GB8: FD / BK menu

[mwforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Jeff Knope)]

Hi Zehava,

The reason the "FD / BK" menu has SETH included will be evident to you when
you practice doing FD and BK moves with the program.  If you don't have some
way to turn the turtle, your FD and BK moves are all in the same line
(whatever the heading of the turtle happens to be). You're just moving back
and forth along a line that's already been drawn, and you lose all sense of
actually drawing something, as well as all suspense about making a truly new
move.  

Being able to first turn the turtle let's the user do FDs and BKs that are
sending the turtle off onto fresh real estate, and actually making a drawing.
If you try doing FDs and BKs without any intervening turns, you'll quickly see
what I mean.  

I envision a teaching sequence in which the turns are presented first.  So the
student is already comfortable with SETH, and the new actions being explored
are the FD and BK.  The key mental skill here is becoming able to project (in
the imagination) what a FD or BK will do for any given heading.  Practicing
doing that with various headings seems to me essential.

Anyhow, that was my thinking for having SETH available when doing FDs and BKs.

--Jeff


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Zehava Wizman" <zehava_w@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <mwforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2005 12:44 AM
Subject: RE: [MWForum]GraphicsBasics8


> Hi Jeff!
> your project opens my mind to wide possibilities to ease students 
> (especially those with learning disabilities) understanding subjects 
> ,according to one important principle in design features "Make Thinking  
> Visible", which assist  learners understand complex concepts.
> to the project itself : I don't understand why you put together
"setheading, 
> right, left", if a student uses setheading, he sets exactly the direction 
> the turtle will go, its optional to do it is by rt/lt.
> I think that putting them together might be confused, "do I have to push 
> seth 20 with rt 10" - he may asks himself.
> Maybe I dont understand the aim of the three commands.
> Page2 - the students have to try building procedure by themselves, maybe
its 
> better if they can copy/paste the commands into the procedure area (some
of 
> disabilities learning is typing), so if the textbox will be in opaque mode 
> (maybe frozen), they will be able to do this.
>                               thanks for your practical help
>                                                            Zehava
> 
>>From: "Jeff Knope" <jknope@xxxxxxxx>
>>Reply-To: mwforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>To: <mwforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Subject: [MWForum]GraphicsBasics8
>>Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 21:45:21 -0700
>>
>>Suggestions, comments and error reports invited...
>>
>>Jeff
>><< GraphicsBasics8.mw2 >>
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Don't just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! 
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>

Hi Zehava,

 

The reason the "FD / BK" menu has SETH included will be evident to you when you practice doing FD and BK moves with the program.  If you don't have some way to turn the turtle, your FD and BK moves are all in the same line (whatever the heading of the turtle happens to be). You're just moving back and forth along a line that's already been drawn, and you lose all sense of actually drawing something, as well as all suspense about making a truly new move. 

 

Being able to first turn the turtle let's the user do FDs and BKs that are sending the turtle off onto fresh real estate, and actually making a drawing. If you try doing FDs and BKs without any intervening turns, you'll quickly see what I mean. 

 

I envision a teaching sequence in which the turns are presented first.  So the student is already comfortable with SETH, and the new actions being explored are the FD and BK.  The key mental skill here is becoming able to project (in the imagination) what a FD or BK will do for any given heading.  Practicing doing that with various headings seems to me essential.

 

Anyhow, that was my thinking for having SETH available when doing FDs and BKs.

 

--Jeff

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Zehava Wizman" <zehava_w@xxxxxxxxxxx>

To: <mwforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Sent: Saturday, April 09, 2005 12:44 AM

Subject: RE: [MWForum]GraphicsBasics8

> Hi Jeff!
> your project opens my mind to wide
possibilities to 
ease students 
> (especially those with learning disabilities) 
understanding subjects 
> ,according to one important principle in
design 
features "Make Thinking  
> Visible", which assist  learners 
understand complex concepts.
> to the project itself : I don't
understand 
why you put together "setheading, 
> right, left", if a student uses 
setheading, he sets exactly the direction 
> the turtle will go, its 
optional to do it is by rt/lt.
> I think that putting them together
might 
be confused, "do I have to push 
> seth 20 with rt 10" - he may asks 
himself.
> Maybe I dont understand the aim of the three
commands.
> 
Page2 - the students have to try building procedure by themselves, maybe its 
> better if they can copy/paste the commands into the procedure area 
(some of 
> disabilities learning is typing), so if the textbox will be
in 
opaque mode 
> (maybe frozen), they will be able to do 
this.
>                               
thanks for your practical 
help
>                                                            
Zehava
> 
>>From: "Jeff Knope" <jknope@xxxxxxxx>
>>Reply-To: mwforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>To: <mwforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Subject: [MWForum]GraphicsBasics8
>>Date: Fri, 
08 Apr 2005 21:45:21 -0700
>>
>>Suggestions, comments and 
error reports invited...
>>
>>Jeff
>><<
GraphicsBasics8.mw2 >>
> 
> 
_________________________________________________________________
> Don't 
just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! 
> http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/
> 
> 
_______________________________________________
> MWForum mailing 
list
> MWForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
http://mia.openworldlearning.org/mwforum/
> Attachments archived at:
> http://www.mathcats.com/mwforum/attachments.html
> To unsubscribe or for administrative questions
contact 
> mailto:mwforum-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>