Geoff's comments were a welcome piece of email on MATHEDCC. In fact, I
printed it to share tomorrow with my College Algebra students who today
(and many other days) were listening to my "harangue" about the necessity
of learning the algebra concepts and manipulations as well as the
calculator (TI 82, 83, 85, 92) manipulations. They seem to want to focus
on the calculator as the main (only?) point, and I want to focus on the
concepts of algebra and its interrelation to the graphs, tables, and
results provided by the calculator. I keep reminding them that the white
portion of the test will be done WITHOUT calculator and the yellow WITH
calculator. Still, it will come as a surprise to many that the calculator
alone will not be their ticket to a passing grade and more importantly a
working understanding of College Algebra. Some are working in both
strands. But those who are enamored with the "ease of technology" over the
often "grunt work" of algebra will be in trouble on the exams.
Snip
>
>Koblitz goes on to say, "Computers reinforce the fascination with gadgetry, as
>opposed to intellect, that is endemic in American popular culture. <snip>
>Computers are generally used in the classroom in a way that fosters a
>Golly-Gee-Whiz attitude that sees science as a magical black box, rather
>than as
>an area of critical thinking. <snip> Most software is based on immediate
>gratification and does not encourage sustained mental effort. While
>physically
>playing an active role, the pupil is intellectually passive, and has little
>opportunity to be creative; that is, the pupil is programmed to follow a path
>already laid out in detail by others."
>
End Snip
I was also complaining in that class (whose range of calculators is TI 82,
83, 85, 92 plus a few Casio's thrown in to keep things interesting) that
even on the TI calculators there is no consistency. I use an 82 and 85 for
demonstration in that class, switching back and forth. This switching is
sometimes irritating, for example the comma changes position from one to
the other. And I come to this class directly from Applied Calculus in
which I use the TI 92 which has very little resemblance to either the 82 or
85. I have a new 86 on my desk whose buttons I have barely pushed. But
students show up looking for answers about how to use it. I do love
technology, but I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. Maybe I should have TI
stock to make me feel better about this?
Karen
Snip
>He makes that point that the fetishization of computers by the media and
>educational establishment is a kind of Cargo Cult, and that it is quite
>possible, even preferable, to teach computer science without computers and
>that
>computers have been foisted off on education by money-corrupted businesses
>such
>as TI and MS and Apple.
>
End Snip
>Geoff Hagopian,
>Palm Desert
>
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Karen A. Estes (813) 712-5723 office
St. Petersburg Junior College (813) 712-5788 fax
600 Klosterman Road estesk@email.spjc.cc.fl.us
Palm Harbor, FL 34683
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