Squeaking in sixth grade

[Dave Master]

Cathleen, et al...
   Another great book on "community/social learning"
is Frank Smith's book THE BOOK OF LEARNING AND
FORGETTING...it's more accessible (but not totally
congruent with)than Wenger and Lave.Wenger and Lave's
book DOES examine various "social learning
communities"...some male-centric  and others
female-centric...they don't focus much on this issue
directly...but, it's not a big leap to extrapolate
some lessons from their research...in fact, it's quite
a nice exercise to do on one's own!   
                             Enjoy.   Dave
--- Dave Master <dave_master_edu at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Cathleen,
>   Thanks for contributing such a cogent and
> reflective
> email to the ongoing (probably for the rest of our
> careers!) dialogue.  I don't have time this week to
> respond or add, but my experiences for 17 years ion
> my
> classroom of overlapping grade and ability levels
> was
> very similar...also, your points on gender
> differences! Thanks for the insights and sharing
> your
> experiences.  If you haven't already read Wenger'
> and
> Lave' book on LEGITIMATE PERIPHERAL LEARNING I think
> you will find it hits on some of your
> questions...they
> don't specifically focus on classroom cultures, but
> the community and apprentice cultures they focus on
> illuminate how humans react and act when grouping
> informally to learn. Enjoy...and, again thanks for
> sharing.  Dave Master
> --- Cathleen Galas <cgalas at ucla.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > >Thank you John, Scott, Dave, Naala and Florin. 
> The
> > messages this 
> > >last week have been stimulating, and great fodder
> > for my own 
> > >thoughts on using Squeak.
> > >	From the few weeks I've been using Squeak in my
> > sixth grade 
> > >classes, I have some informal observations.
> > >	This year is the first year I've had a one grade
> > class. 
> > >During the last several years I had fourth and
> > fifth grade together, 
> > >and before that fifth and sixth.  I find many
> > advantages to having 
> > >two grades together.  Just having students for
> the
> > two years versus 
> > >only one enables me as a teacher to know the
> > student better and 
> > >therefore be a better teacher to that student. 
> It
> > also offers an 
> > >opportunity to use a mentor system, which I've
> used
> > in this setting 
> > >for over 10 years.  However, this year I have
> about
> > one-third of my 
> > >students from my last years 4-5 class.  This
> means
> > I have about 
> > >17/54 for a third year, and the rest are new to
> me
> > this year.  This 
> > >third has allowed the apprenticeship model to
> > function in the 
> > >classroom.  Pieces of the classroom culture that
> > are important to 
> > >me, such as classroom discourse, and the use of
> > technology tools 
> > >have been built into the classrooom structure
> this
> > year  informally 
> > >and passed on successfully.
> > >	One observation I have about introducing Squeak
> to
> > my classes 
> > >in the past two weeks is the comfort level with a
> > new technology. 
> > >The students I've had for three years have used
> > Logo in design 
> > >projects in science about three times a year, one
> > of which usually 
> > >had a research base.  The students new to my
> class
> > have not come 
> > >with as much technology expertise or comfort. 
> They
> > all used Logo in 
> > >the fall, and have been introduced to several
> other
> > technology 
> > >applications that were new to them.  The
> old-timers
> > seem to have 
> > >more comfort in the new setting with Squeak. 
> They
> > seem to have a 
> > >higher threshold for working through problems,
> > intuiting the new 
> > >platform, and a higher frustration level.  They
> are
> > more apt to be 
> > >able to "mess around" to which Dave also refers.
> > The new timers seem 
> > >to want direction and input and are a bit less
> > comfortable trying to 
> > >make something work, and are a bit less willing
> to
> > play with the 
> > >numbers to see what happens, for example when
> they
> > change the ratios 
> > >on the wheel heading.  They would prefer a clear
> > direction to put in 
> > >a certain number, and then drive the car. The
> > new-timers seem more 
> > >likely to want to get the car driving, and then
> sit
> > with a working 
> > >"finished" product instead of experimenting with
> > the possibilities. 
> > >The old-timers, on the other hand, have opened up
> > all the menus, and 
> > >pulled several items out of the tool box to play
> > with and see what 
> > >happens.
> > >	Several of the old-timers moved quickly to
> > successfully 
> > >controlling the car and having the car drive
> itself
> > on the track. 
> > >Then, they've wanted new challenges, and are very
> > willing to help 
> > >other students, and to begin real "messin'
> around"
> > ( I like this 
> > >phrase from Mr. Toad), with Squeak. One of them
> > quickly programmed a 
> > >superman game with a comet, where Superman
> > intercepts the comet.
> > >	John related using demonstrations before
> > beginning, and 
> > >having many tutors available.  I have found that
> > having a very brief 
> > >demonstration that allows students to get working
> > on a new task, 
> > >then adding pieces as students successfully find
> > ways to continue 
> > >working, helps most to be successful quickly and
> > minimize 
> > >frustration.  For example, the classroom culture
> > allows for quick 
> > >bits of input.  A signal is given to which
> students
> > are used to 
> > >responding, they stop and focus for a brief
> minute
> > while new 
> > >information is shared, usually students who have
> > mastered a new 
> > >task, and they are off to work again.  Since
> > students know that the 
> > >interruption is very brief, and it is introduced
> > quickly as 
> > >information they may need just about now, or in a
> > very few minutes, 
> > >they do focus and then go back to work to try to
> > apply the new 
> > >information.  I ask students who have worked
> > through something to be 
> > >the ones giving the input, so again the focus is
> > not the teacher 
> > >giving the direction for the "finished" product. 
> > If they're given 
> > >too much at the beginning, and they are not yet
> > using it, the 
> > >information is usually lost and they will again
> > need that 
> > >information individually if they do not intuit it
> > themselves.  This 
> > >seems to be especially true of the students who
> do
> > not have as much 
> > >experience working with simulation tools.  Their
> > more extensive 
> > >background in working with simulation tools seems
> > to offer the 
> > >old-timers a stronger context for intuiting the
> new
> > program nuts and 
> > >bolts, as well as
> > >	Although I paired the students, or had them in
> > threes on 
> > >computers, old-timers saw the value in being the
> > only one at the 
> > >computer, and always jumped at that opportunity
> > when available. 
> > >When that opportunity was presented to
> new-timers,
> > many of them 
> > >lamented, "I couldn't work alone, I don't know
> this
> > yet".  The new 
> > >timers seem to be more hesitant to "mess around"
> > especially on their 
> 
=== message truncated ===


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