On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 2:24 PM, Yamandu Ploskonka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> that point, seriously neglecting the challenge of getting >> Constructionism into the schools of the developed countries, but most >> of the community is clear on that need. >> > > Ed, I do not feel that statement is inclusive of our diversity. > While sadly it might be correct, that the rest of us are several minorities, > not all in the community agree on that "need". > > I know that you personally do go out of your way to make feel people > included, so I assume a glitch. > > Quite a few of us are getting more and more aware that the best model is on > contents and maybe activities based on collaboration *among* and *from* the > local stakeholders rather than *for* them by outsiders, and based on local > experience and knowledge with support from outsiders *when* those will > respect these parameters. > > In principle this is not a contradiction of Constructionism/vism, actually > from my understanding, this is what it is all about. Yet we are not putting > that into practice. > > I personally am all for Constructionism, as long as it's an option I am not > forced to push in its present incarnation, not a closed-end, vertical deal > as it is so far, where while there is not a written mandate to exclude > others, too many seem just happy to keep local stakeholders away by not > prioritizing models where actual collaboration is the norm and encouraged > expectation.
When I talk about Constructionism, I am not talking about Nicholas Negroponte's management style. I mean collaborative discovery among children and within the entire education community and society as a whole. I want to imagine and then create Constructionist politics, a Constructionist economy, and a whole lot more. What Constructionism should be, not what it has been made to appear as. When I say that most of the community is for Constructionism, I mean the practice, not an ideology or a management delusion. I certainly don't mean to say that they are for ideas of mine that I have never stated publicly. %-[ > As a community, we are diverse, and getting Constructionism into the schools > of develop... oh, you said developed countries. So it WAS a glitch. My goal is to get Constructionism in everywhere, but the stated goal of OLPC is only to get it into developing countries. Indeed, a glitch. > I guess it's OK. Just wanted to make a point that we all are together into > developing education tools, yes, but not necessarily all of us around this > kind of Constructionism as the end. I must confess that I have very little idea what OLPC means by Constructionism, but I don't like it. We should have this discussion in public, as we have started to do on the OLPC-Open list. >> Computing and Internet without the new education model would be a >> major step forward in global development. With the new model, it will >> be far more potent. > > Finally, I really do not know what to say. > Ed's thoughts have very often been an inspiration to me. > > I feel like he is a valued mentor, in a peculiar Socratic way, where I learn > a lot when I react to what he brings. I respect Ed deeply, but so far I > seem to be showing it wrong by getting on his case every time he speaks, > which tells more about my bad manners than about his patience. Not really. You force me to be much clearer in what I say, which is quite useful. > I do not want, community, this to be seen as meaning disrespect to Ed. The > fact that I disagree with some of his thoughts should not be construed as a > disagreement with his dedication to a cause I share, in a different set of > priorities than his. Having a disagreement is not disrespect. Acting disrespectfully about it by generally shouting (which we do surprisingly little of) or refusing to discuss the problem (mainly a problem with Nicholas) is disrespect. So we are doing quite well, you and I. > I just apologize for all wrong impression. > > > And I am learning when I read his posts, often more than from many others. > > Thank you, Ed. You are entirely welcome. > Yama -- Edward Cherlin End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business http://www.EarthTreasury.org/ "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay _______________________________________________ Olpc-open mailing list [email protected] http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-open
