To engage students, are we forcing schools to go too far? Are we turning school into theaters and arcades, as one person on this page contends? I discuss one related changing facet of school: the relaxation of deadlines to shift focus from when students master the content to whether they master it. A veteran educator decries the movement to make school fun, a misguided effort she says undercuts the hard work, drill and practice vital to learning some essential skills. Readers share their views on whether the push to get teachers and schools to engage and entertain students is working.
