And, in exciting Alfie Kohn news, he's released a new book this month : Feel Bad Education and Other Essays. Here's the Kirkus review, and the review from Library Journal:
Kohn, Alfie. Feel-Bad Education: And Other Contrarian Essays on Children and Schooling. Beacon, dist. by Random. Apr. 2011. c.216p. index. ISBN 9780807001400. pap. $15. ED
Few scholars are more critical or more forthright about the problems with the U.S. educational system than Kohn. For years, he has spoken out against homework, high-stakes testing, the problems of extrinsic rewards, and other issues. Here he collects his essays published in a range of outlets, from the Phi Delta Kappan to the New York Times, over the last eight years. The main theme is that we know what practices make for a terrible educational experience yet we continue with them anyway because of inertia, politics, conventional wisdom, or even greed. In the title essay, Kohn disagrees with the assumption that high educational standards mean a joyless educational experience. VERDICT Kohn, a surprisingly accessible and at times witty educational policy expert, raises lots of issues about the educational system and how we might improve it. Readers interested in educational policy—parents, students, or professionals—will find Kohn’s well-written essays thought-provoking, even if they do not agree with his conclusions.—Mark Bay, Univ. of the Cumberlands Lib., Williamsburg, KY
FSP will be selling the book after vacation through May 3 and Alfie Kohn will be signing books after his talk!
