Re: Question concerning Vygotsky

From: Peter Smagorinsky (smago@coe.uga.edu)
Date: Mon Feb 23 2004 - 03:08:06 PST


I think an interesting contrast comes from Heath's Ways with Words, where
the fundamentalist white Christian families raised their children with an
orientation to reading the Bible as indisputably true. This orientation to
the printed word as true made it difficult for the kids to approach
schoolwork in which the printed word was ambiguous and the impetus for
discussion. Peter
At 11:09 PM 2/22/2004 +0200, you wrote:
>Quoting N*** <vygotsky who-is-at nateweb.info>:
>
>Hi Nate,
>Concerning what you wrote:
> >>What I would be curious about is examples of an intellectual tradition
>at a higher level than individual, yet not "academic" (colleges and
>universities). One example that comes to mind is the Socialist Sunday
>Schools in the early 1900's.<<
>
>The best example that I have seen are the Yemenite-Talmudic schools. The
>traditionally educated Yemenite children have an exceptionally high level of
>literacy and intellectual capacity. One of the work-men I served as a
>librarian is a classical example of wasted intellectual talent he would come
>to the library and take text-books on maths just for the fun of solving
>mathematical problems. One of the Yemenite Rabbinical Scholars (died 1984)
>said after he started to learn to read at the age of three the teacher had
>him
>memorize Talmudic Passages and explain them already at the age of seven. A
>well known example is the Israeli born Yemenite song-writer and composer
>Avihu
>Medina who wrote his best pieces wilst cutting diamonds. His father was a
>Rabbinical Scholar who schooled him in the traditional way ­ he became
>secular
>after his mother died at the age of 12. Another such example is Ofrah Hazza.
>Also the Talmud Schools in the Middle East before 1948 where distinguished
>for
>their high-level education.
>
>Alisa
>
>
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