tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4717220359532645973.post8986100008274421149..comments2023-04-09T05:54:18.997-04:00Comments on Learning Complexity: Writing the Rhizome Classroomkeith.hamonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08404376705918243534noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4717220359532645973.post-19326288811440298682013-03-20T10:12:06.164-04:002013-03-20T10:12:06.164-04:00Alex, I think you are quite correct about most of ...Alex, I think you are quite correct about most of our students preferring the security of a well-defined hierarchical space . To my mind, this preference follows from many years of cultural regimes in general and educational regimes in particular that have practiced and enforced hierarchical approaches to the exclusion of others. Most students, including the most accomplished, have learned to succeed in a very narrow cage, and they don't trust anything outside that cage.<br><br>Thus, I don't recommend yanking students from the cage and throwing them into the deep end of freedom, even though this post couches the discussion in those two extremes. Most of my students will drown.<br><br>Rather, I try to start with where the students are, mostly comfortable, nearly asleep, in their cages, then open the door, rattle things a bit outside, until finally a few of them creep out to see what's going on. It takes lots of <i>scaffolding</i>, but most of them seem to enjoy it outside once they develop a bit of faith in their own eyes and legs. Though I'm still amazed at how many don't want the freedom and challenge of the rhizome.<br><br>And of course, I can hardly take the students too far outside as our school requires certain aspects of caging and won't pay me unless I conform. Still, I make a little progress each term, enough to be satisfied, mostly.<br><br>Thanks for connecting.Keith Hamonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08404376705918243534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4717220359532645973.post-85850287133150864912013-03-20T09:07:34.718-04:002013-03-20T09:07:34.718-04:00Thank you for this, Keith, very thought-provoking....Thank you for this, Keith, very thought-provoking. I found your article via an exploration of the rhizome-concept in a literary context, but am quite taken by what you say about the classroom situation. <br>I think my teaching approach is rhizomatic or rhizome-shaped in the way you suggest and I agree with the principles and ideals outlined.<br>What I find quite challenging though is that many if not most students very much oppose non-hierarchical structures. If they had their will, it would be trees and nothing but trees. They seem to crave the pseudo-security of the teacher's answer more than the opportunity to explore their own questions. As exemplified by course evaluations abounding with comments such as 'I'm more interested in what the teacher thinks than what my fellow-students have to say.'<br>So in attempting to replace hierarchies with innovative, more open schemes, how to deal with the element of uncertainty and the resistance it calls forth? And isn't a teacher's decision to go beyond structures that make the students feel safe an imposition of sorts?alexverahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04409591225488724048noreply@blogger.com