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Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play
How lessons from kindergarten can help everyone develop the creative thinking skills needed to thrive in today's society.
In kindergartens these days, children spend more time with math worksheets and phonics flashcards than building blocks and finger paint. Kindergarten is becoming more like the rest of school. In Lifelong Kindergarten, learning expert Mitchel Resnick argues for exactly the opposite: the rest of school (even the rest of life) should be more like kindergarten. To thrive in today's fast-changing world, people of all ages must learn to think and act creatively--and the best way to do that is by focusing more on imagining, creating, playing, sharing, and reflecting, just as children do in traditional kindergartens.
Drawing on experiences from more than thirty years at MIT's Media Lab, Resnick discusses new technologies and strategies for engaging young people in creative learning experiences. He tells stories of how children are programming their own games, stories, and inventions (for example, a diary security system, created by a twelve-year-old girl), and collaborating through remixing, crowdsourcing, and large-scale group projects (such as a Halloween-themed game called Night at Dreary Castle, produced by more than twenty kids scattered around the world). By providing young people with opportunities to work on projects, based on their passions, in collaboration with peers, in a playful spirit, we can help them prepare for a world where creative thinking is more important than ever before.
In kindergartens these days, children spend more time with math worksheets and phonics flashcards than building blocks and finger paint. Kindergarten is becoming more like the rest of school. In Lifelong Kindergarten, learning expert Mitchel Resnick argues for exactly the opposite: the rest of school (even the rest of life) should be more like kindergarten. To thrive in today's fast-changing world, people of all ages must learn to think and act creatively--and the best way to do that is by focusing more on imagining, creating, playing, sharing, and reflecting, just as children do in traditional kindergartens.
Drawing on experiences from more than thirty years at MIT's Media Lab, Resnick discusses new technologies and strategies for engaging young people in creative learning experiences. He tells stories of how children are programming their own games, stories, and inventions (for example, a diary security system, created by a twelve-year-old girl), and collaborating through remixing, crowdsourcing, and large-scale group projects (such as a Halloween-themed game called Night at Dreary Castle, produced by more than twenty kids scattered around the world). By providing young people with opportunities to work on projects, based on their passions, in collaboration with peers, in a playful spirit, we can help them prepare for a world where creative thinking is more important than ever before.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 25, 2017
About the author
Mitchel Resnick
13 books29 followersMitchel Resnick, Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab, develops new technologies and activities to engage people (especially children) in creative learning experiences. His Lifelong Kindergarten research group develops the Scratch programming software and online community, the world’s largest coding platform for kids. His group also collaborates with the LEGO company on the development of new educational ideas and products, including the LEGO Mindstorms robotics kits. Resnick co-founded the Computer Clubhouse project, an international network of 100 after-school learning centers, where youth from low-income communities learn to express themselves creatively with new technologies. Resnick earned an undergraduate degree in physics from Princeton, and a Masters and PhD degrees in computer science from MIT. He was awarded the McGraw Prize in Education in 2011 and the AACE EdMedia Pioneer Award in 2013.
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May 15, 2018
1 – Creative Learning
p.4 – Today’s young people will be confronted with new and unexpected situations throughout their lives. They must learn to deal creatively with uncertainty and change – not only in their work-lives, but also in personal lives (how to develop and sustain friendships in an era of ever-changing social networks) and their civic lives (how to participate meaningfully in communities that have ever-shifting needs and boundaries).
p.6 – Most people do not think of kindergarten as an invention, let alone an important invention. But kindergarten is a relatively new idea (less than 200 years old), and it represents an important departure from previous approaches to schooling. When Friedrich Froebel opened the world’s first kindergarten in Germany in 1837, it wasn’t simply a school for younger children. It was based on a radically different approach to education, fundamentally different from schools that came before.
p.7 – Before Froebel invented the first kindergarten in 1837, most schools were based on what might be called a broadcast approach to education; that is the teacher stood in front of the classroom and broadcast information. Students sat in their seats and carefully wrote down the information, word for word. From time to time, students would recite back what they had written. Classroom discussion happened rarely, of at all.
Froebel knew that this approach wouldn’t work for five-year-olds. He understood that young children learn best by interacting with the world around them. So, in setting up the first kindergarten, Froebel shifted from a broadcast model of education to an interactive model, providing children with opportunity to interact with toys, craft materials, and other physical objects.
p.9 – Maria Montessori built upon Froebel’s ideas, particularly embracing the importance of engaging children’s senses through physical, manipulative materials. The network of schools bearing Montessori’s name owe a debt to Froebel and his ideas.
p.16-17 – Four P’s of creative learning:
1. Projects
2. Passion – when people work on projects they care about, they’re willing to work longer and harder
3. Peers – creativity is a social process, with people collaborating, sharing, and building on one another’s work
4. Play – support playful experimentation as a pathway to creativity, encouraging young people to take risks and try new things
2 – Projects
p.36 – Learning through making – Over the years, many educators and researchers have advocated leaning by doing, arguing that people learn best when they are actively involved in doing things, learning through hands-on activities. But in the culture of the Maker Movement, it’s not enough to do something: you need to make something. According to the maker ethic, the most valuable learning experiences come when you’re actively engaged in designing, building, or creating something – when you’re learning through making.
p.48 – Developing your thinking – In the process of writing, you learn to organize, refine, and reflect on your ideas. As you become a better writer, you become a better thinker.
p.49 – Developing your voice – Both writing and coding are forms of expression, ways to communicate your ideas with others.
p.50 – Developing your identity – When people learn to write, they begin to see themselves differently – and to see their role in society differently. The Brazilian educator-philosopher Paulo Freire led literacy campaigns in poor communities not simply to help people get jobs, but also to help people learn that “they can make and remake themselves” (as he wrote in Pedagogy of Indignation). I see the same potential for coding. In today’s society, digital technologies are a symbol of possibility and progress. When children learn to use digital technologies to express themselves and share their ideas through coding, they begin to see themselves in new ways. They begin to see the possibility for contributing actively to society. They begin to see themselves as part of the future.
5 – Play
p.128 – People often associate play with laughter, fun, and having a good time. It’s easy to understand why: play often involves all those things. But that description misses what’s most important about play – and why play is so important to creativity. Creativity doesn’t come from laughter and fun: it comes from experimenting, taking risks, and testing the boundaries. Or, in Anne Frank’s words, being a mischief maker.
“You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” (Plato)
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” (George Bernard Shaw)
“Toys and games are the preludes to serious ideas.” (Charles Eames)
p.129 – I’ve been particularly inspired by John Dewey, who shifted the focus from play (the activity) to playfulness (the attitude).
p.132 – In recent years, children have started spending more of their playtime on computer screens. This opens new opportunities for creative play and creative learning, but many of the new on-screen play activities feel more like playpens than playgrounds.
p.133 – Danish has two different words for play. The word spille is used t describe the types of play that have a defined structure and sets of rules, like playing sports of playing a video game, whereas the words lege is used to describe play that is imaginative and open-ended, without an explicit goal. It seems appropriate that the Danish toy company is named LEGO (a contraction of lege and godt, meaning play well) and not SPILGO; LEGO bricks are explicitly designed to support imaginative, open-ended play.
p.134 – Play is one of the four P’s of creative learning. But to help children develop as creative thinkers, we need to distinguish between different types of play, putting more emphasis on lege that spille, and more emphasis on playgrounds than playpens.
6 – Creative Society
p.162 – Ten tips for learners:
1. Start simple
2. Work on things that you like
3. If you have no clue what to do, fiddle around
4. Don’t be afraid to experiment
5. Find a friend to work with and share ideas
6. It’s ok to copy stuff (to give you an idea)
7. Keep your ideas in a sketchbook
8. Build, take apart, and rebuild
9. Lots of things can go wrong: stick with it
10. Create your own learning tips
p.168 – Ten tips for parents and teachers:
1. Imagine: Show examples to spark ideas
2. Imagine: Encourage messing around
3. Create: Provide a wide variety of materials
4. Create: Embrace all types of making
5. Play: Emphasize process, not product
6. Play: Extend time for projects
7. Share: Play the role of Matchmaker
8. Share: Get involved as a collaborator
9. Reflect: Ask authentic questions
10. Reflect: Share your own reflections
p.4 – Today’s young people will be confronted with new and unexpected situations throughout their lives. They must learn to deal creatively with uncertainty and change – not only in their work-lives, but also in personal lives (how to develop and sustain friendships in an era of ever-changing social networks) and their civic lives (how to participate meaningfully in communities that have ever-shifting needs and boundaries).
p.6 – Most people do not think of kindergarten as an invention, let alone an important invention. But kindergarten is a relatively new idea (less than 200 years old), and it represents an important departure from previous approaches to schooling. When Friedrich Froebel opened the world’s first kindergarten in Germany in 1837, it wasn’t simply a school for younger children. It was based on a radically different approach to education, fundamentally different from schools that came before.
p.7 – Before Froebel invented the first kindergarten in 1837, most schools were based on what might be called a broadcast approach to education; that is the teacher stood in front of the classroom and broadcast information. Students sat in their seats and carefully wrote down the information, word for word. From time to time, students would recite back what they had written. Classroom discussion happened rarely, of at all.
Froebel knew that this approach wouldn’t work for five-year-olds. He understood that young children learn best by interacting with the world around them. So, in setting up the first kindergarten, Froebel shifted from a broadcast model of education to an interactive model, providing children with opportunity to interact with toys, craft materials, and other physical objects.
p.9 – Maria Montessori built upon Froebel’s ideas, particularly embracing the importance of engaging children’s senses through physical, manipulative materials. The network of schools bearing Montessori’s name owe a debt to Froebel and his ideas.
p.16-17 – Four P’s of creative learning:
1. Projects
2. Passion – when people work on projects they care about, they’re willing to work longer and harder
3. Peers – creativity is a social process, with people collaborating, sharing, and building on one another’s work
4. Play – support playful experimentation as a pathway to creativity, encouraging young people to take risks and try new things
2 – Projects
p.36 – Learning through making – Over the years, many educators and researchers have advocated leaning by doing, arguing that people learn best when they are actively involved in doing things, learning through hands-on activities. But in the culture of the Maker Movement, it’s not enough to do something: you need to make something. According to the maker ethic, the most valuable learning experiences come when you’re actively engaged in designing, building, or creating something – when you’re learning through making.
p.48 – Developing your thinking – In the process of writing, you learn to organize, refine, and reflect on your ideas. As you become a better writer, you become a better thinker.
p.49 – Developing your voice – Both writing and coding are forms of expression, ways to communicate your ideas with others.
p.50 – Developing your identity – When people learn to write, they begin to see themselves differently – and to see their role in society differently. The Brazilian educator-philosopher Paulo Freire led literacy campaigns in poor communities not simply to help people get jobs, but also to help people learn that “they can make and remake themselves” (as he wrote in Pedagogy of Indignation). I see the same potential for coding. In today’s society, digital technologies are a symbol of possibility and progress. When children learn to use digital technologies to express themselves and share their ideas through coding, they begin to see themselves in new ways. They begin to see the possibility for contributing actively to society. They begin to see themselves as part of the future.
5 – Play
p.128 – People often associate play with laughter, fun, and having a good time. It’s easy to understand why: play often involves all those things. But that description misses what’s most important about play – and why play is so important to creativity. Creativity doesn’t come from laughter and fun: it comes from experimenting, taking risks, and testing the boundaries. Or, in Anne Frank’s words, being a mischief maker.
“You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” (Plato)
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” (George Bernard Shaw)
“Toys and games are the preludes to serious ideas.” (Charles Eames)
p.129 – I’ve been particularly inspired by John Dewey, who shifted the focus from play (the activity) to playfulness (the attitude).
p.132 – In recent years, children have started spending more of their playtime on computer screens. This opens new opportunities for creative play and creative learning, but many of the new on-screen play activities feel more like playpens than playgrounds.
p.133 – Danish has two different words for play. The word spille is used t describe the types of play that have a defined structure and sets of rules, like playing sports of playing a video game, whereas the words lege is used to describe play that is imaginative and open-ended, without an explicit goal. It seems appropriate that the Danish toy company is named LEGO (a contraction of lege and godt, meaning play well) and not SPILGO; LEGO bricks are explicitly designed to support imaginative, open-ended play.
p.134 – Play is one of the four P’s of creative learning. But to help children develop as creative thinkers, we need to distinguish between different types of play, putting more emphasis on lege that spille, and more emphasis on playgrounds than playpens.
6 – Creative Society
p.162 – Ten tips for learners:
1. Start simple
2. Work on things that you like
3. If you have no clue what to do, fiddle around
4. Don’t be afraid to experiment
5. Find a friend to work with and share ideas
6. It’s ok to copy stuff (to give you an idea)
7. Keep your ideas in a sketchbook
8. Build, take apart, and rebuild
9. Lots of things can go wrong: stick with it
10. Create your own learning tips
p.168 – Ten tips for parents and teachers:
1. Imagine: Show examples to spark ideas
2. Imagine: Encourage messing around
3. Create: Provide a wide variety of materials
4. Create: Embrace all types of making
5. Play: Emphasize process, not product
6. Play: Extend time for projects
7. Share: Play the role of Matchmaker
8. Share: Get involved as a collaborator
9. Reflect: Ask authentic questions
10. Reflect: Share your own reflections
September 7, 2019
เราชอบหนังสือกลุ่มนี้เรื่องหนึ่งคือมันคุยกันคนอ่านตลอด ต่างจากพวกงานวิชาการหนักหัวจำนวนมากที่กลายเป็นว่าคนอ่านต้องพยายามเข้าใจว่าจะเสนออะไร
หลักๆ เรสนิกเสนอว่าการเรียนรู้แบบโรงเรียนอนุบาล คือผ่านการลงมือทำด้วยความหลงใหล สนุกสนาน และกล้าลองผิดลองถูกคือหัวใจของการเรียนรู้ตลอดชีวิต
เรสนิกเอาไอเดียนี้ไปใช้ใน MIT Media Lab ซึ่งเราชอบแทบทุกกลุ่มวิจัยที่นั่นเลย ความเป็น anti-disciplinary มันเปิดโอกาสให้ creativity มันไปได้สุดกว่าการเรียนและทำวิจัยในสถาบันทั่วๆ ไป ที่ชอบอีกอย่างคือตอนท้ายที่ทิ้งคำแนะนำสำหรับผู้เรียน ผู้ปกครอง และนักออกแบบการเรียนรู้ว่าจะทำอย่างไรจึงจะสามารถเรียนรู้อย่างสร้างสรรค์ในความหมายนี้ได้
ที่สำคัญคือเรสนิกไม่ได้พยายามเรียกร้องเอาจากครูและนักเรียนให้สร้างสรรค์ แต่ค่อนข้างเข้าใจด้วยว่าการสร้างบรรยากาศหรือสังคมที่เอื้อให้คนกล้าคิดกล้าทดลองเป็นสิ่งสำคัญมาก เสียดายที่ประสบการณ์ส่วนใหญ่ในหนังสือมันจำกัดอยู่กับบริบทของอเมริกามาก มันเลยไม่ค่อยเห็นว่าในสังคมที่โครงสร้างมันเข้มงวดมากๆ การสร้างการเรียนรู้อย่างสร้างสรรค์มันต้องเผชิญอุปสรรคยังไงและเราจะดีลกับมันยังไงดี
หลักๆ เรสนิกเสนอว่าการเรียนรู้แบบโรงเรียนอนุบาล คือผ่านการลงมือทำด้วยความหลงใหล สนุกสนาน และกล้าลองผิดลองถูกคือหัวใจของการเรียนรู้ตลอดชีวิต
เรสนิกเอาไอเดียนี้ไปใช้ใน MIT Media Lab ซึ่งเราชอบแทบทุกกลุ่มวิจัยที่นั่นเลย ความเป็น anti-disciplinary มันเปิดโอกาสให้ creativity มันไปได้สุดกว่าการเรียนและทำวิจัยในสถาบันทั่วๆ ไป ที่ชอบอีกอย่างคือตอนท้ายที่ทิ้งคำแนะนำสำหรับผู้เรียน ผู้ปกครอง และนักออกแบบการเรียนรู้ว่าจะทำอย่างไรจึงจะสามารถเรียนรู้อย่างสร้างสรรค์ในความหมายนี้ได้
ที่สำคัญคือเรสนิกไม่ได้พยายามเรียกร้องเอาจากครูและนักเรียนให้สร้างสรรค์ แต่ค่อนข้างเข้าใจด้วยว่าการสร้างบรรยากาศหรือสังคมที่เอื้อให้คนกล้าคิดกล้าทดลองเป็นสิ่งสำคัญมาก เสียดายที่ประสบการณ์ส่วนใหญ่ในหนังสือมันจำกัดอยู่กับบริบทของอเมริกามาก มันเลยไม่ค่อยเห็นว่าในสังคมที่โครงสร้างมันเข้มงวดมากๆ การสร้างการเรียนรู้อย่างสร้างสรรค์มันต้องเผชิญอุปสรรคยังไงและเราจะดีลกับมันยังไงดี
December 4, 2017
While I wish the book was not specifically about Scratch (online learning community and programming language) https://scratch.mit.edu/, I LOVE so many ideas and points brought up through each chapter. I kept thinking, Yes! Yes! Yes!, to myself as I was reading.
I am intrigued to look more into Scratch and try it out for myself… but I would have liked the cover and book’s summary to have made this major focus of the book more apparent.
[Note to self – the first and last chapters are my FAVS.]
I am intrigued to look more into Scratch and try it out for myself… but I would have liked the cover and book’s summary to have made this major focus of the book more apparent.
[Note to self – the first and last chapters are my FAVS.]
July 16, 2018
I wanted to love it. The ideas behind the lifelong learning program at MIT are very interesting but the author seemed to just keep going back to Scratch as if it is the only project worth talking about.
January 15, 2022
Основная мысль этой книги - переходите на сайт Scratch и учитесь программировать, воплощая в жизнь проекты, которые вам нравятся. По моему мнению, вся книга это рассказ о методике, которая лежит в основе сайта Scratch. В лучших традициях американской нон-фикшн литературы даются примеры, забавные и поучительные истории, интервью с ребятами, которые в какой-то момент жизни оказались в дружной тусовке Scratch, но все так или иначе крутится вокруг Scratch.
Книга описывает методику 4П, на которых построено сообщество Scratch - проекты, пылкая увлеченность, партнеры и процесс игры. И очень подробно рассказывает, как эти принципы воплощаются в сообществе. Но если вы хотите эти же принципы применить к другим сферам жизни, то вам придется подумать над этим. В книги вы не найдете примеров. Хотя, возможно столько подробный разбор принципов, на которых построен Scratch даст хороший пример, как эти принципы реализуются на практике.
Исходя из названия книги, я надеялась получить немного другого рода информацию: что это за принципы развития, что в них интересного/нового, как я могу их применить в своей жизни. Но, в итоге, все, что я читала было посвящено тому, насколько классный Scratch и как много могут добиться люди, им увлекающиеся.
Я ни в коем случае не умаляю заслуги разработчиков этого языка и этой платформы. В свое время я тоже пробовала Scratch и это было действительно увлекательно. И я рекомендую вам попробовать протестировать этот сайт и/или показать его детям, пусть повеселятся!
Я думаю, что эта книга будет интересна тем, кто работает с детьми, организует их досуг или планирует это сделать. Но моих ожиданий она не оправдала.
Книга описывает методику 4П, на которых построено сообщество Scratch - проекты, пылкая увлеченность, партнеры и процесс игры. И очень подробно рассказывает, как эти принципы воплощаются в сообществе. Но если вы хотите эти же принципы применить к другим сферам жизни, то вам придется подумать над этим. В книги вы не найдете примеров. Хотя, возможно столько подробный разбор принципов, на которых построен Scratch даст хороший пример, как эти принципы реализуются на практике.
Исходя из названия книги, я надеялась получить немного другого рода информацию: что это за принципы развития, что в них интересного/нового, как я могу их применить в своей жизни. Но, в итоге, все, что я читала было посвящено тому, насколько классный Scratch и как много могут добиться люди, им увлекающиеся.
Я ни в коем случае не умаляю заслуги разработчиков этого языка и этой платформы. В свое время я тоже пробовала Scratch и это было действительно увлекательно. И я рекомендую вам попробовать протестировать этот сайт и/или показать его детям, пусть повеселятся!
Я думаю, что эта книга будет интересна тем, кто работает с детьми, организует их досуг или планирует это сделать. Но моих ожиданий она не оправдала.
January 20, 2018
In The Chronicle of Higher Education, the interview with the author, a prof at MIT, was promising enough to prompt me to acquire the book. Resnick attempts to answer the question, “How can we help young people develop as creative thinkers so that they’re prepared for life in this ever-changing world?” but there isn't anything particularly new or engaging here. The structure of the book is based on the theory that Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play are the foundation for creative learning. Do not expect to find data to support his thesis, for “Rather than just trying to measure what children learn (through numbers), we also need to document what children learn (through compelling examples).” The “compelling examples” Resnick provides are related to the ways his projects with LEGO and Scratch, “a programming language and online community” positively impact young people. He is justifiably proud of Scratch as one of his crowning achievements, but drawing so exclusively on his own projects as the lens through which he views creative learning teeters on academic narcissism. I learned quickly to barely skim each chapter’s final pages, which featured interviews with Scratch users. I did not find them to be the "compelling examples" he intended.
Nevertheless, Resnick has some important points to make. One of my favorites: just because a toy is creative doesn’t mean it teaches the child to be creative. Don’t “buy a toy for what it can do for your child,” but for “the type of play it supports and encourages.” He recommends caution with the computerized learning that is sweeping schools, for “computers can’t assess the creativity of a design, the beauty of a poem, or the ethics of an argument.”
Readers who wonder about the efficacy of lifelong kindergarten for ensuring their children’s or students’ “success” are not likely to be convinced by this book. Ardent fans of project-based learning will not find anything ground-breaking here and those who need convincing are unlikely to find the evidence they seek. There are other sources that are more helpful on the themes of creativity in education, project and inquiry based education, and design thinking.
Nevertheless, Resnick has some important points to make. One of my favorites: just because a toy is creative doesn’t mean it teaches the child to be creative. Don’t “buy a toy for what it can do for your child,” but for “the type of play it supports and encourages.” He recommends caution with the computerized learning that is sweeping schools, for “computers can’t assess the creativity of a design, the beauty of a poem, or the ethics of an argument.”
Readers who wonder about the efficacy of lifelong kindergarten for ensuring their children’s or students’ “success” are not likely to be convinced by this book. Ardent fans of project-based learning will not find anything ground-breaking here and those who need convincing are unlikely to find the evidence they seek. There are other sources that are more helpful on the themes of creativity in education, project and inquiry based education, and design thinking.
October 2, 2017
Hopeful. Positive. Some ideas are more hopeful than others. I think the author occasionally engages in overreach, but he's clearly a man who is doing a lot of good in the world, and he gets much more right than he gets wrong.
December 6, 2017
Loved his ideas. Did not like how he kept presenting his own businesses and work as the only back-up for the ideas he presented. Possibly could have been an excellent long article or essay, instead of an entire book.
January 29, 2018
"Lifelong Kindergarten" (2017) é o mais recente livro de Mitchel Resnick, professor do MIT Media Lab e criador do Scratch, sobre o qual devo começar por dizer que não é um livro de ciência, é um livro de divulgação de ciência. Neste sentido, e apesar de ter o selo da MIT Press, vem juntar-se ao livro “Whiplash” (2016) de Joi Ito (diretor do MIT Media Lab), que também se foca mais no dar a conhecer e menos nos fundamentos. Seguem ambos um mesmo padrão: escrita leve, escorreita, sintética, que podemos ler muito rapidamente para conhecer contornos gerais. Contudo, se tive críticas a apontar a Joi Ito, Resnick não passa incólume, não por seguir a mesma abordagem de divulgação, mas antes pela filosofia de base que suporta o que dizem, e que apresentam ambos, como se fossem caminhos únicos, sem alternativa, que todos deveríamos seguir.
O resto da análise pode ser lida no Virtual Illusion em: https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.pt/...
O resto da análise pode ser lida no Virtual Illusion em: https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.pt/...
September 9, 2018
I saw Mitch speak at a Scratch conference... and I had watched his Tedtalk, so I know what I was getting into when I started this book. YES, it is Scratch heavy, but this is his lifelong work. The thing is he has some interesting ideas about breaking down the current education model. He has big ideas like not having teachers dictate curriculum to students; and small ideas like putting tables together in pods with chairs on wheels. I found things to think about and things I could do now in this book.
I know that I will go back and re-read this book to keep these ideas fresh in my mind.
I know that I will go back and re-read this book to keep these ideas fresh in my mind.
September 17, 2022
This book will make you want to buy all of the legos, magnatiles, and wikkistix! It felt a bit like a commercial for Scratch, but I also knew very little about coding before reading the book. And honestly, he sold me on it!
January 1, 2018
A delightful exploration of learning, creativity and the structure that allows for all of that to happen. Lots of responses / thoughts generated while reading this short book.
March 9, 2019
Добротная книга. рассказывающая про философию MIT Media Lab, где разрабатывается самый популярный детский язык программирования Scratch. 4 спирали обучения для комплексного развития ребенка.
Будет интересна всем образованцам )
Будет интересна всем образованцам )
November 7, 2017
Wonderfully simple but elegant description of the thinking behind Scratch and LLK's approach to creative learning. The compare and contrast between the different ways people encourage creativity and motivation in children was fascinating.
February 7, 2019
I discovered the book after reading (and feeling completely changed by) Seymour Papert's Mindstorms. Mitchel Resnick was influenced by Papert, and I was curious what I could gleam from his life's work.
I found myself nodding to much of the sentiment: that learners construct knowledge rather than receive knowledge, that structured teaching and play is low risk and more importantly low reward, that you cannot unilaterally push for increased student performance and expect creative learning.
The latter half of the book is principally about the Scratch platform (developed by Resnick's research group), reasoning behind its design and various student anecdotes.
Per its design, Resnick refused to gamify the platform. Users don't get badges or achievements and users are not tricked into artificial engagement. In Scratch, the value proposition is simple: it will help you make whatever you want. The act of creating is the achievement.
Scratch is uniquely designed to foster collaboration. In Scratch all public projects (code and art) can be reused by anyone. Per the terms of service, authors cede their typical rights as the sole distributors of their work. Resnick concedes that this is controversial.
Prior to reading, I anticipated that there would be many personal accounts of students and their successes with Scratch. I was hoping that it would strive for more than a showcase of exceptional children being exceptional. I belive it was at fault to this partly. However, it's a small criticism and Scratch itself is impartial. In the mire of uninspiring educational contexts for programming (conveyer belts guiding students by the droves to the insatible hiring demands of the software sector), Scratch stands apart. Making an animation, story, or gory action game are all valid uses.
The book left me feeling convinced about a particular idea. When the incentives align, children achieve more than can be expected.
I found myself nodding to much of the sentiment: that learners construct knowledge rather than receive knowledge, that structured teaching and play is low risk and more importantly low reward, that you cannot unilaterally push for increased student performance and expect creative learning.
The latter half of the book is principally about the Scratch platform (developed by Resnick's research group), reasoning behind its design and various student anecdotes.
Per its design, Resnick refused to gamify the platform. Users don't get badges or achievements and users are not tricked into artificial engagement. In Scratch, the value proposition is simple: it will help you make whatever you want. The act of creating is the achievement.
Scratch is uniquely designed to foster collaboration. In Scratch all public projects (code and art) can be reused by anyone. Per the terms of service, authors cede their typical rights as the sole distributors of their work. Resnick concedes that this is controversial.
Prior to reading, I anticipated that there would be many personal accounts of students and their successes with Scratch. I was hoping that it would strive for more than a showcase of exceptional children being exceptional. I belive it was at fault to this partly. However, it's a small criticism and Scratch itself is impartial. In the mire of uninspiring educational contexts for programming (conveyer belts guiding students by the droves to the insatible hiring demands of the software sector), Scratch stands apart. Making an animation, story, or gory action game are all valid uses.
The book left me feeling convinced about a particular idea. When the incentives align, children achieve more than can be expected.
September 12, 2018
I liked exploring the author’s research and ideas about creative learning, but this book did not explore kindergarten principles and apply them to lifelong learning, but rather summarized kindergarten as creative and play-based and then went on to explore creativity solely through the lens of the Scratch program. It was interesting, and I’ll definitely encourage the use of Scratch for my kids when they’re old enough (we do use Scratch Jr.), but I felt misled about the content of the book. At least all of the proceeds went towards supporting their mission, which made me less annoyed by the misdirection.
May 29, 2018
As someone who has taught Scratch through an educational outreach program, I enjoyed learning how the Scratch programming language and online community support Mitch Resnick’s belief that creativity can be cultivated through the creation of passion projects, sharing and collaborating with peers, and dedicating time to constructive play.
May 21, 2022
I was super excited about this book. I love the idea of encouraging creativity in learning rather than rote-learning. But, this book’s main focus was on a computer program called Scratch. That part really fell flat! It felt like a sales pitch for this software and less a book encouraging creative learning methods.
November 21, 2018
so much scratch that i had to learn to scratch.
April 22, 2020
The author makes good points, but the writing style wasn't for me, nor was the emphasis on Scratch. I can't say I learned much, but I agreed with a lot of what I read.
January 19, 2019
For July, my #1bookAmonth takes me to Learning Sciences. I admit that the initial reason why I bought this book was because it has a foreword by Sir Ken Robinson—featured speaker in the most watched Ted Talk video where he spoke about how the existing education system kills creativity. But the other reason why I’m reading this non-fic is because I’m curious about the outcome of the author Mitchel Resnick’s partnership with MIT Media Lab. Resnick is an expert in educational technologies while the Media Lab focuses on anticipating and creating technologies to make our lives better – together, they work on unlocking the expansion of human creative capacity. This led to Lifelong Kindergarten:
“In kindergartens these days, children spend more time with math worksheets and phonics flashcards than building blocks and finger paint. Kindergarten is becoming more like the rest of school. Learning expert Mitchel Resnick argues for exactly the opposite: the rest of school (even the rest of life) should be more like kindergarten. To thrive in today's fast-changing world, people of all ages must learn to think and act creatively—and the best way to do that is by focusing more on imagining, creating, playing, sharing, and reflecting, just as children do in traditional kindergartens.”
Many business journals argue that as we move to the next decades of AI and robotics, a lot of jobs will be obsolete, but the most valuable asset will be creative thinking. As I continue with my self-imposed learning spree into finding and trying out new ways to make the work better, I am also discovering that in order for our Philippine society to be more productive and more progressive, we must first unlearn the “hindi naman ako creative e” thinking – the belief that creativity is a talent that’s monopolized by the “creative people” or a responsibility that’s relegated to the “creative department” or a badge that’s solely owned by the “creative industries.” Instead, as a society we must start owning up to our individual roles as creative thinkers, creative problem-solvers, creative doers - embracing the fact that creativity is a way of life.
#LifelongKindergarten
#MitchelResnick
“In kindergartens these days, children spend more time with math worksheets and phonics flashcards than building blocks and finger paint. Kindergarten is becoming more like the rest of school. Learning expert Mitchel Resnick argues for exactly the opposite: the rest of school (even the rest of life) should be more like kindergarten. To thrive in today's fast-changing world, people of all ages must learn to think and act creatively—and the best way to do that is by focusing more on imagining, creating, playing, sharing, and reflecting, just as children do in traditional kindergartens.”
Many business journals argue that as we move to the next decades of AI and robotics, a lot of jobs will be obsolete, but the most valuable asset will be creative thinking. As I continue with my self-imposed learning spree into finding and trying out new ways to make the work better, I am also discovering that in order for our Philippine society to be more productive and more progressive, we must first unlearn the “hindi naman ako creative e” thinking – the belief that creativity is a talent that’s monopolized by the “creative people” or a responsibility that’s relegated to the “creative department” or a badge that’s solely owned by the “creative industries.” Instead, as a society we must start owning up to our individual roles as creative thinkers, creative problem-solvers, creative doers - embracing the fact that creativity is a way of life.
#LifelongKindergarten
#MitchelResnick
July 8, 2019
The book is well written and engaging. Resnick's writing is very approachable. I think the book is intended to be read from start to finish. (If you're specifically looking for actionable tips for cultivating creativity as a student, a parent/educator, or a designer/developer, you could skip to Chapter 6. Creative Society, pages 162-179, Ten Tips for Learners, Ten Tips for Parents and Teachers, Ten Tips for Designers and Developers. Skipping to Chapter 6 doesn't lessen the digestibility of the tips.)
After reading the book from cover to cover, the next time I pick it up, I'd start with Chapter 6 as scaffolding for what the author shares in relation to Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play. (The book layout isn't designed for easy skimming, for example, only chapter titles are included in the table of contents. The chapter title and first-level heading are the same font and treatment.)
Resnick does a good job of peppering relevant studies throughout the book. He also compiles a list of additional resources for further study. The approach to learning--a creativity learning spiral is introduced early on: Imagine. Create. Play. Share. Reflect. Imagine. The how creativity learning happens is layered onto this approach with projects, passion, peers, and play. Examples outside of the author's direct experience with Lego Mindstorms and Scratch are given as they apply to the Four P's. Two of the examples are Brightworks (K-12) and Reggio Emilia-inspired Schools (primarily preschool). When I purchased the book I missed that the context was kids education. The tips and insights apply to learners of all ages; the examples though are all kids-related.
August 25, 2018
I selected this book as one of the titles for our faculty summer reading. Based on its title, I thought it would be much more focused on "old school" play ala Richard Louv and "Last Child in the Woods" and I anticipated there would be some techno-bashing. Boy was I wrong. While there are many good ideas/messages inherent in the book, I thought it was one big promo for the MIT developed Scratch (https://scratch.mit.edu/). The book discusses techno-enthusiasts and techno-skeptics, with little suggestion that many peoples' techno-philosophy lies somewhere in-between. The book puts forth many good principles on helping children develop and flex their creativity muscles - projects, peers, passions, play - balance between freedom and structure, creating a culture of caring, promoting reflection and immersion. One analogy I particularly enjoyed was the "playpens" versus "playgrounds" - we as adults, and in my case as an educator, must be aware of providing room to explore, move, experiment, collaborate. Celebrate imagination and creativity, no matter what the venue (disclaimer - while I try hard to embrace and be enthusiastic about new technologies, I am, at heart, more of a techno-skeptic - let's just be aware of both the QUALITY as well as the quantity of the screen time today's children are devouring...
January 2, 2020
For non-fiction a pretty quick read.
It has 6 chapters, basically an intro, a conclusion, and a chapter each on projects, passion, peers, and play.
His focus is on project-based learning, following your interest, collaborating with others (not just age/ability/knowledge peers, but those with more knowledge and those with complementary knowledge/interests), and approaching things from a tinkerer perspective (not someone who just follows the instructions or plans everything out in advance).
Love the emphasis on doing something small and then iterating.
He worked on Lego/Logo, Scratch, and a chain of computer clubs in low income neighborhoods around the world.
He points out the problems of standardized testing, gamification of education, and what most people mean by personalized education. He's not a Khan Academy fan.
Like his explanation that teachers shouldn't be the source of all knowledge, lecturing and driving everything, but that they shouldn't leave students in a total vacuum either. The ideal is somewhere in the middle.
It has 6 chapters, basically an intro, a conclusion, and a chapter each on projects, passion, peers, and play.
His focus is on project-based learning, following your interest, collaborating with others (not just age/ability/knowledge peers, but those with more knowledge and those with complementary knowledge/interests), and approaching things from a tinkerer perspective (not someone who just follows the instructions or plans everything out in advance).
Love the emphasis on doing something small and then iterating.
He worked on Lego/Logo, Scratch, and a chain of computer clubs in low income neighborhoods around the world.
He points out the problems of standardized testing, gamification of education, and what most people mean by personalized education. He's not a Khan Academy fan.
Like his explanation that teachers shouldn't be the source of all knowledge, lecturing and driving everything, but that they shouldn't leave students in a total vacuum either. The ideal is somewhere in the middle.
November 13, 2018
My son just entered kindergarten earlier this year and as I have gotten involved with the parents group at his school I have offered to help with the development of a Maker Space for the kids at the school. In getting ready to help with this Maker Space I went looking for some resources and sources for ideas around similar experiences at other schools (and museums etc).
That lead me to Lifelong Kindergarten which isn't just (or even primarily) about maker spaces - or really about Kindergarten. Instead it is a call to action about how to change all approaches to learning - inside classrooms and outside of them - how to take the best aspects of kindergarten and apply them to creating better experiences and outcomes for kids. How to build better software for learning - at all ages. Lots of great takeaways from this book - whcih will influence not just how I volunteer at my son's school but to a large degree how I think about my next businesses.
That lead me to Lifelong Kindergarten which isn't just (or even primarily) about maker spaces - or really about Kindergarten. Instead it is a call to action about how to change all approaches to learning - inside classrooms and outside of them - how to take the best aspects of kindergarten and apply them to creating better experiences and outcomes for kids. How to build better software for learning - at all ages. Lots of great takeaways from this book - whcih will influence not just how I volunteer at my son's school but to a large degree how I think about my next businesses.
March 4, 2019
Безумно занудная и скучная книга ни о чем, что даже заслужила от меня отзыв.
Хотя нет, нельзя сказать что ни о чем: это обстоятельная рекламная брошюра про scratch. А ну и мысль подкупающая своей новизной: дети учатся через творчество и проекты, а не внимая мудрости 1000 летия из уст преподавателя.
Кроме того, в этой книге собраны абсолютно все недостатки подобной литературы: автор повторяется, при чем до такой степени, что у меня было ощущение, что я случайно оказалась на предыдущей странице. Он обстоятельно зануден и без конца льёт воду.
Я слушала аудиокнигу и дослушала. Я решила что таким образом я тренирую внимательное слушание, даже когда собеседник монологом излагает скучнейшую историю.
Не тратьте на неё время: разочарование года
Хотя нет, нельзя сказать что ни о чем: это обстоятельная рекламная брошюра про scratch. А ну и мысль подкупающая своей новизной: дети учатся через творчество и проекты, а не внимая мудрости 1000 летия из уст преподавателя.
Кроме того, в этой книге собраны абсолютно все недостатки подобной литературы: автор повторяется, при чем до такой степени, что у меня было ощущение, что я случайно оказалась на предыдущей странице. Он обстоятельно зануден и без конца льёт воду.
Я слушала аудиокнигу и дослушала. Я решила что таким образом я тренирую внимательное слушание, даже когда собеседник монологом излагает скучнейшую историю.
Не тратьте на неё время: разочарование года
April 5, 2020
Many wonderful insights, particularly around tool design and community practices in the computer clubhouses and Scratch. I also appreciated the deep integration of Papert's legacy. The book is certainly valuable for those in the creative/education space.
I just wish there was more on the eponymous "lifelong" -- it fixated on a narrow band of activities and young ages instead. Humanity's best work came from the very processes Mitch describes, and I wish there was more reflection on this, beyond the Media Lab/primary ed bubble. He mentions the scientific community as an example of creative learning after childhood, but otherwise only writes about LK in terms of its importance for today's "fast paced society" that requires "creative solutions".
I just wish there was more on the eponymous "lifelong" -- it fixated on a narrow band of activities and young ages instead. Humanity's best work came from the very processes Mitch describes, and I wish there was more reflection on this, beyond the Media Lab/primary ed bubble. He mentions the scientific community as an example of creative learning after childhood, but otherwise only writes about LK in terms of its importance for today's "fast paced society" that requires "creative solutions".
January 8, 2018
It's hard to rate this book. I consider Mitch on of my teachers whom I learned a lot from through the past 5 years. I am trying to apply what I learned from him and his research group through my work with learners from all ages and I feel so grateful that I learned about his work. Because of my familiarity with his work this book didn't bring new things for me, however, it was good to see it all in one book.
I just wished to see examples and stories from different projects in his research group other than Scratch and The Computer clubhouse.
The book deserves 5 starts if you aren't familiar with Resnick work, for me it is just 3 stars.
I just wished to see examples and stories from different projects in his research group other than Scratch and The Computer clubhouse.
The book deserves 5 starts if you aren't familiar with Resnick work, for me it is just 3 stars.
March 16, 2018
If you know Resnick, this is for you
Sometimes, I struggle reading Mitch’s work because of his style and tone. He’s a man wound up in wonderful ideas and possibilities. Sometimes, this gives the book a feeling of being a step and a half removed from classroom teachers new to this kind of thinking. This is not a primer, and I didn’t want to be. Building on his years of work with Scratch, Resnick brings forward the tectonic views of Seymour Papert, and gives them new breath and perspective. I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the perspective, and I enjoyed the inclusion of the voices shaped by these practices.
Sometimes, I struggle reading Mitch’s work because of his style and tone. He’s a man wound up in wonderful ideas and possibilities. Sometimes, this gives the book a feeling of being a step and a half removed from classroom teachers new to this kind of thinking. This is not a primer, and I didn’t want to be. Building on his years of work with Scratch, Resnick brings forward the tectonic views of Seymour Papert, and gives them new breath and perspective. I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the perspective, and I enjoyed the inclusion of the voices shaped by these practices.
August 31, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Michael Resnick's "Lifelong Kindergarten". I happened to come across it at the Harvard Bookstore and it seemed like the perfect quick read, especially for those interested in design, technology, and/or education. This book focuses on Resnick's approach to cultivating the decreasing skill of creativity in our youth through the 4 P's: projects, passions, peers, and play. Although this book is aimed towards educators, parents, or anyone with interests in mentoring youth, I found it was extremely relevant and could absolutely apply to people of all ages. I finished this book inspired and excited to apply this knowledge in the future!
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