Wizard, wizard, wizard....
I do not know if you know, but last year I was one of organizers of
something-like-5th Dimension at UCSC (we haven't come with a good name
yet). The project was very successful over there. If you want to know
more about the project, please, visit our site at
http://www.ematusov.com/sc.uclinks
Anyway, last year, we had heated debates about Wizard and decided not to
have one exactly because we decided not to have a "full participant."
Instead, we have Game Assistants Club, which basically involves a board
with game names and kids names who are willing to assist other kids with
these games. There are no rules for putting names on the board, when a kid
feels comfortable and knowledgeable to assist other kids with a game, she
or he asks undergraduate students to put his or her name on the Game
Assistants board against the game (or the kid can do it him/herself). As
to rules, at the end of the year, we came to an idea of development a
constitution with the kids and circle time where we can discuss what
software or games we should buy, what are rules of using computers, or
solving interpersonal relations. No Wizards, no mystification.
What do you think?
Eugene
PS I'm working now on developing a site here in Delaware. I do not think
we will have Wizard or "maze" or "task cards"here either. For those, who
unfamiliar with 5th Dimension jargon:
* 5th Dimension -- the first afterschool club developed by Mike Cole (Mike
when it was?). One of the main common (?) features of these clubs is
undergraduate students' participation (working with kids assisting them
with computer and board games, reading, homework, and other kid-initiated
activities). I believe that the name "5th Dimension" came from Vygotsky's
idea that besides four physical dimensions of time and space, there is 5th
Dimension of meaning.
* Wizard -- a person unknown to kids who sets up rules at the site. Wizard
often communicates with kids via e-mail. Actually, it can be not one but
several rotating people with the identity of Wizard.
* Maze -- a structure of available activity that loosely sets sequence of
activities for kids. Kids are allowed to move from one room of the maze to
another after they accomplish activities designated in the room.
* Task cards -- written assignments for kids about each activity.
Mike, and knowledgeable others, please correct me if my sketch is wrong.
At Santa Cruz, we did not have Wizard, maze, or task cards.
At 10:45 AM 9/29/97 -0400, you wrote:
>HURRAY, Eugene. I like keeping in sight the view:
>
> >Waste for ones is food for others. We all are
>>newcomers.
>>
>>Let's keep it that way. What do you think?
>
>I have been reflecting on the role of a Wiz in this &/or other
>[ever-]emergent communities of practice. In general, the role of
>a Wiz in the 5th Dimension projects and in this more dispersed
>setting, as I understand it, is to carry the ethics and concerns
>of the project forward. In the 5D, the Wiz is an absent other,
>non-localized, an object of projection for the kids (emphasize
>YOUNGSTERS here). The kids can get a kick out of treating the
>powerful Wiz as an object of ridicule, as the culprit behind
>whatever goes wrong in the 5D. All of this is institutionalized.
>
>But in this setting, the wiz is always necessarily located,
>identified by the e-mail name&address of the message perceived
>as wiz-ened. How "hidden" are the aims of a wizened message in this
>community of practice? If we think of only some messages as wizened, then
>only those "onto" the project get the point. We've insitutionalized
>the project, and risk subjecting our Wiz's to a feeling/belief
>that they are themselves Wizards. And Wizdom may get in the way of wisdom.
>
>Oldtimers totter on this line, unless we acknowledge that our wizdom
>is dispersed; unless we see the wizziness of CHAT in all involved.
>
>Poor Mike! Have I butchered a great idea? In Eugene's words,
>What do you think?
>
>Judy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>At 07:36 PM 9/28/97 -0400, you wrote:
>>Hello everybody--
>>
>>Eva, your description of newcomer's embarrassment seems to me very accurate
>>for many XMCA newcomers, including myself. However, it is not in the
>>spirit of our community to make ground for this embarrassment. Let me
>>explain.
>>
>>I do not think that there is such a thing as "interruptions" on the xmca
>>net (and dare to say in the non-virtual world) as an "objective,
>>"out-there" phenomenon. "Interruptions" are constructive responses to
>>others' contributions, stressing reluctance to see connections among
>>actions of different people in the equally fragmented and interconnected
>>world. People have many needs and reasons to post something on the net.
>>Some postings seem to get along with others and are considered by some
>>participants as conversations. Others can't find their interested net
>>respondents in a given moment (that lasts a day or two until the xmca
>>people still remember about the message).
>>
>>I think one of the "beauties" of XMCA that we do not institutionalize "full
>>participation" and "full participants" (do we?). Some xmca people can be
>>irritated by the length, frequency, the content, or a lack of messages of
>>some other xmca participants. But it is still private irritation, not xmca
>>institutional or communal. Waste for ones is food for others. We all are
>>newcomers.
>>
>>Let's keep it that way. What do you think?
>>
>>Eugene
>>
>>Eva writes:
>>>So you are quite right: the entrance ritual doesn't really fit the
>>>setting,
>>>as our practices in the informal settings serving as templates for this
>>>collaborative projection are NOT to step in through the doorway,
>>>interrupting the conversations by shouting out our CV and errand.
>>>"Embarrassment" is the effect of a mismatch between a requested
>>>behaviour
>>>and expectations projected by the setting.
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------
>>Eugene Matusov
>>Willard Hall Educational Bldg., Room 206G
>>Department of Educational Studies
>>University of Delaware
>>Newark, DE 19716-2920
>>
>>Phone: (302) 831-1266
>>Fax: (302) 831-4445
>>e-mail: ematusov who-is-at udel.edu
>>http://www.ematusov.com
>>------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>Judith Diamondstone
> * NOTE CHANGE OF AREA CODE * (732) 932-7496 Ext. 352
>MAILING ADDRESS:
>Graduate School of Education
>Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
>10 Seminary Place
>New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1183
> * NOTE CHANGE OF ZIP CODE *
>
-----------------------------------------------
Eugene Matusov
Willard Hall Educational Bldg., Room 206G
Department of Educational Studies
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716-2920
Phone: (302) 831-1266
Fax: (302) 831-4445
e-mail: ematusov who-is-at udel.edu
http://www.ematusov.com
------------------------------------------------