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Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

synthesis.com

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Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#51

Post by throwaway675309 »

ClintFix wrote: post #35
da39a3ee wrote: post #32

This is madness. I'm trying the demo and it is completely incomprehensible to me. This would have been incredibly frustrating to me as a child -- I would want them to stop speaking in metaphors and tell me what the fuck they were trying to teach me. Since then I have acquired a scientific PhD and taught myself undergrad computer science and math, and I do not understand this lesson.

Weird because my 8yo understood it and loved it

Forgive me for being naturally suspicious but I would prefer a breathless testimonial from somebody who wasn't affiliated with the project.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#52

Post by symic »

musicale wrote: post #41
symic wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A computer can’t display more digits than the number of particles in the observable universe. This is a finite number. As such it is correct to say that computers struggle if the number of digits is too large. While for practical uses modern computers don’t struggle with finite integers one normally encounters they do struggle with precision in certain circumstances. For 3rd graders I think it’s OK to introduce them…

> A computer can’t display more digits than the number of particles in the observable universe. This is a finite number. As such it is correct to say that computers struggle if the number of digits is too large There are two sources of error here: 1. Your interpretation is essentially "computers struggle to complete tasks that are impossible for them to complete" - a meaningless tautology. At best it is "nothing scal…

I think you don’t tech professionally.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#53

Post by symic »

musicale wrote: post #50
symic wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obviously I know this. As stated, in 3rd grade parlance it’s appropriate to say “they struggle”. Have you ever heard someone say, “I need a new computer; mine’s dying.”? This level of pedantic nitpicking is not appropriate for 3rd graders. I’ve heard professional programmers say that their computer struggles with compiling certain programs they are working on. Colloquialisms can be useful and they are ubiquitous.

It would be more accurate to say that calculating with very large integers or integer fractions with millions of digits can be slow on current computers - but it's still far beyond what humans can typically do without assistance. Million-digit numbers are absurdly large in terms of physical quantities, but can easily arise when one is enumerating possibilities, such as the number of ways that one could give out rando…

I think you missed that my comment was about explaining something to third graders or don’t understand what it means to explain something to people in that age group.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#54

Post by musicale »

symic wrote: post #52
musicale wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A computer can’t display more digits than the number of particles in the observable universe. This is a finite number. As such it is correct to say that computers struggle if the number of digits is too large There are two sources of error here: 1. Your interpretation is essentially "computers struggle to complete tasks that are impossible for them to complete" - a meaningless tautology. At best it is "nothing scal…

I think you don’t tech professionally.

> I think you don’t tech professionally.

I don't know whether you mean "teach" or "tech" here, but this seems to be an ad hominem argument.

Regardless, I would submit that clarity and correctness matter both in teaching and in tech.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#55

Post by ClintFix »

throwaway675309 wrote: post #51
ClintFix wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Weird because my 8yo understood it and loved it

Forgive me for being naturally suspicious but I would prefer a breathless testimonial from somebody who wasn't affiliated with the project.

That's fair and I don't blame you for being suspicious of my testimonial. I built the widget that's used in the demo. My son didn't play with it until the entire demo lesson was complete. He liked the lesson and learned binary from it -- something we hadn't taught him elsewhere. He asked to do it again on another day. He then went on and did two of our other unreleased lessons on his own and enjoyed them. As a parent and as someone who helped build this, I was excited.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#56

Post by jimmar »

I entered incorrect values many times in the demo and it just proceeded with the pre-programmed lesson. The lesson seems quite linear, with no substantial opportunity to return to reteach principles that are greatly misunderstood.

A real tutor would actively assess the points of misunderstanding and develop new strategies for helping the learner understand. This tutor mostly seems interested in moving the learner to the next step of the lesson.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#57

Post by symic »

musicale wrote: post #54
symic wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you don’t tech professionally.

> I think you don’t tech professionally. I don't know whether you mean "teach" or "tech" here, but this seems to be an ad hominem argument. Regardless, I would submit that clarity and correctness matter both in teaching and in tech.

It’s not an ad hominem. It’s a polite way to suggest that you don’t know what you are talking about when it comes to teaching concepts to kids. I think it’s worth your while to wonder why it is so obvious that you are not a teacher. What experience and insights regarding age appropriate explanations are you missing that make it so obvious that you don’t teach?

Correctness, of the sort you are implying are absolutely not appropriate at all levels. There’s a reason kids in second grade are told that you can’t subtract a larger number from a smaller one, for instance.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#58

Post by musicale »

symic wrote: post #57
musicale wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think you don’t tech professionally. I don't know whether you mean "teach" or "tech" here, but this seems to be an ad hominem argument. Regardless, I would submit that clarity and correctness matter both in teaching and in tech.

It’s not an ad hominem. It’s a polite way to suggest that you don’t know what you are talking about when it comes to teaching concepts to kids. I think it’s worth your while to wonder why it is so obvious that you are not a teacher. What experience and insights regarding age appropriate explanations are you missing that make it so obvious that you don’t teach? Correctness, of the sort you are implying are absolutely…

1. None of what you are saying removes the ad hominem aspect.

2. In grades 1-2 (iirc) we applied negative numbers when we talked about the number line (which we had on the wall.) Even preschoolers knew about negative temperatures on the thermometer.

3. See PP's original comment.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#59

Post by aoki »

2snakes wrote: post #36
poorbutdebtfree wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$50/month is pretty steep for what looks like a Khan clone.

It is accredited though. College credit?

They don't grant degrees or diplomas. As such it is presumably accredited as a Supplementary Education Program and (like JHU CTY, Stanford ULO, and AoPS) do not grant credit. Such programs can be the basis of credits if your "real" high school accepts them, though.

Re: Synthesis Tutor – Math tutor for children

#60

Post by musicale »

symic wrote: post #53
musicale wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be more accurate to say that calculating with very large integers or integer fractions with millions of digits can be slow on current computers - but it's still far beyond what humans can typically do without assistance. Million-digit numbers are absurdly large in terms of physical quantities, but can easily arise when one is enumerating possibilities, such as the number of ways that one could give out rando…

I think you missed that my comment was about explaining something to third graders or don’t understand what it means to explain something to people in that age group.

Even as a third grader I appreciated clarity and accuracy (as did my classmates.)
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