At a conference on curriculum this summer at
Fordham, many speakers were presenting
"constructivist" findings of research, which
emphasized the importance of curricula that
support individuals' own "intrinsic motivation"
to learn. While I think this is far beyond what
Piaget would have envisioned, what was taken
as "constructivist" seemed to undertheorize
the role of teachers in instruction--focusing
more on individual learning processes.
Sociocultural theory, particularly Vygotsky's
ZOPED, does have a better theorized role for
instruction, both in everyday and schooled
concepts, and places greater emphasis on this.
In addition, sociocultural theory, it seems to
me, gives greater weight to the role of artifacts
in mediating the co-construction of society,
artifacts which were often not created by the
actors in the immediate scene.
These points are not well developed, and I'm
sure Mike or someone else may have some
additional history on this, but I hope it's a
start.
Bill Penuel
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