The Beautiful Story of Logo

1
The Beautiful Story of Logo

• Papert (1980) Mindstorms
• Children, computers, and powerful ideas

2
How to approach the topic

• Programming
• Learning by design
• ConstrucTIVEism
• ConstrucTIONism
• Robotics
• learning without curriculum
• Effects WITH versus effect OF (Soloman, Perkin
  Gloverson)

3
Paperts Claims

• Logo provides nurturing environment for cognitive
  development.
• Logo increases student delight in learning.
• Logo allows students to create microworlds for
  studying math and science concepts.

4
What is Logo?

• Lisp-like language.
• Capable of recursion and structured programming
  (modular or procedural).
• Contrast with object-oriented
• Turtle graphics embedded.
• Usable by pre-school to college.

5
The story unfolds Teachers adopt Logo,
believing...

• Logo will promote math problem solving.
• Logo makes students more interested.
• Logo will improve math science test scores.

6
The problem

• Discovery WITH Logo vs effects OF learning the
  Logo language.
• Teaching WITH Logo vs. teaching ABOUT Logo.
• Over-scaffolding learning vs. allowing discovery
  and subversive learning.

7
The answer?

• Controlled research studies of Logo
• Teach a student Logo. See if they are better
  problem solvers or score higher on math tests.

8
The problem (revisited)

• When done near MIT.. It works.
• When done elsewhere.. Not so much.

9
The answer (part 2)

• Papert rejects research as technocentric
  thinking.
• Paper argues the DVs should be about the culture
  of learning not about individual achievement.

10
The problem (anew)

• Educators attack Papert and reject Logo as just
  programming.
• Important philosophical and measurement concerns
  go unaddressed.

11
The answer (Part 3)

• Lego to the rescue.
• Robot programming with Logo-like language.
• 40-minute, bite-sized units created for classroom
  use.
• Lego simplifies and reduces the Logo Language.
  (accommodating education)
• Teacher easily integrate the lessons into their
  curriculum.

12
The problem (again)

• Logo pulls out saying the materials do not
  promote the kind of learning Logo was designed
  for.
• Issues of philosophy and measurement remain
  unresolved.

13
Moral?