 Thanks for the advice. I'm excited to give it a try. Summer is such a great time for me to read and plan for the next year, can you recommend one great book to help get me started? 731726@blogcritics.org Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:24:23 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/28/140654.php#comment-731448 Hi Belle, In regard to implementing this within classrooms, I'd suggest simply playing the system and testing it at this stage. See what works for you. In my own experience however, sometimes this can work too well, and it is very easy to fall into the trap of trying to regulate the classroom noise and energy when the students seem to be doing all the work for you. Another problem is that this can also be incredibly resource intensive. Building activities on a full schedule is problematic because it will often overwork you. Now, I have yet to test this properly but one way I am planning to cut down the workload, and increase autonomy, is to hand students a simplified version of my syllabus documents at the start of a unit and then have them brainstorm and plan the work ahead - leaving me to edit and refine. Essentially OpenSourcing their education, and including them in the planning process will - I expect - give you better indication of what students will find intrinsically interesting and promote a sense of ownership over the materials. 731448@blogcritics.org Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:47:40 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/28/140654.php#comment-731274 Jonathan, Very interesting!! I agree with your ideas and I try to encourage my student's love for learning, but I feel as though I'm losing my edge. Which resource do you recommend over all the others? I need practical suggestions to enhance my classroom. How do you suggest implementing your ideas in the current educational climate which has all the focus on standarized testing? My usual teaching assignment is three different subjects, six classes, 40 minute periods and 150 students!! 731274@blogcritics.org Mon, 7 Jul 2008 10:02:14 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/06/28/140654.php#comment-731251 This may totally be besides the point, but the paper assumes that an ideal of encouraged learning exists whereas there are situations that learning is deliberately stunted by that hegemony who hold the capital on said information to keep it within a select few of those who can afford it while the rest rot. It also assumes that learners who learn outside the system around aren't hunted down and killed. 731251@blogcritics.org Mon, 7 Jul 2008 08:28:45 EDT