More thanks, bb.
I think another factor working in choices of terms here relates to Vera's
earlier messages on tools and signs (and perhaps Mary's but that is now dim
in my
already dim memory).That is, there is a kind of semantic bias i the "tool
talk" to think of it as instrumental -aimed-at-physical world while "sign
talk" is more about
persons, intra and inter. A reasons for me to back up to artifacs, but for
another dicussion.
mike
On 1/21/06, bb <xmca-whoever@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Yes, of course, constraints and affordances really could be better
> expressed as one word constraintsandaffordances, and yes, i see how they can
> appear in all yrjo's categories -- my reason for pulling out rules was
> expediency in writing an email.
>
> I think I pulled gordon's vignette about Halliday out of the archives. If
> it is OK, I'll post it to xmca.
>
> My reason for focussing on halliday's semiotic potential rather than
> constraints and affordances are because of what I see as a much greater
> semiotic potential
> for addressing the teaching and learning I have been observing. I'm not
> saying C&A can't be used, but that I find greater ability to describe what
> I'm seeing by pulling together social semiotics, activity theory, and
> ecological psychology.
> bb
>
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>
> > Thanks a lot bb. That careful answer requires a careful reading. I am
> simply
> > uncertain if talking contraints/affordances talk or semiotic potential
> > talk are really disjunct, or alternative perspectives on the same set of
> > issues. I am pretty sure that invoking the notion of rules in the YE
> > expanded
> > triangle as = constraints will not cut it, since all interconnected
> parts of
> > the system offer both constraints and affordances. Contraints, after
> all,
> > are also affordances (If that seems myseterious, I can give an exampele
> ).
> > More to come on this and thanks again for the careful reply. For those
> > who may not know the reference how would you direct them to Gordon
> Wells'
> > "Halliday Vignette.?
> >
> >
> > On 1/21/06, bb <xmca-whoever@comcast.net> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > > From: Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>
> > > > What is the difference between constraints and affordances and
> semiotic
> > > > potentials?
> > >
> > > Affrodances, as you know Mike, stem from Gibson as what I would
> paraphrase
> > > as action potentials -- actions made possible by a "thing" or things.
> So
> > > I'll provide an instantiation to ground this notion: The design of a
> hammer
> > > affords driving nails into wood. The shape of nails afford being
> > > driven. Wood affords being driven into, steel does not. Constraints
> are
> > > closely related and provide the flip side of the coin. Trying to
> drive a
> > > nail in a small space is difficult -- the small space constrains the
> swing
> > > required to effectively drive a nail. With Norman and his followers,
> the
> > > notions of constraints and (perceived) affordances have been used for
> user
> > > interface design of software. I used these ideas for a user-centered
> > > approach to usability testing of the the RelLab software when I was at
> > > bbn. They are useful, but don't consider the actions of making
> meaning. I
> > > really wish I had known of Halliday's work at that time.
> > >
> > > I suppose because making meaning is taking action, in a very basic way
> as
> > > Leont'ev considers the three levels of activity, that they can be used
> for
> > > topics such as literacy learning, but my hunch is tha doing so will
> take a
> > > lot of work, when Halliday (and Hasan), and Lemke, and SFL in general
> (the
> > > latter of which I still feel to be a neophyte) has already made such
> > > progress in linking texts to making meaning. Another possibility is to
> > > relate constraints to Yrjo's category of rules, addressing the social
> > > aspects of activity.
> > >
> > > Gordon Wells' "Halliday Vignette" served as an excellent intro into
> > > relating Halliday and Activity theory. Halliday's work is, from the
> very
> > > beginning, considering language and social elements as integrated,
> whereas
> > > contraints and affordances, to the best of my knowledge, do not have
> such a
> > > fundamental social integration.
> > >
> > > Semiotic potential or, as Halliday phrased it earlier in publications
> such
> > > as 'Learning to Mean' and 'Language as Social Semiotic' (LSS), meaning
> > > potential, is:
> > >
> > > 1 a set of socially contextualized resources for behavior
> > > 2 is language that is related to situations of use (p34, LSS)
> > >
> > > Text is what people actually do and mean and say and write (p40, LSS)
> > > against the background of what they can say – the text is actualized
> > > potential. Text is the actual seen against the background of the
> > > potential. Register, also from Halliday, is the range of meaning
> potential
> > > activated by a situation -- which is why I'm excited about the mapping
> from
> > > the day schedule to the location of lessons in the room. Learning
> math
> > > happens in the math area (yellow rug), learning to read and write
> happens in
> > > the literacy area (red rug), where the materials and texts oriented
> towards
> > > those lessons are concentrated, providing the material means for
> activating
> > > those registers. The built environment is a semiotic design, where
> space (
> > > e.g.the room and its centers) and time (e.g. the day schedule) are
> > > integral elements of making meaning. Each makes its own contributions
> to
> > > the specialized texts that are collectively made by the children and
> teacher
> > > therein.
> > >
> > > In LSS Halliday has written:
> > > Consider the question of literacy, teaching reading and writing: what
> is
> > > learning to read and to write? Fundamentally it is an extension of
> the
> > > functional potential of language. Those children who don't learn to
> read and
> > > write, by and large, are children to whom [language] doesn't make
> sense; to
> > > whom the functional extension that these media provide has not been
> made
> > > clear, or does not match up with their own expectations of what
> languages is
> > > for. Hence if the child has not been oriented towards the types of
> meaning
> > > which the teachers sees as those which are proper to the writing
> system,
> > > then the learning of writing and reading would be out of context,
> because
> > > fundamentally, as in the history of the human race, reading and
> writing are
> > > an extension of the functions of language. This is what they must be
> for the
> > > child equally well. Here is just one instance of a perspective on
> language
> > > in the context of the educational system. (PG 57, LSS)
> > >
> > >
> > > bb
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > xmca mailing list
> > > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> > >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>
> To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 19:05:59 +0000
> Subject: Re: [xmca] constraints, affordances and semiotic potentials
> _______________________________________________
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