Putting Flow Theory into Educational Practice : The Key School's Flow Activities Room. Report to the Benton Center for Curriculum and Instruction, University of Chicago / Samuel P. Whalen and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

The Key School in Indianapolis, an experimental elementary school, was founded by eight experienced teachers who believed that schools can be enjoyable as well as rigorous. This report focuses on one feature of the school, the Flow Activities Room (FAR). The development of the FAR was based on the school's commitment to the theories of multiple intelligences. Three times a week, students engage in free activity in the FAR. Striking characteristics of the FAR include: (1) a prominent display, on bulletin boards, of themes relating to multiple intelligence theories; (2) orderliness; (3) the degree of choice afforded students; (4) a diversity of activities; (5) an atmosphere of challenge and concentration; and (6) a balance between respect for rules and student choice. Interviews and questionnaires assessing students' response to the FAR indicate that the FAR has a positive impact on students. It has been learned from the FAR that: (1) intensified play can be a learning experience; (2) the opportunity for choice helps students clarify their interests; (3) game playing provides opportunities for practicing process-oriented skills and developing sustained attention. A list of 17 references, and several students' drawings, are provided. Appendixes include a guide to the development of the FAR and sample pages and items from the questionnaire. (BC)

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