Today I watched a a session of the K12 Online 2011 Conference: "Computer Based Math" presented by David Wees, posted on November 30, 2011. In his presentation he says that he thinks math curriculum needs to shift away from emphasis of computation to emphasis of real-world application, and computers can help us do that. He offers examples of computational programs and projects students can do to create applications for the math they're learning. I will take note of the Wolfram Alpha and Calculize programs he mentioned for quickly doing complex calculations, and I will definitely use the idea of having students create their own tutorials or video word problems. These projects put the students in control of their own learning, while being allowed to use technology to be creative. One fear I have about using computers too much is that students will not gain basic computational skills that are helpful in everyday life. I can already see it in some of today's students: they have become so dependent on calculators, they can't do 2*12 in their heads. What if this permeates all of math? What if, because of dependence on computers, students fail to gain problem-solving skills associated with algebra and geometry, or lose the basic understanding of why mathematics work? This is a concern of mine.
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You are asking some of the questions we grapple with as mathematics teachers. Did you comment on the session and ask the presenter his opinion?
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