I have been having a lot of fun playing with Squeak. The drag and drop scripting makes it a lot more accessible for those who can’t program, like me. It is easy to use, and I think students would enjoy learning math using something like this. It sure beats the traditional chalk and talk approach, which didn’t work too well for me as a math student. I was none too swift with understanding math and relied heavily on discourse with peers. Once I understood, though, I would even out-perform the very kids who helped me understand on things like math contests. Go figure! So, I don’t think education has to remain something recognizable and conventional. I see potential in innovative programs like Squeak, that I’ve been playing with this week, or Knowledge Forum, that I’ve been using in my thesis research. Further, I think the pedagogy–constructionism, teaching for understanding, knowledge building, etc. underlying these kinds of cognitively-oriented technology really worthwhile.
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