Zone of Proximal Development by Saul McLeod.  On this webpage you can learn about the importance of engaging students with work that is slightly above their ability level.  It is in this zone (with scaffolding and assistance from a knowledgable other) that the best learning occurs). 

What issues of engagement are inherent in aiming instruction toward the zone of proximal development (zpd)?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXIeFJCqsPs&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PLC5DEBBA81A54E8C6

Czmihalyi, researcher on happiness and author of the book Flow, shares with us some of his findings about the nature of "flow."  Flow is a state of being that people enter when they are properly challenged.  In flow, a person can lose sense of time because they are "lost" or really "fully engaged instrinsically" in a given activity.

How can we promote the experience of flow in our classrooms and learning environments?