Interpretation
Vn117.1 Playing Both Sides 1/14/78 Relevance These data establish that when Miriam plays against herself she does not use the games merely for easy satisfaction of a certain win. Game 3 is especially striking in that it shows the unusual side opening Miriam rarely used before the table-turning sequence for the game of form X …
Vn106.1 Tic Tac Toe and Nim 10/22/77 Relevance Miriam’s Tic Tac Toe play shows an opening game played only with Glenn before and some surprising rigidity. When we play a subtraction arithmetic form of Nim, Miriam adduces “going second” as the efficient cause of her winning game 2. This appears to be as a consequence …
Vn107.1 Self-Understanding 10/22/77 My cousin’s wedding has been a day of reconciliations, of growing closer to family from whom I had been long and much estranged. After a late breakfast, we attended the wedding. I felt proud of Robby later when he told me the nicest part of the wedding was a piano-organ duet (‘Jesu, …
Vn86.1 An Unexpected Test 9/8/77 Today, the children’s first day of school, was a tough one for me. The combination of a late arrival at Logo and logistics problems put our work under an unusual time pressure. Miriam was tired (and later said she wished she had taken a nap) and didn’t pursue with enthusiasm …
Vignette 30.1 temporary upload Original Fair Copy, Scanned page 1 Original Fair Copy, Scanned page 2
Vn133.1 4/28/78-5/8 & 31/78 4/28 The calorie counting continues for me, and the adding for Miriam. The sum of Addendum 133 – 1 is interesting because of its error: the left justification of 3 and 4 digit addends in the same vertical grid. Despite this mal-arrangement, with its implication that the place-value basis of column …
Vn132.1 BIG-SUMS Extension 4/21 & 22/78 4/21 “Oog. I’ve got to add all these big numbers.” So I called to Miriam’s attention a situation in which one could make use of the kinds of skills she had developed in adding multi-digit addends: I was summing the number of calories in my day’s diet. Miriam asked …
Vn131.1 Miriam’s 7th Birthday 4/8 & 9/78 4/8/ Miriam began planning her birthday party several weeks ago. On the 3 x 5 cards of Addendum 131 – 1, she listed the friends to bo invited, the candy, and her selection of party games. The children were all from her class at school. The games are …
Vn130.1 4/3 & 10, 11/78 4/3 Miriam noticed a sum in Home Session 7 as I worked on a paper and asked if she could do it. When I wrote the sum on the black board, Miriam added right to left with carries, thus: 1 3 7 4 1 + 2 5 3 0 _____________________ …
Vn129.1 Robby Computes a Tax 4/5/78 Robby caught on fire again today. He approached me inquiring, “How much is half of 423?” Miriam responded to his question from the other room, “2 hundred and 11 and a half.” I told her to stop butting in and asked Robby how much was half of 400, then …
Vn128.1 Robby’s Topological Game 4/2/78 About a month ago, Robby was shown a paper-cutting game by a classmate’s parent. The procedure to follow was this: 1. Cut two paper strips of equal length (8″ will do) 2. Draw a line down the middle of each (using lined paper makes this unnecessary) 3. Bend each strip …
Vn127.1 Moo Shu 3/19/78 There is an old joke of this simple script: Adult Do you know how to read Chinese? Child I don’t know. I’ve never tried. At lunch today I described to Miriam my lunch of yesterday at a Chinese restaurant — showing her then the take-out menu. As we looked at the …
Vn126.1 Turtle on the Bed 3/14/78 This Saturday morning I sat in the reading alcove working away, and Miriam came to join me. Robby was downstairs and Gretchen out of the house. Miriam offered to sit in my lap, but I protested to being busy and turned her down. Miriam moped a little, then crawled …
Vn124.1 Analogical Guidance 2/23/78 This evening at dinner, my family enjoyed a good time at the expense of Scurry, our Scotch terrier. Earlier in the day, Miriam had played tug with Scurry, the object of their contention a squeaking toy mouse she had given the dog. Scurry wrested the toy from Miriam and sat chew- …
Vn123.1 Computation Finale 2/12 & 14/78 2/12 Since completing Vignette 121 (Double Perspectives) I have tried to engage Miriam in executing a difficult addition. My purpose was to introduce the idea of a simultaneous, double perspective as what one needs to appreciate carries by challenging her with a puzzle — “What number is 10 when …
Vn122.1 Carrying Bugs 2/5/78 Invited to play at a friend’s house, Miriam waited for Gretchen to drive her there. During this vacuum of activity, I asked her if she remembered how to add with carries (cf. Home Session 23). Miriam reacted impatiently, as though it were foregone that she did. She agreed to solve a …
Vn121.1 Double Perspectives 2/8/78 While school has been canceled this week due to the Blizzard of ’78, the children have spent a lot of time outside, playing on the snow mountains the plows and people have piled up. Inside much of the time, they have followed their own inclinations, playing the card game War, reading …
Vn120.1 Designing a Box 1/26/78 Miriam approached me holding up a flat, cross-shaped piece of card- board about 13 inches long, marked as below, with this challenge: “Daddy, you’ll never guess what this is.” I gambled: “An airplane?” “No,” Miriam chuckled, “it’s a box, for a Valentine’s day present for you and Mommy.” Miriam showed …
Vn119.1 Multiplying by Twenty 1/25/78 The children love to get mail and when an envelope comes addressed to them, to open it. Each has a bank account concerning which they receive annual earnings statements. The children opened their mail and puzzled over the contents — a statement of account number, social security number, and interest …
Vn116.1 Transferring a Good Trick 1/3/78 Miriam, not imagining yet that she will one way or another make a living, sees her best hope of getting a lot of money as inheriting my money. Thus my impending demise is a subject on her mind and one that involves her in computations. At lunch today: Miriam …
Vn113.1 Steady State 12/8/77 A few nights ago, Miriam approached me: “Dad, why do we have to spend 6 hours in school every day?” “Why do you ask?” I countered. Miriam continued, “It sure is a long time.” When I first asked what was the problem, the answer came back that the work was too …
Vn111.1 Swears 11/30/77 A few days ago I sat at a terminal with Miriam at the Children’s Learning Lab. In response to the “login” request, Miriam typed “FUCK” then turned to me and said, “Look, Daddy, I typed a swear.” I responded non-committally, “Oh yeah. Why don’t you hit new line and see if it …
Vn110.1 Tic TacToe 10/30/77 & 11/12/77 10/30 When Robby and Miriam agreed to play tic-tac-toe together (intending to use Miriam’s ‘magic slate’ which would have left no record of their play), I suggested they play on the chalkboard in the reading alcove. Miriam was granted first move (letters). Game 1 | D | 2 3 …
Vn109.1 Tic Tac Toe 10/4/77 These 5 games are revealing of Miriam’s knowledge and ignorance both. Game 2 reveals more of my failings than I am happy to admit, but its contrast with game 3 permits a central revelation of her thinking about tic-tac-toe. These two together show by how much good fortune (when it …
Vn108.1 Miriam Doesn’t Stop 11/1/77 I have ceased collecting data for this project, have focused my attention on the data reduction problem, but Miriam keeps growing, making breakthrough after breakthrough. This afternoon, for example, I sat transcribing videotapes in the reading alcove. Miriam, waiting in place the ten minutes till Sesame Street should appear on …
Vn105.1 Hotel Magee; Two Microworlds; Decadal Computation 10/20 & 27/77 10/20 With Robby’s introduction of WUMPUS to Miriam yesterday, the mechanically recorded sessions at Logo cease. Vignettes continue to round out and close off at natural stops various themes of the project. The sense of closing off the mechanical recording is that the project has …
Vn104.1 Back to School 10/14/77 During the last days of our project experiments, I promised Miriam to visit her first grade class as I had visited in kindergarten. I had the mistaken impression that Miriam had arranged my visit with Ms. Fieman. The oversight proved to be no problem, for despite my beard and over-size …
Vn101.1 The Death of Robin Hood 9/29/77 “Did Robin Hood really die in the charge of the Light Brigade?” This peculiar question of Miriam’s, rising from no external cue that I noticed, recurrently perplexes me. Its background is this. Months ago, Robby, Miriam, and I watched the movie “Robin Hood” wherein Errol Flynn performed at …
Vn100.1 Arithmetic Ripples 9/26/77-10/2&7/77 9/26 Miriam tells me today was her first day of doing math at school. “But we did it differently there from what we [she and I] did here.” She explained that school math was playing with cuisiniere rods. I told her I thought that was great, and asked what she did …
Vn99.1 Puns 9/26/77 At a recent visit to the library, Robby borrowed two books which both he andMiriam have read and re-read since then (cf. Vignettes 84 and 94). The first book is one of Knock-knock jokes, the second is one of riddles. I believe this second book broadened Miriam’s view of making jokes and …
Vn98.1 Miriam’s New Reader 9/24/77-10/3/77 9/24 Since I was uncertain how much Miriam’s reading skill had developed over the summer (focused as much of it was on reading Peanuts and Pogo cartoons), I could not easily judge what would best test Miriam’s capacity. We discussed the problem. Miriam characterized the book used in Miriam at …
Vn96.1 Tic Tac Toe 9/19/77 After the final arithmetic session of this date, Miriam wanted to play some tic-tac-toe. (Her purpose was to get the material over with so she could have a friend come play with her on the morrow; her assumption that such was necessary was an error.) These games began with a …
Vn94.1 Miscellany 9/dd/17 At lunch today a variety of topics came up for discussion. Miriam said she would like to bring her friends over to visit Logo. I thought of previous visits. “You mean something like the earlier visits of Meg and Dara?” Miriam added, “I want Michelle and Laurie Ann and Elizabeth.” I asked …
Vn91.1 Squirming and Thinking 9/14/77 Miriam had a very bad night last night; she had missed a dose of medicine and played with kittens. Miriam and I were up much of the night. Still wheezing badly this morning (she had reached the point where she could not hold down any orally-administered medicine), she went with …
Vn89.1 The Ten in Fourteen 9/7-10/77 9/7 After considerable confusion at the beginning of yesterday’s arith- metic work (Home Session 18, 9/6/77), in a reprise after games of Tic Tac Toe, I was able to explain ‘carrying’ to Miriam in a manner access- ible to her. I cited a recent comment of hers while doing …
Vn88.1 9/8/77 Over the past few weeks, Miriam has spoken, in the context of repressing her desire for things she can’t have, of having “an eraser mind.” When asked to explain what she meant, Miriam conveyed the image of ideas written on a tablet and subject to erasure. As supper drew to a close this …
Vn87.1 Turtle Tactics 9/7/77 This night is the last of summer, so defined by the children’s beginning school on the morrow. Over this summer they have gradually become accustomed to going to bed late, and now, in order to rise early, they should go to bed early. No one found this argument convincing. We negotiated …
Vn84.1 Go Cart Demon; Knock-Knock Jokes 9/5/77 The third-floor tenant in our landlord’s mansion was moving out today. Robby and Miriam went to help. One comment of Miriam’s came floating up from the court yard. When she chanced upon a collection of records brought down in a wooden case, Miriam said, “Hey, Robby, let’s ask …
apparently, this file needs to be recreated, from earlier sources. The tags attached to the source suggest it is important.
Vn82.1 Hanging Designs 9/3/77 After today’s session was complete, I asked Miriam why she had not pinned on the wall — as she had said she intended — those designs made in yesterday’s session (Logo 58, 9/2/77). She explained that she had started to do so earlier but needed help. I separated the designs from …
Vn81.1 Imitating Machines 9/3/77 Ever since their first encounter with the Votrax Voice Box back in May (Logo Session 5, 5/22/77), both children have thought it funny to imitate the peculiarly mechanical tone of that speech generator. I have suspected some correlation between my asking them questions they consider stupid and their adopting this mode …
Vn85.1 9/6/77 When we started playing tic-tac-toe, I asked Miriam how many different ways can you start when you move first. She claimed 9 ways, one for each block in the frame. I pushed the point further by inquiring whether these three frames were really different or the same: X | | | | | …
Vn79.1 Sums Over a Hundred 8/29/77-9/1/77 8/29 While we sat at lunch today, Miriam introduced the topic of adding with this claim: “Daddy, if you live for another hundred years, I know how old you’ll be.” When I expressed surprise Miriam demonstrated: “A hundred 37.” Two complications derailed this discussion. Robby introduced my birth on …
Vn77.1 A Geometric Puzzle 8/29 & 31/77 8/29 Since Miriam’s completion of our work with picture puzzles (cf. Logo Session 40, 8/1/77), it has been my intention to examine her performance with geometric puzzles. In the past, she has played with a puzzle, the Pythagorean puzzle, which I had made from wood. The Pythagorean puzzle …
Vn76.1 Where Do Ideas Come From? 8/29/77 In this hot, humid weather, Gretchen and the children have been spending all day at Logo with me. This morning I found Sylvia Weir had taken a desk in the room where Robby had just laid claim to an empty desk. She seemed intent on reading, and knowing …
Vn75.1 Logo Seahorses 8/29/77 At the end of the day’s work (Logo Session 56), when the recording equipment was packed away for the trip home, I was preparing material for tomorrow’s session. Robby had been using procedures where DELTA named a variable increment applied to a linear distance and today was introduced to a use …
Vn73.1 Not Being Ready; Logo vs. School 8/26/77 For the past week Miriam has been mentioning that she doesn’t ‘feel ready for school.’ I’ve tried to find out what Miriam means by her feeling ‘not-ready.’ In one case, she explained to me that she didn’t know what they do there. In another incident, at the …
Vn72.1 Tic Tac Toe with Robby 8/25/77 Having seen Miriam play tic-tac-toe with me and feeling a little left out, Robby asked to play with me after Miriam went to bed. Game 1: Robby moves first (numbers) 2 | C | 4 5 | 1 | D A | 3 | B Robby originally made …
Vn71.1 Tic Tac Toe (7) 8/25/77 This material provides Miriam with an opportunity to exhibit what she retained of instruction in the previous tic-tac-toe session (cf. vignette 61, 8/10/77). Where Miriam fails to elect a winning strategy (game 3), I subsequently demonstrate how she should have played, then provide the opportunity for her to turn …
Vn70.1 8/22/77 Over the past few weeks, Robby has shown an interest in playing frisbee. Miriam has tried to play with us but has been so inept that the game always became a squabble. Robby usually argued that since the frisbee was his, he should choose the players for the game. It was an obvious …