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HISTORY |
This hyperlinked history is incomplete and is intended only as an introduction to the subject of LOGO and constructivism. Logo and the birth of a computer language for children began in the late 1970's and found a following in the book by Seymour Papert - Mindstorms - Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas. Apple Computer had just released the Apple II computer with 4 K of memory. Papert who had completed studies with Piaget in France was now working at MIT. He created a language that would empower students to construct their own meaning. Hence the term constructivism. LCSI (Logo Computer Systems Incorporated) marketed the software and made it available for early Apple and IBM computers. Many educators saw value in this pursuit and joined in the constructivist approach to teaching. Many also embraced the computer language LOGO. With the swing of the education pendulum moving towards concrete results: test scores, behaviorist teaching techniques and the familiar "TSWBAT" - (the student will be able to . . .) constructivism and the use of LOGO has become less popular. I maintain that its use now is more critical that ever. The "movement" is still very much alive and flourishes in Australia partially under the eye of a young professor at Pepperdine, Gary Stager. In the United States the banner is being held by The Logo Foundation, where currently 7 distinct Logo software packages are for sale. The foundation sponsors each summer a retreat for educators to explore the capabilities of the software, one in New York City and one in Colorado. Part of the difficulty in transmitting the knowledge to children is that the teacher must assume the role of learner him/herself. The problem solving that the student takes on the teacher also takes on in a similar discovery and constructivist manner. |