Re: mediation, symmetry, and ANT

From: MnFamilyMan@aol.com
Date: Wed Nov 06 2002 - 15:40:34 PST


In a message dated 11/5/2002 10:16:00 PM Central Standard Time,
gwells@cats.ucsc.edu writes:

> As you may gather, my interest in classroom interaction is because I
> think it is by including students in the kinds of activities and
> dialogue that I presented in my paper that we stand the best chance
> (barring some very unlikely changes at the federal and state
> political levels) of improving their opportunities to transform both
> themselves and the society in which they are growing up.
>

Gordon,

This I believe harkins back to Bowles and Gintis' landmark book that clearly
outlines how it is educational structures mediate preferred outcomes. If
the educational structure predisposes itself to a specific outcome then of
course the process of 'education' will follow that which is prediposed.
Something akin to what vygotsky wrote about the study of developement and how
it is important to study the history of a behavior rather than deciding what
is first to be studied and following the flow. I greatly respect your work
and am glad it is being discussed but I think it needs to be placed in the
greater picture. Nate stated he could see some of his students engaged in
the conversations contained in the paper, I on the other see none of my
students making it past the first page. There is nothing wrong with this. I
would just rather point out that if chat is going to be THE methodology for
studying human development it is important to remember we are discussing the
development of ALL. Thank you again for your work Gordon and I look forward
to reading more of your articles as well as further discussion with you on
this topic.

eric

eric



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