APPENDIX C

Appendix B

Proposed Approach

This thesis will present novel methods for sensing, analyzing, and interpreting the learning progress of students.

Great deal of data will be gathered from students in real situations.

Problem Solving Software Application Objective

There should be a mathematical problem to be solved -- students need to acquire knowledge, through a discovery process, to be able to solve the stated problems
The problems should motivate the students -- Students should feel rewarded by solving the problems
The mathematical topic of the application should be of interest to the students. Something they can relate to and something that can be part of the curriculum

The importance of using colorful Cuisenaire Rods
One of the brain's abilities is the capacity to recognize color. Color creates an emotional response. Imagine visiting London and trying to make sense of the underground system if the map were in black and white and not color coded . Using the rods children can be introduced to basic math concepts before having to cope with numbers. Caleb Gattegno called this approach 'algebra before arithmetic'. This approach is foundational to EYCSAM.

In the process, I will attempt to overcome the problem of making the mathematical thinking for the elementary school student more desirable. With my training in both Computer Science and children educational challenge, I think I have the skill-set to be able to bridge the gap between these two fields and thereby improve upon the state of the art.

My approach to this problem is unique for several reasons, most notably because I have taken an enormous amount of effort to construct a careful, quantitative study of how the mathematical thinking during the elementary level could be improved.

This thesis will consist of four interwoven project phases, to be followed by the dissertation and defense. The first phase, which is ongoing, consisted of building several versions of the interface and investigating various software applications at the elementary school in "Midwood, Brooklyn, NY" and how they are being used by teachers and students to improve the learning curve. I will collect data from numerous subjects. The second phase is to analyze the data for significant features and find useful relationships between the mathematical thinking and the applicable technique. The third phase will focus on interpreting the results of the analysis phase and making decisions about which features are most salient and meaningful. The fourth phase will be the development of numerous “Etudes” which elucidate the set of features by responding to each one individually.

A java applet to demonstrate the use of Cuisenaire rods

It is really important to consider the use of technology in the early years of elementary school. But now I see how this online tool can supplement the physical tools used in the classroom by making them available to a larger number of children at the same time as well as at home. Check This Page