“But insofar as it can be seen as an aspect of education, it is about something far more specific than constructivism in the usual sense of the word. The principle of getting things done, of making things — and of making them work – is important enough, and different enough from any prevalent ideas about […]
“Thus we are brought back to seeing the necessity for the educator to be an anthropologist. Educational innovators must be aware that in order to be successful they must be sensitive to what is happening in the surrounding culture and use dynamic cultural trends as a medium to carry their educational interventions.” Papert, Seymour A.
“This neat picture of successive stages has aroused such strong positive and negative reactions that the ensuing debates have obscured Piaget’s really important contribution: His description of different ways of knowing is far more important than quibbling about whether they neatly follow one another chronologically. And what is especially important is the description of the
“LOGO environments are like samba schools in some ways, unlike them in other ways. The deepest resemblance comes from the fact that in them mathematics is a real activity that can be shared by novices and experts. The activity is so varied, so discovery-rich, that even in the first day of programming, the student may
February 29, 2012 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEYMOUR!! Read More »
“Geraldine Doogue: What I’m curious about then is out of this fascinating time working with Jean Piaget – who developed that whole notion of the stages of development for children – how would digital technology fit in to what you learned then? Because you’re a great advocate for digital technology being used to help children
Curator’s note: In 1983, The BBC and Open University produced and aired a documentary entitled, “Talking Turtle,” about the work of Seymour Papert and his colleagues, their creation, Logo and a vision of how computers may revolutionize education. There is also a large segment about the groundbreaking (and often overlooked) work members of the Logo
“The essential point about the turtle is its role as as a transitional object. That is transitional between the body, the self and abstract mathematical ideas. The turtle, you can identify with it. You can move your body in order to guess how to command the turtle, so it’s related to you, to the body,
“Plastic robots, arrows on screens, hyperactive sprites all belong to the same turtle family. They all obey the same commands. By getting to know these turtles the way they get to know a person, these children are learning to be mathematicians. This is Piaget’s real message to us – learning rooted in experience.” Papert, S.
“What we really have to think about is what produces involvement? Engagement? What grabs the individual? And so, it’s much more related to love than to logic. It’s much more related to how you see yourself fitting into the social and cultural fabric, including how you see television. Is it something that’s been done to
“The best learning is learning that is embraced and enjoyed. Children love to learn until they are taught otherwise. Indeed even then, while most people may hate being taught, I believe that everyone, especially every child, always likes learning.” Papert, S. (1996) The Connected Family: Bridging the Digital Generation Gap. Atlanta: Longstreet Press. page 51.