ROCHESTER – Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square, brings top scholars on the subject of play in America to Rochester for “Strong Perspectives,” a free lecture series.
The series, opening Tuesday, will explore the changing roles of children and play throughout American history.
The schedule:
- Monday, June 7, 7:30 p.m. “What Would Montessori Say About the iPad? When Old Theories of Play Meet New Media”: Since Edison’s talking doll, inventors have been eager to apply the latest innovations to children’s play; and these times are no different. In this historical and theoretical examination of the state of digital play, Warren Buckleitner explores the promise and perils of new technology in the play room—from inventor’s get-rich-quick schemes to significant and lasting cultural influences. Buckleitner is a nationally recognized expert on children and technology. He is founding editor of Children’s Technology Review and founder of the Dust or Magic Institute on the Design of Children’s Interactive Media. He also covers children’s technology for the popular New York Times Gadgetwise blog.
Lectures are free, but advanced registration is requested. To reserve a space, call 585-263-2700 or send e-mail to info@museumofplay.org.
The Strong Perspectives series is made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
December 1, 2009
Editorial by Warren Buckleitner
In 1968, a computer scientist named Alan Kay was one of the first to sip the “let’s empower children with technology” Kool-Aid.
Inspired by the freshly translated theories of Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, Kay sketched out a prototype for a wireless, touch screen device that would cost less than $500.
Flash forward 42 years. The Obama Administration is collecting ideas on how to spend millions of dollars on educational technology. The effort is being led by Karen Cator of the DOE. If you have an idea, you can submit it to Karen at www.edtechfuture.org (until Dec. 6).
The path toward technology empowerment is littered with lost acronyms and heavy marketing. In the 1980s, entire states invested in IBM’s WTR (Writing to Read) program. More recently, entire countries have bought into OLPC (One Laptop Per Child). And what do we have to show for eight years of NCLB (No Child Left Behind) solutions?
The heavy marketing behind “breakthrough” technology solutions has remained constant. At the last NECC, there were elaborate booths and afterhours parties designed to promote projector-driven interactive whiteboards, at a cost of $3000 each (not counting installation). These mono-touch devices are loaded with problems. They require projectors that heat air-conditioned classrooms with a fragile $400 bulb, and it is obvious that a non-projector, LCD-based multitouch big screen (such as Microsoft Surface) will replace the current interactive whiteboard concept.
The time is right to revisit Alan’s original idea. That same $3000 could provide 16.5 iPod Touch devices, enough for over half of a typical class. So for the cost of one teacher-controlled monotouch device at the front of the room, you could pass out multitouch devices to each student ($3000/$182 = 16.5 or so). These devices—which can connect through the school’s Wi-Fi network— also give every child search engine access, plus the ability to browse hundreds of millions of videos on YouTube. In addition, there are now thousands of education-related apps, like Hidden Pictures, page 16.
This time around, we need an honest, theory-and-assessment driven plan. The theories of Piaget and Gardner should trump the marketing talents of marketing firms like Edelman and Weber Shandwick, don’t you think?
The good news, is that the breeze from Moore’s Law (page 4) is blowing us all in the right direction, back to Alan Kay’s Dynabook. We’ll get there, sooner or later.
P.S. If you’re at CES next month, come say hello. I’ll be at the Kids at Play conference, where Alan Kay will revisit his DynaBook idea, in real time.
P.S.S. Have a happy holiday!
JP Dyson of the Strong Museum of Play’s National Center for the History of Electronic Games demonstrates a historic toy that raised the bar in electronic games. He starts by providing hints. How quickly can you guess which toy he’s talking about?
Presented at the Ninth Annual Dust or Magic Institute on November 3, 2009.