On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 10:52 PM, Albert Cahalan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Seth Woodworth writes: >> [Future of Learning Group] > >>> We are developing "Constructionism" as a theory of learning and >>> education. Constructionism is based on two different senses of >>> "construction." It is grounded in the idea that people learn by >>> actively constructing new knowledge, rather than having information >>> "poured" into their heads. Moreover, constructionism asserts that >>> people learn with particular effectiveness when they are engaged >>> in constructing personally meaningful artifacts (such as computer >>> programs, animations, or robots). >> >> I thought that this explination was concise and really interesting. >> I would love to explain this to people who want to desige activities, >> just to give them a little snapshot of the concept. Does anyone have >> a problem with this deffinition? Does anyone have an improvement? > > Yes. > > That definition sounds lovely, like a politician's speech. > It's all feel-good stuff that matches up perfectly with how > we **desire** education to work. > > Unfortunately, the cold hard facts don't support the ideas. > In study after study, including the largest educational study > ever done, the ideas have been proven to fail.
Links or it never happened, Albert. I have asked you over and over what your evidence is, and you have never yet replied. > Better: > > Constructionism is a failed educational theory which promoted > the feel-good idea that people would reinvent human knowledge > though personally meaningful exploration. Constructionism is > commonly used to hide both teacher and student deficiency in a > sea of confusion, allowing the avoidance of necessary learning. > Through the use of vague open-ended projects without instruction, > the brighter students are brought down to the level of the dimmest > students. The resulting lack of education is hidden by avoiding > reproducable tests. > _______________________________________________ > IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) > IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org > http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep > -- Silent Thunder [ 默雷 / शब्दगर्ज ] is my name, And Children are my nation. The Cosmos is my dwelling place, And Truth my destination. _______________________________________________ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep