[math4] Activity: adding/subtracting whole numbers

[Edward Cherlin]

On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 10:34 AM, John Posner<jjposner at optimum.net> wrote:
> Edward Cherlin wrote:
>>>
>>> I am referring to the work of Caleb Gattegno, starting with the book
>>> that is included in every box of Cuisenaire rods. See also Gattegno's
>>> books
>>>
>>> For the teaching of elementary mathematics
>>> Qualitative arithmetic: The study of numbers from 1 to 20
>>> What We Owe Children The Subordination of Teaching to Learning
>>> Now Johnny can do arithmetic
>>> Mathematics with Numbers in Color, Book A
>>> The common sense of teaching mathematics
>>> Modern mathematics with numbers in colour
>>> Know Your Children as They Are
>>>
>
> Sure thing. I just pulled "Qualitative Arithmetic" and "Mathematics with
> Numbers in Color, Book A" off my book shelf. I also have a couple of other
> books that came with my original (c. 1969) set of Cuisenaire Rods, including
> the very nice "Using the Cuisenaire Rods -- A Photo/Text Guide for
> Teachers", by Jessica Davidson.
>
> I was a big fan of the New Math in the 60s and 70s,

Excellent intentions, dreadful execution.

> but my career in math
> education got detoured into software technical writing.

That's what I do. I'm trying to create a contract stream on software
to replace dead-tree textbooks. You can join a thousand or so writers
and editors at flossmanuals.net for current projects and that
discussion.

> So now my
> educational work is on the hobby level, not the professional level. It's
> certainly fair to say that the Cuisenaire Rods are the basic inspiration for
> my BlockHead activity (<plug>and also the similar, not-yet-Sugarized program
> "FracBars" at www.jjposner.net</plug>).

I am inviting Alan Kay into this conversation. He and I have had some
discussions about how to create Free textbook replacements and get
them into use. He and his associates have a lot of classroom
experience using Smalltalk. We can also get the people from the Logo
community. They too have been working on this line for more than 40
years.

Alan, has anybody built a Smalltalk version of the Cuisenaire rods? It
could be a very simple set of classes. We want rectangles in 10
colors, of fixed size and shape that we can drag, rotate, and align
precisely. Or 3D blocks that we can stack, when we get more ambitious.

> Best,
> John

-- 
Edward Mokurai Cherlin
Silent Thunder (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) is my name, and
Children are
my nation. The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
http://earthtreasury.org/