I think that was uncalled for... yes, I too sometimes find Louis
overbearing in his enthusiasm, and unempathetic to those of us who aren't
as inspired as him [or inspired in the same way], and even a bit "wacky"
... but it appears that he is accomplishing his classroom objectives.
[though you'd have a hard time getting me up on a stage and singing, and
my partner, Ben, took 'F's on oral assignments when he was in school
because he has a bad stammer...]
Maybe there is room for "play" in higher ed, among professors who are
comfortable teaching it. I find the majority of my students to be very
un=playful, and from talking to them it seems that play was something they
graduated from by 2nd or 3rd grade [when it was usurped by video games,
competitive sports, "classes" in this and that, and later on, "partying"].
Their lives now seem narrowly focused and uninspiring.... does a lack of
creative play contribute to this? [I will admit to being biased here,
because my parents let me play with legos, model horses etc. for as long
as I wanted... which was into my early teens. It was one of the things
they did right... my mom was forced to put her dolls up on a shelf when
she turned 7, because playing with dolls was "for babies."]
Our colleagues in developmental psychology keep telling us how important
free-form play is, and how it is related to greater creativity and
critical thinking skills later in life. Perhaps Louis is trying to get
his students to remember playing, in the context of a history course
[remember Cowboys and Indians, or all those little green army men?].
------------------
Ann Muir Thomas, Ph.D. http://erebus.bentley.edu/empl/t/athomas
"The Accidental Jewess"
Bentley College, Waltham, MA
"You aren't belittled by being little. Only by acting small." --- Red
