alan kay
July 8, 2008
Alan Kay´s presentation at TED reminds me of the theory of experiential learning with some minor differences, especially at the start of the cycle. One tends to believe what one initially sees, and that must cast some doubt. However, it is the feeling through the senses that triggers the curiosity to observe attentively whether there is a pattern in the dynamics of phenomena. The learner then parts from the emotions and enters the world of the abstract. It is here where s/he conceptualizes, where s/he interiorizes knowledge. So do his learners in his experiments: they touch the balls and feels the weight. Then they go through observation of movements, use Mr Kay´s software to conceptualize while at the same time link the behavioral patterns observed.
What I personally find fascinating about Alan Kay´s samples of learning is the effectiveness of its simplicity. In fact, his argument is that the old traditional way of teaching physics, in the case of gravity for example, is absurd. No wonder most grown ups find the issue too hard to understand, including me. Children, as it is very apparent in the video, reach to their conclusions in a very logical manner. It is as if to say that we are born with the ability to solve problems if the right environment is provided. Traditional teaching denies the individual the opportunity to train for thinking.
Alan Kay is the cofounder of Viewpoints Reserch Institute a research group dedicated to improve education in children through computing. The areas covered are four: Teaching and learning powerful ideas, powerful ideas content and how to represent it, UIs that help learning and doing and inventing fundamental new computing technologies. A little into his biography and one can´t help but admire him: he in fact comes a long way, from the 60´s when he worked at XeroxPARC and was part of changing inventions, such as the graphical interface we find in computers today, the object-oriented programming which makes it easy for programs to incorporate subprograms or modules, etc. For more information check his profile.
A few phrases:
- “We see things not as they are but as we are” ( Talmud )
- “We go to the theater in order to be fooled” ( Shakespeare )
- “We do more. We like more. Complex means more”
