In case you missed it, this recent article from the NYT talks about a supposed "revolution" (ed note: you can add "revolution" to the list of words I'm beginning to hate – see below) taking place in secondary school education where students are allowed to choose the books they want to read rather than assigning titles as used to be done. The pros?
Literacy specialists say that giving children a say in what they read can help motivate them. 'If your goal is simply to get them to read more, choice is the way to go,' said Elizabeth Birr Moje, a literacy professor at the University of Michigan. Ms. Moje added that choices should be limited and that teachers should guide students toward high-quality literature.
Though research on the academic effects of choice has been limited, some studies have shown that giving students modest options can enhance educational results.
As you would expect, there's also plenty of skepticism about whether "reading workshops" enhance student learning or undermine it:
Critics of the approach say that reading as a group generally leads to more meaningful insights, and they question whether teachers can really keep up with a roomful of children reading different books. Even more important, they say, is the loss of a common body of knowledge based on the literary classics — often difficult books that children are unlikely to choose for themselves.
“What child is going to pick up ‘Moby-Dick’?” said Diane Ravitch, a professor of education at New York University who was assistant education secretary under President George H. W. Bush. “Kids will pick things that are trendy and popular. But that’s what you should do in your free time.”
Indeed, some school districts are moving in the opposite direction. Boston is developing a core curriculum that will designate specific books for sixth grade and is considering assigned texts for each grade through the 12th.
Off-the-top-of-my-head, I'm not sure how, or even whether the "reading workshop" could be transferred to the law school context since: 1. At this level, students need to be self-motivated or they should find another graduate program more in sync with their interests; 2. the educational goal of law school is to train students to think like the group they want to join. (i.e. lawyers). But you can make up your mind by reading the full article here.
I am the scholarship dude.
(jbl)