Here are my thoughts and impressions I have felt through EMAT6680 instructed by Dr. Jim Wilson with some softwares.
I have enjoyed playing with technology and exploring in the new world with softwares of computer. Particularly, I forgot myself by GSP, Graphing Calculator and Excel, so I am going to get along with them as the tools to explore problems in mathematics.
1. ESSAY (some suggestions to mathematics education):
I consider the computers as "the tool for thinking" and "the learning partner" in the class. I want to use the computer as the tool that students use freely same as a ruler and a compass, and I want to let students use as they like.
Up to now in Japan, teachers use the computers
as "the assistant of teaching" in the classroom. They
use computers in the process to teach in accordance with their
aim.
It is good that some teachers made the program by themselves to
solution some specific problem, so students operate computer and
learn mathematics in the direction of teachers. But it is questionable
to think the computer as only the tool to manage students to study.
Computer should be open for not only teachers but also students.
We need to consider computers as "the tool for thinking"
and "the learning partner" rather than as "the
assistant of teaching" in the classroom.
I have used computers at the class of EMAT6680 in UGA as the tool
to make the problems clear and to solve the problems. Technology
presents us with the problems and we investigate to return answers
to computers, and we communicate each other and enjoy exploring
in the wonderful world of technology. "Mac" is surely
a learning partner of mine. If I do not use computers, I would
not be able to find and solve fascinating problems.
As a teacher in Japan I have used drawing software, "The Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP) " as a tool for thinking that is easy for students to use. I enjoyed finding and solving the problem in mathematics class using GSP with students, and we could enjoy thinking the problems developing.
Using technology, teaching in the class will be changed. We emphasize on interpreting results by computer and expanding the problems in the classroom rather than on learning how to construct figures and graphs, and many exercises and drills. At UGA, Dr. Wilson doesn't teach us how to solve the problems and doesn't show us the way to understand the contents of mathematics using technology, but he teaches us to use the computer as the tool to solve the problems in mathematics. He entrusts us with technology, and expects us to enjoy exploring and investigating the problems, so we use computers positively to find the facts in geometry and to explore. I cannot solve and prove all the problems, but I can find many intersting things to explore in mathematics, and share with my students in Japan. Hence in my opinion, it is important for teachers to entrust the students, even elementary students, with technology to explore and investigate the joy of mathematics. Moreover, in Emat6680 course we use technlogy also as the tool to accumulate the study and to share the results of study with us. The assignments of this course are always stored in the computer,and when we start our work, we see the web page, and we write own consideration about the problems on own page. After investigation we look at the web page again and we can reinvestigate further. So,at this course the technogoly is used ptofitably for learners.
To use technology suitably, we are able to pioneer the new education in school mathematics.
2. THANKS:
From now in the mathematics education in Japan, I want to make good use of my wonderful experience at the University of Georgia in the summer 1999.
I thank Dr.Jim Wilson heartily for guiding me at UGA in this summer.
And I thank Dr.Toshiakira Fujii, who have taught me since I entered
Yamanashi University in Japan, for recommending me to go to UGA.
And I thank everyone who helped me at UGA, especially the classmates
of EMAT6680 ( beautiful Shanti, nice-looking Bob and gently Rich).
And I thank my family in Japan for being anxious about me.
I am very happy to have a precious time in Athens, Georgia from
12th June to 12 August 1999.