Comments on: Implications for Math Instructors http://teachingcollegemath.com/2009/05/implications-for-math-instructors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=implications-for-math-instructors Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:57:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Wolfram Alpha is up and running « MathBlog: Where the Arts Meet the Sciences http://teachingcollegemath.com/2009/05/implications-for-math-instructors/comment-page-1/#comment-678 Wolfram Alpha is up and running « MathBlog: Where the Arts Meet the Sciences Sat, 30 May 2009 18:29:57 +0000 http://teachingcollegemath.com/?p=943#comment-678 [...] And here. [...] [...] And here. [...]

]]> By: Paul http://teachingcollegemath.com/2009/05/implications-for-math-instructors/comment-page-1/#comment-659 Paul Wed, 20 May 2009 02:10:01 +0000 http://teachingcollegemath.com/?p=943#comment-659 I've told all my classes about WolframAlpha. One way to use it is to check the answers after they solved the problems. I told my math students that by next year I will have their homework and tests completely changed. There will be some "traditional" problems ( monkey math ) but the majority of their assignments will require thinking. Working like mad right now to create sets of problems that will be relevant and not solvable with WolfRamAlpha. Some of the assignments will be assigned to be solved with WA so they get practice with the syntax. As simple as that! I’ve told all my classes about WolframAlpha. One way to use it is to check the answers after they solved the problems. I told my math students that by next year I will have their homework and tests completely changed. There will be some “traditional” problems ( monkey math ) but the majority of their assignments will require thinking. Working like mad right now to create sets of problems that will be relevant and not solvable with WolfRamAlpha. Some of the assignments will be assigned to be solved with WA so they get practice with the syntax. As simple as that!

]]> By: The Wolfram Alpha Bandwagon « 360 http://teachingcollegemath.com/2009/05/implications-for-math-instructors/comment-page-1/#comment-656 The Wolfram Alpha Bandwagon « 360 Mon, 18 May 2009 23:54:22 +0000 http://teachingcollegemath.com/?p=943#comment-656 [...] quite figure out what it was so I didn’t keep too close an eye out for it.  Then I read on Teaching College Mathematics and the Number Warrior that it was up, and I was pretty impressed with the screen shots.    [...] [...] quite figure out what it was so I didn’t keep too close an eye out for it.  Then I read on Teaching College Mathematics and the Number Warrior that it was up, and I was pretty impressed with the screen shots.    [...]

]]> By: Reva Narasimhan http://teachingcollegemath.com/2009/05/implications-for-math-instructors/comment-page-1/#comment-654 Reva Narasimhan Mon, 18 May 2009 13:43:57 +0000 http://teachingcollegemath.com/?p=943#comment-654 To Paul's posting - doubt that math teachers will stop teaching the parrot math, partly because it's in a required syllabus. Just as graphing calculators didn't do much to modify teaching methods, neither will Wolfram Alpha (although I'm personally very excited about the possibilities.) In class exams will not allow software anyway. Homework may be less weighted and online instructors who teach skills based math and rely heavily on online homework systems for a good portion of the grade may need to be concerned. If all their exams are online, then they'll definitely need to be concerned. algebrahelp.com has step by step tutorials for many problems for many years now, but it's not as extensive. I'm teaching a face-to-face Inter. algebra course this summer and will be referring students to Wolfram Alpha for study help. Homework will not count very heavily in my class. To Paul’s posting – doubt that math teachers will stop teaching the parrot math, partly because it’s in a required syllabus. Just as graphing calculators didn’t do much to modify teaching methods, neither will Wolfram Alpha (although I’m personally very excited about the possibilities.) In class exams will not allow software anyway.

Homework may be less weighted and online instructors who teach skills based math and rely heavily on online homework systems for a good portion of the grade may need to be concerned. If all their exams are online, then they’ll definitely need to be concerned. algebrahelp.com has step by step tutorials for many problems for many years now, but it’s not as extensive.

I’m teaching a face-to-face Inter. algebra course this summer and will be referring students to Wolfram Alpha for study help. Homework will not count very heavily in my class.

]]> By: Maria H. Andersen http://teachingcollegemath.com/2009/05/implications-for-math-instructors/comment-page-1/#comment-653 Maria H. Andersen Mon, 18 May 2009 12:37:53 +0000 http://teachingcollegemath.com/?p=943#comment-653 This is a great example over at Number Warrior: http://numberwarrior.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/wolfram-alpha-is-live/ This is a great example over at Number Warrior: http://numberwarrior.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/wolfram-alpha-is-live/

]]> By: Paul http://teachingcollegemath.com/2009/05/implications-for-math-instructors/comment-page-1/#comment-647 Paul Sat, 16 May 2009 16:04:08 +0000 http://teachingcollegemath.com/?p=943#comment-647 WOW ! SHIFT HAPPENS! THIS IS THE REVOLUTION I WAS WAITING 4. MATH BOOKS WRITERS … AND MATH TEACHERS … FINALLY SOMETHING WILL CHALLENGE THE SYSTEM! HOPEFULLY PROBLEM SOLVING WILL BE THOUGHT IN MATH CLASSES … NOT PARROT(MONKEY) MATHEMATICS. FINALLY (HOPEFULLY) MATH TEACHERS WILL START THINKING ABOUT CREATING RELEVANT MATH PROBLEMS THAT CAN’T BE SOLVED USING WOLFRAMALPHA! I’M HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY. I’M IN ECSTASY! SO… EXCITING! WOW ! SHIFT HAPPENS! THIS IS THE REVOLUTION I WAS WAITING 4. MATH BOOKS WRITERS … AND MATH TEACHERS … FINALLY SOMETHING WILL CHALLENGE THE SYSTEM! HOPEFULLY PROBLEM SOLVING WILL BE THOUGHT IN MATH CLASSES … NOT PARROT(MONKEY) MATHEMATICS. FINALLY (HOPEFULLY) MATH TEACHERS WILL START THINKING ABOUT CREATING RELEVANT MATH PROBLEMS THAT CAN’T BE SOLVED USING WOLFRAMALPHA! I’M HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY. I’M IN ECSTASY! SO… EXCITING!

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