Send in the writeup, Carry. We will set up the server space!
:-)
mike
On 3/18/06, lobman@rci.rutgers.edu <lobman@rci.rutgers.edu> wrote:
>
> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: Re: [xmca] chat analysis of ritual
> From: lobman@rci.rutgers.edu
> Date: Sat, March 18, 2006 4:03 pm
> To: mcole@weber.ucsd.edu
> "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hi all,
> For the past three months I've been involved in a professional development
> project in a New York City public school that seems very applicable to
> this dialogue. I have been brought in to train four teachers (kindergaren,
> first, second and fourth grade) in the use of improv to create a more
> collaborative learning environment in their classrooms. I introduced
> myself to the classes as their teachers performance coach and asked them
> to help me train their teacher to be able to help them work more as a
> team. The children responded with enthusiasm and refer to me as Ms. So and
> So's coach when I walk in the room. Each week we have done a series of
> improv activities and had philosophical discussions about what an ensemble
> is, how well they work together, what's hard about it etc. There is so
> much I could say about this, but I wanted to share an experience that was
> very interesting this week and challenged even me to be much more
> optimistic about what children are capable of, even in large groups, and
> even in very constrained environments.
>
> I had taught a game called I am a Tree to the First Grade (29 children)
> several weeks ago. In this activity, one person comes out and strikes a
> pose and says, "I am a (whatever they are pretending to be)" Then another
> person comes out and strikes a pose in relation to this person and says,
> "I am a (something that has a relation to that person)." For example, the
> second person might lie down under the tree and say, "I am the grass."
> This continues until three or four people are in the "scene" and then they
> step back and a new scene starts.
>
> The first time we played it, in traditional teacher fashion, I had the
> children go in order so that everyone had a turn and it didn't get chaotic
> etc. This time I said that I wanted their help to play the game more
> creatively and with the group taking more responsibility. I said that
> anyone could start the scene at any time and that anyone could step out
> next. I asked their help to make sure it didn't get out of control and the
> children suggested that if two people step out they should look at each
> other and without talking one of them should step back and wait. The other
> rule they came up with was that no one should step out for a second turn
> until everyone had one turn. I have to say, it was a beautiful thing--the
> ensembleness was almost palpible. There was not a single fight or argument
> and no one was left standing in the middle without someone coming out to
> help them complete their performance (something that often happens in
> adult improv classes). My favorite scene was when someone came out a said,
> "I am a fish" and immediately someone else came out and hugged them and
> said, "I am the water."
>
> Something about this story seems of use to me in thinking about the
> current dialoge. Hopefully it will be to the list as well. I am someone
> who has worked to create more inclusive, creative zpds in educational
> settings for years, but this work in this very traditional, inner city
> public school in Brooklyn has really pushed me to see how much one can ask
> of children in terms of helping us create a zpd for the group to learn in.
>
> Carrie
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sure Lois, take us along this path because it seems to me one of the
> > important ways to go, if not the
> > only way. But 31 potential contributors are likely be brownian motion
> that
> > get the teacher fired if they
> > are not organized in some way(s). What ways? Which will work in what
> insitutions?
> >
> > The 30:1 transmission classroom template has been there for about 6000
> years
> > by my rough calculation.
> > We can, and should, argue that it is a great way to create
> > power.knowledgedifferentials and stunt development.
> > But we also have to provide alternatives that work and then alternatives
> that work in publically viable settings.....
> > like ps2 or whatever in NYC or most any school in San Diego.
> >
> > I just left a setting in the community where kids between the ages of 2
> and
> > 15 and undergrads and a couple of
> > community adults and three visitors from Japan and a couple of others
> who
> > think of themselves as associated
> > with UCSD were busy co-creating development. Existence proofs are
> important.
> > Spreading that "virus" seems
> > equally important.
> > Andalee!
> > mike
> >
> > On 3/18/06, Lois Holzman <lholzman@eastsideinstitute.org> wrote:
> >> What if the teacher is not working one on thirty, though? There are,
> after
> >> all, 31 zoped creators in this situation, 31 contributors to creating
> an
> >> environment in which the teacher (along with others) can facilitate
> everyone's learning. Can we see the teacher's work as supporting that
> activity?
> >> Lois
> >> > From: "Mike Cole" <lchcmike@gmail.com>
> >> > Reply-To: mcole@weber.ucsd.edu, "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity"
> <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> >> > Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 08:45:20 -0800
> >> > To: bb <xmca-whoever@comcast.net>
> >> > Cc: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> >> > Subject: Re: [xmca] chat analysis of ritual
> >> >
> >> > The whole issue of how a teacher working one on thirty can create
> >> anything
> >> > approximating a zoped
> >> > is worth a lot of discussion.
> >> > mike
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> xmca mailing list
> >> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> >> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> > _______________________________________________
> > xmca mailing list
> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> xmca mailing list
> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
_______________________________________________
xmca mailing list
xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Apr 01 2006 - 01:00:13 PST