[math4] FourthGradeMath Digest, Vol 2, Issue 19

[Caroline Meeks]

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> ------------------------------
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> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:57:08 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Greg Dekoenigsberg <gdk at redhat.com>
> Subject: [math4] Teachers and developers: "Finding the 44"
> To: FourthGradeMath at lists.sugarlabs.org
> Message-ID: <alpine.LFD.2.00.0903160709380.3670 at localhost.localdomain>
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Hi Greg,

Love this idea. What do we have right now? 20 developers and 1 teacher?

One suggestion based on the group work I've been doing and studying this
semester and my experience is that groups of 6 might work better on average
then groups of 2.

Maybe 4 developers and 2 teachers working on 4 activities.

And although the activities should not be perfect, they should be very
thoughtful. That is full of thought about why what you are trying might work
for learning.  Team members should be thinking together about learning and
it would be great if we could transfer some of those thoughts to the next
person who picks up the activity and improves it.  Maybe the next person
will also improve or have a different view of the pedagy of the activity
too.



>
>
>
> Lest anyone think I don't want teachers around, which is perhaps what some
> may have construed from my comments, I want to make it VERY clear:
>
> THIS WON'T WORK IF WE CAN'T FIND 4TH GRADE MATH TEACHERS TO HELP US.
>
> The way forward, ultimately, is to pair teachers and developers together
> to build activities that map *directly* to clear objectives, as defined
> by the curriculum framework:
>
> http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Math4Team/Resources/CurriculumChart
>
> The nice thing about the open source model is that these activities don't
> have to be perfect.  In fact, they *shouldn't* be perfect.  They should be
> experimental.  They should be moving targets.  They should come together
> quickly.  They should be simple, and numerous.  Over time, it will become
> clear which ones have the most momentum, because people will actually be
> using them, and ultimately we will polish those gems that our community
> find most useful.
>
> What we're really doing here is establishing a framework that will allow
> us to get started -- because it tells us *what we should be working on*.
> Too frequently, we've had developers decide to write a cool activity,
> without having a clear goal.  The result is a bunch of cool activities,
> but with not nearly enough coverage.
>
> Hence Math4.  44 objectives, 44 activities.  Which means that we need 44
> developers, and 44 teachers to guide them.  :)
>
> If you look again at the Curriculum Chart:
>
> http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Math4Team/Resources/CurriculumChart
>
> ...you see the 44 objectives, and next to them, slots for people and
> activities.  As we recruit developers and teachers, we should be pairing
> them up by objective.
>
> As an example, I've added myself and Mongo to the following objective:
>
> "4.P.3: Determine values of variables in simple equations, e.g., 4106 ? x
> = 37, 5 = y + 3, and s ? y = 3."
>
> Note: Mongo, in the short term, will really just be a drill tool that can
> handle any content.  However, I am picking a single objective anyway, even
> though it could conceivably handle multiple objectives.
>
> So now we need 43 developers and 44 teachers.  I'm doing what I can to
> bring developers to the table.
>
> Who can bring the teachers?  We need your help.
>
>
> You're exactly right!  This initial period is not about a finished
> product, it's about getting started.
>
> I think Caroline is frustrated because this isn't very educational at
> this point, but what it is, is very open source like.  Now if you're use
> to what end products look like in Open Source, you'll be wondering why
> we're so "off the mark" at these beginning stages.


I'm not frustrated. I'm excited!!!  I just know from research how many
learning technologies are totally ineffective and sometimes even reduce
learning.  So I want to encourage thinking about pedagogy and learning
during the design stage.

I also want to encourage reflective practice in general.

I do this for two reasons. First, I think it will make your work better and
second, its the change we need to accomplish in the schools and with the
students, it just makes sense for us to try to practice it ourselves.

I'm excited because having kids using instructional materials that really
promote thinking and result in learning is the whole point.  What you are
starting is important.  Thinking about it is important too.

Thanks!
Caroline

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> End of FourthGradeMath Digest, Vol 2, Issue 19
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-- 
Caroline Meeks
Solution Grove
Caroline at SolutionGrove.com

617-500-3488 - Office
505-213-3268 - Fax
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