These Logo materials are a mixed collection of workshop resources created at various times for initial teacher training courses, both primary and secondary. Though many have been used with students, not all have been tested in this way.

In curriculum-speak, the overall aims of my Logo workshops are that students should know how:

• to describe, with historical reference, an important example of educational software relevant to the National Curriculum for ICT (in the UK).
• to explain the rationale for how programming can stimulate learning about computing; learning about geometry; learning about simple robotics with Turtle Graphics; or learning about aspects of language and logic through list processing; etc. etc.
• to use, apply and consolidate a range of basic programming skills and concepts using FMSLogo syntax and conventions.
• to work with perseverance to test and debug plans and actions (i.e. goals and procedures) in order to solve simple programming problems.
• to develop a simple microworld/simulation in LOGO by following a project brief.

Hopefully, within all that, most students almost always have some kind of fun ... and it is usually hard fun, the best kind!

I have always included Logo somewhere in my teaching and learning ever since Logo began. It never fails to impress me with the way that it affords and encourages a combination of structure and open-ended, exploratory learning.

As I edit this page (Jan '08) there are the continuing signs of a renewed shift in UK schools back to an emphasis on topic or thematic based approaches, and a renewed emphasis on  the whole child particularly the social and affective context in which learning takes place. Perhaps this, combined with the relative maturity of the ICT community in British education, will encourage a renewed interest in Logo and logo-like tools?

Update: Nov 08 - yes, there's some real shifts in thinking going on. Less instrumentalist, particularly in the early years.

For a bibliography of logo publications see here. For a bibliography about teaching and learning with Logo see here.

A list of links from my del.icio.us is here.

An old but quite interesting bibliography is here. And an old bibliography of some of Papert's works is here. Both these lists need updating and were created some time ago.

Here is a list of other programs, languages and tools that fit into this paradigm ... more or less.

And a list of sites related to the topic 'learning through programming'

There are many versions of Logo available, some commercially produced, and some produced as variations of an Open Source approach. See here for these other Logo resources.

There's quite a few websites like this one, enthusiasts and teachers who work with Logo and students. There also used to be a Logo Web Ring but it appears to be defunct. You can see the existing but out of date Logo Web Ring list here. Perhaps someone will start a new one?
 

The teaching and learning resources in these collections were originally based on MSWLogo but this has migrated to a new developer. It is now known as FMSLogo. The same licensing arrangements apply, i.e. free for educational use, and like MSWLogo it encourages support for multiple sclerosis research and care. (You should also look at the original MSWLogo page where there's lots of useful links). FMS Logo is now the main version used on this website. FMSLogo is a continuation of MSWLogo. Download FMSLogo or go to the main project website. Why use FMSLogo? (i) It's free for educational use, so everyone can have a copy. (ii) It's a 'real' programming language yet five year olds can make a start while 55 year olds can keep on busting their brains over it! How's that for progression and continuity? (iii) It's part of a great tradition of 'progressive', learner-centred education (Turtle Graphics is not just a set of programming constructs, it also carries an implied pedagogy based on a rather general theory of intellectual and affective development).

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Logo Materials