Why We Banned Legos

Rethinking Schools ^ | Winter 2006 | Ann Pelo and Kendra Pelojoaquin

[Lorianne]

Exploring power, ownership, and equity in an early childhood classroom ___

Carl and Oliver,* both 8-year-olds in our after-school program, huddled over piles of Legos. They carefully assembled them to add to a sprawling collection of Lego houses, grocery stores, fish-and-chips stands, fire stations, and coffee shops. They were particularly keen to find and use "cool pieces," the translucent bricks and specialty pieces that complement the standard-issue red, yellow, blue, and green Lego bricks.

"I'm making an airport and landing strip for my guy's house. He has his own airplane," said Oliver.

"That's not fair!" said Carl. "That takes too many cool pieces and leaves not enough for me."

"Well, I can let other people use the landing strip, if they have airplanes," said Oliver. "Then it's fair for me to use more cool pieces, because it's for public use."

Discussions like the one above led to children collaborating on a massive series of Lego structures we named Legotown. Children dug through hefty-sized bins of Legos, sought "cool pieces," and bartered and exchanged until they established a collection of homes, shops, public facilities, and community meeting places. We carefully protected Legotown from errant balls and jump ropes, and watched it grow day by day.

After nearly two months of observing the children's Legotown construction, we decided to ban the Legos.

[6SJ7]

We saw the decimation of Lego-town as an opportunity to launch a critical evaluation of Legotown and the inequities of private ownership and hierarchical authority on which it was founded.

The teachers use their hierarchical authority to impose their rules on the kids. Some animals are more equal than others.

[DocRock]

Scout’s Honor! True story. Legos helped build our long range fire control systems on Apache attack helicopters!

[keepitreal]

I wonder if the church decided to kick them out before or after the Lego incident.

Who knows? Maybe it was all those “Worship Gaia” bumper stickers on the faculty cars!

[ccmay]

These people are just like Delores Umbrage.

More like the demon spawn of Dolores Umbridge and a Dementor.

Can you imagine being six or eight years old and having to go to a class taught by these soul-sucking killjoys?

I don't recall how old I was when I decided that anyone who used the word "collective" was my mortal enemy, but it's going to happen a lot sooner to these poor little tykes.

-ccm

[PetroniusMaximus]

“Scout’s Honor! True story.”

Dude, I believe you!!!

You should contact Lego!

Well, on second thought...

:)

[muleskinner]

Ann Pelo (annpelo@msn.com) and Kendra Pelojoaquin teach at Hilltop Children' Center, a child care program in Seattle. Kendra coordinates the before- and after-school program at Hilltop, and, with two co-teachers, teaches a group of 30 children. Ann is the mentor teacher at Hilltop, working alongside teachers to support their learning abut the pedagogy inspired by the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. This article is part of an ongoing series on early childhood education funded through a special grant of the Peppercorn Foundation.

[peggybac]

If these bozos had their dreams realized, they wouldn’t be working in hoity toity schools available only to the rich white kids. I’m sure the majority of the children’s fathers work in the evil businesses that make up corporate America. Schools like this are dangerous.

[scrabblehack]

Yeah, and they’re my #1 suspect for destroying Legotown in the first place.

[ccmay]

That is F**KING HILARIOUS. Mockery and ridicule is a powerful weapon against these lobotomized lotus-eaters.

-ccm

[JasonC]

So, keep the Legos and ban the public schools.

[ccmay]

The kids with the vision to build Legotown became the bad guys of course because they assumed that that they, the builders, would reap a reward for their vision, hard work and industriousness.

Let's give those kids some Legos made out of Rearden Metal.

-ccm

[FreedomPoster]

That’s a great story! Thanks.

[PAR35]

Who knows? Maybe it was all those “Worship Gaia” bumper stickers on the faculty cars!

I don't know. It's ELCA. How would they be able to tell the faculty cars from those of the congregants? They don't have anything overtly liberal on their web site, however.

[Irish Queen]

As a teacher of many years (1968-2001) I strongly suspect that she greatly embellished the Lego story for the sake of her deeply felt socialist cause. I've read through a number of these self-indulgent papers through the years as an educator.

Also consider that these "Big Kids" were probably tired and cranky after six hours in the regular school day. Is it believable for these children to sit through daily class meetings for five long, dreary months discussing such topics as collectivism and group dynamics?

[Defend the Second]

That's a man, baby.

I mean, er, that's NOT a woman, baby.

Um, I mean, that's a well meaning in-between that would be executed immediately after the bad guys take over.

[exit82]

Bingo!! Ayn Rand would be proud of you.

Your prize: your own railroad—and you what the tracks are made from!

[fieldmarshaldj]

Lesbianese Marxist anti-Legites.

[Col Freeper]

Just make the pie bigger — BUY SOME MORE LEGGOS!

[ccmay]

If these bozos had their dreams realized, they wouldn’t be working in hoity toity schools available only to the rich white kids.

They're not all white. I bet they have a few mascots of color too. But undoubtedly those who pay the bills are going to be as WASPy as the members of the Boston Yacht Club.

I’m sure the majority of the children’s fathers work in the evil businesses that make up corporate America.

Did you see their fund raising page? They're comfortable enough with corporate capitalism to offer to take any unwanted shares of stock off your hands.

Schools like this are dangerous.

Agreed. These people are among the most dangerous and evil in our society.

-ccm

[Lorianne]

Thanks for that companion piece.