Igor Bray

Aug 30, 08 - 2:51 PM

Today-Tonight

I've been rather surprised by the interest in the calculator issue. After four interviews with radio stations, yesterday I had a two hour interview with Today-Tonight. They came suprisingly well-informed and asked difficult questions. I spoke very frankly and openly, but I have no idea how the edited version will look like. Consequently, tomorrow I'm leaving the country!

For the record this is what happened.

They filmed with the PLATO website in the background.
They asked specifically about my thoughts on the introduction of the CAS calculators. They were interested in the quote by Bary Kissane in Tuesday's West: "Mr Kissane said teachers had agreed to change to CAS calculators after careful debate." contrasted against the Government's independent consultant Christina Gillgren: "The issue of CAS calculators was a key point with both juries expressing their frustration regarding the lack of consultation with teachers on their introduction."
I expressed that calculators are a tool a teacher may wish to use to make their teaching more effective. The purpose of a test/exam is to check the effectiveness of the teaching by gauging what the student has learned. In doing so we have no interest in what the teacher or the calculator can do, only the student. Hence, no calculators in tests or exams.
I said that it should be the teachers who decide which technology they wish to bring to the classroom.
I again repeated the importance of mental and physical exercise throughout our lives, and particularly during the developmental years. The overuse of calculators leads to the loss of mental agility and mathematical ability.
I am not sure how much of a problem calculators are at primary schools, though I did have a primary teacher visit me at Curtin thanking me for my comments. My guess is that the problem of overusing calculators predominantly starts in the teenage years.
I emphasized that calculators hurt the weakest students, because they are the ones who need more repetition for ideas to stick.
I also pointed out that University maths/science academics are primarily concerned about the weaker students. The bright, gifted ones catch on quickly and are a pleasure to teach. The weaker ones require more attention and our job is made that much more difficult if their fundamental skills are lacking.
We talked about my research and I was asked to write several equations on the whiteboard.

Now you understand why I'm leaving the country! I'll be back in two weeks. I was told that they are planning to broadcast this after the election and that they will email me the date beforehand. If I get it in time I will post the date here.

P.S. Coincidentally, David Wood called me after the filming and we discussed the calculator issues, and the above. He agreed that calculators were overused in schools, but he was comfortable with them in exams.

Joy

Aug 30th, 2008 - 3:03 PM

Re: Today-Tonight

Great work, Igor!!

Amused

Aug 30th, 2008 - 3:44 PM

Re: Today-Tonight

Igor,

Thanks for your contribution to the debate but I am concerned about your comment that implies there is the 'gifted/talented' group and then the 'weak' students.

My concern supports your argument. Too many of the 'capable' students succumb to easy use of calculators and also succumb to using the 'games' provided on the calculators when they should be doing calculations.

The 'gifted/talented' students know when to use a calculator for complex calculation while the 'weak' students probably do not know where the percentage function exists on their calculator.

The large majority, being 'capable', are not 'hot- wiring' their brain to deal with more complex problems. This FACT has implications for all learning these students experience in all subject areas re comprehension, interpretation, analysis and synthesis skills.

For most students, the playing of computer games involving repetition with 'whistles, bells and action graphics' simply constipates their ability to develop their learning skills.

A good example of this is the 'Impossible Quiz' online activity many students are now engaged with. The quiz has great potential to develop the mental thinking for students.

Trouble is, many students simply engage in the 'trial and error' approach, rather than consider the evidence provided and develop a logical response before submitting their answer.

Worth a look:

Impossible Quiz

Patrick F. Whalen

Aug 30th, 2008 - 4:55 PM

Re: Today-Tonight

Well done Igor. I am sorry that The West elected not to use my letter of support. It went something like this:

"As a teacher with 40 years experience teaching High School Mathematics around Australia and overseas, who has been Head of Department in Victoria and Tasmania, and served on the Tasmanian equivalent of our Curriculum Council, I’d like to contribute to the debate about calculators in Western Australia. First I support Professors Bray’s, Jennings’ and Alder’s criticisms of the Curriculum Council’s introduction of CAS calculators. I also refute Barry Kissane’s comment that “Teachers had agreed to change to CAS calculators after careful debate.” There was no debate. I know for a fact that most of the submissions to the “teacher juries” spoke against the introduction of CAS calculators. Classroom teachers were never formally surveyed about this issue. Last year in a prestigious Australian Mathematical publication from NSW, (Reflections), Dr. Bill Pender’s comments that, “Students from other States, who were trained on graphic calculators, get into serious difficulties in university courses because they can’t sketch simple curves or interpret them.” He continues on CAS calculators, “Now there is talk of graphic calculators that does algebra for you. From my point of view, as a classroom teacher, that would be a complete disaster, with students not even learning properly how to expand and factor.” Dr. Pender reiterates the comments from our own WA Professors when he says, “Graphic calculators should not be used routinely in class at this stage, and they certainly have no place in public examinations of these students’s knowledge.”

I have to wonder, with all the publicity about the soon to be introduced National Curriculum, if the WA Curriculum Council has “jumped the gun”. Why couldn’t they wait until the direction of the National Curriculum was evident? What was the motive for the rush to enshrine the CAS calculators without classroom teacher endorsement, without wider consultation with the tertiary sector, and without discussions with other States? Was this decision educational, or commercial?"

Author	Comment
Igor Bray Aug 30, 08 - 2:51 PM	Today-Tonight I've been rather surprised by the interest in the calculator issue. After four interviews with radio stations, yesterday I had a two hour interview with Today-Tonight. They came suprisingly well-informed and asked difficult questions. I spoke very frankly and openly, but I have no idea how the edited version will look like. Consequently, tomorrow I'm leaving the country! For the record this is what happened. They filmed with the PLATO website in the background. They asked specifically about my thoughts on the introduction of the CAS calculators. They were interested in the quote by Bary Kissane in Tuesday's West: "Mr Kissane said teachers had agreed to change to CAS calculators after careful debate." contrasted against the Government's independent consultant Christina Gillgren: "The issue of CAS calculators was a key point with both juries expressing their frustration regarding the lack of consultation with teachers on their introduction." I expressed that calculators are a tool a teacher may wish to use to make their teaching more effective. The purpose of a test/exam is to check the effectiveness of the teaching by gauging what the student has learned. In doing so we have no interest in what the teacher or the calculator can do, only the student. Hence, no calculators in tests or exams. I said that it should be the teachers who decide which technology they wish to bring to the classroom. I again repeated the importance of mental and physical exercise throughout our lives, and particularly during the developmental years. The overuse of calculators leads to the loss of mental agility and mathematical ability. I am not sure how much of a problem calculators are at primary schools, though I did have a primary teacher visit me at Curtin thanking me for my comments. My guess is that the problem of overusing calculators predominantly starts in the teenage years. I emphasized that calculators hurt the weakest students, because they are the ones who need more repetition for ideas to stick. I also pointed out that University maths/science academics are primarily concerned about the weaker students. The bright, gifted ones catch on quickly and are a pleasure to teach. The weaker ones require more attention and our job is made that much more difficult if their fundamental skills are lacking. We talked about my research and I was asked to write several equations on the whiteboard. Now you understand why I'm leaving the country! I'll be back in two weeks. I was told that they are planning to broadcast this after the election and that they will email me the date beforehand. If I get it in time I will post the date here. P.S. Coincidentally, David Wood called me after the filming and we discussed the calculator issues, and the above. He agreed that calculators were overused in schools, but he was comfortable with them in exams. Email [optional]: I.Bray@curtin.edu.au
Joy Aug 30th, 2008 - 3:03 PM	Re: Today-Tonight Great work, Igor!!
Amused Aug 30th, 2008 - 3:44 PM	Re: Today-Tonight Igor, Thanks for your contribution to the debate but I am concerned about your comment that implies there is the 'gifted/talented' group and then the 'weak' students. My concern supports your argument. Too many of the 'capable' students succumb to easy use of calculators and also succumb to using the 'games' provided on the calculators when they should be doing calculations. The 'gifted/talented' students know when to use a calculator for complex calculation while the 'weak' students probably do not know where the percentage function exists on their calculator. The large majority, being 'capable', are not 'hot- wiring' their brain to deal with more complex problems. This FACT has implications for all learning these students experience in all subject areas re comprehension, interpretation, analysis and synthesis skills. For most students, the playing of computer games involving repetition with 'whistles, bells and action graphics' simply constipates their ability to develop their learning skills. A good example of this is the 'Impossible Quiz' online activity many students are now engaged with. The quiz has great potential to develop the mental thinking for students. Trouble is, many students simply engage in the 'trial and error' approach, rather than consider the evidence provided and develop a logical response before submitting their answer. Worth a look: Impossible Quiz
Patrick F. Whalen Aug 30th, 2008 - 4:55 PM	Re: Today-Tonight Well done Igor. I am sorry that The West elected not to use my letter of support. It went something like this: "As a teacher with 40 years experience teaching High School Mathematics around Australia and overseas, who has been Head of Department in Victoria and Tasmania, and served on the Tasmanian equivalent of our Curriculum Council, I’d like to contribute to the debate about calculators in Western Australia. First I support Professors Bray’s, Jennings’ and Alder’s criticisms of the Curriculum Council’s introduction of CAS calculators. I also refute Barry Kissane’s comment that “Teachers had agreed to change to CAS calculators after careful debate.” There was no debate. I know for a fact that most of the submissions to the “teacher juries” spoke against the introduction of CAS calculators. Classroom teachers were never formally surveyed about this issue. Last year in a prestigious Australian Mathematical publication from NSW, (Reflections), Dr. Bill Pender’s comments that, “Students from other States, who were trained on graphic calculators, get into serious difficulties in university courses because they can’t sketch simple curves or interpret them.” He continues on CAS calculators, “Now there is talk of graphic calculators that does algebra for you. From my point of view, as a classroom teacher, that would be a complete disaster, with students not even learning properly how to expand and factor.” Dr. Pender reiterates the comments from our own WA Professors when he says, “Graphic calculators should not be used routinely in class at this stage, and they certainly have no place in public examinations of these students’s knowledge.” I have to wonder, with all the publicity about the soon to be introduced National Curriculum, if the WA Curriculum Council has “jumped the gun”. Why couldn’t they wait until the direction of the National Curriculum was evident? What was the motive for the rush to enshrine the CAS calculators without classroom teacher endorsement, without wider consultation with the tertiary sector, and without discussions with other States? Was this decision educational, or commercial?" Email [optional]: ppfw3@aol.com