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It will be great to have Yasmin Kafai, Justice Walker, and Tom Lauwers with us Wednesday night for our fourth and final book study discussion. Yasmin, Justice, and Tom all contributed essays to our new book, Twenty Things to Do with a Computer Forward 50: Future Visions of Education Inspired by Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon’s Seminal Work.
Details for joining us and preparing for the discussion follow. Video of previous conversations may be found below.
Join colleagues, Gary Stager, and guest experts in conversation about a critically important new book!
Preparing for Session #4 on February 23rd
- Please get yourself a copy of Twenty Things to Do with a Computer – Forward 50 if you have not already done so. The book is now available in Kindle, softcover, and hardcover editions.
- In preparation for Session #4, please read the following essays.
- Twenty Things to Make with Biology by Yasmin Kafai & Justice Walker
- Ten Things to Do with the Internet by Tom Lauwers
- Whatever Happened to the Revolution? by Geraldine Kozberg
- Isn’t It Time for Us to Grow Up? by Seymour Papert
- Optional Reading
- The Future is Computational by Gary Stager
- Any essays from the book – your choice.
Recommended resources related to recent discussions
- Piaget’s Constructivism, Papert’s Constructionism: What’s the difference? by Edith Ackermann
- Eight Big Ideas Behind the Constructionist Learning Laboratory by Seymour Papert (in lots of languages)
- A compendium of Constructionism Resources
- The Seymour Papert archives at The Daily Papert This site is slowly being redesigned, but contains the largest collection of Papert’s work, including text, audio, and video.
- Books & video for learning more about the Reggio Emilia approach
- Science educator David Hawkins had a significant impact on the thinking of many progressive educators, including Seymour Papert, Deborah Meier, Carla Rinaldi, Lella Gandini, Eleanor Duckworth, and Loris Malaguzzi. His essay, Messing About with Science is a seminal document in the history of progressive education.
- Seymour Papert and George Franz’s 1983 paper, Computer as Material: Messing About with Time, is equally worthy of your attention.
Be prepared to ask questions and share passages of the book that intrigue, delight, affirm, or concern you.
No topic or opinion is off-limits. This book study group is dependent on lively discussion by all of its participants.
There is still some room available if you wish to invite your friends and colleagues. Please share this link for them to register. https://mailchi.mp/cf09243d8ff6/book-study
Join Dr. Gary Stager, peers, and surprise guests in a weekly synchronous discussion of the powerful ideas, challenges, and inspiration found in a variety of the new book’s essays. Each week, a couple articles will be assigned and community members will be encouraged to choose other chapters for discussion. There’s something for everybody in this book!
Registrants will be able to participate in each week’s conversation, join the online community, and access video of the discussions. Four sessions will commence at 8 PM Eastern/5 PM Pacific on Wednesdays in February.
Discussion Themes
February 2: Twenty Things to Do with a ComputerFebruary 9: The Struggle is RealFebruary 16: Personal Computing- February 23: Future Visions
Registrants will receive links and instructions 3 hours prior to the next session.
I could not be prouder of the new all-star book I just published, Twenty Things to Do with a Computer Forward 50: Future Visions of Education Inspired by Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon’s Seminal Work. You now have an opportunity to discuss the powerful ideas in this book online during February in a free study group. The book is now available in Kindle, softcover, and hardcover editions!
Twenty Things to Do with a Computer Forward 50, is a celebration of the vision set forth by Seymour Papert and Cynthia Solomon a half-century ago. Four dozen experts from around the world invite us to consider the original provocations, reflect on their implementation, and chart a course for the future through personal recollections, learning stories, and imaginative scenarios.
Veteran educator Gary Stager, Ph.D. is the author of Twenty Things to Do with a Computer – Forward 50, co-author of Invent To Learn — Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, publisher at Constructing Modern Knowledge Press, and the founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute. He led professional development in the world’s first 1:1 laptop schools thirty years ago and designed one of the oldest online graduate school programs. Gary is also the curator of The Seymour Papert archives at DailyPapert.com. Learn more about Gary here.