2017 #2: Engaging Ideas (John C. Bean)

Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom by John C. Bean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is an essential read for anyone teaching in higher ed in any discipline that can involve writing. It will serve as a primer for some, a review for others, and a reference for all. With wide margins for annotation (for a meta experience see Chapter 8 "Marginal notes approach), this book will encourage and invigorate you to incorporate writing and and critical thinking in meaningful ways. John C. Bean offers different approaches, and while not all are created equal, he manages to strike a balance between "my way or the highway" and just a survey of methods. He offers different types of marking rubrics and plentiful examples. Both idealistic and pragmatic, Bean has managed a guide that balances pedagogical theory/philosophy (Piaget, Rogers, Elbow, Perry) with good old-fashioned "how to". The book diagnoses problems with writing (such as the "data dump" or the "and then" paper) and looks at the teacher's role in creating "cognitive dissonance" to present knowledge as dialogical, not informational. I have only one question that went unanswered. Bean is a big fan of "rewrites". One aspect he doesn't address is those students who may decide to do less than is required the first time around because they know they'll have the chance to rewrite. For me, that is different than "revision." But I value the fact that Bean's book raised this question for me. This is an indispensable book that I will return to time and time again.