[MATHEDCC] From Beverly Broomel Re: Who will ... 21st century?? LONG REPLY

Brian E. Smith (smithb@management.mcgill.ca)
Mon, 06 Sep 1999 22:43:41 -0400

>From: "Beverly Broomell" <broomeb@sunysuffolk.edu>
>To: owner-mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu
>Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1999 08:51:01 -0400
>Subject: Re: Who will ... 21st century?? LONG REPLY
>Reply-to: broomeb@sunysuffolk.edu
>Priority: normal
>X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.01b)
>
>Hello Colleagues,
>
>This is a long reply, so if you are in a time crunch, read it later.
>
>In February, 1964, I was hired to replace a maternity leave teacher at a
junior high
>school in a small town in Delaware. I had been trained in "traditional"
>mathematics and I was faced with teaching "new" mathematics. Parents did
not
>know how to help their children (new terminology, such as regrouping and
>remaning) and were afraid that their children were not learning real
mathematics.
>The students and I did just fine in our learning (yes, I was learning, too).
>
>In the early 1970's, the hand-held calculator arrived on the scene.
Parents were
>afraid that their children were not learning real mathematics. I found
ways to test
>around and with the technology. The technology did not teach the
material, but it
>aided in the process. It was so useful that now I cannot conceive of
teaching a
>statistics course without them.
>
>The 1980's brought the PC into some homes. I was teaching at the college
level
>and used the PC at home -- not in the classroom as the colleges where I
taught
>did not have mathematics computer classrooms. Students were begining to
have
>the technology which the schools did not!
>
>In the 1990's, mathematics computer classrooms are no longer as rare as
>chicken's teeth. The technology is here and if we do not adjust to its use
-- at
>home and in the classroom -- the student, as well as the instructor, is
the loser.
>
>For the last two years, I have taught several sections of mediated
learning using
>Academic Systems materials. As Maureen O'Grady stated, you do not have a
>class of 28 students, but rather 28 classes (some arithmetic, some beginning
>algebra, and some intermediate algebra) running simultaneously. You
cannot get
>too much more student centered than that! The materials from AS are
sound, but
>the INSTRUCTOR sets the tone. The instructor must know the curriculum and
>learning styles so that the material which is not covered in an
appropriate manner
>for a student can be explained to that student in a different way.
Technology
>alone cannot do this in a timely way.
>
>If I had to develop these materials, the students would not have seen them
in my
>lifetime. In the mid-'70's, the high school where I taught had ONE
computer for
>the entire student body. I wrote a skill drill routine for my general
math class that
>could be used during study hall -- if a faculty member could be in the
computer
>closet. That was not student centered! It took me several weeks to write
and
>test.
>
>Today, the big company materials help the students learn mathematics, but
the
>instructor is still the key. Learner-centered, yes -- instructor-less,
NO! If I were
>teaching in the same way that I was 35 years ago (even using technology),
I hope
>that someone would put me on the shelf! The only way to teach with
technology
>is to recognize its good points and use them to the student's advantage.
But we
>must also recognize the bad points and minimize the damage to the learning
>process. To teach without using technology to its fullest is a disservice
to the
>student.
>
>Will I continue to use big company technology? As long as the product
>continues to grow with the student, yes. Academic Systems asks
insturctors to
>give them feedback about the product and upgrades the product annually. The
>lessons my students will be viewing today are relatively unchanged from two
>years ago, but there are changes which have been incorporated and have
>improved the product. The student is the winner!
>
>
>###############################################
>Beverly R. Broomell Voice: (516)451-4732 or 4270
>Professor FAX: (516)451-4887
>Mathematics Department
>Suffolk County Community College
>533 College Road
>Selden NY 11784
>
>http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/~broomeb/
>
>If you want to be successful, be like a duck. Above the surface be
>calm and serene, but below the surface, paddle like HELL!! -- unknown
>Inspiring Quote (5/3)
>
>
___________________________________________________________________________

Brian E. Smith TEL: 514-398-4038 (Work)
McGill University FAX: 514-398-3876 (Work)
1001 Sherbrooke St. West FAX: 514-482-1639 (Home)
Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1G5 EMAIL: smithb@management.mcgill.ca

Url: http://www.management.mcgill.ca/homepage/profs/smithb
___________________________________________________________________________

No human investigation can be called real science if it cannot be
demonstrated mathematically. Leonardo da Vinci
___________________________________________________________________________
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