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Mindstorms: Children, Computers, And Powerful Ideas Paperback – August 4, 1993

by Seymour A Papert (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 129 ratings
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In this revolutionary book, a renowned computer scientist explains the importance of teaching children the basics of computing and how it can prepare them to succeed in the ever-evolving tech world.

Computers have completely changed the way we teach children. We have Mindstorms to thank for that. In this book, pioneering computer scientist Seymour Papert uses the invention of LOGO, the first child-friendly programming language, to make the case for the value of teaching children with computers. Papert argues that children are more than capable of mastering computers, and that teaching computational processes like de-bugging in the classroom can change the way we learn everything else. He also shows that schools saturated with technology can actually improve socialization and interaction among students and between students and teachers.

Technology changes every day, but the basic ways that computers can help us learn remain. For thousands of teachers and parents who have sought creative ways to help children learn with computers, Mindstorms is their bible.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    252 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    August 4, 1993
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.88 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0465046746
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0465046744
  8. Lexile measure
    1230L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Papert] offers one of the most promising glimpses yet of how we might build toward an education system in which we could take renewed pride."―New York Times Book Review

"Seymour Papert is the greatest of all living education theorists. He puts into the hands of the child new conceptual tools and thus changes the learning experience from a matter of discipline and suffering into one of excitement."―Marvin Minsky

"Ever since I met Seymour...I liked the way he talked about kids and how they learn. What he taught me was that each of us can learn and that computers are a unique tool to be used in our learning. But real learning is not rote and not commanded, but the result of exploration and delight."
―Governor Jerry Brown

"Papert's fascinating volume should help adults allay their own fear of computers and not extend those fears into the uncorrupted psyches of children."
―Choice

About the Author

Seymour Papert (1928-2016) was a professor of mathematics and education at MIT, where he co-founded the Artificial Intelligence and Media Laboratories. He was the co-inventor of the LOGO programming language. He is the author of numerous books, including Perceptrons, The Connected Family, and The Children's Machine.




Mitchel Resnick is Lego Papert Professor of Learning Research, Director of the Okawa Center, and Director of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab. A former student of Papert's, Resnick developed Scratch, a programming language designed to help children learn coding, and his project Programmable Bricks served as the foundation for LEGO Mindstorms. He is the recipient of the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education. Resnick is also the author of Lifelong Kindergarten.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; 2nd Revised ed. edition (August 4, 1993)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465046746
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465046744
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1230L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.88 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 129 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
129 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Bryce
5.0 out of 5 stars Super interesting and still relevant
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024
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Seymour Papert was working on this in the 70s and early 80s, but the way he discusses learning and the ways technology interact with it is still relevant today. The specific technologies he was working with aren't in use as much today, but the way he describes using them is still important with more modern tools.

His warnings of how computers can be used poorly in education should still be heeded, and the constructionist philosophies are still powerful tools for helping children develop understanding of the world.

I recommend it for anyone who is interested in education.
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mboecking
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2011
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Papert was a pioneer in the field of instructional technology. Papert highlights two main constructs - one that children can learn to use technology in meaningful ways; and two, the ability to use technology as a part of the learning process effects the way future learning will take place.
Papert took aspects from the Piagetian theoretical framework to support his learning philosophy. Specifically, Papert believed that children are the builders of their own intellectual structures. In other words, children use the tools around them to learn and build their intellect. Papert's theoretical framework differed slightly from Piaget's in that he highlighted the differences in the "tools" with which children use by noting the importance of the culture surrounding those tools and the learning environment it provides. Instead of attributing slower development to complexity, as Piaget would have done, Papert believes that the culture from which the learner operates in should also be considered as a factor of development.
Papert regarded teaching and learning in traditional classrooms of his time as inefficient, forced and sometimes even painful, and believed that instructional technology would transform classrooms as well as informal learning environments to more intuitive and nurturing environments. Papert certainly did not assert that instructional technology was a "magic wand" so to speak, but rather a tool that may enable a different path to success, or even an initial one! With a background in mathematics, Papert was well-aware of what he described as "mathaphobia," or the inclination of students to dislike math or believe they could not succeed in math. In an effort to combat learning obstacles like "mathaphobia," Papert created a scheme of optimal learning which would include the following components: tools for learning are integrated into the learner's "natural landscape." In other words, the learner should be able to experiment with the learning tools and relate to them in an intuitive manner. Additionally, the learning tools should be modeled by knowledgeable others, so the learner can relate to them in collaborative experiences. Papert also considered "body knowledge" to be an essential part of the learning process; learners should be able to use their kinetic intelligences on a regular basis during the learning process. The final component of optimal learning, according to Papert, is the ability to relate the new information to existing knowledge in a meaningful way.
Papert used "computer-controlled cybernetic animals" or robots to explore the technology integrated learning process and optimal learning environments. Using robots and the LOGO computer language, Papert created learning tools and experiences for children and found great success when providing a free contact between the learners and their tools.
Papert openly admits that he is a bit of a utopian thinker, and he writes as such, but his theories do resonate with instructional technologists, and educators overall. Educators, including myself, have seen that technology integrated learning environments can provide rich learning opportunities and Papert's Mindstorms is a great look at where technology integration started and also provides a multifaceted lens from which to critically examine where we are going in the future. I highly recommend!
5 people found this helpful
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Donald Mitchell
5.0 out of 5 stars EIGHT STARS -- A Breakthrough in Natural Learning
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2000
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This is the best book I have ever read on how to assist people to learn for themselves. Papert began his work by collaborating with Jean Piaget, and then applied those perspectives in a self-programming language designed to help children learn math and physics.
Papert explains Piaget's work and provides case studies of how the programming language, LOGO, can help. He provides a wonderful contrasting explanation of the weaknesses of how math and physics are usually taught in schools.
I learned quite a few things from this that I did not know before. People are very good at developing theories about why things work the way they do. I knew that these theories are almost always wrong. What I did not realize is that if you give the person a way to test their theory, the person will keep devising new theories until they hit on one that works. What is usually missing in education is the means to allow that testing to occur.
An especially imaginative part of this book were the discussions of how to create theory testing solutions that are much simpler and easier to apply than any school problem you ever saw in these subjects. Papert works from a very fundamental and deep understanding of math and physics to reach the heart of the most useful thought processes for applying these subjects. It is thrilling to read about what you have known for many years, and to suddenly see it in a totally different and improved perspective.
Another benefit I got from this book were plenty of ideas for how to help my teenage daughter with her math. She is very verbal, and Papert points out that math seldom teaches a vocabulary for talking about math. As a result, she memorizes a lot and gets dissociated from the subject. I got a lot of ideas for how to encourage her to personalize the concepts and problems by moving her own body. From that I realized that I often solve the same kinds of problems by recalling physical situations I have been in. But I have failed to help her make that connection because I was unaware of it on a conscious level.
If you want to improve as a learner, help others learn better and faster, or simply want to understand more about different ways to think, this is a great book. I hope that all teachers get a chance to read and apply it.
Enjoy learning more!
80 people found this helpful
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Dr. B
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2017
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This is a classic work on constructivism and micro learning worlds.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gilvan Vilarim
5.0 out of 5 stars Clássico de Papert
Reviewed in Brazil on April 7, 2023
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Um livro essencial na área de informática e educação. Creio que já teve uma tradução mas não se encontra mais. Esse é o original em inglês. Ainda tem discussões muito atuais, apesar da época do lançamento.
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Guy Montpetit
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the intellectual giants
Reviewed in Canada on September 7, 2020
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Tour de force
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Saurabh Jain
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in India on September 1, 2017
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Book's content is good but the publisher has printed the text very small
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masaga
2.0 out of 5 stars 期待と少し異なる内容構成
Reviewed in Japan on November 4, 2016
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他メディアでの書評により本書を選んだのだが、コンピューターと接する子供の心理等に関するより一般的な記述を期待していたのに対して、"Logo"開発の経緯が中心の内容であったため、期待と少し異なる印象。
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R. Court
5.0 out of 5 stars To little too late, but a fine effort
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2010
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This book is about the need to have children programming computers, not computers programming children.

It is a failure, because it was written in the 1980s, and now computers train children, and children almost never learn to program computers.

Everybody should read this, parents particularly, and teachers more than parents.

This book describes the Logo programming environment as it was in the 1980s. Computing has moved on, and there isn't much of Logo left these days.

Computer programming to a deep level could never have been easy, but I'm not sure whether it has become more difficult than it absolutely needed to be.
3 people found this helpful
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