Seymour Papert
Seymour Papert
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Seymour Aubrey Papert was born in 1928 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also known as Syd Papert.
Birth and Death Dates
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Papert passed away on June 31, 2016, at the age of 88.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Papert held dual nationality, being a citizen of both South Africa and the United States. He was a mathematician, computer scientist, and cognitive scientist.
Early Life
Seymour Papert grew up in a family that valued education and intellectual pursuits. His father was a lawyer who also had an interest in mathematics. This early exposure to mathematical concepts likely influenced Papert's future career choices. As a young man, Papert moved to England to study mathematics at Cambridge University.
Early Career
After completing his studies, Papert went on to earn his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 1952. He then became involved in computer science research and development, particularly with regards to artificial intelligence (AI). Papert worked alongside renowned cognitive scientist Marvin Minsky at MIT's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
Major Accomplishments
Papert is best known for his work on AI and children's learning. He made significant contributions to the field of robotics and helped develop the concept of object-oriented programming languages, such as Logo. Logo was designed specifically for educational use and provided a user-friendly interface that allowed students to learn programming concepts through interactive play.
Notable Works or Actions
Some notable works by Papert include his book Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas, published in 1980. This influential book explored the potential of AI to improve learning outcomes for children. In it, Papert argued that computers could be a powerful tool for education if designed with the needs of learners in mind.
Impact and Legacy
Papert's work had far-reaching implications for education policy and practice. He advocated for more hands-on, interactive approaches to learning and emphasized the importance of accessibility in educational technology. His ideas continue to influence educators today, particularly those working in computer science and mathematics education.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Papert is widely quoted and remembered for his pioneering work on AI and its potential applications in education. He was an early advocate for the use of computers as a tool for learning and was instrumental in shaping our understanding of how children interact with technology. His ideas continue to inspire educators, policymakers, and researchers seeking innovative solutions for improving educational outcomes.
Through his research and writings, Papert demonstrated a deep commitment to creating more inclusive and effective learning environments for all students. His legacy serves as a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and the importance of considering both cognitive science and pedagogy in designing new technologies for education.
Quotes by Seymour Papert
Seymour Papert's insights on:
In many schools today, the phrase “computer-aided instruction” means making the computer teach the child. One might say the computer is being used to program the child. In my vision, the child programs the computer and, in doing so, both acquires a sense of mastery over a piece of the most modern and powerful technology and establishes an intimate contact with some of the deepest ideas from science, from mathematics, and from the art of intellectual model building.
Parents can learn that parental authority doesn’t depend on knowing everything. The more you pretend, the more risk that it’ll be traumatic and damaging to the kids and their relationship with you when they find out the truth.
Nothing bothers me more than when people criticize my criticism of school by telling me that schools are not just places to learn maths and spelling, they are places where children learn a vaguely defined thing called socialization. I know. I think schools generally do an effective and terribly damaging job of teaching children to be infantile, dependent, intellectually dishonest, passive and disrespectful to their own developmental capacities.
I tell adults about the experiences of more than a hundred teachers I’ve interviewed. They tell me that allowing the child to help them learn helped them become better teachers. That’s because they no longer had to pretend they were the experts – not only about computers but about other things.
I don’t like MTV, and I don’t like the culture that goes with it. It’s OK in very small doses, maybe. Nevertheless, it’s a social reality and has influenced how kids perceive things around them, the pace of life and the way people do things.
The first thing to note is that pornography and many abductions occur apart from the use of computers, and that most child abuse happens within the family. So I think the extra degree of danger that computers pose doesn’t justify the frenzy.
Similarly, computer literacy courses tend to produce computer people who know a lot about computers or a piece of software but they don’t help people become fluent with the machine.
Our goal in education should be to foster the ability to use the computer in everything you do, even if you don’t have a specific piece of software for the job.
Working with the computer gives rise to many opportunities to transcend asocial behavior, because it produces exciting and visually interesting things to share, whether it’s by creating video games, computer art or sharing exciting Web sites.
What the gears cannot do the computer might. The computer is the Proteus of machines. Its essence is its universality, its power to simulate.