[Olpc-open] Constructionism

[Bert Freudenberg]

(pruning the cc list)

On 24.05.2008, at 02:10, Alex Belits wrote:

> Eben Eliason wrote:
>> It seems like a relatively hard problem to address with the strict
>> teacher/student model, but seems it could naturally be resolved in an
>> environment which encourages peer collaboration, since a) the teacher
>> can depend on the bright students to assist in helping those who
>> require a little more time to grasp the concepts (and let's face it,
>> you can learn just as much by teaching) and b) because the bright
>> students can work together to challenge each other as well.
>
> I disagree. Most kids, bright or otherwise, are completely unprepared
> for the role of teachers, and they should not be forced into it. To
> improve education one has to make it interesting (what is not the same
> as entertaining), so students have positive motivation to learn.  
> Fear of
> anything that a school can impose on a student will never overcome  
> fear
> of social ostracism that a well-performing student will face in the
> environment where students find learning to be an unnecessary burden
> imposed by adult oppressors, even if the student independently finds  
> the
> subject of study and learning process to be interesting.

This is a sad conclusion. You indeed describe what happens in many  
schools. But it's *not* the kids that are "unprepared for the role of  
teachers" that are at fault here, but the oppressing adults. If let go  
freely, kids will be eager to teach each other new discoveries, they  
happily help each other, and they learn at their own pace (which is  
why mixed-age classes work so well). This also scales much better  
because suddenly you have not only one teacher per class but maybe 30.

That's one reason why we place so much emphasis on the collaborative  
nature of the Sugar learning environment. Another empowering role of a  
personal laptop is that kids do not have to rely exclusively on the  
teacher to get new information. They can get some of it on their own.

Kids soak up ideas like a sponge. Let's make a sea of ideas.

- Bert -