Re: TI-89 virtue email needed
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Re: TI-89 virtue email needed
That was the point of the original question I asked. Where do we draw
the line? Is change good, or should education stay the same? Obvously it
is inevitable, and yes it's not entirely good, but it is partially good.
Actually, I don't think we can any longer argue one side or the other. The
thing is, how do we do both? Can we allow calculators and new technology
while still teaching the concepts? Even if pencil and paper is never used
again, can we get students to watch the calculator and know why it just
gave the answer that it did?
You see, I enjoyed my boring and tedious math classes, because I was good at
it. I barely had to pay attention, I just read the text and played Ztetris.
But I also know that many would gladly let the 89 take the test for them.
Kids like me aren't the problem, it's the others we must worry about. They
already dislike math and want to get away from it. There is no doubt that
we should somehow instill these students with the skills and concepts, but
CAN we? As hard as it was ten years ago, will it even be possible ten years
from now? If not, how do we influence calculator policies towards better
educations? Is that even an attainable goal?
I'm not all for the banishment of math education, in fact I dislike the idea.
But I also try to be a realist, even if that reality paints an unpleasant
picture. And so I again ask: Is it good? Is it bad?
What are we going to do about it? Will we ever have a happy ending to this
topic? :)
>There is no question that technology has improved our standard of living but
>I think the question is whether the learning enviornment should be or within
>what bounds we should allow it's full power to be utilized (in this case,
>sophisticated calculators.) My view is that the learning process should be
>as comprehensive as possible( boring and tedious if you will.) By this I
>mean that education's goal should be to teach the fundamentals that need
>mastering in order to be fully prepare the student for eventual application
>of that knowledge. [snip] Allowing a calculator to "do the work"
>for the student so to speak, teaches him or her how to use the technology
>but not the reasoning process that made the technology possible. Most of
>the advances in technology we enjoy today come from advanced research and
>business, which apply the fundamental principals we gain from education. It
>is in these areas that the full force of technology should be employed, i.e.
>the full capablities of the calculator.
>
>I am not sure teachers are upset with what technology can do, after all they
>benefit as do we all. I think the legitimate concern may be that rather
>than being an aid in learning as calculators have been, they are now capable
>of supplanting learning due their increased capabilities. It may be and
>probably is enevitable that these changes will occur but I can't see this as
>a sound argument that the change is for the better due to its enevitablity.
>We have regretted our decisions in the past and allowing technology to make
>our life *to" easy may be another.
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