- I wanted to help the choir
- I enjoy working with kids
- I was looking for a way to experiment with on-line learning
- I would like to develop a curriculum using open source materials
While I agree with Papert "it doesn't much matter what mathematics we teach them as long as they are learning to reason like a mathematician." That said if your are going to reason you need to reason about something, so I picked Algebra.
Here is the "Course Description" I sent:
An introductory On-Line Algebra/Geometry course for kids from 7th to 9th Grade:
Description: This course will help students not only be proficient in basic Algebra and Geometry manipulations (which are needed for Standardized tests) but also provide concrete experiences to help children develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. Course material will be based upon a variety of material including some Open Source, Algebra Textbooks, Geogebra, Scratch, Etoys and other materials. Students will have homework assignments, quizzes and tests during the semester.
Topics Covered:
Expressions, Equations and Functions
Schedule - The One Semester Course (18 weeks) will meet on-line for 90 minutes (mornings 8-9:30am, actual day will be negotiated amongst those signing up and the teacher). There may be one or two "in-person" and time will be allotted (at least four 30 minute sessions per student for one-to-one tutoring via the Internet)
Teacher: Steve Thomas - studied for his Masters in Mathematics Education at Rutgers with Robert B. Davis. He has also developed mathematics course material as a member of the education committee for Etoys which is part of One Laptop Per Child.
