"Overall, the picture that emerges from extensive research on schooling
provides only minimal support for the idea that schooling changes the
cognitive processes associated with middle childhood in any deep and
general way. In those cases in which schooling has been found to affect
cognitive performance, the effect appears to be restricted to rather
specific information-processing strategies or to a specific context that is
relevant primarily, if not exclusively, to school itself (Cole&Cole, 1990)."
It leaves me waiting for the other shoe to drop. In a way, I'm not=
surprised at Coles' statement, since Vygotsky's notion of cognitive=
development relied upon the zoped, and schools rarely seek to establish the=
conditions to determine zopeds. It may follow partially as a consequence=
of the day to day preoccupation with teaching, as work activity, rather=
than teaching in support of learning, as learning activity, in turn, in=
support of development. =20
Development seems to be a hard word for people to understand, and it seems=
to be a hard thing to accomplish as an approach with the economy and=
ecology of public education in the U.S. What can be done to establish the=
actual developmental level of a child? While problem solving interviews=
can provide useful insights into a child's (actual) development, we don't=
have the education work-force to establish it or other means as a standard=
practice, nor do we have even the narrowest spread of understanding about=
why such things as interviews are more useful than standardized testing. =
Then it is contrary to common sense to see what child can perform in the=
presence of a more experienced other - does that not also depend upon the o=
ther?
Teaching, as work activity, resists change. Without operationalized moves,=
routines, and scripts to make mass education possible, our teachers and=
school administrators could not cope. Mass education is to cognitive=
development as farming is to gardening. The farmer surveys the landscape=
and determines when to water and cultivate, how the corn is doing in this=
field or that. More scientifically oriented farmers make measurements of=
soil acidity and composition, record how much water and fertilizer has been=
administered, and compare with previous crops. They don't have time to=
look at each plant.
I think the Coles know all this and more. =20
Bill Barowy, Associate Professor
Technology in Education
Lesley College, 31 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2790=20
Phone: 617-349-8168 / Fax: 617-349-8169
http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/wbarowy/Barowy.html
_______________________
"One of life's quiet excitements is to stand somewhat apart from yourself
and watch yourself softly become the author of something beautiful."
[Norman Maclean in "A river runs through it."]