[Xmca-l] digital immersion mongrel Vygotsky

[Bill Kerr]

I'll put this up for discussion. It has been a twisted road for me to get
to this point. I had a fail with the Noel Pearson's Direct Instruction
approach near Cairns and have now moved to Alice Springs as a good location
for further action research into Australian indigenous issues.

DIGITAL IMMERSION MONGREL VYGOTSKY
- a contextual pathway to enable modern indigenous technology

The origin of this was an exploration of an effective way (pragmatically)
to bring digital technology to indigenous people. This turned into a hands
on exploration of disparate fields which for convenience can be organised
under three sub-headings which can in turn be melded together:

*Epistemology*: One interpretation of Vygotsky argues that all knowledge is
socially constructed and that ethnomethodology, paying detailed attention
in the now, is the best or only way of detecting and evaluating what is
going on (Wolff-Michael Roth). This world view is critical of other
learning theories be they behaviourist, cognitivist or constructivist.

*Culture*: Martin Nakata’s (cultural interface) and Kwame Appiah’s
(cosmopolitan) approach is that indigenous (and other) culture is mongrel
(no longer traditional), consisting of disparate, complex threads created
by the intermingling of the traditional with the colonial. It follows from
this that effective communication between different cultures must be
contextual based on paying detailed attention to the now.

*Technology*: Taking a broad view there are many human technologies
originating from the hand and the word. Digital technology (moving bits) is
now replacing print as the dominant social medium. The only effective way
to master digital technology is through full immersion in the medium. Some
groups working with the Disadvantaged in the Third World have understood
this, eg. Learning Equality, and use affordable hardware (Raspberry Pi and
low-cost Android tablets), software (FOSS) and infrastructure (sneakernet
where internet connectivity is limited).

Combining these approached leads to “Digital Immersion Mongrel Vygotsky”.
The goal is to combine these three approaches to find the contextual sweet
spot in the middle of the teething rings.

*Reference*:
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers
(2007)
Learning Equality https://learningequality.org/
Nakata, Martin. Disciplining the Savages, Savaging the Disciplines (2007)
Roth, Wolff-Michael. The Mathematics of Mathematics: Thinking with the
Late, Spinozist Vygotsky (2017)