1. what did you find

1.1. interesting about the article?

I first read this article 3 years ago or so when you (Dr. Fisher) gave a guest lecture to Mike Eisenberg’s cognitive science class. At that time I think I found it all interesting, rereading it now I am most interested in those sections that apply to schools and to young learners. In particular, I think many of your recommendations could be applied very well in elementary and secondary schools, and in fact must be applied there if we are to become a society of lifelong learners.

1.2. not interesting about the article?

The gift-wrapping approach and the myths about education were less interesting to me. These seem like straw men—obviously bad ideas
belabored–although it’s possible some of the myths actually are prevalent among educational policymakers.


2. what do you consider the main message of the article?

In the future more work will comprise thinking, learning, collaboration, open ended design activities. Environments and technologies that support those kinds of activities are needed.

3. click on one of the words in blue and see what happens?

A glossary appears.

3.1. is this feature useful?

Not especially. Sorry.

3.2. in which other situations have you encountered this feature?

I can’t think of any.

4. global learning theories and approaches

4.1. do you know any of the people mentioned in the diagrams:

I have read something in the past about Skinner, Piaget, Papert, and Dewey.

4.1.1. Skinner

4.1.2. Piaget

4.1.3. Papert

4.1.4. Illich

4.1.5. Vygotsky

4.1.6. Dewey

4.1.7. ignore Taylor

4.2. select one of the six

4.2.1. in case you know something ‡ write a paragraph what she/he has contributed to a deeper understanding of learning?

John Dewey was an educational theorist and (like Piaget) a great observer of children. He was one of the main champions of progressive education, which was almost a movement in the teens and twenties but has been increasingly marginalized ever since. To sum up his considerable contributions in one sentence… Dewey helped to popularize the idea of learning as a natural, efforless process that is continuous in all areas of people’s lives, rather than something that happens to people only in special situations and under duress.

4.2.2. in case you do not know something, find out something about her/him ‡ write a paragraph what she/he has contributed to a deeper understanding of learning?

5. identify one website (and mention the URL) which you consider interesting and relevant for “learning”! Write a one paragraph justification!

Here’s one. I got the link from a soc professor recently. It is a long list of links to pages related to theories of learning. This page and the articles it links make a pretty extensive learning reader.
http://www.emtech.net/learning_theories.htm