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Assignment 1.1: Ed Tech Then and Now MITx: 11.132x Design and Development of Educational Technology by MillaKiss 21/10/2014, Milan Tuesday, October 21, 14
Assignment 1.1: Ed Tech Then and Now MITx: 11.132x Design and Development of Educational Technology
by MillaKiss21/10/2014, Milan
Tuesday, October 21, 14
then nowand
Tuesday, October 21, 14
current educational technology
Based on the Montessori method, the Montessori 1st Operations App for tablets and smart phones (developed by Les 3 Elles Interactive), unites a 100 year old proven pedagogy with the best of 21st Century technology: fun monsters introduce 4 important mathematical concepts (addition, subtraction, doubles and halves, odd and even) to children aged 5-8 years. It offers a clear and simple approach via the 11 activities and multi-touch games to be used in class or at home. Available in 11 languages.
All images are from: http://lestroiselles.com/en/our-apps/1operationsTuesday, October 21, 14
old concepts & methods delivered via new tech
http://vimeo.com/64542050
Tuesday, October 21, 14
overall goals of the app: Increase children’s self-confidence and autonomy in mathematics while learning and having fun. Make exercise fun and motivating.
current educational technology
USER EXPERIENCE (WHAT YOU DO?): Key concepts are explained verbally in the intro of each activity and reinforced with examples. The activities walk children through the concepts and the methods starting from simple exercises advancing towards more complicated ones. Based on the displayed capacities of the user the app adapts the difficulty of the operations to the appropriate level ensuring this way a smooth, self-paced development towards the final goals.
MATH goals: Parents can manually set temporary goals of the app (maximum numbers - 0-10/0-20/0-50/0-99; types of operations; time limit etc.) increasing them as their children progress. The ultimate goal of the App is to teach key operations until 100 with time limits.
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USER ENGAGEMENT: The App tries to engage children with its visual cartoonish world and with the curious monster characters that automatically transform a math exercise into a cool game. Correct answers result in points that can later be used in the Monster Shop to buy monster sticker parts and accessories to create custom made monsters.
current educational technology
LEARNING MECHANISM (HOW TO LEARN FROM IT?): By transforming math exercise into a fun game children are more motivated to interact with it and thus do exercise without the bad connotations of “extra homework”. Also with its adaptive system each user can progress at their own pace increasing the child’s self-confidence and autonomy. By having all activities on a tablet/smartphone the App becomes an ideal tool for exercise “on the road” (during holidays or while traveling).
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EARLIER educational technology
Montessori education is an educational approach developed by Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori and characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. The Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS) cites the following as essential elements:
• Mixed age classrooms• Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options• Uninterrupted blocks of work time, ideally three hours• A constructivist or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials, rather than by
direct instruction• Specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators• Freedom of movement within the classroom• A trained Montessori teacher source: Wikipedia
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EARLIER educational technologyLearning mathematical concepts in a Montessori classroom begins concretely and progresses towards the abstract. They are developed from simple to complex. Process is taught first and facts come later. Order, coordination, concentration, and independence are experienced by the child using specialized educational materials.
source: justmontessori.com
Number Rods: Ten rods, grated in length, the shortest rod being ten centimeters in length, and each succeeding rod increasing by the length of the first, with the longest rod being one meter. Prepare the child for 1-10 counting. Small number rods: the same concept as above, but in smaller size.
Numerals: Numeral symbols 0-9. Help with the recognition of numerals
Association of rods and numerals: Children associate the number rod quantity with the number symbols and gain a growing understanding of sequence as they work with association exercises.
Operations with rods and numerals: As an introduction to simple operations children use small number rods and numerals to understand the key concepts of addition and subtraction.
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EARLIER educational technology
source: justmontessori.com
Cards and Counters: Cards or numbers from 1-10 and 55 counters. This tool is used to reinforce the knowledge that each number is made up of separate quantities, to verify whether the child has mastered the sequence of numbers, how many separate units go to form each number. It is the key tool to indicate the odd and even numbers and to prepare for the divisibility of numbers.
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PRIMARY AUDIENCE: Pre-school and primary school aged children (4-5 years +)
EARLIER educational technology
Efficiency of the tools (Personal experience): The tools are efficient as an introduction to the key mathematical concepts and create a good base for further activities and techniques in the direction of more complex operations.
UNINTENTIONAL EFFECTS (POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE): The constructivist (touchy-feely) aspect of these tools make them an efficient “return base” in moments where children are in doubt or not confident enough for using more evolved techniques.
overall goals of the tools: Learn the 4 key mathematical concepts: addition, subtraction, halves, odd and even in an engaging way in line with the credo of Montessori education and its constructivist discovery model.
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comparative analysis
APPROACH: The two tools are proposing the same Montessori activities.
CONTRAST 1:The “old tech” is an analogical touchy-feely constructivist tool that requires interaction with physical objects.The “new tech” is a less sensorial, maybe less constructivist, digital game that requires interaction with smart phones/tablets.
evaluation 1:In terms of the positive effects of constructivism, impact and memorability of the Montessori activities the “old tech” is more efficient, since the discovery of the concepts takes place physically. So the first explorations with this educational approach SHOULD be “old tech”.
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comparative analysis
CONTRAST 2:The “old tech” is an analogical bulky tool that requires the sets and tools to be taken along for further home exercise. The “new tech” is a compact digital game that includes all sets and tools in one and can be taken easily anywhere.
evaluation 2:In terms of the easy home exercise the “new tech” fares better for obvious logistical reasons (no bulky sets to carry around). Also the fact that one App includes more activities and is adapting to the developing skills of the student makes it an appealing tool for further exercise AFTER the first “analogical old-tech” activities have been made.
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comparative analysis
CONTRAST 3:According to “old tech” Montessorian views we don’t need to continually reward our children or tell them how smart and talented they are as it can create the opposite of what we want. It can make our children afraid to attempt new things, afraid of failure, afraid they won’t meet everyone’s expectations. Montessorians try to give descriptive encouragement rather then evaluative praise or rewards. The “new tech” App is offering an intriguing motivation (Monster Shop points) to incentivize frequent exercise, however the monster stickers catalogue is somewhat limited so might not be enough in quantity to accompany the child until the final math goal reached.
evaluation 3:Considering the “reward criteria” the same order of learning/reward tool introduction should be applied: first “old tech”, second “new tech” as they are complementary and work most efficiently when synchronized.
“The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self. Adults work to finish a task,
but the child works in order to grow, and is working to create the
adult, the person that is to be.” Maria Montessori
YOU REALLY WORKED HARD AT THAT.
YOU DID IT FOUR TIMES IN A ROW!
YOU DID IT!
GOOD JOB
Tuesday, October 21, 14
thank you for your attentionby MillaKiss
21/10/2014, Milan
Tuesday, October 21, 14
