Re: someone should clarify

Judy Diamondstone (diamonju who-is-at rci.rutgers.edu)
Sun, 28 Apr 1996 18:22:26 -0400

Arne, I was very grateful for your probing review of the Stone
article & was interested to learn that you didn't find it=20
"wrong-headed" (except re: Vygotsky). I found the article
alarming. Here in the U.S., a diatribe against "nature/fun,"
child-centered, whole-language, constructivist, etc. pedagogies
invokes a very powerful political right-wing. Your critique,
that school activities supposed to be intrinsically motivating=20
are generally biased against students from non middle class=20
homes, is one that has been raised by educators of color in=20
this country. Stone's concern for direct instruction does not=20
strike me as similarly motivated, since he/she's apparently in=20
favor of preserving the content he/she wants transmitted and=20
preserving an imaginary culture of the past, not inviting=20
creative, potentially transformative versions of it. In any case,=20
you are right that schooling practices vary widely here across
states, districts, local sites. And the dichotomous arguments are
tiresome at best impediments to improving teaching & learning for
all kids.

- Judy

>This means that "fun instead of work" conditions in any school will
>on the average boost the differences between those that already have
>learnt how to have fun at "decontextualized" (formal, game-like,
>purely symbolic) tasks, and those that haven't had those cultural
>contexts in their early years. Also, the creative, problem-solving,
>puzzle-loving individuals will be rewarded while the rule-following,
>reproductive, routine-loving ones will be looked at as dull and
>unattractive.
>
>This looks like a different sort of elitist system than the one that=20
>paid the highest price for the most disciplined engineer and=20
>entrepreneur.
>
>But it does produce the world's highest pace in innovations, both
>technical ones, and sociopolitical ones (Reaganomics, "Flat Taxes!",
>etc.) -- apparently at the cost of not giving enough education
>to the masses of people destined for so-called non-creative jobs.
>
>You see: Texts like this one are indeed provoking.
>
>What do you think ?
>
>Arne.
>
>
>---------------------------------------
>Arne Raeithel
>Privatdozent am Fachbereich Psychologie
>der Universit=E4t Hamburg
>
>
>
>
>
>

Judy Diamondstone
Graduate School of Education
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
10 Seminary Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08903

diamonju who-is-at rci.rutgers.edu
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