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Logo Renaissance Inside WINTER 1997 Volume 16 I Number 2 ~~ ~~s nat of th . n9 t.ouc. e ISTE Special Interest Group for Logo-Us' LOGO RENAISSANCE INSIDE Seymour Papert on Looking at Technology Robert Tinker on Logo's Return Logo for Little Kids Logo and the Writing Process StarLogo Starters Research You Can Use News, Reviews and Commentary Volume 16 I Number 2 Editorial Publisher 1997-1998 Logo Exchange is published quarterly by the In­ International Society for Technology in Education ISTE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ternational Society for Technology in Education Special In terest Group for Logo-Using Educa­ Editor-in-Chief ISTE Executive Board Members Lynne Schrum, President University of Georgia­ tors. Logo Exchange solicits articles on all aspects Gary S. Stager, Pepperdine University of Logo use in education . [email protected] Athens (GA) Dave Brittain, Past President MGT of America (FL) Submission of Manuscripts Cheryl Lemke, Secretary Milken Family Copy Editing, Design, & Production Manuscripts should be sent by surface mail on Foundation (CA) Ron Richmond a 3.5-inch disk (where possible). Preferred for­ Michael Turzanski, Treasurer Cisco Systems, mat is Microsoft Word for the Macintosh. ASCII Founding Editor Inc. (MA) files in either Macintosh or DOS format are also Tom Lough, Murray State University Chip Kimball, At Large Lake Washington welcome. Submissions may also be made by elec­ School District (WA) tronic mail. Where possible, graphics should be Design, Illustrations & Art Direction Neal Strudler, At Large University of Nevada­ submitted electronically. Please include elec­ Peter Reynolds, Fablevision Animation Studios Las Vegas [email protected] tronic copy, either on disk (preferred) or by elec­ ISTE Board Members tronic mail, with paper submissions. Paper sub­ Contributing Editors Jose Calderoni ILCE, Mexico missions may be submitted for review if Dr. Doug Clements, SUNY Buffalo Penny Ellsworth Western Springs School electronic copies are supplied on acceptance. Dr. Carolyn Dowling, Australian Catholic District 101 (IL) Send surface mail to: University Cameron Go nzales New Mexico State University Alan Epstein, Metasoft Gary S. Stager Cathy Gunn Northern Arizona University 21825 Barbara St. Dr. Brian Harvey, U.C. Berkeley Dennis Harper Olympia School District (WA) Torrance, CA 90503 USA Daniel Kinnaman, University Associates Paul O'Driscoll Salem-Keizer Public Schools (OR) Dr. Julie Sarama, Wayne State University Jorge Ortega FACE/Leon County SD (FL) Send electronic mail to: International Editor Heidi Rogers University of Idaho [email protected] Jeff Richardson, Monash University, Australia Carla Schutte Technology Specialists (FL) Peter Wholihan Sts. Paul & Peter School, Virgin Deadlines International Editor Emeritus Islands To be considered for publication, manuscripts Dennis Harper, Olympia, Washington School must be received by the dates indicated below. District ISTE Committees LaJ eane Thomas Accreditation and Standards Vol. 16, No.2 june 1, 1997 SIGLogo Officers Dave Brittain Awards Vol. 16, No. 3 Oct. 1, 1997 Chuck Friesen, President John Ketelhut Distance Learning Vol. 16, No.4 jan. 1, 1998 Steve Sesko, Vice-President Michael Turzanski Finance Vol. 17, No. 1 Mar. 1, 1998 Hope Chafiian, Secretary/Treasurer Paul Resta and Gerald Knezek International Gary S. Stager, Editor Jenelle Leonard Minority Affairs Lary Smith Policies and Procedures Director of Advertising Services Gwen Solomon Publications Judy Stickney ISTE Executive Officer David Moursund Logo Exchange is published quarterly by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), 1787 Agate St., Eugene, OR 97403-1923, USA; 800/ 336-5191. lSTE members may join SIG/Logo for $24. Dues include a subscription to Logo Exchange. Non ISTE member subscription rate is $34. Add $10 for mailing outside the USA. Send membership dues to ISTE. Add $4.00 for processing if payment does not accompany your dues. VISA, MasterCard, and Discover accepted. Advertising space in Logo Exchange is limited. Please contact ISTE's director of advertising services for space availability and details. Logo Exchange solicits articles on all topics of interest to Logo-using educators. Submission guidelines can be obtained by contacting the editor. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect official ISTE policy. © 1997 ISTE. All articles are copyright of ISTE unless otherwise specified. Reprint permission for nonprofit educational use can be obtained for a nominal charge through the Copyl.'ight Clearance Center, 27 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970; 508/750-8400; Fax 508/750- 44 70. ISTE members may apply directly to the ISTE office for free reprint permission. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Logo Exchange, ISTE, 480 Charnelton St., Eugene, OR 97401-2626 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Eugene, OR. USPS# 660-130. ISTE is a nonprofit organization with its main offices housed at the University of Oregon. ISSN# 0888-6970 This publication was produced using Aldus PageMaker®. Winter 1997 Vol. 16/ No. 2 Contents ARTICLES Logo's Return Robert Tinker 5 Looking at Technology Through School-Colored Spectacles Segmour Papert 15 Logo and Thinking Writing: Part II Leslie F. Thgherg 22 COLUMNS EDITORIAL FOR BEGINNERS Hard Fun Micro Worlds for Munchkins Garg S. Stager 2 Garg S. Stager 13 QUARTERLY QUANTUM LOGO: HomeWork SEARCH AND RESEARCH Tom Lough 3 This Much We Know: LOGO NEWS 4 Part II, Mathematics Douglas H. Clements BOOK REVIEW and]ulie Sarama 26 The Cyber Self Carolgn Dowling 8 THE LAST WORD: COMMENTARY TEACHER FEATURE Storytelling and John St. Clair Situated Cognition Jim Muller 9 Daniel E. Kinnaman 31 STARTING WITH STARLOGO Self-Organizing Behavior Alan Epstein 10 EDITORIAL / GARY S. STAGER Hard Fun n The Childrens' Machine, Seymour Seymour Papert described in 20 Things begin to trust teachers and support I Papert tells the story of one kinder­ to do with a Computer (1971), many their desire to create rich personal garten telling student another that schools react with increasingly au­ learning environments for kids. Logo is hard fun. Papert goes on to use thoritarian policies and trivial com­ About a decade ago the citizens of hard fun as a metaphor for thinking puter usage. In the hands of many Costa Rica made such a hard decision. about the deepest learning which oc­ schools the democratizing power of the They decided to leap-frog the curs when passion, challenge, context, Internet is used to cover the curricu­ instructionist technologies of 19th/ and purpose are all present. Any edu­ lum. New laptop computers are being 20th century schooling and embrace cator who has tried to make Logo or advertised for their ability to deliver the hard fun of Logo. They invested a Logo-like learning a staple of the school disembodied content and take student great deal in professional development day understands how hard and fun attendance-not as powerful vehicles and in supporting the dreams of their this process can be. for learning and self expression. teachers. Along the way, these educa­ Logo Exchange is thrilled to publish Those of us still healing from the tional pioneers had a great deal of fun a provocative speech by Dr. Seymour psychic scars left by our own school­ and their work has inspired educators Papert. The "Father of Logo" has spent ing are thrilled to assist Logo's creators around the world. Well, it seems that decades challenging our thinking and in realizing their visions of construc­ their hard work and commitment to inventing learning tools used by chil­ tionism and personal computing. Per­ excellence is beginning to pay off. The dren around the globe. His unbridled haps Papert's greatest achievement was Intel Corporation has decided to build optimism and advocacy for children creating a transitional object (Logo) its new $500 million chip plant in has been tireless and infectious. Al­ with which adults charged with the Costa Rica. Intel chose Costa Rica in­ though Dr. Papert is arguably one of care of children could feel creative and stead of 10 other countries because of the great minds of the 20th century, his intellectually powerful. Logo is great its "well-educated, highly-skilled, ideas are too often marginalized. In the fun. I can't imagine what my life would highly-motivated labor pool" and "the intellectual-free zone of educational be like without the joy oflearning and skills of the Costa Ricans are only go­ computing his ideas are not debated or teaching with Logo. ing to grow as a result of a MIT media even disputed-merely ignored. Logo I am reminded of how much fun program that has already placed com­ Exchange is one of the few educational learning and teaching can be when I puters in 30 percent of Costa Rica's publications to review his ground­ visit Cathie Galas' class in which 8- to primary schools." 1 Congratulations are breaking books, The Childrens' Ma­ 11-year-old kids create sensational certainly well deserved for our Costa chine and The Connected Family. Logo simulations of the brain or when Rican Logo-using colleagues. Papert's speech reminds us that I help Wesley College children program Many of you know how hard it is Logo was always about more than just their own virtual pets. Watching gradu­ to "shoehorn" Logo into an overflow­ turtles. Since the 1960s, Dr. Paperthas ate students and veteran teachers giggle ing curriculum or justify open-ended viewed school's ability to embrace in­ with joy while struggling to solve a projects in an age of national testing. creasingly powerful personal comput­ turtle graphics challenge reminds me In spite of the obstacles, Logo Exchange ers as a measure of the institution's that Logo is a powerful object to think readers work hard to make schools willingness to respect and support stu­ with. wonderful places for children. You dent learning. Bob Tinker makes the case that the know how hard it is to sustain Logo While the availability and power of availability oflow-cost ubiqui to us com­ and constructionism in increasingly personal computers begin to make pos­ puting will support a reemergence of sible the ideas Cynthia Solomon and Logo.
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