"But it's really not that hard to deal with." Perhaps it is students who are hard to deal with!
On Monday, September 22, 2014, Raul Miller <[email protected]> wrote: > That's a different problem. > > And, at some point, it's probably a good idea to teach people how to > use polynomials. > > 0 0 2 p. 3 > 18 > > Or, if that is too complicated, just ask that people not use ^ - it is > unnecessary. > 2 X 3 X 3 > 18 > > (Or, for people bright enough to understand operator precedence, just > explain that verbs have equal precedence and take effect from right to > left.) > > But it's really not that hard to deal with. > > Thanks, > > -- > Raul > > > On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 5:15 PM, Kip Murray <[email protected] > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > Then > > > > 2 X 3^2 > > 36 > > > > On Monday, September 22, 2014, Raul Miller <[email protected] > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > > >> Consider using: > >> > >> X=:conjunction def 'm +/ .* n' > >> > >> with a new rule: use X to multiply, instead of asterisk. > >> > >> Thanks, > >> > >> -- > >> Raul > >> > >> On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 9:39 AM, Kip Murray <[email protected] > <javascript:;> > >> <javascript:;>> wrote: > >> > My experience was that college calculus students using J in a computer > >> lab > >> > had difficulty with > >> > > >> > 2*3+4 > >> > 14 > >> > > >> > --their TI calculators gave the desired answer 10. I told them > "always > >> > parenthesize multiplications, divisions, exponentiations, and f x", > but > >> > they forgot. > >> > > >> > I supplied hidden definitions for fn, pi, sin, cos, etc. so that > >> > > >> > f =: '(2*y)+4' fn > >> > > >> > defined what is colloquially called the 2x+4 function. > >> > > >> > There I went beyond grade school, but the remark about TI calculators > >> would > >> > apply to grade school. Children are taught PEMDAS for order of > >> operations: > >> > Parentheses, Exponentiation, Multiplication, Division, Addition, > >> > Subtraction. I am aware Ken pointed out inadequacies of this rule. > TI's > >> > Algebraic Logic System is complicated! > >> > > >> > On Monday, September 22, 2014, Brian Schott <[email protected] > <javascript:;> > >> <javascript:;>> wrote: > >> > > >> >> I suspect I have told this tale before, but JHS has renewed my > >> enthusiasm > >> >> for the results. > >> >> > >> >> Back in the '80s I was teaching in a brand new computerized classroom > >> >> where each student had a computer and the instructor had both the > >> computer > >> >> and a large display screen. The computers were all linked to a school > >> wide > >> >> wired network and was administered by the IT department. One of the > >> people > >> >> in the IT department wrote a special program for me that enabled my > >> >> students to anonymously type one-line messages on their own computer > and > >> >> the results were displayed on the instructor's computer and on the > >> >> classroom's large screen. > >> >> > >> >> I would ask questions and the students could type their answers with > >> >> confidence that others would not know their identity.Their answers > were > >> >> like today's text messages and did not have any calculation involved. > >> From > >> >> the front of the classroom I was able to comment on answers and help > >> >> students who were having trouble very effectively, I think. > >> >> > >> >> Wouldn't JHS in a modern classroom enable a similar situation if each > >> >> student brings his or her own tablet? And the messages could be typed > >> in J > >> >> phrases (even without a graphics result from the likes of plot and > >> viewmat) > >> >> or in NB.'ed text. > >> >> > >> >> Does anyone have experience with this? > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> --- > >> >> (B=) > >> >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> >> For information about J forums see > http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > >> >> > >> > > >> > > >> > -- > >> > Sent from Gmail Mobile > >> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > For information about J forums see > http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > >> > > > > > > -- > > Sent from Gmail Mobile > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > -- Sent from Gmail Mobile ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
