Mindstorms: Children, Computers, And Powerful Ideas

Computers have completely changed the way we teach children. We have Mindstorms to thank for that. In this book, first published in 1980, pioneering computer scientist Seymour Papert uses the invention of LOGO, the first child-friendly programming language, to make the definitive case for the educational value computer programming. 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. Papert is not interested in specifically preparing children for careers in computer science. Rather, Mindstorms makes the case that computation offers a uniquely practical way of developing a child's problem-solving and quantitative reasoning skills. This new edition will also include an extensive introduction by Mitchel Resnick, a former student of Papert's and one of today's leaders in computer literacy, which will introduce the wisdom of Papert's research to a new generation of readers. Technology changes every day, but the basic ways that computers can help us learn remain. Mindstorms stands as the bible of computer literacy, a book that has helped thousands of teachers and parents harness the power of computation and teach their children to think both clearly and creatively.