Re: LOGO-L> Questions and problems

["Olga Tuzova" <olgatu@ort.spb.ru>]

Hello Bill,

Thank you for your comments and advices. About the books -- they look 
very interesting, but I'm not sure whether I'll be able to get them 
here. I'll be very grateful if you provide me with more detailed 
information. May be, you can send me some examples of the programs? 
Thanks in advance.

> The Project approach is conceptually opposite to the directed
> problem solving approach that you seem to be using. BTW the title of
> Idit Harel's book is 'Children Designers'.

Why, I'm using different approaches and Project work is a main part 
of our curricular. But, before doing a "free" project children have 
to learn something. Isn't it so?  And, I hope, I don't look like  a 
Logo-Sergant for my class. I still think that this particular 
assignment I offered to my students could be successfully used in 
Logo lessons and I'm seeking for the better ways to do this.

Regards,
Olga Tuzova

>  Olga wrote:-
> 
> >I liked Yehuda's proposals and developed special 
> >MSWLogo lessons plan for my 7th graders, who have just began to learn 
> >Geometry. Step by step, they have to explore squares, rectangles, 
> >polygons. They are performing computer experiments, making hypothesis, 
> >trying to prove or reject them, analyzing data.
>  (snip)
> 
>  One key factor is the students sense of ownership of the problem -- you need 
> to build in some choice. This also helps to cater for different ability levels.
> 
>  My favourite introductory Logo Geometry book is Turtle Confusion by Barry 
> Newell. He has 40 different shapes, starting with the square (shape 1) and 
> building up to some quite complex shapes. I have only ever had one year 8 
> complete all 40 shapes. All of the shapes can be done with fd, bk, rt, lt and 
> repeat. 
> (there is no trig or pythag but I would like to see a new booklet developed 
> offering lots of choice that takes students onto trig and pythag).
> 
>  This means:-
> a) students have some choice
> b) they can choose shapes that they think matches their ability level
> c) there is something there to challenge everyone
>  
> I am just there to facilitate, make suggestions but I tend to let the students 
> have the final say as to how they will make *their* shapes. It would be 
> counterproductive to impose my *more efficient* method onto them -- even though 
> I might mention it to them and ask if they want to see it.
> 
> 
> >2. The notations in Logo and in Algebra are different and sometimes 
> >students don't see what stands behind this or that formula. For 
> >example, when they see that (power distance [0 0] 2)/(:a*:a+:a*:a)  
> >is equal to 1, they can't formulate in words what they have come to.
> 
>  I'm not surprised -- this is very complex for beginners. I think the best 
> research on this sort of questions (students grasping complexity fluently) has 
> been done by Idit Harel. Seymour summarises her approach with the slogan, 
> Project before Problem. ie. if a student immerses themselves in a complex 
> Project that they want to do then over time (it may take months) they will 
> begin to pose and solve quite complex problems for themselves. 
> 

> 
>  -- Bill Kerr
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