I’ve noticed Bill Kerr’s blogging getting sharper and more critical of late. I’m enjoying the odd attack he launches, backed up with some very useful links and resources. If ever I get to build a faculty, Bill is on my list.

This time Bill has posted about Seymour Papert, refering to his book Mindstorms and his learning theory constructionism – not constructivism!

I don’t see much correlation at all between those ideas and the politically correct nonsense that passes as social constructivist top down curriculum reform over the past few years. In my opinion the whole idea of promoting constructivism in a top down fashion through curriculum statements imposed by a hierarchy are farcical and doomed to failure. Papert was always against centrally imposed curriculum arising out of his basic analysis of how a “society of mind” evolved in each individual.

Like Bill, I wish more people in education refered to Papert. When I was in teacher training I nearly failed a subject for using constructionism (it wasn’t, and as far as I know, still isn’t in the training curriculum of NSW teachers), my lecturer thought I meant to say constructivism. Likewise, when I have sat for interviews and when asked what theories I subscribe to, I have to correct people when they think I mean constructivism when I mean constructionism.

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