What to Look for in a Classroom: And Other Essays
Full of ideas and impossible to pigeonhole,Alfie Kohnhas become an essential ingredient in educational debates, and his previous books--includingNo  Contest: The Case Against CompetitionandPunished by Rewards--are a reliable barometer of his wit, pugnacity, and general contrariness. This is a collection of (mostly) previously published essays, but Kohn writes so well that these pieces remain fresh, vivid, and challenging. Few people will agree with him about everything, and many will be left with steam coming out of their ears. Kohn pulls no punches: the cases for school uniforms and School Choice programs are beneath his contempt; well-off white liberal parents are so routinely obsessed with competitive advantage ("the segregation of the gifted and talented") that their actions amount to a more polite form of racism; most critics of television are hysterics who don't know the research and haven't thought hard about what they are saying. A taste of his combat-ready style: "There is no national organization called Rich Parents Against School Reform, in part because there doesn't need to be." Kohn is essential reading, however, on the destructiveness of grading, the foolishness of mainstream ideas about motivation, and a score of other topics--especially if you disagree with him.--Richard Farr--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.