About - Infinite Playground

Abram de Bruyn, ALF

Welcome to my Blog, Infinite Playground, named in honor of James P. Carse’s Finite and Infinite Games (1987), I see the world as a playground and my place in it as an active player. I’m ‘playing the game’, but as an infinite player, one who knows they have the power to re-write the rules in favor of play and players.

My favorite game is being an Agile Learning Facilitator. Following a model of natural learning, I play with a deep trust in people’s ability to progress towards their own goals at their own pace.

In Spring 2016 I began my MA in Philosophy and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Through this program, I intend to explore and deepen my understanding of Self Directed Learning and how this relates to the more general fields of both Education and Philosophy.

To read more about who I am and what I love, see this post (October 2015).

Agile Learning Center, NYC

New York City’s first Agile Learning Center is an independent school for self-directed learners. Students at Agile Learning Centers individualize their learning within the context of a supportive community. We have adapted simple tools for self-organization and intentional culture creation to better support young people in engaging with their passions and curiosities while shaping the environment of the school.

About ALCs

Agile Learning Centers restore the joy of learning with a surprisingly effective educational approach: intentional culture supporting self-directed learning reinforced by agile management tools.

Intentional Culture: At ALCs children feel they are heard, they belong, and they make a difference. As social creatures, we thrive in this kind of vibrant community which builds our confidence, heightens our communication skills, and calls forth our best selves.

Self-Directed: Humans are natural learners. When children get to follow their passions, they engage deeply, learning more quickly and thoroughly – covering years of content in weeks at the time they choose to learn it.

Agile Management Tools: We use practical and concrete tools to make these lofty-sounding ideals real and reliable. These tools and practices provide visible feedback, effective self-management, clarity of purpose, and easy integration of new patterns as needs change.

Passion Projects

No Lights No Lycra East Harlem

Jan 2015 – Dec 2015

Together with Angela Dawn, set up first Manhattan chapter of NLNL. Responsible for organizing the weekly event, and growing our community of dancers.

ALC Community Advocate

Sept 2015 – present

Engaging visitors and guests to the ALC, running informal tours. Seeking community engagement with the ALC project as it relates to the NYC center.

TC Public Space

Jan 2016 – present

Copy-editor for TC Public Space, a newspaper of and for the Teachers College community. It publishes the opinions of TC students, faculty, staff, alumni, and others to initiate dialogue with and about the TC community.

ALCtv

Jan 2016 – present

Through Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Community TV network, producing content about and for the ALC community. More soon…

Contact me

abram.de.bruyn@gmail.com // add2147@tc.columbia.edu

ALC NYC on Google Maps