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RE: Khan Academy: Math instruction goes viral > backlash >and an
alternative
Posted:
Sep 8, 2011 1:25 PM
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There are a lot of other efforts out there in the YouTube direction, so
one shouldn't generalize too quickly.
In particular my colleague Chris Tisdell (user DrChrisTisdell) has some
very well recieved videos on first and second year calculus. I have a
series on the History of Mathematics (user njwildberger) that might be
interesting to those wishing a more holistic/historical approach to the
stuff we teach our students. I also have a series (WildLinAlg) on Linear
Algebra that is not mainstream, but still covers a lot of important
material.
Norman Wildberger
> Although I am not a 'fan' of the Khan videos, I am sure that mathematics
> is not any more threatened by them . than we are by our own history.
>
>
>
> I would encourage people to take a look at some of the efforts to replace
> what history has provided with something more powerful for our students.
> My own efforts have focused on developmental mathematics, such as the New
> Life project:
>
>
>
> Wiki (open to all) http://dm-live.wikispaces.com/
>
>
>
> Blog (open to all) http://www.devmathrevival.net/
>
>
>
> The New Life project of AMATYC is very closely related to the "Pathways"
> efforts of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
> (http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/developmental-math); the QuantwayT and
> StatwayT curriculum imbed the same learning outcomes as the New Life
> 'Mathematical Literacy for College Students' (>90% overlap in outcomes).
>
>
>
> Comparable 'movements' have been around for mathematics above
> developmental; in particular, AMATYC has a "right stuff" project for
> college algebra (as opposed to pre-calculus). See
> www.therightstuff.amatyc.org/ <http://www.therightstuff.amatyc.org/>
>
>
>
> Don't waste time and effort whining about some media sensation; don't
> waste time and effort worrying about whether the latest fad will finally
> exterminate all vestiges of intelligence among our students. DO something
> to build a better world, starting in your own classrooms and departments.
>
>
>
> Jack Rotman
>
> Professor, Department of Mathematics
>
> Lansing Community College
>
> (517)483-1079 rotmanj@lcc.edu <mailto:rotmanj@lcc.edu>
>
> www.devmathevival.net
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-mathedcc@mathforum.org [mailto:owner-mathedcc@mathforum.org]
> On Behalf Of Petrak, Daniel G.
> Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 9:15 AM
> To: Clyde Greeno @ MALEI; Alain Schremmer; mathedcc@mathforum.org
> Subject: RE: Khan Academy: Math instruction goes viral > backlash
>
>
>
> I think Clyde is right on here. The entrenched misconception of what
> mathematics is hurting our students. The reasons we all fell in love with
> the subject are not being perpetuated very well in our classrooms. I
> think technology like the Khan academy may enable us to shift what we do
> and what we demand from our students. We are hopefully being freed from
> the mundane, low level, procedural aspects of our subject and allowed to
> push our students thinking up Bloom's taxonomy. The role of faculty
> (especially in developmental mathematics) has been very focused on
> procedures and manipulation. I think these new tools can help us shift
> some of these responsibilities to software and change our role as faculty.
> I am curious to see what you all think.
>
>
>
>
>
> Dan Petrak
>
> Des Moines Area Community College
>
> Associate Professor of Mathematics/
>
> Faculty Liaison to Distance Education
>
> dgpetrak@dmacc.edu
>
> 515-964-6882
>
>
>
> ________________________________________
>
> From: owner-mathedcc@mathforum.org [owner-mathedcc@mathforum.org] on
> behalf of Clyde Greeno @ MALEI [greeno@malei.org]
>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 12:54 AM
>
> To: Alain Schremmer; mathedcc@mathforum.org
>
> Subject: Re: Khan Academy: Math instruction goes viral > backlash
>
>
>
> Alain, Roy, et al:
>
>
>
> Unfortunately, the greater and more serious dilemma is that "Khan
>
> mathematics" is a relatively accurate picture of what today's American
>
> public (and most of its educators) have been led to mean by "mathematics"
>
> and by "education in mathematics". That is largely why the USA lags in
>
> mathematics ... and why most students flee from the mathematics curriculum
>
> ASAP ... and why most Americans become victims of "math anxiety" before
>
> ceasing their formal schooling. Quite bluntly, it is a woefully UNHEALTHY
>
> kind of robotic training.
>
>
>
> The only hope is for the college/university community to catalyze
> nationwide
>
> dissemination and use of healthier, enlightened, and more realistic
>
> perceptions of what "education" in "mathematics" SHOULD be all about. But
>
> alas, most college/university professors were
>
> "education" in Kahn-type "mathematics" ... and their proposed "educational
>
> reforms" typically are about how to more effectively produce Khan-type
>
> "education" in Khan-type "mathematics". Does any other nation rely on a
>
> better perception of "education in mathematics"?
>
>
>
> So, the impetus for nationwide reorientation must come from a
>
> college/university *minority* whose humanitarian concerns ... couched in
>
> sociological, philosophical, and psychomathematical considerations ... are
>
> strong enough to override the traditions through which they arrived. Is
> any
>
> such "fratority" even on the visible horizon?
>
>
>
> Might the cyber-visibility and the increasing notoriety of "Khan
> mathematics
>
> education" catalyze the sorely needed backlash ... through emergence of
> the
>
> needed conclave? Who would even want to belong to such an academic
>
> fellowship for re-orienting American education in mathematics?
>
>
>
> Wishfully,
>
> Clyde
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> - --------------------------------------------------
>
> From: "Alain Schremmer" <schremmer.alain@gmail.com>
>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2011 10:48 PM
>
> To: <mathedcc@mathforum.org>
>
> Subject: Re: Khan Academy: Math instruction goes viral
>
>
>
>>
>
>> On Sep 6, 2011, at 10:28 PM, R. Wright wrote:
>
>>
>
>>> Khan is a really remarkably efficient trainer of monkeys, but not much
>
>>> of an educator of humans.
>
>>
>
>> I totally agree.
>
>>
>
>>> I wouldn't leave one of his videos alone in a room with my child's
>>> mind,
>
>>
>
>> and I wonder that they are taken seriously by some.
>
>>
>
>>> but to each his own, as they say.
>
>>
>
>> No.
>
>>
>
>> Regards
>
>> --schremmer
>
>>
>
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