Designing Constructionist Futures

<b>A diverse group of scholars redefine constructionism--introduced by Seymour Papert in 1980--in light of new technologies and theories.</b><p>Constructionism first introduced by Seymour Papert in 1980 is a framework for learning to understand something by making an artifact for and with other people. A core goal of constructionists is to respect learners as creators to enable them to engage in making meaning for themselves through construction and to do this by democratizing access to the world's most creative and powerful tools. In this volume an international and diverse group of scholars examine reconstruct and evolve the constructionist paradigm in light of new technologies and theories. Taken together their contributions show that constructionism has advanced in educational research and practice--and also that in turn researchers and practitioners can learn from constructionism how to foster learning in ways that respect learners' creativity and communities.</p><p>The contributors examine how constructionist design can function within contexts ranging from school and home to virtual spaces; explore ways to support learners who have been under-resourced overlooked or oppressed; discuss learning by collaboration; and consider the implications of learning as a creative process of construction exploring ways to support creative enterprises within the constraints of formal classrooms. Finally leading visionaries imagine where constructionism design and research will go next</p><p><b>Contributors</b></p><p>Konstantin Aal Dor Abrahamson Edith K. Ackermann Michael Ahmadi Emma Anderson Edward Baafi Stephanie Benson Laura Benton Matthew Berland Marina Umaschi Bers Paulo Blikstein Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy Karen Brennan Leah Buechley Angela Calabrese Barton Teresa Casort David Cavallo Kiera Chase Alison Clark-Wilson Sequoia L. Dance Joshua A. Danish Sayamindu Dasgupta Michael Eisenberg Noel Enyedy Deborah A. Fields Andrea Forte Gayithri Jayathirtha Brian Gravel Sara M. Grimes Idit Harel Erica R. Halverson Nathan Holbert Celia Hoyles Raquel Jimenez Yasmin B. Kafai Ivan Kalas Anna Keune Susan Klimczak Eric Klopfer Maximilian Krüger Chronis Kynigos Tim Kubik Breanne K. Litts Benjamin Mako Hill Amon Millner Andrés Monroy-Hernández Richard Noss Seymour Papert Kylie Peppler Judy Perry Mitchel Resnick Rebecca Reynolds Ricarose Roque Piers Saunders Kristin A. Searle Kimberly M. Sheridan Arnan Sipitakiat R. Benjamin Shapiro Gary S. Stager Gunnar Stevens Vanessa Svihla Edna Tan Orkan Telhan Naomi Thompson Nalin Tutiyaphuengprasert Anne Weibert Michelle Hoda Wilkerson Volker Wulf Uri Wilensky Jianwei Zhang</p><p></p>