While one can appreciate the time and effort that goes into collecting information from Wikipedia to develop the mathematics pages which are in SCHOOL-WIKIPEDIA.ORG , I hope that WikiEducator will not follow the same path. Only machines learn from definitions; human beings need examples (sometimes a lot!) to learn. For example “I am the cat” and the opposite is “I am not the cat”. Does more to create the foundation for understanding the term “negation”; than “Negation is the process that turns an affirmative statement into its opposite”. Beginning and developing conceptualization of terms and ideas is what primary and to some extent secondary school learning is all about. Everyday situations generalized to become definitions is what learning is about at these levels.
To help nations develop their own mathematics programs WikiEducator would be wise to go beyond the usual definitions provide by other Wiki’s, and concentrate on providing examples and illustrations. This way educational leaders can select terms and ideas that meet their nation’s needs for mathematics. And strangely even in the so called “mathematically rich nations” with their multiple mathematical programs need to have a mechanism so that they can rethink about what mathematics concepts should continue and what new terms and concepts should be brought into elementary and secondary schools. The world’s need for mathematics is changing Jim Kelly --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. To visit wikieducator: http://www.wikieducator.org To visit the discussion forum: http://groups.google.com/group/wikieducator To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
