As I think you know but others may not, I believe that tool-and-result is what
describes human development, that is--the capacity we have to transform
totalities, to "rebuild the ship as we goacross the ocean," to create
developmental environments/development, to simultaneously make new tools and
their products (such as the joint, relational, revolutionary activity of
creating a new speaker). I think Vygotsky here and overall was pointing to us
being tool makers and not just tool users. My argument with many Vygotskians
is the foucus on mediation and appropriation of existing tools to the exclusion
of this kind of tool-and-result unity.
Newman and Ihave written about this extensively (it's the basis of LVRS) and I
have written about it going back to the early 80s. Several articles of mine
in the past two years (referring specifically to the approach at the Barbara
Taylor School) speak explicitly and with examples from our school. We speak of
creating the school asa developmental environment--that's the task ofthe school
comunity. In doing this, developmental and learning occur, not as an outgrowth
or result but in theactivity. What V calls "being a head taller than you are"
and what we callperformance (being other than who you are, performing beyond
where you're at), learning leading development in the zpd--is
tool-and-resultactivity. Babies learnto speak by co-creating the speaking
environment--a relational, revolutionary activity (we wouldsay).
Please excuse all the typos.
What do you think? Lois