Monday, May 26, 2008

Monday, May 5, 2008

Regina Brasil MATH 5300 smileeeeeeee

I am brand new to this... so.. don't throw tomatoes at me yet!!
I am very excited about participating in blogs, facebook, etc..
because I often feel singled out if I don't quite understand the lingo and
things that others are using in regards to technology related issues.
By the way, I am from Brazil and I am loving this warm weather!!
Cheers!

Assignment 1

a) Computers are great but they still have a long way to go! Today's computers are a great source of information and entertainment. The Internet has allowed for a huge amount of interaction between users and with social networks such as Facebook, we have noticed an increase in on-line relationships.
Perhaps we would like computers to handle complex tasks independently that require it to decide when, how and why to act. It might be asking too much.. but just as humans develop machines that copy characteristics of animals.. i.e. planes and birds... most are wishing that a computer can be a close copy of human beings.
Though there has been many technological advancements, I am not confident that this will happen in the next 20 years.

b) Copying from the Internet is not cheating.

I personally find that the Internet is a great tool for students to master concepts and learn in a more interactive, friendlier manner. The Internet allows for visual students to see graphs, movies, 3-D images and much more.

I find that books are often hard to read and not so appealing to students. As a teacher, is our job to prepare students for real life. Therefore, encouraging the use of the Internet will be a valuable tool for students throughout their lives. I would suggest teachers to become more creative in terms of producing assignments but I also understand that this can be very time consuming and that it might be even more time consuming grading these assignments because each one is unique. However, there must be some sorte of compromise between teachers and students so that the course can run smoothly.