|
|
|
|
Character
|
Dialogue
|
|
Teacher:
|
You
might remember that I'm Al Gore from Hilary Clinton Middle School?
(answers in audio conferencing line, not text chat)
|
|
Mentor:
|
Right! Clinton's former vice-president!
As I recall, you decided to reinvent yourself as a teacher. That
way, you could help build that bridge (the teacher chimes in with
audio echoing of "build that bridge") to the mathematics
learning of the 21st century.
|
|
Teacher:
|
Yes, I am finding that getting
inner city middle school students to learn calculus is certainly
more useful than politics!
|
|
Mentor:
|
And more rewarding than
becoming President perhaps? Welcome. What's up?
|
|
Teacher:
|
I've just used MathWorlds for
the first time with my class, and I have a few questions.
|
|
Mentor:
|
Great. I know a bit about MathWorlds,
let me see if I can help. First let's go into the Learning Studio
so we can share a version of MathWorlds. I will start it up on your
screen for you. (Mentor starts up SimCalc)
|
|
Narrator:
|
Note how the MUVE has provided
an integrated source of extensive information resources--MathWorlds
as one among many things for teachers to use that they may reach
via Math Forum--and a source of social resources--TPD supporters
like the mentor. Both kinds of resources are crucial for making
the web the kind of social place where diverse stakeholders in learning
can collaborate toward improving learning with technology.
|
|
Teacher:
|
Sure, I can see MathWorlds now
on my screen.
(Teacher
and Mentor bring up MathWorlds on both Mac monitors, do initial
log-in sequence).
|
|
Narrator:
|
Shared representations are
important. Learners and teachers require a common ground of conversational
props as they seek to make sense of a problem situation. Highly
interactive, multi-turned conversations can support the construction
of new understandings with such mediating representations. This
networked version of MathWorlds allows students or teachers to share
mathematical functions.
It is also noteworthy that socializing is important to build trust
before entering a mentoring relationship; rich support for virtual
places provides diverse activities in which teachers and mentors
can get to know one another.
|
