Never Mind the Laptops
Subtitled Kids, Computers, and the Transformation of Learning, Bob Johnstones latest book is essentially about the history of educational computing up through the ubiquitous use of laptop computers. Several of the chapters focus on Seymour Papert, his invention of the LOGO programming language and its use in schools in the 1980s. Papert’s ideas on the use of programming in schools were undoubtedly from a constructivist perspective. However, it is clear that its actual use was as an overlay to traditional goals and models of schooling.
On page 129, Robert Taylor of Columbia University Teachers College (Yeah!) offers an explanation as to why Papert’s vision of computers in education never materialized:
“When you study the Old Testament or Judaism, you see that there’s a constant tension between the priestly and the prophetic.Papert is a prophetic figure - he’s iconoclastic, goes in, breaks down ideas, and so on. The schools, including universities, are all priestly - their job is to keep things going, in order, with lots of rituals to reassure everybody , so you know where everything is, and you know this is going on in this way. And so anytime you have a prophetic idea enter the educational stream, it’s gonna be an uphill battle, because it’s blasting away at the priests, and most human beings feel more comfortable with a priestly orientation than a prophetic one. Prophetic is very scary, because the ground can disappear from under your feet while you’re standing there listening to this guy.”
Despite the use of the word “gonna,” (this must have been from a spoken interview), there is truth in his words, not only regarding technology, but progressive educational thought in general. Our school systems are so addicted to the status quo. And there is an arrogance on the part of many toward those that question or challenge what schools are doing. We all know there is something broken, but yet nobody wants to do much about it. On the bright side though, I think that more and more people in our system are beginning to see how technology can be a powerful tool or lever for school change. Getting people to understand that is the battle.
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