Edutech

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education acumen

http://www.educationacumen.com/a-different-way-to-multiply/

I like the common core. Compared to the MA Frameworks the Math standards are a little bit better and the ELA standards are way better. "Using the Common Core State Standards as a compass to guide" is what we as teachers have always used standards for. I see the quest to produce "all of the lessons and practice" as problematic.

To me it is the 'problematic', the automatic software produced practice problems, that is the problem. Let me digress. When I had had enough of terrible administrations and stopped teaching I thought that maybe I'd find some innovation in the edutech sector. I identified companies that I thought were innovative and got jobs doing things very similar to Education Acumen's opportunities in algorithm production and standards based curriculum development. I did it for math, science, history and humanities, targeting a particular standard like 6.ns.2.a and producing content that the 'engine' could swallow and spit back out to the kids relentlessly data-mined in endless variation.

I started to wonder what was so innovative about this approach? Is this really what "young students need and want". At least they don't have to carry around that huge algebra book, 800 pages of mini algorithms like 'move two decimal places this' and 'cross multiply that'. I had to agree with my uncooperative students; this was nonsense. We fracture the subject into these discreet meaningless competencies then drill and kill, while carefully posting the days standards in front of the room and the kids 'perform' and we check them off. Then we wonder why the kids suck at the midterms and the SAT's. Why can't they solve problems, think, reason or argue (well)? Why are US kids so far behind so many other kids?

Is it Taiwan's algebra book that is like 40 pages? As an exercise I boiled down Algebra1 to 4, 8-1/2 x 11" sheets of paper. I contend that those four pages address the standards and that everything else is unnecessary and even destructive.

I looked at the transition between the 'story' and the 'assigned task' in your template looking to see if the story did truly illuminate the task. I didn't see sufficient connection. No matter how you dress up Example Non-Final and Final Code with

"Think about how much of the whole amount,", a, ", is represented by the part,", b,". Is", b, "a big part of", a,"or a small part of",a,"? Imagine that you were going to walk", a,"miles and you had already gone", b, "miles, are you almost finished or have you just begun? These questions can help you understand how", b, "is related to", a,"by percentages."

it still comes down to 'just do it kid' "Use cross-multiplication to solve this equation".

So Devin you can see how 6 years of teaching has created an opinionated monster of me. Maybe its that once you take the interaction with the kids away there is really no there there. I miss stepping in front of the classroom particularly that first ten minutes when your shit is on the line and you have to make a case for why the kids should care about what you are about to do.

I appreciate the offer but I will take a pass on this particular project. Even if we used drag and drop and D3 and all the coolest libraries and dressed it up like Grand Theft Auto it would still drive me crazy to again be working in the piecemeal.

For the last 4 years I have heard great things about you. I am grateful that Ari and Natalie have found cool, interesting colleagues. Cotapaxi is better for it.

We could still talk tonight or anytime. I love software development. It is magic. Currently I am immersed in front-end framework like Angular, ReactJS and playing with non-LAMP stacks like Node and MongoDb. I replaced all my thermostats with temperature sensors and relays controlled by an arduino talking to a restfulAPI in the cloud whose interface is any phone tablet or laptop.

I want to eventually flesh-out projects in edutech that I started when I was teaching in a High School where every kid had a laptop. So what could innovation look like?

I'd like to see...

An online version of Geometer's Sketchpad that uses Scalable Vector Graphics and runs on the front end. To that I'd add some tools to make it a more powerful authoring environment for both students and teachers
Problem generators that interact with the student and teacher continuously with way more that a hint button. Each problem would draw on multiple and diverse standards. The job of the software would be to help them think about the problem offering many routes through it with little endorphin boosts of success along the way while keeping students on the edge of what is possible for them.
Reading comprehension tools built to handle custom, interesting and challenging text in science, literature history and mathematics. From students answers the software would hone in on the those parts misunderstood bringing students back to the sentence or paragraph or idea that is causing them confusion and helping them to keep from going off the tracks.

All of these tools would be under the control of the student and the teacher and would take advantage of the social dynamic in the classroom or in the online classroom community. Its purpose would not be to report to the parents, administrators or corporate headquarters, rather the software would encourage cheating and conversation. Accountability would be to your fellow students.

I'd like to educate young people to be like Malcolm Butler, to have them skilled and practiced able to read the formation in front of them and assess the situation, then decide to make jump on the slant route and grab that ball, contributing big to the game. That's what we call synthesis, right?


e2020

OER Open Educational Resources

Courses:

screencasting with ipad

links to people doing interesting thing in educational technology

edtech

LMS's

  • canvas (open source)
  • agilix
  • angel
  • blackboard
  • D2L
  • e-college
  • moodle
  • sakai (open source)
  • time cruiser
  • webCT

On the Teach act and fair use On the fair use standard [1]

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