NETS (National Education Technology Standards)

Having an undergrad degree in Computer Science I totally support the infusion of technology as part of our curriculum, but we must make every effort to have technology be supportive of the curriculum and not be the only means by which we teach. Our students, in our society, are becoming lazy and dependent upon technology. They no longer want to use their brains - their very own personal computer - to think any more. If there isn't instant gratification or an instant answer - that is - if they have to think a little - they don't want to continue with the exercise.

When I was a child - we did not have calculators. I had to learn how to solve and graph quadratic equations without benefit of a calculator. I had to add, subtract, multiply and divide the old tried and true way. It is stated in Chapter 3 of our book that many teachers teach the way they have learned and feel comfortable with - the old tried and true strategies. It goes on to say that these strategies continue to be valuable, but new technology may enhance these strategies. I think many forget that technology is there to enhance not to take the place of. I often think of childhood experiences and one that comes to mind was an experience I had when I was five years old. A neighbor, who was a merchant marine and spent alot of time in Japan, taught me how to count from one to ten in Japanese. He did not teach me how to count to 99 because he said that I only needed these numbers and I would figure it out someday.

I have copied the following from this web site www.shotokankarate.ca/counting%20in%20japanese.htm
(if anyone is interested).
What I often think of is that children in Japan have to think mathematically when reciting their numbers - they are in actuality adding their numbers in order to count from 1 to 99. Many times, our children are handed calculators for simple arithmetic in early elementary school. We are creating a society that cannot "do" math because they were taught to rely on calculator.

Our children have to take state mandated tests in every grade. Sections of these tests do not allow calculators. We need to prepare the them the good old fashioned way - the tried and true way of using one's brain. I am not at all opposed to technology - I worked as a Senior Technical Consultant for 20 + years and this profession required intense programming along with above knowledge of mathematics however, we must be mindful of how we use it!

The following is taken from the web site: In order to learn count up to ninety-nine all you really need to know are the Japanese terms for the numbers 1 through 10 - after that it is just a matter of remembering to combine these numbers in a specific sequence to get the desired result. The numbers from one to ten are pronounced as follows: one ichi two ni three san four shi five go six roku seven shichi eight hachi nine kyu ten ju Above ten the numbers are pronounced differently: for example the number 11 in Japanese is translated as "10 plus 1" eleven ju ichi twelve ju ni thirteen ju san fourteen ju shi fifteen ju go sixteen ju roku seventeen ju shichi eighteen ju hachi nineteen ju kyu Above the number twenty the numbers are again pronounced in a slightly different manner. For example the number 20 in Japanese translates as "2 - 10's" and continuing on therefore, the number 21 would be considered as "2 - 10's plus 1" twenty ni ju twenty-one ni juichi twenty-two ni juni and so on - all the way up to the number 99. For example the number 56 would be "5 - 10's plus 6" - or - "gojuroku" - the number 61 would then be "6 - 10's plus 1" - or - "rokujuichi" and so on and so on.