Cynthia Solomon

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About

Cynthia Solomon is a pioneering computer scientist and educator whose work helped define how children learn with technology. Best known as a co-inventor of the Logo programming language alongside Seymour Papert and Wallace Feurzeig, she created the first computer language designed specifically for children—a revolutionary idea that transformed educational computing. Her 2020 paper "History of Logo" (72 citations) traces this legacy, showing how Logo became more than a language: it became a learning environment where children explore mathematical ideas through creative project-making. Solomon's research spans artificial intelligence in education, constructionist learning, and the intersection of technology with the arts. In her innovative "RoBallet" project (2004, 12 citations), she explored how children learn through expression by choreographing dance while wearing sensors and microcontrollers, blending performing arts with immersive technology. A longtime collaborator with Papert at MIT's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Solomon's contributions laid the groundwork for modern educational tools like Scratch. Her vision—that children should program computers, not be programmed by them—continues to inspire generations of educators and researchers in computing education.