-> I am convinced that computers can be powerful aids to instruction,
-> but many of the skills that students need to learn at elementary and
-> secondary levels, including math skills, can, I expect, be
-> effectively done without requiring the students to use computers per
-> se,
Hi Arthur,
I agree with the above. MANY of the skills which students need can be
effectively learned without computers. I am out of my element in
subjects outside of math, but it seems to me that for any class in math
Algebra I or below, computers are really not necessary. I do see where
they can be quite helpful for classes like Geometry and Calculus where
visualization is important and traditional paper and pencil do not allow
demonstration as well as computer animation does for certain topics.
Tom Cotton has brought up several times in the past how computers could
effectively administer tests and score them for teachers, tracking
student strengths and weaknesses. I haven't personally seen the software
that will do this. I believe that Ken Blystone has from time to time
mentioned that the computers at his school do this type of thing. I'd
want to see it though, before I'd be convinced that it is as good as a
human teacher can do. I believe it is entirely possible. It just hasn't
been well implemented yet.
-> I would hope that good math teachers would, of course, demonstrate
-> how spreadsheets and other programs could be used to solve various
-> kinds of math problems, or how math concepts can be used to set up
-> spreadsheets as aids in home and business procedures.
Spreadsheets? I don't even have time to finish my Geometry and Algebra
curriculum with my students. When am I going to fit in time to teach
spreadsheets? Our Applied Arts department teaches a course in computer
applications which includes spreadsheets. This could be incorporated
into the math department, but need not be. I know that there are math
teachers out there who are doing this type of stuff. Of course, we don't
have the computers available in our math dept. to do this type of stuff
right now, even IF we had the instructional time.
But, those computer and engineering professionals that I have mentioned
in the past who oppose computers in the classroom would claim that use
of a spreadsheet is NOT mathematics, and as a math grad student, I'd
have to say they are right. Certainly it can be useful in solving
applications, but a spreadsheet is not mathematics. Therefore, it isn't
necessary to teach one in a math program.
-> I guess part of my concern is that, in my own lifetime, I have seen
-> instructional time reduced from hour-long classes to 40-45 minute
-> classes to teach more content.
Amen.
-> Attempts to deal with this through block scheduling and curriculum
-> modifications present problems and lead to outcomes I find
-> disturbing.
I agree. I find that the block scheduling idea which causes you to have
to teach less material is not really acceptable.
-> As an early believer in the promise of computers in education, I find
-> that trends toward a concern with keeping up with state-of-the-art
-> advances may ignore basic advantages.
Yes, as many have mentioned, the schools simply CANNOT afford to stay on
the cutting edge of technology. Schools need to first justify why they
need the technology and what they hope to accomplish with it. Then they
need to buy a machine that will handle those things and it will need to
last for a good 5+ years. By the time it is retired it will be a
dinosaur, but that shouldn't matter in the schools. Schools cannot teach
cutting edge technology. Students can learn this type of stuff in
Vo-Tech schools after high school graduation.
-> I will save more for future messages as I try to sort all this out in
-> my own mind and try to articulate for myself the role that computers
-> should or could play in the education of young people.  Thanks for
-> listening.
Well, when you get it all sorted out, let me know.  It is a
complex issue and one that I think we will be grappling with for some
time to come. I do see advantages to home access to the Internet.
Students can get homework help on-line and so forth. As a matter of
fact, computer use in the home to support school studies makes a lot
more sense to me than the schools trying to teach technology. But, when
some students have families that can afford this type of thing in their
home and others cannot, this certainly doesn't help towards leveling the
playing field?
Sheila
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