In this podcast, we finish our visit with author Alfie Kohn.  Alfie insists on the need to for educators to move beyond the ‘menus and ladders’ approach in the classroom.  Instead, he insists that schools must seek to offer students real choice and control by seeking their input regarding content, learning activities, and even assessment.

One of the most effective ways to improve student engagement and student learning is to extend students a bit of control and choice in the classroom. In this podcast, we examine how choice and control are employed by video game designers to ensure that players persist in difficult challenges. 

We also visit with Alfie Kohn.  Alfie writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. He has authored thirteen books and scores of articles. Kohn's criticisms of competition and rewards have been widely discussed and debated, and he has been described in Time magazine as "perhaps the country's most outspoken critic of education's fixation on grades [and] test scores."  Alfie shares his thoughts on the need for teachers to extend control and choice to students.  He also provides several practical recommendations to educators who want to work WITH—rather than AGAINST—their students.

References

Kohn, A. (2014). The myth of the spoiled child: Challenging the conventional wisdom about children and parenting.

Kohn, A. (2010). " EJ" in Focus: How to Create Nonreaders: Reflections on Motivation, Learning, and Sharing Power. English journal, 16-22.

http://www.alfiekohn.org/index.php