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Status: OR


INFORMACAO SOBRE O WORKING GROUP 16 DO ICME-8 SOBRE TECNOLOGIA NA AULA DE MATEMATICA


International Conference on Mathematics Education ICME-8
July, 14-21, 1996
Seville, Spain
Working Group 16 (WG 16)
"The role of technology in the mathematics classroom"

Third Announcement

        This is the operational plan for Working Group 16 during ICME-8
in Seville: We have four program slots of 90 minutes each. In the first
time slot we will meet in a plenary session. After opening remarks and
an overview of the group's working plan, we will have an invited speaker
review recent developments and important questions on use of technology
in the mathematics classroom. That overview talk will be followed by some
time for questions and comments on important issues that the working
group should be considering in its subsequent sessions.
        During the second and third working group sessions, we will meet
in smaller sub-groups. The sub-groups will be focused on issues at four
levels of schooling: Primary, Upper Elementar/Middle, Senior Secondary,
and Tertiary. Depending on the number and scope of papers we receive,
additional working sub-groups may be formed. Each working sub-group will
have an organizer/discussant who will give an introductory overview of the
contributed papers for the sub-group and then lead discussion about the
paper and other related issues.
        Finally, at the fourth working group session all participants will
meet again in plenary session. Organizers and discussants of the working
sub-groups will summarize the discussions in their groups in an attempt
to formulate recommendations for research, development, and implementation
of technology in the mathematics classroom.
        Depending on the number of papers presented for each sub-group we
may have time for a very limited number of short presentations. However,
we encourage every participant of the sub-group to submit short
presentations to ICME as well. If many of us do so, we might be able to
have the organizers put those posters together and have an extra session
at the poster exhibit. At this point we have quite a few confirmed
participants and we are deciding the details of organization, but please
feel free to send suggestions.

Papers should be submitted until April 15 to
Marcelo C. Borba
Cx Postal 178
Graduate Program of Mathematics Education
13500-230 Rio Claro - SP   Brasil
e-mail: mborba@rcb000.uesp.ansp.br
fax/phone: 55-195-340123
Send papers both through electronic and regular mail. Also send an
extra-electronic copy if possible to Jim Fey's address:
James_T_Fey@umail.umd.edu

PLEASE SEND THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO ANYONE YOU THINK IT MAY BE INTERESTED
IN OUR WORKING GROUP

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X-Comment:  Educacao em Matematica
Status: OR


A "lista" de discussao CALC_REFORM tem tido discussoes extremamente
animadas sobre o ensino elementar do Calculo Diferencial e Integral, tanto
a nivel secundario como superior. A seguinte mensagem dessa lista
pareceu-me de muita relevancia para a nossa realidade, pelo que a
transcrevo nesta "lista". Pode ser que sugira algumas pistas para discussao
entre no's.
Jaime

>To: calc-reform@e-math.ams.org
>From: juhl@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Jerry Uhl)
>Subject: An EE prof on symbol manipulation
>Sender: owner-calc_reform@e-math.ams.org
>
>I asked Stephen Boyd, a very famous research electrical engineering prof at
>Stanford, to give his view of the role of symbolic manipulation in
>engineering.
>
>An undergrad honors math major at Harvard, Boyd has taken a big interest in
>helping to install Harvard calculus at Stanford. He has also given me lots
>of valuable advice - some of which I share below.
>
>-Jerry Uh1
>
>Below is what Boyd wrote. Read the last paragraph carefully and hope you
>have tenure.
>
>hi jerry
>
>leibniz' quote says it all.
>
>it is not an exageration to say that symbol manipulation plays
>a very very small role in electrical engineering, communications,
>signal processing, control; moreover the very amount of symbol
>pushing requires should be done by eg mathematica, maple, ...
>and not by people. on the other hand math in general plays an
>enormous role, as does computing, which is mostly numerical.
>
>as to what we'd like to see students trained in, it is certainly
>NOT algebra (of this kind --- group theory etc is fine!). we
>see that sad effects of this every day: students who can integrate
>t^3 cos t but basically have no clue what they are doing or why,
>when confronted with a real engineering problem. and these are the
>students who do WELL at your basic 19th century symbol manipulation
>course that passes as "math".
>
>not only is the material of such a course useless and out dated,
>but the messages it sends out to students is bad. it basically
>suggests that "learning calculus" is mastering a certain list of
>stimulus-response behaviors (if you see this, then integrate by
>parts).  give me a few minutes with one of these students who can
>"do algebra" and i'll PROVE they have no idea what they are doing.
>that's because they have only learned a certain set of behaviors,
>like a monkey. anyway, mathematica, maple, macsyma are MUCH better
>at it anyway.
>
>there was a time when we in electrical engineering also did algebra,
>ie, pushed symbols around, and sure enough some still do.  our
>traditional course on applications of Fourier transform is a good
>example.  in the 40s and 50s it was very useful to know and do a
>lot of algebra. no longer.
>
>so, that's my feeling.  alegbra has little to do with science, and
>essentially nothing to do with engineering. anyway computers do it
>much much better than people.   instead of learning stimulus-response
>pairs (a.k.a. algebra), these students could, possibly, actually be
>learning some real concepts.
>
>no wonder we in ee (and cs and other engineering fields ...) rely
>less and less on people in math to deliver the basic training needed
>in our fields.  we now teach our own ODE and numerical methods courses;
>cs people have had to teach their own discrete algorithms courses.
>(these are actually math courses --- but mathematicians haven't
>noticed or are unaware of them since they were develped this century.)
>
>
>Stephen
>
>---------
>Jerry Uhl                                   juhl@ncsa.uiuc.edu
>Professor of Mathematics                    1409 West Green Street
>University of Illinois                      Urbana,Illinois 61801
>Calculus&Mathematica Development Team
>http://www-cm.math.uiuc.edu
>
>"It is unworthy of excellent persons to lose hours like slaves in the labor
>of calculation."
>. . . Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
>

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X-Comment:  Educacao em Matematica

Por vezes faz bem ler coisas tao simples como estas, alguns dirao
simplistas talvez. Por isso ai vai.
Isto apareceu ao fim de uma longa discussao sobre como deviam ser agrupados
os alunos por competencias, tracking, etc.
Qualquer dia este tipo de discussao vai aparecer por aqui, certamente...
Eduardo Veloso

>From: John Conway <conway@math.Princeton.EDU>
>Subject: Re: Hayd
>To: mary.krimmel@sdcs.org
>Cc: geometry-pre-college@forum.swarthmore.edu
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Status:
>
>
>
>On Fri, 1 Mar 1996 mary.krimmel@sdcs.org wrote:
>
>>
>> Robert Hayden says he has no secret for teaching remedial students but
>>has had
>> surprising success by treating these students just as he treats advanced
>> students.
>>
>> This is likely the most encouraging message about teaching that I've
>>ever seen on this list.
>>
>> I do know that not all teachers are naturally talented, nor is every
>> teacher/method right for every student, but I do hope that Hayden's
>>non-secret
>> will have the attention it deserves, to the benefit of all students and
>> teachers.
>>
>>         Mary Krimmel
>>
>     I didn't see Robert Hayden's posting, and so am glad that Mary Krimmel
>has reproduced his comment.  I thoroughly agree.
>
>     I don't exactly see "remedial students" here in Princeton, but do teach
>people whose ability and knowledge vary very widely.  My own policy is to
>teach them all the same way, and it seems to work!
>
>    John Conway

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> leibniz' quote says it all.

acho que o Leibnitz esta' a ser muito mal interpretado.
dou aulas de teoria dos sinais e sistemas a eng. electrotecnica e o que
tenho pena de nao ver nos alunos e' uma maior capacidade de abstraccao.

> not only is the material of such a course useless and out dated,
> but the messages it sends out to students is bad. it basically
> suggests that "learning calculus" is mastering a certain list of
> stimulus-response behaviors (if you see this, then integrate by
> parts).  give me a few minutes with one of these students who can
> "do algebra" and i'll PROVE they have no idea what they are doing.
> that's because they have only learned a certain set of behaviors,
> like a monkey. anyway, mathematica, maple, macsyma are MUCH better
> at it anyway.

os metodos numericos, algoritmos discretos, etc, tb sao ensinados por vezes
como comportamentos estimulo-resposta, como penso que pode acontecer a qq
materia. nao percebo a critica acima. o argumento dado serve para criticar 
esse tipo de ensino, nao o conteudo das cadeiras de matematica. 

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X-Comment:  Educacao em Matematica

Caros colegas

Gostei de ler as mensagens re-enviadas pelo Veloso, as coisas simples (nao
necessariamente simplistas) sao sempre bemvindas e potencialmente
interessantes.

A proposito, para os amantes da Internet, divulgo um endereco (simples e
pequeno) que pode ser muito util para quem quer localizar e contactar
pessoas nos EU. Aqui vai:

http://www.switchboard.com/

Joao Filipe Matos

**************************************************** 
Joao Filipe Matos
Dep. de Educacao
Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade de Lisboa Campo Grande, C1 - 2
1700 Lisboa - Portugal

Ph. 351-1-7573141 EXT. 2223, 1101
Fax: 351-1-7573624
Ph. 351-1-8491557 (home)
Voice_mail: 351-1-9362407607
E_mail: ejfm@cc.fc.ul.pt
****************************************************

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X-Comment:  Educacao em Matematica


> leibniz' quote says it all.

acho que o leibnitz esta' a ser muito mal interpretado.
dou aulas de teoria dos sinais e sistemas a eng. electrotecnica e o que
tenho pena de nao ver nos alunos e' uma maior capacidade de abstraccao.

> not only is the material of such a course useless and out dated,
> but the messages it sends out to students is bad. it basically
> suggests that "learning calculus" is mastering a certain list of
> stimulus-response behaviors (if you see this, then integrate by
> parts).  give me a few minutes with one of these students who can
> "do algebra" and i'll PROVE they have no idea what they are doing.
> that's because they have only learned a certain set of behaviors,
> like a monkey. anyway, mathematica, maple, macsyma are MUCH better
> at it anyway.

os metodos numericos, algoritmos discretos, etc, tb sao ensinados por vezes
como comportamentos estimulo-resposta, como penso que pode acontecer a qq
materia. nao percebo a critica acima. o argumento dado serve para criticar 
esse tipo de ensino, nao o conteudo das cadeiras de matematica. ao contrario,
o prof. stephen boyd parece nao se importar de ter macacos como alunos desde
que venham com o treino adequado:
>as to what we'd like to see students trained in, it is certainly
>NOT algebra (of this kind --- group theory etc is fine!). we

um abraco.
pedro

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Na sequencia de uma mensagem anterior sobre este assunto
que reenviei para esta lista, mais duas mensagens
sobre o mesmo assunto.
Jaime


>Date: Wed, 6 Mar 96 17:54:38 EST
>To: calc-reform@e-math.ams.org
>From: das@math.duke.edu (David A. Smith)
>Subject: Re: An EE prof on symbol manipulation
>
>Dear group:  Jerry Uhl shared with us Stephen Boyd's opinions about symbol
>manipulation.  I forwarded that message to Dean McCumber for a "second
>opinion."  Dean is a member of our electrical engineering faculty who also
>has long experience in industry.  The following is his reply -- with his
>permission, provided you pay attention to his "off the top of my head" remark.
>
>                David Smith
>
>>---------

>>From: Dean McCumber <dem@ee.duke.edu>
>>To: "David A. Smith" <das@math.duke.edu>
>>Subject: Re: An EE prof on symbol manipulation
>>
>>David,
>>  What you sent is certainly food for thought.  My impression is that the
>>engineering faculty have views that cover the full range.  I tend to be of
>>the symbol-manipulation school ... but I've discovered that my speed and
>>productivity are greatly increased by programs like maple.  Also, I
>>confess that the career activity of greatest (or near greatest) impact
>>was actually a numerical computation that taxed the computers of the day.
>>Now, having said that, I think my current position is something like this:
>>1. Practicing dirty-hands engineers will use computers intensively, with
>>   numerical programs like Spice or symbolic programs like Maple.
>>2. Managing engineers will get other people to do their work, but need a
>>   feel for concepts, etc., some of which can only come by working real
>>   problems (in college or shortly thereafter).
>>3. Most of our undergraduates do *not* need to do *complicated*
>>   symbol-manipulation problems, but they should be able to do *simple*
>>   (one or two linear simultaneous equations variety) symbolic problems and
>>   know how to go about setting up complicated problems on a computer.
>>4. Symbol mathematics defines a language for approaching and analyzing
>>   problems.  I believe that good engineers need this capability for
>>   efficient communication, for efficient problem formulation, and for
>>   clear thinking.
>>5. I will teach my students how to do simple linear ODEs.  I just wish
>>   they could do *simple algebra* !   (I suspect that "algebra" in the
>>   text below means something more complicated that I have in mind.)
>>
>>... this is off the top of my head, and may have missed the mark.
>>Something to think further about.
>>
>>- Dean
>
>(text from Jerry deleted from Dean's reply -- please see original post)
>
>
>David A. Smith                       E-mail: das@math.duke.edu
>Co-Director, Project CALC        Phone:  (919) 660-2825
>Department of Mathematics     FAX:     (919) 660-2821
>Duke University
>Box 90320
>Durham, NC 27708-0320
>
>Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1996 21:07:15 -0600
>To: das@math.duke.edu (David A. Smith), calc-reform@e-math.ams.org
>From: juhl@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Jerry Uhl)
>Subject: Re: An EE prof on symbol manipulation
>
>David-
>Thanks for this post. It is full of good common sense.
>
>I would like to point out that many of the outspoken defenders of standard
>calc and MSM are certain electrical engineers who teach the first post calc
>electrical engineering courses. They defend the standard course but
>complain that math profs don't teach it well enough.
>-Jerry
>
>

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Status: RO

>From: "Mike Harris" <mharris@deans.umd.edu>
>Date: Fri, 15 Mar 1996 10:25:34 -0500
>Subject: MAW Memo to Mathematics Community
>
>The following is being sent by surface mail this week.
>
>
>MEMORANDUM
>
>
>TO:  Mathematical Sciences Community
>  (distribution list follows)
>
>FROM: Richard Herman, JPBM Chair
>  Kathleen Holmay, Public Information Director
>  Lisa A. Thompson, Assistant for Governmental Affairs
>  Gina C. Mooers, Administrative Assistant
>
>DATE:  March, 1996
>
>RE:  MATHEMATICS AWARENESS WEEK, April 21-27, 1996
>
>Mathematics Awareness Week 1996, from April 21-27, provides an
>opportunity to schedule local events celebrating the excitement,
>versatility, and importance of mathematics.  We invite you to use
>the  enclosed MAW 1996 materials to undertake some activities to
>inform your colleagues and the public about the value of
>mathematics.
>
>The 1996 theme is Mathematics and Decision Making.  Materials
>prepared for the week explore such ideas as probability, risk,
>uncertainty, and prediction, and provide examples in financial
>decision making, operations research, and risk assessment and
>management.
>
>If April 21-27 doesn't work for you because of exams, spring break,
>or other commitments, you can schedule MAW activities any week in
>March, April, or May.  We have selected April 21-27 because it is
>also National Science and Technology Week, sponsored by the
>National Science Foundation.  And, the National Council of Teachers
>of Mathematics designates all of April as Math Month.
>
>Some ideas for MAW:
>
>- Show and discuss the one hour TV program "BREAKTHROUGH - The
>Changing Face of Science in America - A Delicate Balance,"
>scheduled to run on April 22 at 10:00 pm ET (check local listings)
>on PBS during MAW featuring mathematicians Freda Porter-Locklear
>and Richard Tapia;
>
>- Design your own World Wide Web MAW page and link it to the
>national MAW page;
>
>- Encourage your student chapter to organize campus events;
>
>- Check the MAW gopher or web sites for ideas - see what others did
>during MAW 1995;
>
>- Explore joint programs with colleagues in disciplines such as
>business administration, operations research, and statistics;
>
>- Review the MAA booklet, "Program of Visiting Lecturers" for
>speakers on theme topics (excerpts on MAW web page);
>
>- Request appropriate state or local officials to issue a
>proclamation declaring April 21-27 to be Mathematics
>Awareness Week in your municipality or state.
>
>Mathematics Awareness Week is an excellent vehicle for
>communicating with new audiences about the relevance of
>mathematics, telling your public information office about your
>activities, and inviting local legislators or elected officials to
>speak in your department.  Public officials appreciate
>opportunities to visit with faculty and to learn more about efforts
>to encourage students to enter and excel in mathematics-based
>careers.
>
>Enclosed are materials to help you make the most of Mathematics
>Awareness Week:
>
>* SAMPLE NEWS RELEASE...tailor the news release so that it
>includes details on your activities...mail it to all your
>local print and broadcast media outlets, either through your
>institution's public information office or by using a
>listing of media outlets (from the telephone book or a media
>listing book in the reference section of your library).
>
>* SAMPLE PROCLAMATION...use it to show local legislators how they
>can help celebrate Mathematics Awareness Week.
>
>* MATHEMATICS & DECISION MAKING...use this year's theme essay in
>materials you prepare for your MAW activities...distribute it to
>colleagues along with a MAW poster.
>
>* POSTER AND ORDER FORM...distribute posters as MAW mementos...
>frame a poster for your dean's, governor's, or legislators' offices
>...hold an event during which you present the poster as a gift.
>
>* MAW 1996 POSTER VISUAL...is described in more detail than can be
>included on the poster itself.
>
>* MAW ON THE INTERNET...download the information in this mailing
>AND MUCH MORE from the MAA gopher...get MORE materials -- including
>help in constructing your own MAW Web page and links to other web
>sites -- from the MAW World Wide Web home page...PLUS, you can use
>the internet mailing list -- MAW-list -- to discuss items related
>to MAW.
>
>Please help us share Mathematics Awareness Week publicity in
>your community by sending us all newspaper clips on mathematics
>topics appearing in your local papers and community magazines
>during April.  Please post copies of reports and announcements of
>your MAW activities on MAW-list.  We will summarize them for use in
>future years.
>
>The JPBM and its member societies appreciate the involvement of
>the American mathematics community in MAW.  The JPBM also
>acknowledges The United States Army Research Office for its
>continued financial support of Mathematics Awareness Week.
>
>If you have any questions or would like further suggestions,
>please do not hesitate to contact us.  Thank you in advance for
>your interest and efforts to convey Mathematics and Decision Making
>to new and larger audiences this spring.
>
>
>                               ###
>
>
>distribution list:
>
>AMS Trustees and Council Members
>MAA Governors, Newsletter Editors, Public
>     Information Officers, Secretaries
>MAA Student Chapter Faculty Advisers
>SIAM Trustees, Council Members, Sections
>AMS, MAA and SIAM Science Policy Committees
>Joint Policy Board for Mathematics
>JPBM Public Information Resource Committee
>Mathematical Sciences Department Chairs
>Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences
>Board on Mathematical Sciences
>Mathematical Sciences Education Board
>Presidential Awardees for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching
>
>===============================================================
>Mike Harris, JPBM Public Information Office | tel: 301-942-9595
>  JPBM - Joint Policy Board for Mathematics | fax: 301-942-2777
>                            * * *
>        Mathematics Awareness Week - April 21-27, 1996
>            Theme: Mathematics and Decision Making
>             WWW: http://forum.swarthmore.edu/maw/
>===============================================================
>

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