RE: [xmca] method of double stimulation

First, thanks to Eric for introducing my work into this discussion. It's
always good to know that somebody actually reads this stuff.

A few things: I don't think I'd characterize my research as employing a
double-stimulation, if it means a situation "in which children convert
external assistance into means that lead to task success."
(http://www.leaonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327884mca0402_4) Rather, I
study (at least in the work that Eric refers to) what I'd term situated
cognition in a classroom setting. While collaboration does take place and
while I attempt to situate the students' work as well as I can
culturally-historically and in relation to the teacher's instruction, I
don't do an intervention. Rather, I study how students work in relation to
routine classroom instruction designed by the teacher (for the most part)--a
major reason that the teacher is almost always credited as a coauthor in the
publications and presentations.

My online vita is at http://www.coe.uga.edu/~smago/vita/vitaweb.htm, and I'd
be happy to send anyone a pdf version of anything that's listed, although
only a few of the book chapters are available in pdf.

It might be worthwhile to know how I came into this way of thinking. I
probably have an unconventional background in some respects. I entered the
field in 1976 as a high school English teacher, and taught until 1990 before
moving to the U. of Oklahoma, then UGA in 1998. My doctoral studies had a
strong information processing slant--I never read Vygotsky or anyone in his
tradition as a grad student. I'm not a Marxist, a Russian (tho my
grandparents were from Belarus), or a student of a noted Vygotskian
theorist; and so I just did a lot of reading, largely on my own, and joined
xlchc (now xmca) following the 1994 Vygotsky conference outside Moscow,
which Gordon Wells among others encouraged me to do at the time. Based on my
reading and involvement with people with similar interests, I began moving
toward CHAT-style frameworks in the early 1990s to explain how people learn
things in the setting of high school classrooms, mainly English classes but
also in classes across the curriculum in which "composition" takes
place--architectural design, horse ranch design, and interior design. For
the most part I've studied nonverbal composing (e.g., interpreting
literature through choreography) but I've also studied students as they
write, using a repurposed version of protocol analysis.

My slant on things probably reflects my early reading, which included all of
Jim Wertsch's books through the mid-90s. I'm fairly surprised how little Jim
is invoked in xmca discussions; it seems that Engestrom is the default
reference for activity theory these days. My own interpretation of Vygotsky
is more deeply indebted to Wertsch and Cole.

Eric, I don't know if this is what you were looking for, but perhaps it's a
start--please let me know if I missed the point of your inquiry.

Best,Peter

Peter Smagorinsky
The University of Georgia
125 Aderhold Hall
Athens, GA 30602
smago@uga.edu/phone:706-542-4507
http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/faculty/smagorinsky/index.html

-----Original Message-----
From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu] On
Behalf Of ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org
Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 7:06 AM
To: mcole@weber.ucsd.edu; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: Re: [xmca] method of double stimulation

            I would appreciate if Peter Smagorinsky could speak briefly
about his thoughts pertaining to the work he has been doing with high
school student's essays. I know that Peter does not use the term method of
double stimulation but in reading some of his work it appears it is very
similar in design. I.e. a semi-real world setting where the subjects are
expected to use their cultural environments for the purpose of self
reflection and understanding of the goal-orientated activity.

eric

      To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
      cc:
      bcc:
      Subject: Re: [xmca] method of double stimulation
"Mike Cole" <lchcmike@gmail.com>
Sent by: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu
02/28/2008 03:28 PM PST
Please respond to mcole <font size=-1></font>

Very helpful cite, Eric.
I am wondering. Is there anyone who has trouble understanding why this
method is fundamental or who does not understand how it applies to such odd
phrases as "learning to control oneself from the outside" or Iran kids
clutching plastic keys while walking through minefields??
mike

On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 6:35 AM, <ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org> wrote:

>
> For those interested, a very explanation with examples:
>
>
>
http://books.google.com/books?id=IHF0CNN12KAC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=valsiner+m
ethod+of+double+stimulation&source=web&ots=hJhFgRHk36&sig=ssTXDBf4KuKqXnTBCK
m5MVq1Ubw#PPA78,M1
>
> because the address stretches over two lines people will need to copy and
> paste website address to access. If that doesn't work it is the first
> result when - Valsiner method of double stimulation - is used as the
> search entry on google.
>
> perhaps laughable, perhaps not
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> xmca mailing list
> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
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Received on Sat Mar 1 12:53 PST 2008