On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 5:17 AM, Alan Kay <[email protected]> wrote: > Isn't that just what my second paragraph says? > > The first important question is what kind of results do you want to achieve > in the real world? Do you mean "We need strategies for getting children to > learn real math even if there are no adults who understand real math?"
That's part of my plan. It's very close to how I learned math, mostly from books. Of course, I will not be assuming my talent for math in my lessons. I will program demonstrations of ideas, with explanations. I hope that others will join in. So, Bryan, what ideas, topics, skills, whatever do your Nepalese children most need? > Cheers, > > Alan > > ________________________________ > From: Bryan Berry <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Sunday, January 4, 2009 2:32:42 PM > Subject: Re: [IAEP] IAEP Digest, Vol 10, Issue 18 > >> From: Alan Kay <[email protected]> > >> Also, I have given an account in several places of some of the wonderful >> teaching approaches of first grade teacher Julia Nishijima (when she was at >> the LA Open Magnet School). These include setting up an environment in which >> children construct and really do discover 1st and 2nd order growth laws as >> arithmetic progressions. Most of her (and Mary Laycocke's) stuff was done >> before computers (and doesn't need computers) but can later be enhanced by >> computers. >> >> The biggest limitation by far here is not the knowledge of how to do this >> stuff, but the fact that most elementary school teachers have essentially no >> sense of math, and very few of these really want to learn anything about >> math. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Alan > > This approach works well in an idealized situation, one with an > extremely well-trained teacher and supportive school administration. The > vast majority of classrooms in developing countries-and developed > ones-won't have these advantages in the short-term or long-term. We need > strategies that don't depend on an exceptional educator leading the > classroom. > > -- > Bryan W. Berry > Technology Director > OLE Nepal, http://www.olenepal.org > > _______________________________________________ > IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) > [email protected] > http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep > > > _______________________________________________ > IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) > [email protected] > http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep > -- Silent Thunder (默雷/धर्ममेघशब्दगर्ज/دھرممیگھشبدگر ج) is my name And Children are my nation. The Cosmos is my dwelling place, The Truth my destination. http://earthtreasury.org/worknet (Edward Mokurai Cherlin) _______________________________________________ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) [email protected] http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
