Jim, this subject interests me so much, particularly your reflection that you recall vividly the places where you listened to David Copperfield. I’ve had a similar experience with audio books. I think place could be key — it has something to do with novelty and with sensory stimulation. I wonder if classrooms might be better as “home bases” to return to regularly but not as the primary location for learning?
That's really an interesting idea, Susan. I think our current moment obviously deserves some creative thinking about how to engage students in learning, and that seems like a good possibility to explore. I do have some of the same intense sensory experiences with printed novels, as I am always reading a book when I travel. I can still taste the Cuban sandwich I was eating when I started reading Susan Cain's Quiet in a little cafe in Florida, and how much I felt my mind expanding as my belly was also expanding!
Hahaha! Anne Fadiman’s essay, “You Are There” in _Ex Libris_ describes reading in the exact places where the text is set or where it was written— the most powerful punch!
Jim, this subject interests me so much, particularly your reflection that you recall vividly the places where you listened to David Copperfield. I’ve had a similar experience with audio books. I think place could be key — it has something to do with novelty and with sensory stimulation. I wonder if classrooms might be better as “home bases” to return to regularly but not as the primary location for learning?
That's really an interesting idea, Susan. I think our current moment obviously deserves some creative thinking about how to engage students in learning, and that seems like a good possibility to explore. I do have some of the same intense sensory experiences with printed novels, as I am always reading a book when I travel. I can still taste the Cuban sandwich I was eating when I started reading Susan Cain's Quiet in a little cafe in Florida, and how much I felt my mind expanding as my belly was also expanding!
Hahaha! Anne Fadiman’s essay, “You Are There” in _Ex Libris_ describes reading in the exact places where the text is set or where it was written— the most powerful punch!