Thanks Paul.
I guess that in a way I have been participating in that i have read all of
the postings about this topic and the original paper, all of which i found
interesting and relevant The issue for me is how to move to the next stage
of being able to participate more actively, in order to learn more, and to
do that I feel I need to know a lot more than I do already in order to ask
the right questions of people like yourself. The feeling is like one I
remember from many years ago as an undergraduate when we had a lecture on
the origins of multicellularity in animals. The lecturer was brilliantly
prepared, great slides and he was very erudite. But we did not have a clue
of what he was talking about until six months later when we had more
knowledge of the various animal groups which, as high school graduates, we
have never heard of but which the lecturer in a sense had to assume that we
had.
So the onus is therefore on me, off line, to hit the library. I remember
reading in one of Yrjo's papers that to really understand CHAT required a
grounding in continental philosophy and I agree. You get so far, e.g.
beginning to understand the idea of activity, and then you find that the
learning/participation curve does not just steepen but involves a step
function. Actually, it's a really quite intriguing experience, due partly, I
suspect, from stepping way beyond my own disciplinary boundaries, science.
It is almost like having to see the world in a different sort of way, coming
upon a new horizon and I think it just takes time. But the issue for me
would be how to help new people participate in this intriguing set of
conversations and I think the Leontiev reading could be really interesting
as a model.
Now off to Scotland for a rest but with my Ilyenkov papers in my hand.
Perhaps when I come back we can have a retro discussion!
Geoff Hayward
Lecturer in Educational Studies and SKOPE Research Fellow
University of Oxford
Department of Educational Studies
15 Norham Gardens
Oxford
OX2 6PY
Phone: 01865 274007
Fax: 01865 274024
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul H.Dillon [mailto:illonph@pacbell.net]
Sent: 21 September 2000 13:31 PM
To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
Subject: Re: Leontiev Discussion
Geoff,
I think your feeling of being unable to participate "even marginally" can be
a resource for discussion if you can articulate that "horizon" in some way.
Perhaps the background you feel you lack is really a ground that needs to be
brought forward in the discussion, a process which could only be a benefit
to everyone insofar as it brings the taken-for-granted into focus. But that
process can be more difficult than critiquing something from an alternative
perspective. I think that this process is essentially what is meant by
"ascent from the abstract to the concrete".
Paul H. Dillon
----- Original Message -----
From: Geoff.Hayward <geoff.hayward@educational-studies.oxford.ac.uk>
To: <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 1:04 AM
Subject: RE: Leontiev Discussion
> Alas the structure of the academic year in the UK (well my bit anyway)
means
> I am going on vacation tomorrow so I shall miss the beginning of the event
> but I will catch up when I return. I found the Ilyenkov discussion, which
I
> observed from the sidelines, both intriguing and personally frustrating,
as
> I simply did not know enough to participate even peripherally. Is a major
> issue for us pinch hitters getting started?
>
> Geoff Hayward
> Lecturer in Educational Studies and SKOPE Research Fellow
> University of Oxford
> Department of Educational Studies
> 15 Norham Gardens
> Oxford
> OX2 6PY
>
> Phone: 01865 274007
> Fax: 01865 274024
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Cole [mailto:mcole@weber.ucsd.edu]
> Sent: 20 September 2000 22:34 PM
> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> Subject: Leontiev Discussion
>
>
> While rumoured to be sitting in a Paris cafe while conducting research
> in Finland, one Yrjo Engestrom with excellent Nokia cell phone agreed
> to engage with us in starting the Leontiev readings. He would like to
> begin next week.
>
> We have confirmed volunteers in paul dillon, peter jones, me, and nate,
and
> some rumoured pinch hitters waiting in the background.
>
> Seems time to start.
>
> I propose that we set a period of two weeks for discussion with the
> Leontiev chapter being "the paper" focus. Nate has the text in various
> formats for your individual tastes-- and will explain how to access and
> use.
>
> I am assuming Paul D for Chapter 2 and will negotiate with volunteer
> facilitators about how we go from there.
>
> In the meantime, I am going to keep my eyes on the screen in the hopes
> that some of those who have not been joining the discussion will
> comment on recent discussions or ask questions for future discussions,
> or post a big of poetry, or....... as we say, ex=press themselves!
>
> Instruction begins here tomorrow morning at 8am. Where have summer's
> flowers gone?
> mike
>
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