Since 1990, I was using computers in education, with real children and
with real school situation, every day. I don´t know people like Papert
or Resnick who put more from themselves inventing software or gadgets
like Lego Mindstorms for empower educational experiences. Many people
in Mexican schools only use word or excel or some of this pieces of
s..oftware and forget the learning skills, the reasoning skills and
the knowledge building. When Microsoft impose their solutions like the
only way to use computers in education nobody I remember put such kind
of arguments against. But when someone propose a new focus in cheap
computers for children every body break their cloths and scream.

Who in this list develop educational solutions based in ICTs? Not
software who could be used in education or educational software who
push students to memorize information or mechanize mathematical
operations, real educational situations, deep learning, situated
learning. If you know the focus of Lego Mindstorms, Microworlds, or
Scratch, you must know that this kind of educational platforms
are oriented to organize learning environments. Students become
knowledge builders, skilled learners, empowered thinkers and not only
information consumers sailing Internet.

Saludos

Miguel Angel Pérez Alvarez (MAPA)
Profesor del Colegio de Pedagogía, UNAM
Nearby Thu Dec 21 10:03:49 2006