Re: Individuals in joint activity

Judy Diamondstone (diamonju who-is-at rci.rutgers.edu)
Wed, 3 Apr 1996 23:51:16 -0500

Responding to Gordon's articulation of the issues re: the
role of 'individual factors' in modes of participation
(the individual-specific features of style?), which I agree
the discussion of solo/joint activity has
seemd so far to gloss over. These are the questions that my
students, all experienced classroom teachers this semester,
raise in a seminar with me: how can we design pedagogical
activities _without_ attending to individual differences...
Their own practical wisdom in the classroom refutes any argument
that such questions are irrelevant. I have tried to frame the
problem as one of _stylistic_ differences, not differences in
competence and not even differences in potential for participation.
Simply differences in modes of participation.... I refuse to base
pedagogy on questions of intelligence/competence. Can you, Gordon,
say more about how such differences count for you as differences in
POTENTIAL (rather than treating "potential" as a function of
the goodness of fit between the individual and the
activity structure)?

We have on different occasions invited reflections on our own
teaching practices -- could the time be ripe....?

- Judy

>
Judy Diamondstone
diamonju who-is-at rci.rutgers.edu
Rutgers University

.................................................