[MATHEDCC] Trends 2000: New essay re Early Math Teaching (plus looking ahead)

Kirby Urner (urner@alumni.Princeton.EDU)
Wed, 15 Sep 1999 03:59:38 GMT

New essay, maybe of some interest. Ideas you maybe haven't=20
encountered before, others you no doubt have:

http://www.inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/trends2000.html

Excerpt (concluding paragraphs):

Students able to think and analyze systems in terms=20
of objects, state machines, and cellular automata will=20
be better prepared to use mathematics as a modeling=20
language. As objects change state internally, they=20
signal one another, trigger one another's methods,=20
and thereby define a network, an ecology, wherein=20
many processes (threads) run simultaneously.=20

Whether or not students need to invent, simulate,=20
program or model complex systems professionally,=20
exposure and practice with the relevant concepts=20
will result in a kind of math-oriented literacy=20
which makes our world and its processes more=20
transparent and intuitively accessible to them.=20
Increased comprehension translates into better=20
informed. more responsible, and more personally=20
satisfying decision-making -- or so our models=20
lead us to suppose.=20

Link at bottom points to public discussion area archived=20
to Math Forum where feedback may be filed for later=20
scrutiny by other browsers. Or I'd welcome any thoughts
via MathEdCC or private email.

Kirby
Curriculum writer
Oregon Curriculum Network

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