> Michael, > I'm responding back channel because I receive the digest and I have had > problems addressing by clicking "reply". > Feel free to forward to the list. > Living and having studied in Lausanne /Switzerland(40 miles away from > Geneva), your mail about Piaget woke me from my late Friday afternoon > doziness. > Piaget did try different materials to test his hypothesis on conservation: I > show my students a video where a student of Piaget uses clay to ask the > children if "there is the same much" (sic) when the clay is presented in the > shape of a ball or flat. > Commenting on these pictures Piaget goes on to say that he has has observed > the same patterns of responses in other cultures and he even quotes > Africa... > In a book called "Should we burn Piaget?", written in the late seventies I > think(?), Cohen (I haven't got the reference right at hand) argues that > Piaget was actually quite euro-centered and that studies in other cultures > give very different results. > Dissident students later showed that things are not always as simple as > Piaget would have them with his stages. But as with all pioneers, Piaget was > so enthusiastic about his discoveries, (and later got sometimes "stong > headed" or is it just the aura that people shrouded him with?) that it was > difficult to disaggree with him. It took several years for some of his > students, and sometimes a distance, until they were able to even think of > questionning the master's ideas. Eventhough, btw, Piaget has always been > someone skeptical, even regarding his own ideas, and was always ready to "go > and see how it really went" on the field. > First day of class on Monday for us... > Have an exciting semester you all. > I really enjoy reading the postings on this list every day, It is > refreshing. > Greetings from overseas. > Phil Gervaix > ________________________________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using Panda Mail. Check your regular email account away from home free! http://bstar.net/panda/
