Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash
Dr. Cynthia Solomon is a Computer Scientist, a pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI), and an educator in computing. Her contributions have influenced computing environments through her research, writing, and teaching. Her focus has been on creating meaningful learning experiences and esthetically pleasing learning environments for children. This post highlights her life’s significant work, contribution to the field of ed-tech. Thus, she is someone I deeply respect and view as a role model.
In the sixties, Dr. Cynthia Solomon, along with Seymour Papert, Wallace Feurzeig, Daniel Bobrow, invented Logo, the first programming language designed explicitly for children (Solomon et al., 2020). The authors described Logo as being “more than a programming language. It is a learning environment where children explore mathematical ideas and create projects of their own design” (p.1). In 1971, Dr. Cynthia Solomon, Seymour Papert, Marvin Minsky, and Mike Paterson introduced the first Logo controlled turtle robot. She authored and co-authored much-published work. However, her seminal book, Computer Environments for Children (1986), was the first comprehensive reflection on ed-tech pedagogy. As well as her paper with Seymour Papert, Twenty Things to do with a Computer (1971), is well respected in the field. She later won the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Pioneer Award and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Constructionism 2016.
Dr. Cynthia Solomon impacted the lives of the children who got to work with her, the people who got to collaborate with her and continues to inspire generations to come.
References:Papert, S. & Solomon, C. (PDF) Twenty Things to Do with a Computer. (n.d.). ResearchGate. Retrieved September 20, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/37596692_Twenty_Things_to_Do_with_a_Computer
Solomon, C. (1988). Computer Environments for Children: A Reflection on Theories of Learning and Education. MIT Press.
Solomon, C., Harvey, B., Kahn, K., Lieberman, H., Miller, M. L., Minsky, M., Papert, A., & Silverman, B. (2020). History of Logo. Proceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages, 4(HOPL), 1–66. https://doi.org/10.1145/3386329
Photo credit: https://www.ncwit.org/profile/cynthia-solomon
Photo credit: https://logothings.github.io/logothings/
Photo credit: https://roamerrobot.tumblr.com/post/23079345849/the-history-of-turtle-robots
That logo turtle is a classic example used in so many computer science examples of how to code. Thanks for sharing some of the history behind it’s creator(s).
Thank you for your comment, Patrick.
I remember learning about it in Comp. Sci. years ago too, only now made the connection with the creators.
What a great time to enter computer science, being a pioneer in the infancy of the AI. Well presented, Vanessa.
Thank you for your comment and kind words, Rod!
Yes, indeed! Our timing to be in this program is quite impeccable as the way we learn and teach is shifting drastically in front of our eyes at the moment.
Last week was a bit much for me and I’m just now doing a little catch-up on blog posts I missed… and I am so sad I missed this one last week! What a great find. I love that she appears to have been so focused on getting children involved in programming and robotics. Early exposure to the possibilities of this type of stuff is so important and I’m glad there were people who saw and met this need early on.
David, thank you for your comment. I’m working on catching up on reading our cohort’s posts as well as last week was too much for me too.
Yes, she’s quite fascinating to me. Dr. Gary Stager wrote a blog post about how he met her at MIT said “I was 22 years old and had no academic credentials. Memory suggests that the instant I stepped out of my cab, Cynthia Solomon and a handful of other great scholars and educators said, “Hey kid, come to dinner with us.” I’ve been lucky enough to have Cynthia Solomon as a friend, colleague and mentor ever since.” I thought that was pretty sweet!
Dr. Gary Stager’s full article: http://constructingmodernknowledge.com/?p=1040
I love that story! The world could always use more people like that.
Thanks for the introduction to Dr. Cynthia Soloman Vanessa. What an interesting career she has had! I read the article that you provided by Dr. Stagers as well. It appears his comment that Dr. Soloman is the mother of educational computing is well placed. I wonder what her vision of education in the future might look like for school children in 2030?
Thank you, John, for your comment and thoughtful question.
Your question raised my curiosity, so naturally, I went digging through the web! Couldn’t find anything, however, in this Q & A article (below), where she envisioned 50 years ago “Project-based, child-centred and child-driven learning would transform classrooms”. So, I would imagine that in 10 years, the tech and tools will change but the learners still need the same engagement, desire to learn, and curiosity to explore the unknown. I’m looking forward to diving deep into Unit 3 readings to gain more perspectives.
http://www.infosys.org/infosys-foundation-usa/media/blog/Pages/cynthia-solomon-qna.aspx