Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Crazy, Wild, Unorganized Accomplishments

Wow.  Instead of trying to control the torrent of youth that ebb and flow from the computer lab like the tide, I just started a computer lab party.  We played Descent- one of my favorite group games from my days at the Club. We also played arcade games and watched scary movies.  It amazes me still just how many people will fit into this small room.  At one point I counted 80 and was sure I missed many.[cut]

I'm struggling to find a proper balance between productive learning and playing games.  I try to make the learning as fun as possible, but fun learning requires copious amounts of prep time and creativity, both of which seem to be available in decreasing amounts each day.  The problem with game time is that everyone in the school wants to play, and there's no easy way to make it fair.  It becomes a survival of the fittest scenario where only the tall, loud and quick learners make it to the front of the line. I'd like to implement some sort of tokens program where each learner has X number of tokens to use during game time each week, but that will require an additional layer of management and control.  Somewhere out there is a solution...

It continues to amaze me how little management and structure are required to get things done.  In the states I loved structure, and felt like no project would be completed productively unless it was well planned and organized.  But this entire school is loosely organized by time tables written on learner's hands, strong suggestions from teachers and the occasional announcement during assembly.  Yet all the learning, homework and extra-curricular programs somehow exist and operate in this environment- amazing.  I still don't understand how it all works; I keep expecting the learners to just stop going to classes one day because they tire of a subject ,or organize a school dance that none of the teachers know about in order to get out of a test period. 

But it doesn't happen, for the most part.  Usually, learners show up somewhere near 7:20 in the morning.  They move from class to class each period with relative easy and little confusion.  They turn up for after school programs and always remember when you promised to let them print their resume.  It all works, not in the best way possible, or even one that sets up these learners for success in the working world, but it works just the same. 

There's a profound lesson buried deep in these observations.  Something about just working with what you've got; or finding solutions only to problems that are worth solving; or working with things you can influence, and letting go of things you can't. Perhaps I'll figure it out before my two years are up.[/cut]

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