Well, you probably didn't mean to set off a flame war, so I'll try to be
moderate in my reply.
Your reference to 'finger counting' implies that you take one of the
extreme positions as 'given': Either students should be able to use
fingers/calculators whenever & however, OR students should never be
allowed to use fingers/calculators under any circumstances.
I think a simplistic analogy like this avoids the complex issues that
are truly present with questions of technology. The recent discussion
was not related at all to "should they be used", but to "how much is
enough". This issue does not exist in the world of "fingers"; I've not
heard anyone recommend that we add fingers to a person's hand so they
can easily count to larger numbers.
If your position truly is "as much technology as we can get", then our
curriculum would be controlled more by TI-Casio-Sharp-HP than it is by
the community of mathematics educators. Is this what you want?? What
does this position on technology tell our students about the nature of
learning mathematics? (Are the best messages being communicated?)
I continue to believe that we have a responsibility to discuss and
analyze the role of technology in detail, so that we bring the best
curriculum possible to meet the needs of our students. I think "we"
should be in the driver's seat, in charge, and give input to
TI-Casio-Sharp-HP, rather than the other way around.
Is this what you see as the role of mathematics educators??
Thanks.
Jack
--
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< from >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Jack Rotman phone (517)483-1079
Math Professor ROTMAN@ALPHA.LANSING.CC.MI.US
Lansing Community College Lansing, MI
"Like all art & science, mathematics surrounds us."
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Math Success ! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
dept web page http://www.lansing.cc.mi.us/sas/mathsci
****************************************************************************
* To post to the list: email mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu *
* To unsubscribe, send mail to: majordomo@archives.math.utk.edu *
* In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe mathedcc *
* Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! *
* Archives at http://archives.math.utk.edu/hypermail/mathedcc/ *
****************************************************************************