Re: Tomasello/imitation

Eva Ekeblad (eva.ekeblad who-is-at ped.gu.se)
Tue, 2 Sep 1997 18:41:20 +0100

At 07.48 -0700 97-08-29, Patricia Zukow-Goldring wrote:
>My
>approach focuses on how caregivers educate attention so infants come to
>perceive, act in, and know cultural practices/methods, so that they might
>become adept members of their culture. Infants just don't imitate daily
>activities spontaneously, "personal trainers" embody, show, demonstrate,
>point at what to do day-in and day-out.

Patricia,

I just wanted to say (as I was among the named recipients) that I really
appreciate your research approach. As an educational researcher because it
is such an adequate precursor to studying the nature of more
institutionalized (professionalized) processes of scaffolded learning &
development. And as a layperson and mother of two young persons now in
their mid-twenties because it makes me happy when developmental research
takes account of parental (or sibling contributions).

I agree that education of attention is a good choice of key concept.
Anecdotally it makes me think of when my nephew (now seven years old, so
the memory is a bit eroded) was a baby, old enough to sit but not yet walk
or talk -- once when I came to visit his favourite pleasure of the week was
to gaze fixedly in some odd direction (preferably upwards) until he got
everybody else to look there, too. Then he laughed happily. In a more
general vein I should think that the education of attention is an important
teacher/mentor/master function in a lot of learning situations, all levels.
Which is, for example where somebody already familiar with a certain piece
of computer software is so infinitely more helpful to have around than even
the best of manuals!

Eva
eva.ekeblad who-is-at ped.gu.se