This article by Margaret Niess (Learning & Leading with Technology, Volume 32, Number 5) is one of the best and simplest explanations I have seen regarding the use of spreadsheets in math education. Easy to use problems with well-explained rationale are presented. Dr. Niess illustrates how having students use formula functions in a spreadsheet not only enhances their understanding of the subject matter, but also uses NETS-S standards to enhance their use of technology.
Having taught many Excel classes, I try to get the students to think like the computer. Writing the formula in the proper way requires linear understanding. I especially liked her explanation of absolute versus relative values when copying formulas. The years of having students write out long lists of computations are past - spreadsheet programs are here for that reason, and learning to use them gives the students solid preparation for working life. Employers don't care if you can do math in your head - they care if you can solve a problem correctly.
I think all math teachers should read and heed this article.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
A New K-12 Computer Science Curriculum - L & L, April 2004
At first, I thought a seven-year-old article on computer science in schools would be hopelessly outdated and quaint. Not so - the author, Allen Tucker, presents a case for the teaching of computer science that retains its currency even now.
Basically, the author make the case that it's not enough to use the digital resources we have. What is needed is a core curriculum that progressively builds the knowledge base of all students, whether destined for a computer science career or not. It is no longer possible to enter a career without at least rudimentary knowledge of computers and their use. In his view, all need to use them, some need to design them, others need to run them. And we need to train them all.
Tucker lays out a good foundation for structuring such a curriculum, outlines the importance of each step, and defines the commitments necessary to fully implement such a curriculum, not the least of which is money and resources. One personal experience brought this message home for me this week when I taught a high school Excel class. The students were learning Excel 2003 - two iterations outdated - on computers running on Windows XP, also outdated by Vista and Windows 7. The class was an elective, nowhere near a requirement, and the learning was extremely elementary and worksheet-based. By that point in their academic careers, the students should have been able to design relational databases from scratch. Even now, technology is not taken seriously enough.
Basically, the author make the case that it's not enough to use the digital resources we have. What is needed is a core curriculum that progressively builds the knowledge base of all students, whether destined for a computer science career or not. It is no longer possible to enter a career without at least rudimentary knowledge of computers and their use. In his view, all need to use them, some need to design them, others need to run them. And we need to train them all.
Tucker lays out a good foundation for structuring such a curriculum, outlines the importance of each step, and defines the commitments necessary to fully implement such a curriculum, not the least of which is money and resources. One personal experience brought this message home for me this week when I taught a high school Excel class. The students were learning Excel 2003 - two iterations outdated - on computers running on Windows XP, also outdated by Vista and Windows 7. The class was an elective, nowhere near a requirement, and the learning was extremely elementary and worksheet-based. By that point in their academic careers, the students should have been able to design relational databases from scratch. Even now, technology is not taken seriously enough.
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