Cynthia Solomon

Cynthia Solomon (* 1938 in Somerville , Massachusetts ) is an American computer scientist . She was a co-developer of Logo , the first programming language and programming environment especially for children.

life and work

Solomon studied history at Radcliffe College and received a Bachelor of Arts (BA). She then taught at Milton Academy in Milton , Massachusetts for seven years and became the Technology Integration Coordinator at Monsignor Haddad Middle School in Needham , Massachusetts. In 1967 she designed the programming language Logo together with Seymour Papert and Wally Feursehen . This language was intended for children to experiment with words, solve math problems, make up stories, and develop their own games. Logo is widely known for its use of turtle graphics, where commands to move and draw create line art either on the screen or with a small robot called a turtle. She received a Master of Science degree in computer science from Boston University in 1976. In the 1980s, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology hired her to run the Atari Cambridge Research Laboratory as she had successfully developed Logo. Her PhD in education , which she took in 1985 from Harvard University , led to the publication of the critical book "Computer Environments for Children: A Reflection on Theories of Learning and Upbringing". This book examines the opportunities and challenges associated with computers in learning settings. She has taught, advised and received grants from several prestigious research laboratories and foundations. Among other things, she served as the vice president of research and development at Logo Computer Systems, Inc. when Apple Logo was developed. In 2016 she worked on the program committee for Constructing Modern Knowledge at the Marvin Minsky Institute for Artificial Intelligence.

Publications (selection)

1971: Papert, Seymour; Solomon, Cynthia: Twenty Things to Do with a Computer, http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/5836
1976: Solomon, Cynthia: Leading a Child to a Computer Culture. ACM SIGCUE Outlook.
1976: Solomon, Cynthia: Teaching young children to program in a LOGO turtle computer culture. ACM Sigcue Outlook.
1982: Solomon, Cynthia: Apple logo: Introduction to programming through turtle graphics
1984: Solomon, Cynthia: Logo Power, ISBN 978-0066690209
1984: Solomon, Cynthia: Apple II - Apple Logo: Reference Manual & Introduction to Programming Through Tu Logo Power
1985: Solomon, Cynthia; Minsky, Margaret; Harvey, Brian: LogoWorks: Challenging Programs in Logo, ISBN 978-0070424258
1988: Solomon, Cynthia: Computer Environments for Children: A Reflection on Theories of Learning and Education, ISBN 978-0262691253
1996: Druin, Allison and Solomon, Cynthia: Designing Multimedia Environments for Children Inventive Minds, ISBN 978-0471116882
2004: Solomon, Cynthia: Culture Audits: Supporting Organizational Success, ISBN 978-1562863869
2009: Solomon, Cynthia: Select a Performance Management System (Infoline ASTD), ISBN 978-1562866013
2018: Druin, Allison; Solomon, Cynthia: Designing multimedia environments for children
2018: Minsky, Marvin; Solomon, Cynthia; Xiao Xiao; Travers, Mike; Kay, Alan: Inventive Minds: Marvin Minsky on Education, ISBN 978-0262039093

Awards

2016: Tech Award from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT)
2016: Lifetime Achievement Award at Constructionism 2016

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Solomon, Cynthia
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American computer scientist
DATE OF BIRTH	1938
PLACE OF BIRTH	Somerville , Massachusetts