This creative philosophical essay demonstrates Vygotsky's principles in the form of an extended fictional thought-experiment, in which the author is "interviewed" by a fictional Ukrainian reporter, Natasha. The introduction, "Squaring Russian Theory with American Practice," gives some background in Vygotsky's and Davydov's…

Argues that inquiring must be the dominant feature of education. Notes that traditional education has treated children's thinking and inquiring as of little pedagogical worth; yet education that prepares for the exercise of judgment rests upon teaching students to cultivate the thinking process. Argues that schools must accept responsibility for…