Delta-K Volume 14 Issue 3

Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association

Volume 14 Issue 3, February 1975

Editorial Recap

‘Active Involvement, Ski l l Development and Concept Understanding: Are They Compatible?’ This was the title of the keynote address by Dr. Robert Eicholz to the annual meeting of the Mathematics Council, at Jasper Park Lodge, October 25/26, 1974.

Dr. Eicholz, senior author for Addison-Wesley (Canada) Ltd., deve loped this theme very effectively. First, he acknowledged that in the past, teachers had often concentrated on skill development. Secondly, he showed that the “new
math” program emphasized concept understanding. Teachers and textbook authors both found that, with teaching the new emphasis, it was difficult not to reduce the effective teaching of skills. Then, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the emphasis in education became student involvement and teachers began to have “math lab” once a week.

Dr. Eicholz challenged us to plan an integrated program. He urged some concept understanding, much skill development, and active involvement. This can be accomplished by planning each lesson in a way that the involvement of the class in problem-solving will permit development of the concept to be learned through the use of skills known. Then, by leaving the problem open to further investigation, we may introduce new skill techniques and deeper concepts. When we find the students learning new techniques, then further practice in these skills can be introduced to reinforce and fully develop the techniques and skills.

One word of caution here. Every teacher must use his or her own method of approach to make ideas work, and any broad, general outline guides you develop could be profitably shared with other teachers in your subject area. As you may have noticed, there is no mention of mathematics as being the subject of the presentation. However, since the audience was mostly math teachers, Dr. Eicholz did naturally use math examples. A few teacher-guests from other disciplines agreed that the concept presented could apply to all subject disciplines.

A second highlight of the annual meeting was Thomas D. Baker’s speech –
‘Looking Back at Education in Alberta’ — a general picture of educational development in Alberta. Of particular interest were Mr. Baker’s remarks about the positive aspects of change, such as advantages of consolidation made necessary by technological and sociological changes in our society. He left us with the challenge to make innovations in our classrooms to meet the changing needs of a dynamic society. He cautioned us to move with reason and not to accept every innovation, without examination, for the sake of change.

On the second day of the conference we had six sessions, each with specialists in different levels of instruction –

Elementary – ‘Gaining on a Balanced Diet,’ Gina Brown-Mogham, Winnipeg ‘Experiencing the Role of Activities in the Overal l Mathematics Curriculum,’ Robert Eicholz

Junior High – ‘Ju~ ~ior High School Mathematics Curriculum Materials,’ Emery Dosdall and Don Kosman, Edmonton ‘A Lab Approach to Metrication,’ Moyers ViCo Ltd.

Senior High – ‘Secondary School Mathematics Enrichment,’ Glen Kauffman, Edson ‘Individual ized Instruction,’ Dorothy Burton, Calgary.

(The above list is presented without comment from your editor as he could not be everywhere at the same time.)

At the business session, we accepted two changes in our constitution. (A copy of the constitution, with these changes incorporated, was mailed with the November issue of Delta-K.) Fees were increased, beginning January 1, 1975, to: Regular membership $6, Subscription $6, Student $3.

Effective January 1, 1975, the costs for the Metric Missionary Workshops will include expenses of participants, plus an honorarium to MCATA in an amount to be negotiated (minimum $50). The program has been extended to June 1 and could be renewed next year if there is sufficient need expressed.

Ed Carriger

1 – 2

Editorial Recap

Ed Carriger

3 – 4

On the Russian Peasant Multiplication Algorithm

William J. Bruce

5 – 8

Broad Spectrum Mathematics Project

Peter Weygang and Alan C. Madgett

9 – 12

Have You Tried This? Challenge the Teacher