Hi Yama,<div><br></div><div>Try this reference it has actual data that supports constructivism</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; ">
Wenglinsky, H. (2005) Chp. 4 in Using Technology Wisely: the keys to success in </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; ">
schools, Columbia University Teachers College Press, NY, 60-77, <b>CP </b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; ">
<b><br></b></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><b><br></b></p></span><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 12:51 PM, Yamandu Ploskonka <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:yamaplos@gmail.com">yamaplos@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">I have received an inquiry on implementing constructionism from a high<br>
official in the Bolivian government.<br>
<br>
Since my opinion may be biased :-), I request you help us with clear,<br>
simple and please objective answers (no vapor-stuff), if at all possible<br>
<br>
1) How do constructionist pupils do on standardized tests, such as<br>
University entrance exams. (please inform about other demographic<br>
situations besides children of highly trained scholars - most Bolivian<br>
kids do not fit THAT bracket, alas)<br>
<br>
2) How do they do with usual classroom tests, especially in the<br>
University.<br>
Core question is, are alumni of constructionism better, or at least<br>
competitive there? What evidence do we have to prove this?<br>
<br>
3) Is there any evidence (objective, unbiased) as to the impact of<br>
constructionism in education? The big maybe here is further impact on<br>
development, yes ? (I may be mistaken here, please correct)<br>
<br>
4) any other solid, statistically valid data supporting constructionism<br>
<br>
Please avoid treatises - I will be presenting this this week, and if<br>
anyone would volunteer, it may be possible to put you directly in touch<br>
with this official and/or his staff. It is, or should be widely known<br>
that I see the current conctructionist stance within OLPC and Sugar as a<br>
misguided, feel-good attempt that is bound to do more harm to most kids<br>
than good compared to what could be achieved with a solid<br>
curricular-content approach, but I honestly would be happier I were<br>
mistaken, if determined by solid evidence.<br>
I looooove constructionism, it just doesn't seem to me to be what kids<br>
need, and all in all, I wish it worked, but I cannot prove it does for<br>
most kids. I am certain, but cannot prove either, that it does work<br>
within classrooms with highly trained teachers, or for gifted kids, or<br>
when there is a lot of educated support from home, in any case not a<br>
basis to adopt it for a country like Bolivia.<br>
<br>
Yama<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Caroline Meeks<br>Solution Grove<br>Caroline@SolutionGrove.com<br><br>617-500-3488 - Office<br>505-213-3268 - Fax<br>
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