From: Ayal Goury
Submit: Post Field Note
VisitDate: 11/08/96
Adult-Run:
Children-Run:
Collaborative: Selected
Unclear-Philosophy:
Bottom-up:
Top-down:
Unclear-Approach: Selected
Informal:
Formal:
Unclear-Type: Selected
Date: 10 Nov 1996
Time: 16:26:22
Remote Name: lang-lab-mac29.ucsc.edu
boy, I can't remember name I'll fill it in by revision. He's nine years old I think. Sorry
Since we didn't have any of the CD rom games we made due with what we had which was the codebreaking game. I think this is a wonderful game. It has a group of six diefferent geometric shapes. Using any combination of four(some may be repeated while others are not used) the code is made up. It is an order one combination of four. After you guess the four, the game will indicate whats right or wrong by giving you either a check mark or a plus sign. A check mark means that you have one shape right but it's in the wrong spot and a pluss sign indicates that you have one right and that it is in the right spot. It doesn't tell you whicvh one. The goal is to keep trying until you get four plusses which means you figured out the code. It's a very hard game and takes a lot of thinking. At first he had no clue where to begin. But I helped him out by asking him questions and trying to collectively use deductive reasoning. In the end we solved a couple of codes within twelve tries and that is very impressive.
I think this is a very tough game which takes a lot of mind wrestling. At first it was mere guessing and then I saw that he was thinking before he put down his guess at the codes. His reasoning was very advanced and his break down of the logic was too. It gets very complicated and there is no wasy he could do it alone, but together we figured out. If he plays it alone I think it is out of his ZPD and he may get encouraged, but with a guide to help him through his own reasoning he did very well.
It's very interesting to me because this game involves a breakdown in logic. "if this, then that; and if that then it must not this..." I thought it might be way too difficult at first and I was surprised myself how far we got. It's a great example of what cole was talking about with children indicating to the teacher what they are ready for.