Vladimir Fomichov (vladfom@yahoo.com)
Tue, 4 Aug 1998 00:58:25 -0700 (PDT)
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Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 00:58:25 -0700 (PDT) From: Vladimir Fomichov <vladfom@yahoo.com> Subject: [ifets] A Reply of Moderators to V.Vulfs, J.Eklund
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A reply of moderators to Dr. V.Vulfs and Dr. J.Eklund
We entirely agree with Dr. V.Vulfs that young kids shouldn=92t be
engaged in working with computers.=20
But they should start studying language (reading, retelling, composing
tales, etc.) at the age of five =96 six..=20
And our new methods of teaching (based on our new theory of knowledge
transfer motivated by ideas of Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive
Science) provide the opportunity to improve child=92s language, to
develop reasoning abilities, etc.=20
And make it possible to compete with computer games at the age of ten.=20
Writing compositions, painting pictures with the help of words,
composing poems, expressing in words the seething cocktail of emotions
inside the child , is a wonderful pastime for young children.=20
We should stress that we don=92t agree with Dr. J.Eklund that =93by
laughter we are mening engagement and interactivity=94. Our teaching
practice shows that even five =96six-year-old kids have a nice sense of
humour , and they react quite well with laughter (with special
gestures, with expressions of their eyes) on jokes and funny
situations during a lesson.=20
We think that we should make a distinction between playing and
learning and distinguish playing from learning. Because children are
ready (even more than grown-ups) fulfil their tasks seriously, and
they are proud of it, because at this moment they emulate grown-ups.
And they want grown-ups to appreciate their work.=20
The problem is that usually young children don=92t have eniugh words to
express himself/herself at the age of five-seven. And grown-ups don=92t
understand that they need MORE than just play.
Our practice shows that if we teach them a rich language (mother
tongue or foreign language), they can create wonderful things. And
this intellectual activity carries them away very much.
Examples.
Three home compositions in FL of the students of the 2nd year of=20
studying English illustrate the results of applying our new methods in
teaching.=20
Composition 1. Preparations in the Kingdom (Asya Ivanova, 7 years old)
The Carpenter made the cradle for a Princess. The cradle was in the
form of a rose opening in the morning dawn. The walls of the cradle
looked like the rose petals. The cradle was decorated with twigs of
grapes and flowers. The fragrance was in the air.=20
There were many pretty pictures on the walls of this Nursery. In
these pictures everyone could see lucent and serene woods, deep and
blue sea with beautiful beaches with pink sands and sea-shells. It was
a pretty sight !=20
The carpet in this room was so beautiful, like field with flowers
in spring. The windows in the Nursery were magic, and the room wsa
aglow with amber light, even if the weather was rainy. When unhappy
man came into this room, he heard beautiful low music and became happy.=20
Everyone prepared nice gifts for Princess. Everyone wanted to
congratulate Queen and King. Snow White brought a basket full of tiny
dresses. There were pretty tiny gowns with bows and laces, beautiful
tiny slippers flashing like countless diamonds.
Everyone was waiting for the Royal Baby like for the sun in a rainy
day.
Composition 2 (Polina Rybakova, 8 years old)
A year gone by. Everyone in the Kingdom was awakened by the sounds of
the church bells. People began to gather in the streets. Suddenly
appeared the Royal Cryer. He went along the streets and announced that
the Queen's wish had been granted. The baby-Princess was born that
night and great celebrations would take place in the Royal Palace and
all over the land.=20
The birds heard that news and delivered it to everyone in the
fields and in the woods. All mice in the fields began to work: they
made a beautiful dress decorated with corn-flowers for the Princess.
But they were very small and they made a very small dress, so it
fitted only Princess' doll. The birds made a little toy bear-cub of
the straw. The animals in the woods began to dance and sing merry
songs. Even the King and Queen heard those songs.
All the children in the Kingdom in white clothes and white flowers
in their hair joined hands and danced around the Palace. The Royal
Cookers prepared an enormous cake and decorated it with red roses
cream and candles. Every day in the Kingdom was happy.
Composition 3 (Katya Bogomolova, 6 years 10 months old)
A year went by. Everyone in the Kingdom was awakened by the loud
sounds of church bells. The church stood in the centre of the town
near the palace. The church was very high and beautiful. It looked
like the mountain covered with soft white snow. People heard loud
sounds of the church bells and began to gather in the streets. Then
along came a Town Cryer. He said that their Royal Highnesses, the King
and Queen, announced the birth of the daughter, the Princess. The
people began to dance and sing. The children sang the beautiful songs
in the gardens and churches. These songs were full of heavenly joy and
love to God, Jesus and angels up in Heaven above. Beautiful girls
brought to the palace nice flowers.
The animals from the nearest wood came to the palace and brought
the presents to the King, Queen, and little Princess: tasty mushrooms
for the King, beautiful flowers and sweet berries for the Queen, and
one little squirrel as a pat for the Princess. The birds began to sing
their beautiful songs, and the hares, squirrels and rabbits began to
dance. Saint Peter sent the little angel with silver hair down to
Earth to help the Princess in her life. Everyone in the Kingdom was
very happy.
Composition 4.=20
We can see the splendor of evening=92s Petersburg in this picture. The
city is twinkling and flaming in the beauty of drawing night. It seems
that night comes apace through the cool of the air.
Petersburg is fringed with evening silvery light. Streets look like
glistening flood. The moon is glimmering in the dark sky. People and
horses move in the shadows near the doorways of the Opera Theatre.
Looking at this picture, it seems that splendor of Petersburg is as
infinite as sky, which retreated far from the Earth.=20
It is difficult to conceal my delight from seeing of Petersburg in
this picture.
(Masha Adabashyan, 9 years old, 4th year of studies).
Oh waht an evening! Look, how fair !
Clouds as horses run in the air !
The moon as a glimmering speck in the=20
Infinite meadows.
And beautiful people in the shadows.
(Masha Adabashyan, 9 years old, 4th year of studies).
Such results make it possible to construct ITSs for
ten-twelve-year-old children on entirely another level.
And it is possible to make them more thrilling than computer games.
Sincerely yours,
Vladimir Fomichov
Olga Fomichova
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