In this piece it uses the idea of building a sand castle as a playing tool, however the idea of the child still learning whilst building and playing creates an interesting challenge for Harel and other interactive creators out there in the internet world. To be able to create an online environment where children can play but also intellectually build certain things would be very useful and add further advantages to children using technology.
Harel mentions “Constructionist Learning” which is a theory pioneers by Seymour Papert. Harel states that constructionism holds that children learn best when they are in the active roles of designer and constructor. Papert further adds, “The idea that this happens especially felicitously in a context in which the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, whether it’s a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe.
There are however limitations and so Harel explores ways in which technology can be used to capture this idea of constructivist learning. I saw that Sarah Baker, a fellow student in my class read the article as well and concluded it perfectly by saying, “The internet provides an endless learning environment where children can explore, express and share their learning experiences with a global audience. The internet can provide this ‘open-ended’ play children love, learn from and truly engage in.”
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