[squeakland] Re: Artifact for teaching fractions

[Steve Thomas]

On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 9:46 AM, David Corking <dcorking at dcorking.com>wrote:

> (1) Is the google group live and the official place to talk about
> Etoys usage?  Does it replace the squeakland list?
>
> IMO we should be using the squeakland list and will hopefully doing so
soon. We had issues with the Squeakland Website and mailing lists which
caused us to try Google Groups for a while.

(2) If you want people to use the latest rods upload from showcase, I
> think you have to click "Make public"  Showcase says to me "You don't
> have access to that project."
>  http://www.squeakland.org/showcase/project.jsp?id=9975
>
> I did click make public, but unfortunately it can take up to 5 days to go
public, hoping this will be changed to publish instantly like Scratch
website does.


> (3) I downloaded it from superswiki2.blueplane.jp which is fine.   Many
> thanks!
>
Great

> (4) "Anyway hope this is useful, would greatly appreciate feedback on
> how it can be improved and how it is used."
>
> I thought your original uploads to the showcase were great.  I haven't
> had access to an interactive whiteboard yet: what changes did you make
> to suit whiteboards?
>
I put the Rods in flaps, my idea is the teacher will have a set of teaching
artifacts that they can easily access when needed, including but not limited
to:

   1. Cuisinaire Rods
   2. Area Blocks
   3. Number Line
   4. Equation Plotter ("box" + 3 = "triangle", fill in the possible values
   for "box" and "triangle" and plot, will have public demo later)
   5. Multiplication Blocks (like those created by Hilaire for iStoa, which
   is where I stole the idea of teaching artifacts from ;)
   6. Number Grid (again will post soon)


> (5) The new number line is great.  My son (who doesn't use rods) told
> me the other day that there are lots of hidden numbers on the number
> line between zero and 1.   A great insight for someone just getting to
> grips with the four operations of arithmetic.  Therefore number lines
> and rods seem an interesting combination, as it may give him tools to
> explore this hidden world.  I will have to think of some explorations
> for him to try.
>

:)

>

(6) There are two settings where I imagine Etoys rods would come in
> particularly useful.  Firstly with a large screen or interactive
> whiteboard, for group lectures and demonstrations.  (Scripted
> annotations and animations would be easier on a PC than with magnetic
> rods or a table camera.)
>
> Also for kids to go to the board and explain their ideas to the rest of the
class.
Another potential use is to use the artifacts to create content: worksheets,
lessons, assessments other learning experiences


> Secondly, for schools with one laptop per child, that may not be able
> to afford or make powerful physical manipulatives.  (I saw a recent TV
> documentary of a British primary teacher who uses disposable plastic
> cups - like the ones in vending machines - as his main manipulative.
> Even G7 countries have budget constraints.)  Related to this is use by
> children at home that have used rods in school.
>

Agreed. Etoys is great, but it does not replace the need for physical
manipulatives. In fact I think kids need to get out of Etoys as part of
their lessons and into using physical manipulatives including their own
bodies. A lot of knowledge stored in there ;)

>
> (7) Do you remember Alan Kay's 2007 comment about rods?  I think it is
> enlightening.
> http://lists.squeakland.org/pipermail/squeakland/2007-October/003872.html
>
> Many thanks for the link!!!  I agree we do not need to re-invent the wheel
(as tempting as that is) we would be better off at looking at what works.  I
have been looking at the ideas from the "new math" movement (Robert B. Davis
mostly, but also others) to get ideas for "old math" we can render in Etoys.

Best, David
>
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