Re: Student Teacher: - can anyone test my resource?

On 27 Apr 2006 06:47:39 -0700, "keelworm" <bikes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

I've found judging the target audience much more dificult than getting
my head round the ICT.

A wise observation. One of the more difficult things to get around
for first year teachers, or those not in the classroom, is that if
they [the teacher] understand it, it must be simple, and that if they
say it once, clearly, it will be understood immediately by others.
It's not that simple. Conic sections/physical applications are
generally beyond the very young. They need the background/mastery of
things assumed known later in order to truly comprehend the simplicity
of that later study. What could be simpler than a statement, E =
mc^2? What could be simpler than the high school algebra needed to
develop that? What could be more difficult than the physical concepts
underlying it?

A long time ago, when teaching myself BASIC programming, I had
occasion to write a program to determine a long division to any number
of required decimals. To do so I used string manipulation extensively
["extensively" at that time.] It was a learning process not only in
programming, but in the real difficulty students would encounter in
the thinking process required to do long division. With our years of
practice, we go through the stages so rapidly that we don't even see
them as stages. Like the game Sokoban, success depends upon a primary
analysis ["number sense" in long division problems] before making even
the first move.

So, what I'm trying to say is that it might be wiser to *first* decide
upon the audience, and their needs through prior research, and then to
develop the program to fit. Again there is a strong tug of war
between actual pre-thinking by the student to get where they want to
go, and simple trial and error. It is best by far to avoid the latter
as much as possible, and to teach the approach to solution as a
logical method. I'd suggest then, if I may, an accompanying paper
[PDF] on possible approaches to using the software.

I know a "race-car" game easily drawn and played with pen[cil] and
paper and easily explained. It "develops skill in thinking in two
dimensions", a good prerequisite for studies in Cartesian geometry.
The problem is that it is difficult to determine if it does in fact
teach that, or if that is prerequisite also for the game. Having
driven, I already know how to cut corners. Having done extensive
graphing, I can see a path before I develop it. They are seeing it
for the first time, with not a clue on how to approach it in the same
manner. ...if you get my point.

Conclusion: The more tools available for the teacher the better.
Then it's a matter of "Whatever works."

...now, on to stain and varnish that oak end table I just finished
yesterday. :)

.

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