[xmca] Trying to stop the strands from unravelling

[Carol Macdonald <carolmacdon@gmail.com>]

Hi guys

Since I have been underemployed for a while I have been able to pay
reasonable attention to the very interesting recent postings.

What concerns me is the fact that one or more conversations land up with
concepts that are not really CHAT concepts, while on another conversation
people have been trying to build up further theory on the nature of the ZPD
(including Bakhtin, dialogicality, intersubjectivity etc) and the nature of
concepts in chapters 5 & 6 of LSV.

First we have the introduction of concepts such as *metacognition* (this was
Nancy in late March).  I wrote about the unviability of teaching thinking
skills a while back, so I thought I might be of help bringing this
essentially educational psychology concept up to date and tell XMCA why we
shouldn't use it.  To my dismay I found that there is now a whole journal
dedicated to metacognition and learning, and looking at a few articles, it
is clear that the concept has been diluted and confused, especially when
compared with the original version Flavell laid out. So I decided to not
regale my conversation partners with my view and wish here only to point out
that metacognition is *not* a CHAT concept, and to make a plea to guard
against unwelcome intruders. So far so god.

Then we have more recently *conscious awareness* and *mastery* described in
a nontechnical situation.  David K, in his ever constructive self,
immediately tried to incorporate them. I do not have such a problem
with *mastery
*as Jim Wertsch wrote about it in 1998 in *Mind in Action* and I have used
this in educational analysis. (Jim says its LSV, San Diego). However, it is
essentially a characteristic of the individual. It is necessary but not
sufficient for *appropriation.*

Ironically *conscious awareness *is quite close to aspects of metacognition,
but if I am right, it is essentially a characteristic of the individual, and
I would want to know how it fits into our currently received analysis of the
ZPD (on the file serve). Maybe we can talk about the teacher and the learner
both having conscious awareness, but they would have to be brought into some
relation because they would be different for the two. How does it relate to
potential and real concepts, or is this another conversation?

I either need some help here, since I can't integrate this/these, maybe they
can't be, or to be told to stop fussing. Mike might tell me that we are not
writing journal articles here, but I really  do learn from following the
discussions.

Timid thanks in advance
Carol

-- 
Visiting Researcher
Wits School of Education
6 Andover Road
Westdene
Johannesburg 2092
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