Marvin Minsky suggests providing children with ideas they could use to invent their own theories about themselves — whatever that means — by engaging them in various kinds of constructive, computer-related projects.
As an aside, he cites Harold G. McCurdy’s “The Childhood Pattern of Genius,” published in Horizon Magazine, May 1960:
Biographical information on a sample of twenty men of genius suggests that the typical developmental pattern includes as important aspects: (1) a high degree of attention focused upon the child by parents and other adults, expressed in intensive educational measures and, usually, abundant love; (2) isolation from other children, especially outside the family; and (3) a rich efflorescence of fantasy as a reaction to the preceding conditions.” … [If so, then] the mass education of our public school system is, in its way, a vast experiment on the effect of reducing all three factors to a minimum: accordingly, it should tend to suppress the occurrence of genius.
Charly Mann, whose father was good friends with McCurdy, calls McCurdy the Polymath of Chapel Hill (where the University of North Carolina is located) and expands on his research on geniuses:
A subject that McCurdy was keenly interested in was what factors most contributed to someone becoming a genius. After considerable study of the lives of twenty geniuses McCurdy wrote The Childhood Pattern of Genius.
His first conclusion was that genius was most common among children who spend the majority of their time with adults and little time with children near their ages unless they were siblings. His research actually showed that preteen children who are sent to school and must do their socializing with their peers are significantly impeded in their intellectual and character development. Boys he found are particularly impaired if they begin interacting with people their age before 14.
His second discovery was that highly intelligent and socially mature children are usually immersed in the interests of adults around them, and are allowed the time and loving support to naturally master these subjects. Children who grow up in this kind of environment develop a high degree of intellectual and artistic creativity.
Finally he found that most geniuses were given a high degree of family responsibility from a young age that builds self-respect and confidence. This often meant making things that could be useful or even sold, and at a minimum taking a major role in maintaing their home. What this all means is that home schooling is far better than public schools for primary education. Children, McCurdy found, are just not socially or academically mature enough for institutional education until they are teenagers. Children in fact are negatively socialized by having to spend their early youth interacting with other children, and become less creative and much more likely to have mental and emotional problems throughout the rest of their lives.
One of the problems we already have in the schools is too much encouragement of kids to focus obsessively on themselves. There may be some useful ideas in Minsky’s paper — haven’t read it in depth yet — but the last thing on earth we need is more “it’s all about me” thinking.
Interesting related post by an experienced teacher here.
I think Minsky is making the usual mistake of declaring that children need what little Minsky could have used.
David, I think your comment there is worth repeating: