<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> What was your worst school experience? Construccionism could have been the answer? Well... mine was not related to the way the school teach, or the way that the teachers want we learn.  I don't think that damage nothing on my brain (I think so!). I am sit here thinking what was the worst experience... 5 minutes... "prussian" experience... nothing to comment.  It was the university was became a real boring and ugly thing: too many teachers that want to justify their existence, their salary, their political position.  ok.... I got one!!!! Learning the chemical numbers related to each atom (sorry... I don't know english language for chemistry!)... learning what was the "atomic number" of this or that atom was  terrible, bad experience, boring.   That "damage" my mind (and my spirit!). Is there a construccionist way to learn the "atomic numbers" of all the chemical atoms in the next 48 hours?  Experiments are nice... but that doesnt teach you the whole table of elements!!! But that happens when I was in University.  When I was a kid and I was on first or 2nd grade it was fun to learn the "5 table"... (ok, now today we all we will learn the number 5 table... repeat after me: 5 x 1 = 5;  5 x 2 = 10; .... ).  No pain, no damage, it was right.  There are other ways.. yes, sure! I can imagine a few.  But... is "the method" the BIG DEAL that will be an obcjetive ? I don't think so. Let's give education.  In one way or another (I like construccionism... it is a tool, a path, a way... like many other tools). So... let's provide good teachers & good tools.  That is the base for the "lemonade".  You want to add some "construccionism"... perfect! You like more the "repetitive" way? ok, too! As far as you are a good teacher and have the tools you will educate the children and we will see results. Best regards, Javier Rodriguez Lima, Peru (oh... almost forgot... my worst primary and high school experience was that I was a skinny rat... so all the big guys on the class try to demonstrate his superiority in physical ways... well... I develop my "learning by doing" reality show and I learn how to avoid those dangerous situations in many ways... I was never hit because I didn't mess with the big guys and I was a good fellow to them... stragety (I had not read Sun Tzhu yet! but I was applying some survival tactics! hahaha!).  Later, in the last years in high school and first years of university, I went to a gim, got some grades in Judo and Karate (just to compensate things) and I realize of the real power of words (more powerfull that some big muscles...).  I was suspended once in my last year in high school (due to a public speach about liberty against the militars that rule my country on those years) and 3 times in the university (because some teachers didn't like that I demand real education and better information).  All those 4 times the top authorities (in high school and university) reinstall me silently ("... you come back... but you won't do waves again, ok?...").  Later I became involved in a kidnapping (my father case), work with the police by 6 months until reaching the bad guys; became involved in the first terrorist attack on my city, became dog trainer for police and army.   So, yes, that bad experience (feeling in danger in front of the big guys in the primary and high school) damage my spirit (modify my conduct).  Today I can face the death directly to the eyes, fight alone against many, or take any other risk that I was not able to do as a kid.  Compensation laws.  As an adult I have fought (legally) against one of the 10 most powerfull companies in Peru and against one of the top 10 most powerfull men in Peru.  I won both cases.  Compensation laws again. If some kid is reading this (my kids will!): some muscles doesn't hurt! go to play something! :-)   (and... keep it secret.. girls like "muscled boys" too! it is a bonus!) </body> </html>