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Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

garlikov.com

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Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#11

Post by Homunculiheaded »

alxp wrote: post #6

One day after a visit to the Computer History Museum, my SO and I got to see the live demo of the analytical engine they have there. We watched the gears turning and stopping to add up numbers, saw the complex mechanisms to handle carrying digits, and she asked me how this would work if it was binary and I just said "much more simply". Then she admitted that, even though she has been working as a developer and manage…

I had a very similar experience teaching my wife. The thing I've found fascinating is that counting in binary only initially seems hard to people because, in most cases, people really don't know how counting to 10 (10 decimal that is) actually works. I actually remember having a similar feeling when I first took discrete math, I suddenly realized how little I understood of things that I had previously considered basic.

Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#12

Post by kalmi10 »

whozman wrote: post #7

Captivating. Understanding something by answering questions on your own (even if guided) always feels more like true understanding. But what happens when we come to a point that requires mental leap beyond what a student can do? Is there a set of problems, or a set of students that are more suitable for Socratic method (3rd graders seem to do just fine at it)? Or is there a set of teachers that are more adept to teac…

If it requires a mental leap, then you are doing/teaching it wrong. Every large leap is just a bunch of small leaps.

Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#13

Post by kenjackson »

kalmi10 wrote: post #12
whozman wrote: post #7

Captivating. Understanding something by answering questions on your own (even if guided) always feels more like true understanding. But what happens when we come to a point that requires mental leap beyond what a student can do? Is there a set of problems, or a set of students that are more suitable for Socratic method (3rd graders seem to do just fine at it)? Or is there a set of teachers that are more adept to teac…

If it requires a mental leap, then you are doing/teaching it wrong. Every large leap is just a bunch of small leaps.

Absolutely.

The hard part about teaching is recognizing when you've introduced a large leap for a good percentage of the class.

There's a famous math story that goes:

"A professor was at the chalkboard writing up a proof for his class. At one point he comes to a portion of the proof and says, 'And it's obvious this must be X'. At which point he pauses, the class waiting. Stares at the board for a minute. Then leaves the class without saying a word. He returns fifteen minutes later, continuing, 'Yes, it's obvious this must be X'."

Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#14

Post by drblast »

This is wonderful.

My wife homeschools, and the math curriculum she uses uses a very similar method from the beginning.

My daughter knows "12" as "One-ten two" and "33" as "three-ten three" and says it that way. She also knows those mean twelve and thirty-three, but for the purposes of the math program she uses the place terminology.

We can only hope that it will give her a better understanding of what's going on than pure memorization, and the jury's out until she's older, but it's a fascinating way to teach.

I sometimes wish we were all born with eight or sixteen fingers, but that's just the CS/EE bias in me talking.

Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#16

Post by Chocobean »

drblast wrote: post #14

This is wonderful. My wife homeschools, and the math curriculum she uses uses a very similar method from the beginning. My daughter knows "12" as "One-ten two" and "33" as "three-ten three" and says it that way. She also knows those mean twelve and thirty-three, but for the purposes of the math program she uses the place terminology. We can only hope that it will give her a better understanding of what's going on tha…

I'm very very interested in considering homeschooling. How did the article's method differ with your child, since the "class size" is reduced to one? Your child won't have the benefit of being "filled in", but maybe she feels that she owns 100% of the achievement?

By the way, "one-ten-two" and "three-ten-thee" is literally how the Chinese would pronounce their numbers (一十二，三十三）. In a way I think it's helped me understand place values earlier.

Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#17

Post by Chocobean »

elviejo wrote: post #8

I love to learn using the Socratic method. One of my favorite books is: "The Little Schemer" which is great and twists my mind in ways that I didn't think where possible. Anyway do you know of other books, on any topic, that use the socratic method?

Plato's Republic?

Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#18

Post by Chocobean »

whozman wrote: post #7

Captivating. Understanding something by answering questions on your own (even if guided) always feels more like true understanding. But what happens when we come to a point that requires mental leap beyond what a student can do? Is there a set of problems, or a set of students that are more suitable for Socratic method (3rd graders seem to do just fine at it)? Or is there a set of teachers that are more adept to teac…

What is...not understanding the limitations of the Socratic method, clearly outlined at the bottom of the link?

Everything that we know can be broken down into "basic" atoms which cannot be broken down further, but are so tiny the can be learned quickly, or things built up bit by bit, which can be explained given enough time. Even things like "capital cities and states" can be taught by asking how things get named and who names them and who would name something the way they did, giving a bit of historical background etc.

Re: Teaching binary to 3rd Graders using the Socratic method

#19

Post by Chocobean »

measure2xcut1x wrote: post #9

I learned how to count in binary using my fingers as digits probably about third grade. The pinkie is the 1. At that age, I thought it was pretty cool that I could count to 31 on one hand, and it stuck with me to this day. I'm sure I'll teach my son the same.

=) then you can tell people you are this many years old this year, up until you're 31.
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