Even in your disagreement you professional discourse is exemplary.

Thank you for the example professional sparing.

Sonja

Where am I demeaning Papert? Seriously? Where?

If anything, I’m taking you to task, not him. I don’t disagree that he has “foundational ideas”, but he’s not the only one. Not that you are saying that either, but just about every conversation with you goes back to Papert.

I appreciate your recommendation of my work. And by the way, I defended you above. I wouldn’t take cheap shots at you, nor anyone else for that matter.

Now you are taking a cheap shot. As a former English teacher, surely you would agree that there are “foundational” texts in any field.

I’d like to think that authors and pundits making pronouncements about revolutions in childhood, learning or society are well-versed in the field’s major works in order to have legitimacy and context.

Incidentally, I’ve read lots of the net books you’ve recommended, written about some of them and gone out of my way to recommend you and your book. I don’t put a lot of stock in authors who embrace and repeat such nonsense as digital native/immigrant. Why should I give such authors my money or time?

Instead of demeaning Dr. Papert without a single rationale, perhaps you would like to say something about the comments dismissing books and any idea older than a year or two.

@Lohman In all fairness, Gary is a tried and true educator just like me. In fact, his diverse experiences make him arguably more of a valuable voice in this community than mine.

Having said that, I’m just wondering Gary how you know that this is a “shallow derivative work” without reading it. And Papert’s wisdom may be timeless, but surely you can’t be suggesting that no one else has anything to add to the conversation. Are you?

Look, we have different heroes here, but I’m willing to listen to your thinking and be open to it. The “All Roads Lead to Papert” line does limit the dialogue at times, however.

Are you suggesting that shallow derivative work is better because it’s new?

There are but a few people of Papert’s intellect and powerful ideas per generation and their wisdom is timeless.

That is why I asked Will to share his thoughts on The Connected Family with you rather than the current airport bookstore treasure.

I would much rather deal with folks that are forward thinking and may have a great handle on the digital native rather than one that is entrenched in 50 years of the same old same old.

Your view also hold weight as it comes from a tried and true educator, rather than a self proclaimed educational expert.

Thanks for the review, I look forward to reading it.

And Gary, it’s Ok for a book to be rooted in the internet, it is the most advanced tool for education and information available.

Here’s just one example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvf_cBImR5Q

This sounds an awful lot like Seymour Papert’s book, The Connected Family: Bridging the Digital Generation Gap
(published in 1996).

Papert’s insights aren’t just rooted in the Internet or pop-economics, but in five decades of working with and studying children.

Why don’t you share your thoughts about and excerpts from Papert’s seminal book with your vast PLN?

After all, shouldn’t learners be dealing with primary resources?