[IAEP] maths instruction

[Kathy Pusztavari]

I'm of the direct instruction camp.  If skills and concepts are not build
upon each other correctly, you will get kids that either learn a concept
wrong (then they have to unlearn it) or fail and then feel like they are
stupid.  Having a kid with autism, I've seen both.  Unfortunately, I've seen
both with typical kids or even smart ones under poor teaching practices.
This is especially true for teaching reading - Project Follow Through showed
that direct instruction was by far the most effective in teaching period.
 
What I'm suggesting is taking effective practices and putting them in a
computer model.  Using short videos or whatever (flash like animation) to
teach concepts.  I'd love to see students answer questions from the computer
and use open source audio to text to ensure the student is following along
and can at least properly use mathematical (or whatever subject) vocabulary.
Verbal feedback also ensures the student is engaged and not just along for
the ride.  All this can be fun, and be presented in a systematic and
sequencial way so as not to lose the student. 
 
By just throwing some skills at the student, that is not called teaching.
You have to design a program or set of programs that can actually teach many
skills and concepts.  In other words, maybe have it to where the teacher
actually adds in the curriculum with their sequence into a flat file or
database but the program will take care of presentation due to its
modularity.  I'm thinking Typing Turtle, here.  With Typing Turtle I can put
in a sequence of teaching keys.  I have 30 lessons but have only taught 5
keys.  This is broken down for my son.  Another kid could learn those 5 keys
in maybe 10 lessons.  Right now I would have to re-write the lessons for the
other kid but you see where I am going with this - an amazing and stupendous
program would adjust automatically for each kid - probably via analyzing
thousands of kids.
 
The books I listed are the "bible" of teaching.  No kidding.  They can be
used by just about anyone to sequence teaching to ensure you don't skip
steps and lose kids.  It should help nerds (what I loving call you guys)
when they program modules.  How do you teach a skill or concept when you are
not sure the student has prerequisite skills or knowledge?
 
-Kathy

  _____  

From: iaep-bounces at lists.sugarlabs.org
[mailto:iaep-bounces at lists.sugarlabs.org] On Behalf Of Bill Kerr
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 8:21 AM
To: Kathy Pusztavari
Cc: iaep at lists.sugarlabs.org
Subject: [IAEP] maths instruction


On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 12:16 AM, Kathy Pusztavari
<kathy at kathyandcalvin.com> wrote:


"How can this principle of customizable math be applied to framework
development?"


By showing exemplars that change as you proceed through your teaching
sequence.

See

"Designing Effective Mathematical Instruction: A Direct Instruction
Approach" by Stein, Kinder, Silbert & Carnine

"Theory of Instruction: Principles and Applications" by Engelmann and
Carnine



Could you elaborate on this a little more please Kathy?

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