This is what Mihaly Csikszentmihaly would call "Flow" - when you participate in an activity that is challenging and requires a great deal of skill. In his book "Finding Flow", he has a great chart that illustrates this concept. Since I can't draw the chart I'll try to explain it in words, but basically, if an activity is not challenging (too easy) and your skill is low for that activity, you'll feel apathetic. If the activity is challenging and your skill is still low, you'll feel anxiety. If the challenge is low but your ability is high, you'll feel relaxation. Finally, if the challenge is high AND your ability is high, then you achieve flow.
I read this book because I kept seeing his name referred to in the reading research. Authors have mentioned him and his concept of flow as a goal for education, reading education in particular. It fits in very well with Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. If you're interested in this sort of thing I highly recommend his book... Heather Wall/ 3rd grade/ Georgia NBCT 2005 Literacy: Reading - Language Arts > Absolutely true for me as well. I love work. I have noticed that the > more "requirements" the more energy required when reading and that is > work, but it is also true that it becomes fun. Involvement is a better > word choice, although when I am lost in a good read with no requirements I > still feel involved. Would you say that type of reading is less > involvement? I fear a perfect word to explain the differences between > the two types of reading may not exist. One type of reading definitely > takes more energy and tends to go slower, both require types of > involvement, both can be fun--but different types of fun, one requires > some delayed gratification and patience, is there a single word that shows > the difference? I am not sure...involvement might suffice...> _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
