Re: [xmca] teaching Vygotsky

[David Kellogg <vaughndogblack@yahoo.com>]

I teach one course that is rather stridently Vygotskyan on "Whole Language Approaches and Sociocultural Theory", in the fall for our MA in Primary English Education. Emphasis is on play, with some criticism of the Whole Language approach to Vygotsky current in the USA.
 
I teach a more laid back Vygotsky course called, rather grandiosely, "Intra-mental Knowledge from Inter-mental Skills" for an MA in Integrated Subject Teaching in the spring. Emphasis is somewhat more theoretical but follows the standard primary English syllabus here.
 
The undergrads, who normally crack jokes about our poor tennis games, referred to my course in Primary English Teaching Methods as "EVP" or English for Vygotskyan Purposes". It's a practical class, but they are seniors and looking forward with trepidation to the Civil Service Exam for teachers (where Vygotsky's a staple). Besides, Vygotsky's ideas about CONCEPTS and COMPLEXES and CONCRETE OBJECTS are really the key to understanding why we say things like:
 
T: Do you like DRAGONS? Well, THIS is a dragon. The name of the dragon is...DRAGWIN!
.
David (Dragwin) Kellogg
Seoul National University of Education 



      
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