Rafael Fonseca de Castro
My name is Rafael Fonseca de Castro. I am a PHD student for the Federal de Pelotas University (UFPel)’s Postgraduate Education Program (PPGE), at Brazilian South. I’m also Specialist and Master in Education for the same University. I live in the city of Pelotas, in the Rio Grande do Sul State. I’m Pedagogy and Science Computing teacher. At moment, also at UFPel University, I work as E-learning Spaces Manager and Education Coordinator of the Social Medicine Department’s on-line courses.
I co-sign a weekly column about local culture, politics and education in a local newspaper. Before that, for 5 years, was a radio program producer directing discussions about region population’s needs, mixing entertainment, social mobilization and popular involvement.
My first approximation to the Socio-historical-cultural Psychology was in 2004, making part of the studies nucleus called “Theory and Practice Pedagogical”, at the Specialization. And got further in 2006, when I joined the studies group entitled “Historical-cultural Education and Psychology”, linked to the UFPel’s Postgraduate Education Program. Since then, I got deeper on the studies based on Socio-historical-cultural’, strongly based on Vygotsky’s perspective. My researches has been guided by the teacher Magda Damiani. For my master degree, I wrote the work titled “Learning and Collaborative Work on E-learning”, focusing on the investigation of learning processes in distance education and the collaborative practice’s influence over these learning processes. In the meantime, my scientific researches have been strongly based on the precepts of Russian Psychology, mainly in contributions of Lev S. Vygotsky and Alexander R. Luria.
My PHD research has as main objective to investigate the writing language development and high mental functions development, as a result of the mental exercise that the write act demands. Our Research Group has based his studies in pedagogical interventions, in a research movement from one’s own practice through pedagogic-dialogical interventions. Our most recent studies board collaborative work, thought and language (with emphasis on writing language), higher mental functions, e-learning, psychology of art, educational technologies, teaching and learning processes and defectology.
Participate in the course of “ISCAR Summer School” will be like a dream come true! Mainly because of my involvement with the studies of Socio-historical-cultural Psychology. The Russian Psychology captivates me and attend lectures by same area’s researchers which I am involved could provide different perspectives for the development of my studies of Vygotsky’s work – beyond my doctoral research. I believe also that this summer school can represent a great exchange opportunity for all participants, around the world, about the Socio-historical-cultural psychology and his effects.
Certainly, a unique opportunity, both professionally and personally. Breath the Russia’s atmosphere will be very inspiring: for my scientific productions and for my work as educator. I could not measure their achievement in words, because without the stipend provided by ISCAR I’d hardly be able to realize this dream.
My main desire is got deeper my theory knowledge about the work developed by Vygotsky and by other important authors such as Luria, Leontiev, Bakhtin, Elkonin and Davydov. As I argued in my dissertation, I believe in the power of collaborative work and for me, working collaboratively with the ISCAR Community, beyond a great challenge, it would be a great honor and, above all, a huge leap professional. Certainly, will be a great collaborative and socio-cultural experience!
Presentation “E-learning pedagogy undergraduate students’ writing: an intervention for improvement”
Download presentation of the speech (PDF; 297KB)