On 3/4/06, kirby urner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: [snip] > Too much talk today, on adult math teacher lists, is about how "the > kids today" are dumber and/or less qualified than we were or are. > This is all a prelude / setup for not turning over significant > responsibility to younger people. > > Because our traditional school system has not made sophisticated use > of TV or multimedia (which young people grew up on), I tend to side > with them and make it part of my business to boost their power and > authority, in part by taking their talents and powers seriously. > > Related blog post: > http://controlroom.blogspot.com/2006/02/boosting-bandwidth.html >
I agree that the education system could make a better use of modern multimedia tools ... but up to a point. A teacher should *not* have to be an entertainer first. A teacher should be a guide for learners, accompanying them in their journey. The goal of the journey might be for the learners to become their own entertainer, producing "stuff" that interest them - within the discipline being considered. This may mean having them use Python and related tools (e.g. PyGeo) to learn about mathematical concepts. *But*, it means having *them* (the learners) using Python and related and non-related tools. That's where I differ from some points you made in the above quoted blog entry. If all teachers shared your skills, perhaps I might come to a different conclusion. However, they do not ... and this is partly why I've argued to see more discussions about things like turtle.py - how it can be used in a teaching setting, simple examples, pedagogical guides, enhancements, etc. Something that can help your average teacher be a respected guide from what s/he can bring to their learners. André > Kirby > _______________________________________________ Edu-sig mailing list [email protected] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/edu-sig
