talks, talks, and more talks....this time in the form of a round-table with / for architects. first in new haven (april 24) and then in new-york (april 25). topi: learning and play in the digital age....for more information on location and time of events, check theroundtable EA

I spoke at a symposium on "the future of workplace" organized by Allen Sayegh, Responsive environment Lab, at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.



Layed out some of the ways in which the experience, habits of mind and work practices of vets, baby-boomers, genexers, and millenials can be accommodated through space, or rather through a network of different settings, or places: not in the spirit of "one fits all" but "flexible options" for "diverse needs".

The craftsman, the trickster, and the poet are emblematic of the creative side in all of us: a deeply-felt reluctance to freeze the nuances of human experience into set categories, or representations, that rid themselves of the imaginal for the sake of proof or "reason". The artist sticks to the image. And that is why s/he captures our imagination. When art is "true", we know how to read between the lines! What the poet especially warns us against is to look at words as signs (instead of symbols, or indices),: “As we manipulate everyday words, we [shouldn’t] forget that they are fragments of ancient stories, that we are building our houses with broken pieces of sculptures and ruined statues of goad as the barbarians did” (Schultz, 1993. p. 88). The scientist instead is more of a Saussurian. He wants words to be signs, and he cringes when their meanings are “sticky” (fused to their contexts), “thick” (polysemic), or ambiguous (could be seen in more than one way). As for he rationalist in us: s/he wont seek to delight, amuse, or move us (spark insights). Instead, s/he’s here to reason, argue, and prove (provide evidence)!

Check out the video of the talk Check out the video of the talk

Related: Click paper EA. Arts as way of knowing for Pdf file of my paper (The craftsman, the trickster, and the Poet, 2011)

The second of a series of three 30 minute videos produced by the American Society for Cybernetics and Change Management Systems, directed by Pille Bunnell, 1998. You Tube.



Heinz was unique at illuminating what others tried to get at. simply. clearly. kindly, radically. freshly. missin' my old mentors :(

Programming is many things to many people, and not everyone agrees on its potential for education. This is especially true at a time when ever younger children are increasingly “expert” gamers, tweeters, information-seekers, and digital bricoleurs. Often self-taught, or at least grabbing much of what they know outside the classroom, today’s youngster indeed surprise, and on occasion surpass us, with their clever uses of all things digital. Question remains: how much of this “expertise” is doomed sufficient by experts in the field?


Photograph by Ryan Wistort

Beyond the often mentioned cognitive benefits, this essay discusses “programming” as a means for 1) making things do things (instruct a device to follow and execute orders); 2) “animating” things (endow a device with a “mind of its own” and teach it to “look out for itself”); and 3) “poking” things (modulate how they act and interact by tweaking some parameters in their environment). I present settings and scenarios where children are asked to give and execute orders, take over control and let go of it. I discuss why exploring the “logic” of gives and takes (as manifested in people's interactions with actionable things) can offer a new lens in thinking about programming. I offer guidelines for the design of programmable play kits for young children.

If you wish to know more, feel free to Paper Programming 2012. pdf. Paper will be presented at the Constructionism 2012 conference, Athens, on August 23. Paper will also be posted on the wall of Child Research Network, Japan.

WE DEMAIN is the latest must-read, in French, for all of you: "creatives", dreamers, makers, geeks, or activists—high- or low-brow— interested in bringing about changes, in ways that surprise and amuse, yet without eroding the grounds on which we stand, polluting the air we breather, and jeopardizing our own health and collective sense of well-being.



Started last month by the Siegel brothers (and an awesome team of contributors), the magazine may be described as a "Wired" of sorts, only way less gadgety,US-centric, and corporate in style. Boldly put, "WE demain" ain't about I AM the best, bells and whistles, and selling stuff (including ideas). Instead, it seeks the seeds and signs of a still unthinkable yet partially "felt" sense of possibilities, and the best part: it sees talents, good ideas, and promising solutions where others won't look! It is fresh, pie-in-the-sky, down-to-earth, whimsical, practical, and with no ads : )

If you are French speaking and wish to know more, check out the link:

2D kids drawing to 3D soft toys: Strange idea, Remarkable outcomes (unevenly adopted by their creators : ) check out the site

Child's Own Studio is a place where a child and a craft artist, together, can create 3D soft creatures out of 2D drawings. Here goes one of my favorites.


By Bryce, age 33 months.

[Excerpt from site]: About a year ago, 33 month old Bryce drew this on the sidewalk with purple chalk, calling it “monster”. His father was pretty impressed by the drawing and sent it to me, with some colour suggestions. He wondered if his son would recognize it in softie form. Bryce recognized it immediately, calling it a monster, but unfortunately, he didn’t want anything to do with it! (luckily, his brother wanted it, and so it all worked out.).

Other kids love the outcomes, like the young artist below, who wanted a white body and red ears for his cat – and who was so satisfied with the result that he asked for another cat, too. Similar lasting success with Pretty Lady, drawn by Hannah, 4 years old.

Meet the Dreamers — I am one of them : )


check out the link: and also, watch the children's art work (drawings, video). Some of it is really nice.

Here goes a precious resource for anyone interested in the clever uses (and re-uses) of all things digital by folks who still care about the physicality and materiality of people and things around them. The blog, curated by David Gauntlett (and funded by the AHRC Digital Transformations in Arts and Humanities, UK) includes a host of events, ideas, and references on the pros and cons of projects designed to engage communities via digital services, and how these creative communities can be supported and sustained. Its mission is well captured in the following excerpt:

"A generation ago, cultural and media organizations, such as the BBC or the National Gallery – had a reasonably straightforward relationship with their audiences. They created material – such as TV programs, publications and exhibitions – in a ‘broadcaster’ mode, and it was consumed (or not) by the public. But today, these organizations are merely one part of a creative ecosystem, within which communities of amateur enthusiasts may be the producers of the most innovative material. This project studies those changing relationships, and explores ways in which cultural organizations can work with creative communities to make great things".

Enjoy! and let's hope the blog will survive after the research project ends, in August 2012.

I thank Ricki Goldman for inviting me to revisit, and hopefully cast some new light on old questions and lasting theoretical interests that we both share, from our times together at the Epistemology and Learning Group, MIT Media Lab. I spent a wonderful day with Ricki, her colleagues and doctoral students, chatting about ideas close to our hearts and minds.

Click here to see the video of me talking, and talking, and talking... about constructivism, constructionism, digital natives, new media literacies, and participatory cultures to Doctoral students at the CREATE Conference Center.