Table Of Content

Tim Carey’s new book, Control in the Classroom, is a great addition to the educational literature. It introduces educators to the most important and revolutionary new development in psychology in decades, Perceptual Control Theory. And it does this in an easy, accessible style. It has something for everyone in education, from pre-school teachers to secondary teachers, as well as their students. Even college instructors and educational policy makers can find much of value in this slim volume. (Don’t be put off by the drawings and light- hearted presentation.) Carey points out that all of us, not only teachers and students, are structured to try to control our own perceptions of what we want to see. We do this through acting in our environment to bring our perceptions in line with what Carey calls our “just-rights”, our desires and goals. In other words, behavior is the control of perceptions. And, of course, when someone is acting to control his or her perceptions, other people are often also in the environment, trying to control their perceptions in terms of their “just-rights.” These other folks efforts at controlling their perceptions means that their actions may help one’s’ efforts to control, may be a disturbance and be resisted, or may not affect one’s’ efforts at control. Carey insightfully explores these features of perceptual control theory for the interactions of students and schools, students and teachers, students and testers, teachers and schools. In the end, his advice is that we educators should “structure the environment such that everyone has the opportunity to control their own experiences with a minimum of interference.” Read this book! You’ll be glad you did. Hugh G. Petrie, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus and former Dean, Graduate School of Education State University of New York at Buffalo iii iv Living Control Systems Publishing Menlo Park, CAA Copyright © 2012 by Timothy A. Carey All rights reserved. Cover art by Margaret and Jack Carey. Illustrations by Jack Carey (age 5). Library of Congress Control Number: 2012941573 Publishers Cataloging in Publication Carey, Timothy Andrew, 1963 – Control in the classroom : an adventure in learning and achievement. xxiii, 155 p. : illustrated : 24 cm. 978-1-938090-10-3 (softcover, perfect binding) 978-1-938090-11-0 (hardcover, case binding) 1. Control 2. Psychology 3. Perceptual Control Theory 4. Effective Teaching 5. Motivation in Education 6. Learning 7. Classroom Management I. Title. LB 3013.C 2012 ∞ The paper used in this book meets all ANSI standards for archival quality paper. v Margaret and Jack – for you, because of you, with you vi This book Control in the Classroom An Adventure in Learning and Achievement is available as a free PDF download from the publisher's website, www.livingcontrolsystems.com, as well as the free online libraries www.archive.org and www.z-lib.org, which will help ensure that this book and others on the subject of Perceptual Control Theory, PCT, will be available to students for many decades to come. File name: ControlClassroomCarey2012.pdf The file is password protected. Changes are not allowed. Printing at high resolution and content copying are allowed. Before you print, check the modest price from your favorite Internet bookstore. For related books and papers, search Perceptual Control Theory For drop ship volume orders, mix and match, contact the publisher. vii About this Book ix Acknowledgements xi Foreword xv Preamble xix About the Forms xxiii 1: How Do You Do? 1 2: Much Ado About Nothing? 13 3: Learning From a Control Perspective 21 4: Tying Up a Few Loose Ends 37 5: Giving Schools a PCA Revamp 49 6: Setting the Scene in the Classroom 69 7: Going About the Business of Teaching 87 8: Assessment in Educational Settings 111 9: Classroom Procedures 123 Useful Websites 135 Recommended Reading 137 Blank Forms 145 viii ix Have you ever wondered how learning happens? Control in the Classroom introduces the main ideas of a profound explanation of human behavior and then applies these ideas to the issue of curriculum delivery. This illuminating explanation, known as Perceptual Control Theory, shows that control is the fundamen- tal phenomenon at the core of the business of living. Control is critical in the classroom – both for teachers and for students. From this perspective, teaching can be considered to be a process of helping students develop greater control capabilities. The first part of the book introduces the theory in an easy-to-read, light-hearted style. Through an abundance of examples the principles of the theory are applied both to classroom activity and life in general. You might even discover that understand- ing this theory helps you in other areas of your life, not only in teaching. The second part of the book addresses specific aspects of curriculum delivery such as lesson plans and goal setting. Forms are provided to help you develop expertise in this approach. Examples of completed forms are included as well. This exciting and intriguing book will be an invaluable resource for both inexperienced and seasoned teachers. Any educator who wants to improve life in the classroom by taking a behind- the-scenes peek at what might be going on when students learn will be delighted with this book. By taking some time to understand the important principles and becoming familiar with the suggested forms and practices, teachers will be able to help themselves and their students have more rewarding experiences in the classroom. With this book in your collection, walking into your classroom really will be embarking on an adventure in learning and achievement.