Recommended Reading

For those of you who wish to go "the extra mile"....I suggest the following books. 

Seymour Papert is the M.I.T. professor who invented LOGO, the child-friendly programming language.  Some of you may have experienced LOGO - it's the language that involved writing programming instructions for a turtle.  Much of Papert's work is rooted in the learning theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.  Papert's books are available through Amazon.com.  In addition, you may be able to find them at Half Price Books.  Here are the links associated with the books from http://www.amazon.com

1.		Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas -- by Seymour A. Papert, John Sculley (Designer); Paperback Buy new: $27.00 -- Used & new from: $8.95
2.		The Children's Machine: Rethinking School in the Age of the Computer -- by Seymour Papert; Paperback Buy new: $17.00 -- Used & new from: $1.46
3.		The Connected Family: Bridging the Digital Generation Gap by Seymour A. Papert, Nicholas Negroponte (Hardcover - October 1996) Editions: Hardcover Buy new:   $16.07 --Used & new from $1.50

The work/writing of Dr. David Jonassen is widely respected and cited as fundamental to much of what is considered "cutting edge" in the field. He is the Distinguished Professor, Learning Technologies in School of Information Science and Learning Technologies at the University of Missouri.  He has written extensively on computers as "mindtools," constructivism, and the design of learning environments.  Some of his books are listed below.  You may find a more complete list of his writings by going to his website or by doing a search on Amazon.com.

1.

Computers as Mindtools for Schools: Engaging Critical Thinking (2nd Edition) -- by David H. Jonassen, et al; Paperback Buy new: $48.00 -- Used & new from: $34.00

2.

Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments -- by David H. Jonassen (Editor), Susan M. Land (Editor); Paperback Buy new: $32.50

3.

Constructivism and the Technology of Instruction: A Conversation by Thomas M. Duffy, David H. Jonassen (Editor) (Paperback - October 1992) Buy new: Buy new:--Used & new from $30.16

4.

Learning with Technology: A Constructivist Perspective by David H. Jonassen, et al (Paperback) Out of stock--Used & new from $23.67

And, for those of you are intrigued by my personal fascination and interest in the work of Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist, take a look at a very brief biography at http://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/v/y.htm .  Vygotsky's work has had serious impact on my understanding of what it means to teach, what it means to "assess", and an understanding of computers as a "mediating" tool in the learning process.  The books that started my interest in Vygotsky are listed below.

1.		Thought and Language - Rev'd Edition -- by Lev S. Vygotsky (Author), Alex Kozulin (Editor); Paperback Buy new: $25.00 -- Used & new from: $7.99
2.		Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes -- by L. S. Vygotsky, et al; Paperback Buy new: $17.95 -- Used & new from: $9.87