Free-Range What?
free-range n. - 1. permitted to graze or forage for grain, etc., rather than being confined to a feedlot or a small enclosure.
I recently read this amazing book called Informal Learning, by Jay Cross, and in it he talks a lot about the idea of “free-range learning”. Just like chickens that are allowed to wander in their natural environment and graze for food on their own, Jay talks about how people are happier - and learn more - when you put them in their normal work environment and let them graze for knowledge as they go.
I’m intrigued by the idea of letting learning happen naturally, rather than force-feeding it to students who aren’t necessarily hungry for it in the moment that you’re teaching. Granted, you can’t just let the students wander and hope that they’ll come upon the knowledge on their own, but neither can the farmer do that with his chickens; give them a fence though - some boundaries to work within - guide them towards the food, and when they need it, they’ll eat.
I’d been working on this idea for a sort of unbounded collaborative drama program for several years, but it wasn’t until I read Jay’s book that I could really give a name to what I wanted to build. It’s a farm - a free-range drama farm, where hopefully we can raise some really happy, really well-educated young theatre professionals.
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Katy said,
October 8, 2007 at 6:09 pm
I think that your emphasis on happy *and* well-educated young theater professionals might be the most ground-breaking and innovative idea you’ve got here. I’m just saying. =)