Chris- I totally agree with your sentiment! I admit that I resort to cluster methods. I find them as easy as using a calculator. But I'm also a very non-linear thinker . I discovered, for my own teaching, that trying to force/teach students with (my) non-linear (associative!) methods when known linear solutions existed is not effective. Hey, I was trying to expand their world!
For example, as an associative thinker I learned the standard algorithms for multipication. I learned some personal short cuts that work for me. But if you analyse these obvious (cluster!) methods for multipication they are many more steps long- see the video. But, I also suspect what we have is a need for studies (research!) on using these direct (limited if you wish) methods vs the methods preferred by some of us. My own resolution for this was the realization that it isn't the students who are "weird" in my classes. Call it statistically an outlier, if you will. It is me who's the outlier! Finally, I just can't wait till these poor kids get to my classes. My quick calculations show me that they will be there for my final few years teaching. I sure hope our college's attempts to move to a slightly larger student body and faculty work out so I can avoid teaching the behavioral statistics course by then! :) Tim _______________________________ Timothy O. Shearon, PhD Professor and Chair Department of Psychology Albertson College of Idaho Caldwell, ID 83605 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] teaching: intro to neuropsychology; psychopharmacology; general; history and systems -----Original Message----- From: Christopher D. Green [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sat 1/27/2007 9:25 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Re: Why I pull my hair out grading statistics assignments Michael Scoles wrote: >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI > > > Truth be told, I use something like the cluster method in order to do complicated multiplication problems in my head. Still, that's no reason not to teach the standard algorithm. Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-5115 ex. 66164 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.yorku.ca/christo Don't blame me; I voted for Kodos. -Homer Simpson, "Treehouse of Horror VII" ====================================== --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
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