ABSTRACT
It has been common for some time to see the formal learning in school compared unfavorably to informal learning out of school (Cross, 2006). Humans seem to learn more deeply, and more equitably, without gaps between rich and poor, when they learn outside of school in areas they choose and for which they are motivated (Gee, 2003, 2004). Even 3-year-olds can become experts on dinosaurs or trains, as Kevin Crowley has shown in his work on “islands of expertise” (Crowley & Jacobs, 2002).
