Does Anyone Else Find Watching Simpletons Discuss Technology To Be Oddly Reassuring?

[Hauldren Collider]

Another way to create a compass: A ****ing piece of string, like I used in 8th grade geometry. If you can't get kids engaged in geometry you're probably comatose. Kids love that ****. They get to play with scissors and protractors that twang when you whack them on the desk. They get to build polyhedrons out of tack and popsicle sticks. I know how this works by the way, I taught geometry a couple summers ago. The kids loved it, despite the fact that their parents were horrible helicopter moms sending them to math camp

[Elok]

Honestly, it'd be better to have a computer program so every kid in the classroom can muck around with angles and such on his/her own, using a PC, laptop, tablet or whatever. With a smartboard, you've got one kid "demonstrating the problem on the board" in a whole new way. Unfortunately, the other twenty-two are still feeling bored and listless, and possibly using the teacher's distraction to pass notes, whisper jokes, etc. Much as they did when students were doing it with chalk, except now they do text messages too.

[Hauldren Collider]

No, it's better to give every kid a piece of string and a pencil. You can do everything interesting in geometry with just a compass and straightedge--that's the entire point of the whole artsy part of the class, showing how things are constructed from first principles.

[regexcellent]

Honestly the stuff we use right now for teaching works just fine and you'd get way more mileage out of better teachers, busting teachers' unions, and clamping down on truancy.

[Hauldren Collider]

What schools need in terms of technology is projectors that actually turn on and computers that aren't running Windows XP

[Elok]

No, it's better to give every kid a piece of string and a pencil. You can do everything interesting in geometry with just a compass and straightedge--that's the entire point of the whole artsy part of the class, showing how things are constructed from first principles.

I'm also fine with that. I don't really care about math, I just assumed the program made a difference to people who were into that sort of thing.

[Elok]

Personally, if I were a teacher looking to blow a wad of cash on a fun STEM lesson, I'd ditch the high-tech stuff, buy some model trebuchets and some blocks, and give the kids an engineering challenge.

[The Mad Monk]

What schools need in terms of technology is projectors that actually turn on and computers that aren't running Windows XP

What's your problem with XP?

[MRT144]

Stop jinxing it, you chicken McDickface.

Thanks!

[Asher]

Honestly, it'd be better to have a computer program so every kid in the classroom can muck around with angles and such on his/her own, using a PC, laptop, tablet or whatever. With a smartboard, you've got one kid "demonstrating the problem on the board" in a whole new way. Unfortunately, the other twenty-two are still feeling bored and listless, and possibly using the teacher's distraction to pass notes, whisper jokes, etc. Much as they did when students were doing it with chalk, except now they do text messages too.

I wonder if a company makes software for both PCs, laptops, tablets, whatever as well as massive high-res multi-touch displays for the front of the classroom...?

[Asher]

No, it's better to give every kid a piece of string and a pencil. You can do everything interesting in geometry with just a compass and straightedge--that's the entire point of the whole artsy part of the class, showing how things are constructed from first principles.

You are -- honest to God -- getting dumber every year on this site. Just stop.

You sound like an 80-year old redneck curmudgeon.

"I don't care what them sciences study things be sayin' or what kids these days are a-doin', BACK IN MY DAY WE DID IT RIGHT. HELLS, LOOK AT ME! "

[Asher]

Elok - You should really see what the software I'm working on does for special-needs kids. Specifically children with autism.

Eg,

https://caitlan-space.wikispaces.com/file/view/Autism+IWB.pdf

http://www.autismspeaks.org/research/comparison-effects-smart-board-technology-and-flash-card-instruction-sigh-word-recognition-

This study compared the effectiveness of SMART Board, interactive whiteboard technology and traditional flash cards in teaching reading in a small-group instructional arrangement. Three students with moderate intellectual disabilities were taught to read grocery store aisle marker words under each condition. Observational learning (students learning other group members' words) was also assessed across each condition. The effectiveness of the two procedures was evaluated using an adapted alternating-treatments design (AATD) across two conditions and replicated across students. Results indicated that both SMART Board and flash card instruction were effective in teaching target sight words. However, students read a greater percentage of observational words when words were presented using SMART Board technology.

The reason why virtually every classroom in the western world has a smartboard (and other technology SMART sells) is because study after study shows it works when used properly. If you look at the science, it's a no-brainer investment.

The problem, especially in the USA (but surprisingly not so in the UK & Canada), is teachers are curmudgeons, technophobes, or generally so burnt out that they can't be bothered to figure out how to actually use the technology aside from a projector and ink platform. The fault isn't with the technology, it's with your education system and who you hire as teachers.

[regexcellent]

Technology in education is frequently some combination of reinventing the wheel, fixing what isn't broken, and a solution looking for a problem. He is right, doing constructions with a pencil, a ruler, and a compass is really ****ing easy and you're not going to make it meaningfully easier with expensive electronics and software.

[Asher]

I'm sure some university somewhere has bought those stupid things.

Tons of universities have them. Some actually use them to great effect.

One thing that probably surprises many is that our single largest customer is actually the US DOD. Our technology (which is not the same as what's used in classrooms) is actually used extensively by the military both for training and command & control scenarios. There are multiple interactive displays (with software) which are used by the Joint Chiefs, as well.

But, as HC says, they must be ****ing retarded. Why would they use technology when they can use a paper with an oldschool compass?

[Asher]

Technology in education is frequently some combination of reinventing the wheel, fixing what isn't broken, and a solution looking for a problem. He is right, doing constructions with a pencil, a ruler, and a compass is really ****ing easy and you're not going to make it meaningfully easier with expensive electronics and software.

Doing constructions is about 0.01% of the functionality. Do me a favour and shut the **** up and research what you're talking about. You've quite clearly never used the software but you think you can make generalizations about it's capabilities.

So my question to you is:
1) Are you really this stupid?
2) Or are you just being a ****wad?