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.

Postulates of Linguistics

Notes from reading of Deleuze and Guattari's, November 20, 1923: Postulates of Linguistics:

• "Language is not life; it gives life orders. Life does not speak, it listens and waits."
• The language of a bee - a bee can communicate what it has seen, but not what has been communicated to it. Do bees have language?


• Incorporeal Transformation - definition of incorporeal: without the nature of a body or substance
• The statement of, "You are no longer a child," is an example of incorporeal transformation, it is instantaneous and occurs with immediacy


• Saying, "I love you" is noncorporeal


• Communing with christ = spiritual bodies = no less "real" for being spiritual


• Example of incorporeal transformation: plane hijacking - the plane-body into the prison-body and the passengers into hostages


• "I swear." has a different meaning in court, to a friend, to an enemy, to a lover


• Order-word = language limits potential?


• "Language gives life orders and as a result humans only transmit what has been communicated to them." (Parr, 193) - The Deleuze Dictionary


• "Redundancy of the order-word is its most pertinent trait" (Parr, 193)


• Order-words transform bodies
• The order-words of a judge, his sentence, transforms the accused into a convict
• Order-words are always dated - they occur only in the here and now?
• We believe that narrative consists not in communicating what one has seen but in transmitting what one has heard, what someone else said to you. Hearsay." (D&G, 76)
• "The order-word itself is the redundancy of the act and statement." (D&G, 79)
• "Every order-word, even a father's to his son, carries a little death sentence - a Judgement, as Kafka put it." (D&G, 76)

First Montessori Post

Here is the link to my first post on Montessori:

http://classroomwithoutorgans.blogspot.com/2010/03/thoughts-on-montessori-method.html

The Montessori Philosophy

Taken from Montessori California's website:

www.montessorica.com/interest.htm

The Montessori educational philosophy believes that the educational method, to be effective, must support and address the nature of the child. The nature of the child is not a theoretical construct, but based upon Montessori's detailed observation of the child.
Based upon her observations Montessori came to understand the inner nature of the child:

*The child is a dynamic, curious person that has an inner need to know the the world. The Montessori classroom has a multitude of fascinating materials from which to select.

*The child comes to know the world through the senses. Consequently, experiences that develop and refine the sense are fundamental to knowing the world. Further, because knowing the world comes through the sense activities must concrete and have "manipulatives" (i.e. toy or game-like). The curriculum area of sensorial in the Montessori classroom aids the child in the development and refinement of the senses and the many manipulative materials in the classroom allows the child to explore and learn.

*The child auto-educated. Essentially, the child constructs knowledge through physically manipulating the environment. The physical manipulation, or handling of the environment, allows the child to construct mental images. Mental images lay the foundation for later abstractions. The Montessori teacher does not teach, but rather provides experiences for the child to construct mental images.

*The child learns that which is of personal interest. It is important, therefore, for the child to have freedom to select activities that are highly interesting. The Montessori classroom contains hundreds of colorful, exciting materials that are of interest to children.

*The child repeats activities until they are fully mastered. The Montessori class schedule has long, uninterrupted times in the morning and in the afternoon for the child to concentrate on activities.

*The child is orderly and focused. The Montessori classroom is calm, respectful and peaceful.

*This atmosphere meets the child's inner need for an atmosphere that supports concentration.

*The Montessori classroom is orderly and encourages the child to maintain an orderly environment.

*The teacher observes the child to determine what is of interest to the child.

*The teacher prepares the environment to meet the observed needs of the child.

Taken from Pacific Crest Montessori School's website, Seattle, WA:

http://pacificcrest.org/education-for-life/montessori-philosophy
Some of the fundamentals of a Montessori educational paradigm include:
*Respect and support for the innate intelligence of every child
*Children are natural learners; curious and capable of self-direction
*Child directed versus teacher directed activity
*A prepared environment (curriculum) that responds to each child’s interests and developmental needs
*Motives for action and meaningful activity
*Opportunities for independence and interdependence
*Freedom to follow interests within the limits established by the community
*Full engagement, focused attention and concentration
*Spontaneous self-discipline, responsibility and a heightened sociability and cooperation

Taken from My Brain:

There are some aspects of Montessori that I agree with. I agree that children are curious and I agree that the classroom should be peaceful and respectful. I also agree that children need to be challenged to learn independently.

One thing I think Montessori is forgetting is that children need assistance in being challenged. From what I have learned about Montessori, it seems that the teacher does not want to present too much information, just a broad spectrum and then allow the child to decide what is interesting to them. And then with this curiosity, they use classroom materials that have been strategically placed in the classroom. A requirement of Montessori is that children have a three hour continuous span of uninterrupted independent learning time. This makes it very clear that children are relying on their independent selves to challenge themselves. In the Montessori classroom, the teacher rarely instructs the entire class, most interaction is one-on-one between the teacher and the student as she moves around the classroom. I think that a teacher can be a wealth of knowledge and does not need to simply share that knowledge with the classroom, but have it available to share and use it to provoke curiosity in children.

So much of Montessori is based on the teacher's observation that it uncomfortably makes me feel like a science experiment is taking place. I believe that observation is helpful in understanding an individual child's needs or learning patterns, but there is a point where more time needs to be spent challenging kids rather than observing them trying to challenge themselves.

As presented in the soccer game analogy, the sharing of ideas is very important for the emergence of knowledge to take place. I agree that allowing children time to work independently and ponder their own curiosities is important. I also think it is a very powerful and rewarding experience to share those curiosities with a group and to allow them to grow and expand within that group. With Montessori, the child is taught to rely so much on herself that the potential of the classroom as a whole is being restricted. After the first few meetings as a classroom, most, if not all, work is done independently and classroom time as a group no longer takes place.

In my opinion, it does not seem that Montessori allows for curiosity to be left dangling and left to expand and left to raise more questions. I feel that the best way to learn is to be allowed to constantly question, maybe you will live your lifetime and never find the right answer. Maybe it doesn't exist. But you will have grown so much trying! The fun of questioning and curiosity is what makes learning such a rewarding experience. In Montessori, the positive outcome is when a child figures something out, when they answer the question that they were prompted to consider based on the materials in the classroom. As having worked in a Montessori preschool, I know that the general guideline is to not interfere with the children's independent learning. If a child asks for assistance, you direct them to continue trying, as they are capable of figuring out the answer on their own. I am all for independence, but it's very sad that if a teacher has thought provoking insight to provide a child that would further their curiosity, it is frowned upon to provide this.

When spontaneity is allowed in the classroom, as a whole, knowledge is gained. With Montessori, there is little room for spontaneous learning involving the whole classroom. So much of the learning is based on the materials in the classroom and how they relate to the individual child that it is difficult to question ideas outside of those materials you are presented with.

As someone who strives to one day teach a classroom, I am unable to comprehend how the Montessori Philosophy fits in with the responsibility of being a teacher. Sharing knowledge and challenging children in a classroom setting does not prohibit them from learning. Observing children's learning styles when presented with classroom material does not encourage individualism. It does not spark curiosity. What is catalyzing the classroom in Montessori? Why is the challenge of questioning and becoming curious left entirely up to the child? Why is the value of the classroom as a whole not equally as important as the child as an individual?

The Classroom as a game of soccer!

I had heard about Brian Massumi's translation of Deleuze and Guattari's philosophies and became intrigued to further develop these ideas into the classroom setting. In Massumi's book, Parables for the Virtual, I came across the essay titled, The Political Economy of Belonging.

Massumi dissects a game of soccer and tells how the organization combined with the disorganization on the field contributes to the emergence of each and every game played. The game has specific rules that develop itself and keep cooperation among the players, but it also has a disorganization or unknown that makes the game happen. If the observers of the game knew what would happen before the game, they would not watch the game, it would lose all of its excitement. If before the game, the players knew how the game would play out, they would quickly lose interest and not have a desire to play soccer. The fun and excitement on the field is not knowing what will happen next.

To better understand Massumi's article, I replaced the soccer field with a classroom. To begin, Massumi looks at the individual and society and uses the chicken/egg metaphor. Discussing what came first, the individual or society. Massumi argues that it would be absurd to separate the two - the individual and society. They coexist together and influence and reflect one another in each other.

I imagine the classroom as a society or body and each individual in that classroom is an important part of the emergence of creative energy, ideas, and knowledge. I found Massumi's essay particularily interesting because it focused on the game of soccer as having rules to abide by, but also disorganization and rules to potentially break that contribute to each and every game played. With my previous focus on the Classroom without Organs, I struggled with my passion for emergence through disorganization and limited rules and how to balance that with rules and organization. I have always naturally been drawn to organization, which can be very helpful, but sometimes realize that I gain the most when I allow disorganization to happen, when I do not follow strict guidlines.

Some notes from Massumi's dissection of the soccer game:

• The rules of the game capture and contain the variation


• Subject/object - player, ball, disassociation of subject/object can allow for emergence


• Circumstances arise that force modification of rules


• Condition of games emerge


• What is the "condition?" The field.


• The field is minimally organized and polarized by two attractors - the goals. They function to induce the play. What are the attractors in a classroom? The teacher?


• The game itself is activated by the presence of bodies on the field, goalposts, and the ground. These aspects induce the play, the ball catalyzes it. Ball = focus of every player.


• What catalyzes a classroom? The teacher? Knowledge? Structure?


• Parameters of actions are regulated by rules


• "When the ball moves, the whole game moves with it." (73)


• "Any player who is conscious of himself as he kicks misses." (74)


• Players in relation to each other are openings of potential


• The player looks past the ball to the field of potential


• "Any and every movement of a player or the ball in that space modifies the distribution of potential movement over it." (75)


• "Change is emergent relation, the becoming sensible in empirical conditions of mixture, or a modulation of potential. Post-emergence, there is capture and containment. Rules are codified and applied. The intermixing of bodies, objects, and signs is standardized and regulated. Becoming becomes reviewable and writable: becoming becomes history." (77)

Without rules, the game of soccer would not exist, nor would any other sport. Without rules a classroom would not exist. Rules are not the enemy, although, they often are more successful with room for alteration. The rules in a classroom keep the ideas and emergence on track. Rules do not necessarily mean organization. I could create a classroom rule that states, "Allow emergence to take place." Another that declares, "Respect your own ideas and those of your classmates. They help us to learn and be curious." These are awesome rules! And without them, my classroom would not know how valuable each individual is in contributing to the knowledge that is gained each day.

Teacher/Student. Who is the subject? Who is the object? Hopefully neither. Allowing for a barrier to be broken for all subject - object relationships in the classroom can open many doors for emergence to happen.

What is it that keeps a classroom polarized? In the game of soccer, it is the goals. They are a key focus in the game. Ideally, the players will make a goal, but it does not happen effortlessly. They rely on themselves and each other to get there. In a classroom, ideally the students will succeed in learning something new. So, I will say the the attractor in the classroom is the possibility of learning something new. And in the classroom, the students and teacher should rely on themselves and each other to get to that point of learning something new. Along the way they will ask and answer questions, gain curiosity, and pass ideas back and forth. Much like in soccer, as they would pass the ball back and forth, they contemplate the path and their own curiosities.

What is the "game" of the classroom? Knowledge. And the metaphor for the ball in the classroom is ideas. The flowing of ideas should catalyze the classroom, just as that ball catalyzes the game of soccer. The students, teacher, activities, and classroom itself induce the society of the classroom. The flow of ideas catalyzes it. When ideas move and flow among the classroom, knowledge (the game) moves with it. Any player who is conscious of himself misses when he kicks! In a classroom, any student who is conscious of herself will miss! When the classroom environment encourages ideas to flow and emergence to happen, hopefully, self-consciousness will be less likely to occur and there won't be as many misses. I think of all the times my self-consciousness got in the way and I missed in class. There were so many things I wanted to share, but didn't because I was afraid they didn't make sense or I didn't make sense.

Just as in a game on the field, in order for the classroom to be successful there needs to be a balance of structure and rules that closely share the space with minimization of rules and allowance for modification of those rules. There needs to be a common attractor that the students are aiming for, in the case of the classroom, the attractor is the possibility of learning something new. In both the field and the classroom, the attractor should be attainable and exciting and challenging to attain. Questions need to be asked and curiosity needs to happen to get to that point. There needs to be a catalyzer (the ball) that is passed between the students and the teacher. It is something that is shared and respected and moves throughout the classroom. The catalyzer of the classroom is ideas. Ideas should be bounced back and forth until they reach the goal of becoming knowledge.

When this knowledge is attained it should be exciting, just as it is to score a goal in soccer. It is valued as a team effort. When the goal is not attained, the team keeps trying and they eventually make the goal.

Dissection of Keywords - Active Pedagogy

Without looking at the definitions of Active and Pedagogy, here are the ideas that I have about each word...

Active: energetic, compassionate, movement, excitable, focused, attentive, curiosity

Pedagogy: teaching, more than teaching, concepts and ideas in teaching, learning how to teach, innovations in teaching, creativity in teaching, teaching as an art, teaching as valuable, teaching as a way of communicating creative ideas

So, some other ways I would say "Active Pedagogy" are...

• energetic concepts and ideas in teaching
• compassionate about learning how to teach
• movement and innovations in teaching
• excitability and creativity in teaching
• teaching as valuable and attentive
• teaching as an art that promotes curiosity
• teaching as a focused way of communicating creative ideas

These terms help to better understand the idea of Active Pedagogy, an idea which is valued in the ELOB philosophy. Teaching should be active and I believe that is takes a compassionate teacher to create a classroom. The teacher needs to be energetic for the children he or she is teaching - this will keep them interested and show them that their teacher is passionate and truly cares about the subjects they are teaching. Teachers should encourage the movement of ideas in the classroom, this will help keep the classroom as a whole excited and curious.

Teaching is so much more than a job. It is about being creative and understanding the value that teaching holds. I believe that teaching is an art and can be taught to an extent, but it takes compassion, creativity, love, curiosity, and a desire for children to grow to effectively teach a classroom.

This week's keyword!

This week's keyword is "Active Pedagogy." This term is a part of Expeditionary Learning Schools Core Practices. I will take a look at the basic definition of each of the words, active, and pedagogy and in another post dissect the meaning. For now, here are the definitions to ponder...

Active:

1. Being in physical motion: active fish in the aquarium.

2. Functioning or capable of functioning.

3. Marked by energetic activity; involving or requiring physical exertion and energy.

4. Being in a state of action; erupting or liable to erupt; not dormant: an active volcano.

5. Marked by or involving direct participation; currently in use or effect; openly acknowledged or expressed: an active dislike of the new neighbors.

6. Producing an intended action or effect.

7.Expressing action rather than a state of being. Used of verbs such as run, speak, and move.

8. Being a source of electrical energy; capable of converting or amplifying voltages or currents.

Pedagogy:

1. The art or profession of teaching.

2. Preparatory training or instruction.

3. The function or work of a teacher

4. The art or method of teaching

What I love about ELOB principles!

ELOB's ten principles are the foundation of teaching in and out of the classroom. The principles are based on the works of Kurt Hahn, the founder of the Outward Bound program. Below is a link to the ten principles:

http://www.elschools.org/aboutus/principles.html

Here I will list what I love about each ELOB principle and my personal take on them...

1. The Primacy of Self Discovery

Learning is not about memorizing and stating facts. It is not alone about knowledge and presentation of knowledge. The most powerful kind of learning is that which evokes self discovery. That which promotes emergence of ideas. Emergence of ideas is what leads to self discovery. Imagination is required! Oh, imagination! Another powerful tool for the emergence of ideas which leads to further curiosity and learning. Teachers help students overcome their fears. With every report card I received as a child, the teachers always stated, "Chelsea is a pleasure to have in class, very smart, so much to offer! She needs to speak up more!" How wonderful it would have been if one of those teachers had realized my difficulty and fear of speaking up in class and helped me!

2. The Having of Wonderful Ideas

Wonderful ideas cannot come about during one lesson. Often a person needs more time to consider a topic and to let their wonderful ideas emerge. This principle states that "learning situations should provide something to think about." This philosophy understands the importance of thinking and the time it might take for ideas to emerge. With ELOB students are given learning expeditions that last twelve weeks. A classroom will look in depth about a particular subject for this entire time! They can take this one topic and it can cover language arts, math, science, social studies, art, and technology requirements. And it gives students a chance to focus on one topic and to unfold their ideas.

3. The Responsiblility for Learning

What I like about this principle is that it presents the notion that learning is a very personal thing. All students learn in a different way and to recognize and strengthen your particular style of learning can be a wonderful tool.

4. Empathy and Caring

"Teachers and students ideas are respected." As a child you need to know that your ideas, however silly they may seem, are respected. Your teacher is always learning just as you are. There are no wrong answers. A "wrong" answer leads to curiosity and the emergence of ideas.

5. Success and Failure

This principle states that students will "learn to persevere when things are hard." It is very important to teach children that challenges are positive tools for learning. When you make a mistake you will probably learn something you wouldn't have otherwise.

6. Collaboration and Competition

Another principle that promotes the emergence of ideas! Students are not competing, but working together. This allows for children to share ideas and to rely on not only themselves, but each other to solve problems.

7. Diversity and Inclusion

"Diversity increases the richness of ideas." Teaching children about diversity is very powerful. Teaching them about the diversity of their own neighborhood and school and the one down the road and on the other side of the world helps them to realize how emergence is happening in different ways all around them.

8. The Natural World

It seems that ELOB's focus on the natural world is not alone science and fact based. They teach children the importance of a connection to the environment and their surroundings. This philosophy is able to take the classroom outside and relate not only science, but language arts, math, social studies, and art to the natural world.

9. Solitude and Reflection

"Students and teachers need time alone to explore thoughts and reflections." This has a nice balance to principle #6 about collaboration and competition. Here students are taught the importance of allowing themselves time to think through their own ideas. Ideas emergence and present themselves in a group and can be expanded upon when you have time to think to yourself. They are able to learn the power of their own curiosity, imagination, and creativity.

10. Service and Compassion

Teaching children about the importance of helping others is huge. In these schools there are often service learning type of projects where students of all ages go out into the community and help others. Having compassion for others in the community allows children to see the importance of every individual person. They can reflect on their service in the community and become aware of their personal strengths.

Course Syllabus

Class Description

This will be a 2 credit course that will expand on my research last quarter entitled, The Classroom as a Body without Organs. I will look at more philosophies and implementations of this idea of teaching and learning that has a similar framework to Deleuze and Guattari's analysis of The Body without Organs. Some things I will include in the course are the Montessori method, Brian Massumi's writings, taking a closer look at another D & G concept, and the philosophy of ELOB schools (Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound). I would like to visit Thornton Creek Elementary in Seattle and observe the teaching style there. My main objective with this course is to gain a better understanding of teaching styles already in practice that follow a similar philosophy to The Classroom as a Body without Organs. I would like to be able to look at these philosophies critically and compare and contrast. I would also like to implement another D & G philosophy into the classroom as well as one of Brian Massumi.

The readings in this class will be short essays by Deleuze and Guattari and Brian Massumi. I will also read mission statements and statements of philosophy of both Montessori and ELOB schools and I'll take a closer look at lesson plans from some of those schools as well.

The most difficult part of this course will be staying within the 2 credit guideline. To make up for classroom time and outside of classroom time for a typical 2 credit course I will commit to spending about four hours/week on this course.

Assignments

For each week I will choose a keyword from my readings, dissect it and look at its meaning further. I will post blog entries that will present my insight with each reading. For mid-quarter I will present one 2-3 page paper that will expand on some of my keywords and look more in depth at ideas that have been expressed. For the last week of the course I will visit Thorton Creek Elementary - an ELOB school in Seattle - and observe how they are implementing concepts and using ELOB effectively or not. For a final display of what I have gained, I will write a 4-5 page paper that will encompass my findings throughout the course and how they relate to my observations at Thornton Creek.

Revised Syllabus

April 26 - May 2

Focus: ELOB
Dissect ELOB's mission statement and philosophy, find examples of lesson plans
Keyword: Active Pedagogy

May 3 - 9

Focus: D & G
Read excerpt from Deleuze and Guattari's, A Thousand Plateaus.
Implement a piece of this philosophy into the classroom
Keyword: TBD

May 10 - 16

Focus: Montessori
Read mission statement and philosophy of Montessori
Find lesson plans used in the Montessori classroom
Keyword: TBD

May 17 - 23

Focus: Massumi
Read excerpt from Massumi's, Parables for the Virtual
Implement and idea of Massumi's philosophy into the classroom
Keyword: TBD

May 24 - 30

Focus: Classroom visit
Compile findings throughout course and prepare plan for visit to Thornton Creek Elementary
What will you be looking for in the classroom?
Observe Teachers and Students
Actions and Reactions

May 31 - June 6
Focus: Final
Record observations from classroom visit and make connections with insight gained throughout this course.
Final paper due June 10th

Expanding on Ideas...

Here is a rundown of some ideas I would like to look at further for my Independent Study. My study will be an expansion of the original paper I presented, The Classroom as a Body without Organs.

• Philosophy of ELOB - Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound - schools. This philosophy is closely based on Kurt Hahn's learning principles
• Seattle schools to visit/volunteer - Thornton Creek Elementary, Giddens School
• Why might the classroom as a body without organs deter parents from accepting this philosophy for their own children?
• How can standards be met while teaching in this manner?
• What are the opposing viewpoints on Montessori?
• Look further into Deleuze and Guittari's philosophies and relate them to the classroom

Here is a link to the classroom expeditions at Thornton Creek Elementary. How rad is this??

http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/ae2/classrooms/index.html

Building a Better Teacher - NYT Article

Here is a link to the article I read today in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html?pagewanted=1

After reading this article, I realized that the ideas I have about teaching might be slowly coming into fruition. It is very exciting that people are discussing these issues. I hate to sound cliche, but something has obviously had an effect on our children. Could it be technology? Could it be that technology is affecting the adults, those who are raising and teaching our children, in a negative way? With the amount of texting, facebooking, and everything else that lessens actual social interaction, even intelligent adults are forgetting the difference between they're, their, and there. I cannot believe the grammatical errors I see among some of my classmates. It is completely ridiculous that students in college misuse "are" for "our," which was typed in an email I received the other day. Mally's second grade teacher wrote in an email, "That is to funny!" To! And she is qualified to teach a classroom of children.

I have made three attempts at starting a book club. I have purposely invited friends who are not in school. Students, including myself, do not have time to read any additional material, which is why the books I chose were books for an independent study. I thought it would be a way to re-introduce community and to see my friends outside of facebook. One person joined. I invited over thirty people. On three occasions. Trying to get people away from the computer (and their gosh darn blogs!) is a complicated task. I believe that reading a book, a real, tangible book seems unnecessary to people. Why strengthen your knowledge when you can type any question you have into google and get an answer? Why challenge yourself to see things in another way when seeing things on twitter is working just fine? Why read a book and discuss it with your friends in order to gain insight and learn about their views and interests when you can go to the bar and simultaneously facebook on your i-phones?

I do believe I'm getting off topic here. Let's bring it back to the kids.

So, many people are wondering what the dilemma is here, is it the kids or is it the teachers? As you might be able to sense, I am blaming technology. I think it is affecting the adults who teach, raise, and influence our children. That is the issue. That is why we need to implement new teaching styles. Our teachers need to be educated not only on how to teach math, but how to manage a classroom, and how to engage children. And if they can't even engage their friends enough to join a book club, as I cannot, there is a problem.

One quote from Green's article states, "A teacher’s control, he said repeatedly, should be “an exercise in purpose, not in power.” When I see the homework that some children are bringing home, I wonder what the teacher's purpose is in that classroom. Does she know her purpose? Does she care? The definition of purpose is, the reason that something exists. Why does she exist? To teach 2 + 2? To hand out dated packets and dark brown crayons on Martin Luther King Junior Day? Please do not take offense, this actually happened, and unnerves me to this day! Is her purpose to call out questions and look for the correct answer? Or is her purpose to look for the incorrect answer and direct the classroom to deconstruct that answer? To challenge themselves.

For example, from Elizabeth Green's article:

"On one tape from that year, Ball started her day by calling on a boy known to the researchers as Sean.

I was just thinking about six,” Sean began. “I’m just thinking, it can be an odd number, too.” Ball did not shake her head no. Sean went on, speaking faster. “Cause there could be two, four, six, and two — three twos, that’d make six!”

“Uh-huh,” Ball said.

“And two threes,” Sean said, gaining steam. “It could be an odd and an even number. Both!”

He looked up at Ball, who was sitting in a chair among the students, wearing a black-and-red jumper and oversize eyeglasses. She continued not to contradict him, and he went on not making sense. Then Ball looked to the class. “Other people’s comments?” she asked calmly.

The Sean video is a case in point. Ball had a goal for that day’s lesson, and it was not to investigate the special properties of the number six. Yet by entertaining Sean’s odd idea, Ball was able to teach the class far more than if she had stuck to her lesson plan. By the end of the day, a girl from Nigeria had led the class in deriving precise definitions of even and odd; everyone — even Sean — had agreed that a number could not be both odd and even; and the class had coined a new, special type of number, one that happens to be the product of an odd number and two. They called them Sean numbers..."

For a teacher to be able to improvise in that manner is a great skill. I don't believe it can necessarily be taught. I think it comes from a desire for children to learn. It is hard work to teach in this way. You stay up late creating a lesson plan only to disregard it when it is not fully immersing your students. It involves taking risks for your students. To devise a lesson plan and then to stray from it basing your decision entirely on your student's interest takes pride. Pride in your classroom and pride in the students that you are teaching. It takes the ability to let go of the structured diagram of teaching.

One first year teacher came up with a concept that addresses the notion of "the correct answer." It is described below from Green's article:

"The concept is deceptively simple: A teacher should never allow her students to avoid answering a question, however tough. “If I’m asking my students a question, and I call on somebody, and they get it wrong, I need to work on how to address that,” Bellucci explained in February. “It’s easy to be like, ‘No,’ and move on to the next person. But the hard part is to be like: ‘O.K., well, that’s your thought. Does anybody disagree? . . .I have to work on going from the student who gets it wrong to students who get it right, then back to the student who gets it wrong and ask a follow-up question to make sure they understand why they got it wrong and understood why the right answer is right.”

This is exactly the way that children are able to learn, and to get excited about knowledge. By disregarding "the correct answer" and allowing children to openly discuss and be confused enables emergence to happen in the classroom. This is how the students are able to find the conclusion to a problem by using each other as support. I have yet to witness this in a classroom, but I imagine it is an amazing sight to see. I hope to teach students in this way. It makes me incredibly happy to know that some students have the opportunity to grow, emerge, and succeed in a classroom like this.

The ending paragraph of the article was completely inspiring,

Lemov, for his part, finds hope in what he has already accomplished. The day that I watched Bellucci’s math class, Lemov sat next to me, beaming. He was still smiling an hour later, when we walked out of the school together to his car. “You could change the world with a first-year teacher like that,” he said.

I cannot wait to experience the joys, chaos, anxiety, happiness, and everything else that comes along with being a first year teacher. I cannot wait until I have the unique opportunity to encourage a classroom of children to be confused, to rely on each other's confusion, and to never think twice about voicing their own desires.

Thoughts on the Montessori Method

While discussing my research with colleagues, some have mentioned the Montessori method of teaching. Which I have never been completely fond of. I sincerely agree with the basic concept of spontaneous play and free flowing of classroom interactions, but overall I feel that it is a very passive way of teaching. With this entry, I would like to sort out my thoughts and possibly have a more firm standing. I plan to do more research on the Montessori method, possibly visiting some schools that practice it, rather than basing my opinion on the one Montessori school where I worked. It is difficult for me to passionately express my ideas about teaching and to have someone tell me it sounds similar to Montessori. I will try to work out this dillema!

With Montessori there is still a huge aspect of control, structure, and limitation. Rather than controlling the children specifically, what is controlled by the teachers is the children's environment. They place specific items and subjects in the environment to get a desired result. For a short time, I worked at a Montessori school and this is what I witnessed. Children were presented with materials, allowed to pick and choose how to use these materials, but they were not encouraged to make connections, to further contemplate and relate the subjects they were given. As soon as a child became bored, which could be quite quickly, he moved along to the next subject. By doing this, how is he able to make connections? The teachers are supposed to observe this and not interfere. Often, becoming bored, rather than constructive confusion, is "natural" for the child. This is what Montessori practices, the "natural" inclinations of the child.

The way of teaching that I am promoting involves the teacher's compassion and sincere desire for children to grow, become, and emerge. To not stand back so passively, but to encourage confusion. To present children with ideas and subject matter and to help them find ways to further their curiosity, to think more deeply. Even small children are capable of doing this. To discuss ideas with children, not treating them as subjects, but as learning, growing, capable beings. Although, I am more interested in K-5 students, I am interested in learning more about the Montessori method, which usually takes place at the preschool level. With colleagues referring to my ideas as similar to the Montessori method, I will need to voice that, they in fact, are very different. I believe that for teaching K-5, the Montessori method is not the best method.

I feel that in Montessori, children are outwardly treated as "little adults." But inwardly, they are not challenged. The Montessori method does not want to interfere and wants to allow the children to do whatever is "natural" to them. But I am a "big adult" and I still need encouragement, I still need professors to insist on critical thinking, exploration, and connections to be made. I still need to read books in subjects that are slightly uncomfortable for me in order to allow my thoughts to emerge. Right now I am reading a book about meditations with animals - by hunting. With Montessori I don't see children being challenged enough. I feel that presenting something challenging or mysterious is a way to get anyone to become confused. And being confused is the only way to explore knowledge.

The idea of self-directed activity is intriguing, but I believe that children need some direction given to them. How will they know something exists if we don't tell them? I agree that allowing children to attempt at making their own connections contributes highly to their understanding of the particular subject they are interested in, but there is a point where the teacher needs to be intellectually involved in order to present curiosities and to introduce concepts that will incorporate absolute thinking.

The Montessori method focuses on a child's "natural interests." I am interested in children, vegan baking, Iceland, german literature, knitting, and thrift stores. If I did not challenge myself by looking outside of my interests I would not be able to emerge as a person. This is why I am volunteering with developmentally disabled adults, to challenge myself to connect with a new group of people, other than children, whom I do most of my work with. Children, especially those of the typical Montessori age (2-5) are not able to realize this concept. This is why, along with the teacher observing a child, she needs to introduce new subject matter that will create confusion for that child. Children are not able to comprehend the need to be confused. It needs to be presented to them.

The materials used in Montessori are the same basic materials that would be found in any creative preschool, the only difference is the lack of teachers involvement. Or rather, the form of teachers involvement. With a "normal" preschool, the teacher practices structure and organization, whereas with Montessori, the teachers practice observation with a lack of structure. This aspect, I do not disagree with, but I do disagree with the lack of interference, leaving it completely up to the child to challenge herself.

There is more that needs to happen aside from letting children follow their natural instincts. If I followed my natural instincts I would sleep in, eat cookies all day, do a couple of crafts, read a magazine, go to work if I felt like it, study - maybe? The point is that I understand the concept of challenging myself, of bettering myself, and of creating unique opportunities for myself. I have learned that if I want to create thought and to think, I need to do these things which may not come naturally to me. I need some discipline.

For children in Montessori, it would benefit them to be introduced to discipline, challenge, and emergence. Deeper connections need to be made and this is not possible without a higher level of interaction from the teachers involved. A sincere desire to confuse children! Problems need to be presented to the children, on an intellectual level that they can understand.

The Girl with Organs!

Back in the day when I had organs.

The Classroom as a Body without Organs

"[The way in which] bodies are constructed constrains creativity and positions things and people into regulatory orders."(Deleuze and Guattari 157) In their concept of the Body without Organs or BwO, Deleuze and Guattari suggest that a BwO allows for free flowing intensities, connections, and fluidity. In this function of the concept, I believe that the classroom represented as a Body without Organs is the best situation for learning, as it promotes unpredictability, movement, and the emergence of ideas.

To better understand the concept of the classroom as a BwO, I will first present the classroom as a Body with Organs. My experience throughout elementary school taught me about the ideal of structure, guidelines, and organization.

It was my first day of kindergarten and I was well aware that this was a day of utmost importance. Mothers were trying desperately to hold back their tears, while children waited anxiously for the bus to arrive. What was so sad about children going to school? I understand now, but I didn't then. The anticipation of my first day of school was when I first learned the notion of anxiety. I learned how important it was that everything be structured and organized.

I had an awesome outfit picked out well in advance. My hot pink trousers, pink and white striped shirt and suspenders had been hanging in my closet for weeks waiting for this special day. My hair was in perfect ringlets, my backpack had not seen a speck of dirt, and my name and address were perfectly displayed on the outer pocket. I was nervous I would spill something on my new shirt. Who would I be with a stain on my shirt? I would be the girl with the stain on her shirt on the first day of school.

My photographic memory reminds me of the day; my friends and I lined up perfectly as the bus arrived to pick us up. Mom took a picture of me getting on the bus. I waved out the window. And then I imagine she bawled. When I arrived at school, my teacher was waiting outside, greeting her new students and directing us where to go.

In the classroom, everything was absolutely perfect. Nothing was out of place. The yellow bins, red bins, and blue bins were in perfect order. Posters on the wall hung perfectly straight. Rugs were exactly where they should be, nothing was askew. Our cubbies were labeled and in alphabetical order. Nametags were placed where we would sit for the rest of the year. Throughout my entire school career, I would sit next to Jeffrey Keller more times than I'd like to mention. All because my last name was Keene. What if I had been born a Wilson. Would my life be entirely different? Could I have had a life changing conversation with Emily Winston? I'll never know.

The teacher welcomed us to school and promptly made us aware of the classroom rules. Rule number one – Follow instructions quickly. Rule number two – Respect others. Rule number three – Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule number four – Make smart choices. Rule number five – Obey all other school rules.

Anxiety as the five year old me knew it, had set in. Follow instructions quickly? What if I had to pee? What if I didn't understand the instructions? What if I didn't hear the teacher's instructions? Make smart choices. How do I know what smart is - I'm five. What if I accidentally make a choice that isn't smart? What will happen? Will I be the girl who said something that wasn't smart? Something stupid?

That morning we also learned The Pledge of Allegiance. The teacher never told us why we had to say it every day, we just did. It was an organized part of each day.

One particular day stands out vividly in my mind. When I want to remember my kindergarten classroom, the way it looked, felt, sounded, and smelled, I go back to this day. I remember the teacher’s metal desk at the front of the room just near the door, the tables were organized in a way that fit perfectly into the center of the room, and the long windows on the wall behind me let the sunlight shine on my back. This classroom felt like it was meant for learning and for good behavior. It sounded still and calm, I could often hear the noise and whispers of the hallway and was intrigued as to what might be going on outside of this room. It smelled of paste, pages of worn books, and freshly sharpened pencils. This day that brings back all of these sensory memories was a monumental day in my five year old life. It was the day we learned how to cut perfect paper hearts. The teacher handed out red construction paper to everyone, and told us to take out our scissors. We then folded the paper and began cutting a half heart shape. She told us this is how we would cut a perfect heart. I tried over and over again. It was becoming clear that it would never be good enough. I would never be good enough. I would never be perfect. This was not good news.

In first grade, as we were practicing our writing skills, writing the same letter over and over again, my teacher noticed that although my writing looked okay, I was holding my pencil the wrong way. What?! I had graduated to the first grade and had been holding my pencil the wrong way this entire time? I was embarrassed. She even told my mom! I tried to hold it the “right” way, but to this day I still can’t figure it out. I hold my pencil the wrong way. Every time I look at my two fingers gripping the top of my pen, I am aware that it is the wrong way.

In second grade I learned that Thursdays were "Italian Dunkers" day in the cafeteria. I can't believe we were told that hotdog buns with American cheese on top and a side of marinara sauce were called Italian Dunkers. Not a Thursday went by that deviated from the norm. Every Thursday we had Italian Dunkers. Every Monday we had hamburgers, Tuesdays we had pizza, and so on and so on. Even what we ate was organized!

In third grade I learned that I would have four days to memorize a list of spelling words. There would be a test on Friday in which I should spell all of the words correctly. If I wasn’t able to do this, I was not a good student. I was being judged completely on my memorization skills and how I could present them on lined paper. From this point on, I spent my time memorizing, rehearsing, repeating, and not comprehending. The value that was placed on being perfect, being organized, taking in knowledge and then presenting it back to the teacher, made it difficult for me to ask questions, to ponder, and to really, truly think.

In fourth grade I learned that being confused was not okay. If I raised my hand, which was rare, I made sure I had the right answer. When a child was called on, projecting the wrong answer, I remember feeling horrible for him. The teacher always seemed to respond, "No, but good try, does anyone else know the correct answer?" I felt humiliated for the child. No acknowledgement to his confusion, no explanation. All the teacher was looking for was the correct answer. If I didn’t understand something I kept it to myself, not wanting to disrupt the organization of the classroom and definitely not wanting to give an incorrect answer.

One day in fourth grade, we colored extravagant pictures depicting what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wanted to be a ballet dancer. Others wanted to be firemen, teachers, veterinarians, and mothers. Our presentations of these pictures were fit into a small time slot of our day. I held up my picture and said, "When I grow up I want to be a ballerina." Followed by the next child, the fireman. Why didn't we spend a week talking about these pictures? This was important stuff! Were our desires really this minimal and unimportant?

From kindergarten on, the organ-ization of the classroom showed me that I was expected to be perfect, to display only my knowledge, to speak only when called on, to not be confused, and to follow directions at all times. My classrooms were based on schedules, routine, directions, and most importantly, organization. I often wonder who I would be today if my childhood classrooms had been conducted in a different way. What if my teachers had encouraged confusion, spontaneity, and emergence?

As Deleuze and Guattari state, “organs are not the enemy of the body,” in this case, the body being the classroom body. What is the enemy of the body is the organism, which consists of organ-ization. "Dismantling the organism opens the body to connections that presuppose one entire assemblage." (Deleuze and Guattari 160) When a teacher is able to limit organization, allow for flow and movement, and to even loosen up on guidelines, her students will learn. They will comprehend, they will bounce ideas off of each other. The children will look not only to the teacher, but to each other for solutions. "The BwO reveals itself as a connection of desires, conjunction of flows, and continuum of intensities...It is continually in the process of constructing itself." (Deleuze and Guattari 161) When a classroom body is allowed to have desires and intensities, to make connections, and to let all of this flow together and emerge it will build itself up in the best possible way. Without these concepts, the classroom cannot construct itself creatively. The impact that organization and predictability had on me as a child will stay with me for the rest of my life. From my first day of kindergarten, I learned that the classroom, as well as my thoughts should be organized. They should make sense and I should not be confused.

I was always considered a good student because I spoke only when called on, I scored highly on all of my tests, I did exactly as I was told, I expressed just the right amount of creativity, and I followed directions. Always. The only complaint was that I was shy and I needed to speak up more. This fact was always brought up in my report cards. Always.

I felt shy, I felt nervous, I felt that the importance placed on proving my knowledge was overwhelming. I didn’t speak up because it was made clear that giving the right answer was the ultimate goal. The only goal. Being confused was not an option. And being too confused might even get you in trouble. Or give you the label of being weird. I stuck to doing exactly as I was told, too afraid to say anything, too afraid to give a wrong answer. I was encouraged to be in thought, but not encouraged to think. As Deleuze states. "The classical image of thought is a real betrayal of what it means to think." (Olsson 27) Thinking would allow me to be aware that I had desires and that I wanted to know more than what was presented to me. This did not fit into the organization of the classroom.

As a child, especially a shy child, I was often spoken for. As far as I was concerned, Parent and Teacher conferences consisted of me sitting in the hall while my mother talked with my teacher. What was my teacher saying about me? Why wasn’t my opinion important? What if I had desires that needed to be addressed? I learned that I should not have desires, that what I was being taught was enough. Why would I want to know more? Delueze and Guattari state that the BwO is desire. In this case, the classroom should be desire. It should encourage children to desire.

Desire should be a driving force in children's learning. Deleuze and Guattari refer to it as "the unconscious process of production of the real" (Olsson 142) Desire is not something a child lacks, but something that they seek, something they yearn for. They want their curiosities to be presented to them in a real form and to be acknowledged. Institutions like to keep desire at bay so that children can be evaluated at predefined standards, meaning if they don't desire, they will not feel they are lacking anything.

Imagine a classroom where the day is just as exciting and unpredictable for the teacher as it is for the students. The teacher is the listener and observer and allows for children’s ideas, excitement, and confusion to flow. Children often sit on the floor or on couches and they lie on the floor to draw. They are encouraged and even required to sit by someone new each day. Children take turns leading the class, making their own opinions and desires known to others. These concepts then allow for ideas to emerge throughout the classroom. Second graders discuss street photography. Fourth graders study break dancing as a way to learn about math. The teacher invents a problem before searching for a solution, leaving room for experimentation, movement, and the unexpected to occur. Children are in awe when learning new things, they are allowed to ask the questions they want, there is no wrong question, there is no correct answer. One student’s confusion leads to another student becoming even more confused, leading them both to desire knowledge. The teacher assists in the conversation and observes as connections are made. "Instead of searching for what a child is as a person and individual, we have to search for the "and" through augmenting the numbers of connections or encounters that provoke something new to be thought." (Olsson 43) When a teacher allows confusion and unpredictability to happen, connections will be made. The more connections a child can make, the larger their desire for knowledge will be. One child will voice a confusion “and” another will voice their confusion, “and” another makes a connection to the confusions. Emergence will then occur.

As Deleuze and Guattari state, "There are three strata that directly bind us: organism, significance, and subjectification." (Deleuze and Guattari 159) How can we get rid of the notions of the organism, significance and subjectification in our classrooms? By limiting organization and allowing children to be confused. By letting them have desires and make connections with everything that surrounds them. When we represent the classroom as a Body without Organs, our children will be allowed to learn and grow like children. They will be given credit for their own thoughts and curiosities, not being thought of as “only” children. They will be allowed to freely express their confusions and desires. This in turn will host emergence, connectivity, and unpredictability in the classroom, concepts which are necessary for children’s understanding and excitement of knowledge.

How to create a classroom as a representation of a Body without Organs

• Let children take turns leading the class discussions

• Limit structure of desk placement and seating assignments. Switch around nametags each day before students get to class, encourage them to sit by someone different than the day before.

• After reading a book, ask the children what they still want to know. If you read a book about slugs, afterwards ask the children what they want to know and find the answers. Look online for pictures of slugs and slug eggs and slug habitats. Let the children lead the discussion. Be a listener.

• Allow for the unexpected to happen. This lets children make connections and enlarge the number of concepts they have. Allow children to find relations.

• Loosen up on the focus of knowledge. Knowledge is not everything. Knowledge does not alone represent the child.

• If you, as a teacher, and as a person, are interested in street photography teach your students about street photography. Show them pictures, let them ask questions, leave the discussion open ended. Bring in a couple of cameras for the children to take home, have them take their own street photography and bring photographs back to share with the class. Continue the discussion throughout the year.

• It is not necessary to make a child aware of a learning goal, for example, by Friday you should memorize all of these spelling words and you will prove it in an exam. They will learn the words in their own time, it might take two days or two weeks. As long as they are learning and enjoying learning, you should feel proud. If they are not comprehending, this should present an exciting challenge. Find new connections to make to help the child grasp concepts.

• "The normal child" should soak up the knowledge they are given and then produce it exactly. Get rid of this notion.

• Get comfortable with unpredictability.

• Move away from representing children as what kind of subject they are.

• Practice being a listener and observer.

• Let events and ideas remain open-ended, if children are excited about a topic, do not move away from it quickly, allow the discussion to go on infinitely.