Metaphors for emergent learning

Re: Metaphors - light - for emergent learning

by Scott Johnson -
Number of replies: 1

Maria,

The idea of things being consistent to some sort of logic or structure makes sense. Without structure we have a nonsense of no relationships or interactions. From what reading “The Work of the Imagination” by Paul L. Harris, even children in a state of pretending have rules and are sensitive to falsehoods that are inconsistent with the “story” they are enacting.

Left to their own without the attraction of structure how do we discover meaning? Where would it be in the scattering of ideas that don’t somehow connect? Structure seems different from orderliness. To be in order is just an arrangement or collection of things. They don’t touch or need to interact for something emerge because without connection they are lifeless. Structured things call to each other, intermingle and create newness.

Have to think of an example of what I’m saying.

In reply to Scott Johnson

Re: Metaphors - light - for emergent learning

by Maria Droujkova -

Here is an example of how I understood what you are saying about emergent structure with consistent rules vs. pre-determined order with pre-determined rules.

Emergent structure. A kid makes up a function machine. A number goes in, the machine does something to it, and a number comes out. I give the kid who built the machine numbers I want to try, untill I can guess what the machine does. 

  • 5 in, 10 out. Does the machine add five? Oh.
  • 2 in, 4 out. Does it double the numbers? No?!
  • 1 in, 2 out. 0 in, 0 out. 10 in, 20 out. I say it doubles! No? I give up.
  • Oh, it adds three, then doubles, then subtracts six? How neat! It works like doubling, but it's much harder to guess. What other function machines work like doubling?

Pre-determined order. Write down times two tables.

Here are a few more function machine examples from our Moebius Noodles book, including iterations of the doubling machine. Because when kids can easily double, they do it again and again and again: an emergent but predictable behavior!

Function machine examples