MarkC: A teacher student at UTS

The video was pretty funny.

A very interesting demonstration of the use or misuse of mathematical algorithms. I am not sure how the writers found an incorrect algorith for multiplication that worked but provided the wrong answer.

I have created the movie demonstrating the use of using graphical calculator on my mobile phone. The following things were used

• Mobile phone with J2ME and Symbian OS. I used my Nokia 6120c mobile with bluetooth connectivity
• Math4Mobile application Graph2Go and Solve2Go
• Nokia PC Suite software to connect PC to mobile
• Mobiola Screen Capture to record the mobile to a video (trial version)
• Windows Movie Maker V6.0 to edit and add narration (with Microsoft Vista OS)
• AntonyPranata.com Screenshot for Symbian OS (freeware), shown below is a screenshot showing the actual quality

Cubic equation (ax³+bx²+cx+d=0)  for x³-x²-5x+2 (where a=1, b=-1, c=-5 and d=2) showing minima, maxima and infexion points.

This can be used to verify and visulise calculations. Paramaters can be changed on the fly to learn effect.

bauerlein_2008

This a very interesting article recently published in The Australian newspaper that argues that the technological revolution associated with e-learning dumbs down the learning process of students. The author is a professor in liberal arts at Emory university and is writing from experience. The title of his current promoted book is The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and jeopardizes Our future: Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30.

The author cites research showing that young users of computer scan the screen using an “F” pattern. The information learned is only transient and is broken up into chunks. No depth of learning occurs just a cut and paste of the data. If the topic to be learned does not fit with in this format the student will just disconnect.

My practicum recently was in the area of Computer Studies at a public secondary school. The sentiment of in-service teachers was generally in agreement with Bauelein. The arguments he present are diametrically opposed to the subject Digital Leaning Generation that I am currently studying at the UTS.

My personal view is that the Digital Generation are using the technology just as they see fit outside of an educational framework. As soon as you talk about the application of e-learning my 18 year old son and his friends looks at me a bit strangely. I’d say let them get on with it without interruption from the so called digital immigrants.

Romeo, G (2004)

The paper was part of a presentation about the use of computers in education. The author discusses contemporary teaching pedagogy such as learner centred environments and the use of new technology in delivering these new teaching methods. As part of a reform for effective learning learner-centered, knowledge-centred, assessment-centred and community-centred environments are described and promoted. The central role that effective teachers play in promoting these environments is emphasised.

The paper concludes with the analysis of two fictional schools in the near future, the first an high achieving private school, Highville that is oppressive in it’s use of technology (a bit like 1984) is concerned primarily with their students getting the highest university entry scores. The role and the place of the teacher in this environment is minimal.

In contrast the second school, Plainville that is favoured by the author uses the teacher and the technology in a facilitative manner where everyone is learning and happy. The author states that both of theses extremes are idealised and that the truth may be in between.

Papert , S (2008)

These web pages are series of speeches that Papert gave to a Japanese audiences in the 1980s. The author talks about a student learning mathematics in particular using the programming language LOGO. The talks might have been interesting 20 years ago but I think it has lost a lot of the impact. Programming languages are not that interesting to the new generation of learners as demonstrated by the decline in student numbers in ITC subject enrollments particularly for girls McDougall, B (2008).

To explain what the author is talking about he has embedded video files in the web pages but alas these links are Real Audio Metafile (RAM). format that requires a proprietary player. On installing the player the links on the web page were found to broken so I was not able to view the videos compounding the frustration.

Paper part 4: Advanced Math and LOGO was particularly difficult to understand. I am studying to become a maths/IT secondary school teacher and have some idea of turtles due to my age. (Turtles are using a programming language to move a graphical representation of a turtle around the screen – big deal). The use of mathematics and acronyms would both inappropriate and a bit of a turn off to current learners. I agree at lot with what Papert is trying to say in that student learning by self discovery using technology is the best way for the current generation but the message got lost because the web page is out of date and requires freshening up.

Harel, I (2003)

Both these articles are upbeat in their nature in what they say about letting children be children and the idiom of learning as play. The theory is based on work by Dewey, Montessori and Piaget leading Parpert and a method called “constuctionism” which looks a lot like constructivism.

The author is quite enthusiastic about the way children engage in developing their own software using Logo. The learning program appears to be set in the 1990s but she demonstrates the applicability to today’s internet and web page development can be learnt in exactly the same way.

The author emphasises the importance of exposition of software built by the students. The use of exposition has been a consistent theme in digital or e-learning. The target for these articles is the teacher of students especially infants. The author constantly promotes their company called mamamedia.com.

Oblinger, D & Oblinger, J (2008)

This article describes the characteristics of the Net Generation (Net Gen) in terms of socialisation, learning and the use of their space. Socio-economic factors within their household determine access to a computer and high speed internet access which indicates their engagement. Adolescents are viewed as accepting of a vast amount of information from digital sources but on the other hand the quality of their learning is fairly shallow.

The emergence of non-traditional learners (older and financially independent) influences Net Gen learning in terms of acceptance of technology and a sense of busyness. The article found that surprisingly Net Gen learners’ hated web based instruction and preferred personal social interaction in an institution. The main emphasis of the article was to explain the way Net Gen students learn and their motivational factors.

Rainie (2006)

The article is essentially a presentation given to the Public Library Association in the USA. The author initially dismisses the expectation of a crystal ball prediction of the use of technology and media by teenagers (or the so-called millennial) into the future. Essentially the author highlight aspects of the new generation in relation to media, gadgets, the internet as a delivery mechanism, use of time and belief in ethics such as copyright

I agree with general theme of Rainie’s presentation describing less structure in the way organisations and meaning evolve. This is also apparent in the way students learn. A example of protest, communication and organisation (or lack of organisation) is the bicycle protest group called Critical Mass http://www.bikesarefun.org/index.html. Authorities such as the police are uncomfortable with these types of groups because there are no leadership or representatives for the group that is almost anarchical

Prensky (2001)

This article uses the metaphor of “native” vs “immigrant” in relation to the cultural (digital) divide between older dyed-in-the-wool educators and the newer generation of hip and with-it students.

According to the article today’s students thought processes are fundamentally different from previous generations and the older generation must meet the challenge of the new ways of learning or get left behind.

Generally I found the article somewhat alarming in the use of langauge. This may alienate older educators rather than encouraging them. Prensky is also pushing his own barrow to some extent in promoting his company’s products.