WahonoTarbiyah-FAI UMM

Calculate in your head.

648 X 12

648X 12 7776

Calculate with paper and pencil.

586 x 21

546 X 21

546 X 21

586 x 21

12306

What is the answer?

833x 17

a) 14110 b) 14161c) 16161 d) 16660

833 x

17

14161b.

Calculate with the calculator.

792x 14

792 x 14

11088

• What are “tools”

• Physical tools• Cognitive tools• What does it

mean to “know”• Where do you

stand?

What Are “Tools”What Are “Tools”• Webster defines as

– something used in performing an operation or necessary in the practice of a vocation or profession

– ex: a carpenter’s hammer, level, saw, etc. are his tools

– ex: a scholar’s books are his tools

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• Examples– hammer– lever– crutches– steam engine– gasoline engine

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• Amplify man’s physical capabilities

• Allow tasks to be completed– faster– more uniformly– in SOME cases

better

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• Allow man to do some physical tasks that were nearly, if not totally, impossible in earlier times

• Transform how man produces & moves goods & services

• Brought on the Industrial Revolution

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• New powerful physical tools– make some

earlier physical tools obsolete

– provide another alternative to complete physical tasks

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• Horse drawn carriages– all but

disappeared– replaced by

automobiles, trucks, trains, & planes

• Hammer– still used– power nailers

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• Each has its place• Each has its appropriate use• Automobiles, trucks, trains, &

planes– don’t necessarily transport people &

goods better– do provide faster delivery– allow transportation over greater

distances

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• When used appropriately and mindfully*– newer modes of transportation

provide better delivery

* actively engaged, consciously, cognizant, aware, thoughtful as opposed to automatic, habitual, instinctive, routine, carelessly

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• Power nailer– doesn’t necessarily

make the product of a carpenter better

– allows carpenter to be more efficient

• When used appropriately and mindfully– offers ability to produce

a better product

Physical ToolsPhysical Tools

• Historical perspective– auto viewed as substitute for

horse-drawn carriages– actually became an agent of

change• revolutionized cityscapes• altered culture• spawned new industries• etc.

Cognitive Tools

• Examples– book– paper– slide rule– calculator– computer

Cognitive Tools

• Amplify man’s mental capabilities

• Allow cognitive tasks to be completed– faster– more efficiently– in SOME cases better

Cognitive Tools

• Take on some low level tasks– Bloom’s taxonomy

• knowledge, recall

– calculator does rote arithmetic calculations

– spell checker proofs writing for ‘errors’

Cognitive Tools

• Support thinking and learning• Contain knowledge• Allow man to do higher level

mental tasks that were nearly, if not totally, impossible in earlier times

• Newer cognitive tools primarily computer driven

Cognitive Tools

• Transform how man– collects– stores– retrieves– communicate

s– analyzes– synthesizes

• .... information

New Cognitive Tools

• Brought on the Information Revolution

• Make some earlier cognitive tools obsolete

• Provide another alternative to complete cognitive tasks

Cognitive Tools

• Slide rules– all but

disappeared– replaced by

electronic calculators

• Pen & paper– still used– word processing

Cognitive Tools

• Each has its place• Each has its appropriate use• More powerful electronic

calculator– doesn't necessarily produce better

results to a mathematical problem– allows student to be more efficient– easier to operate than slide rule

Cognitive Tools

• When used appropriately and mindfully– calculator offers ability to produce

a different result, a mathematical task that would be nearly impossible without the support of the cognitive tool

Cognitive Tools• More powerful word

processing– doesn’t necessarily

produce better writing

– allows writer to easily edit

– provides numerous options to writer

– printouts provide readable hardcopy

A+

Great work.

A+

Great work.

Cognitive Tools

• When used appropriately and mindfully– word processor provides the

opportunity to produce a better product• correct spelling• better grammar• higher quality of

communication

Cognitive Tools

• Historical perspective– oral tradition replaced by writing

• ... This discovery of yours will create forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it...You offer your students the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom. They will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing...they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing...”

Plato, in Phaedrus

Cognitive Tools

• When printing emerged– “...The world has got along

perfectly well for six thousand years with out printing, and has no need to change now.” Filippo di Strata

– Printed books will never be the equivalent of handwritten codices...The simple reason is that copying by hand involves more diligence and industry.” Johannes Trithemius, In Praise of Scribes

Cognitive Tools

• Development of – language– writing– printing press

leading to widespread access to books

– computer technologies

Cognitive Tools

• Each major development of cognitive tools has had, and will continue to have, deep impacts on our culture, transforming what it means to “know”

• Knowledge is housed in the cognitive tools

Eye Glasses

Physical or cognitive tool?

Cognitive Tools

• A crutch?– Are eye glasses a

crutch?– What’s wrong with a

crutch?• if you have a broken

leg, a crutch is necessary

Spelling1. cat2. bird3. dog4. pig

Spelling1. cat2. bird3. dog4. pig

• If we say “Ben is a good speller.” what does that tell us about Ben and what he “knows”?– good at memorization– understands rules of

spelling– writes using correct

spelling– passes the spelling test

What Does It Mean to “Know”

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• Where does Ika’s spelling knowledge reside?– in his head?– in cognitive tools?

• dictionary• paper• spell checker

program

– in all?

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• How do cognitive tools change a mental task like spelling?– just in head

•test orally•must be memorized

– paper & pencil •changes task & what one needs

to “know”•visual feedback

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• Multiple choice spelling test– recognition vs generation– spelling knowledge can be different

• Writing– use dictionary or other written

materials– ask another person (a cognitive tool?)– use a spell checker

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• Knowledge resides in all• User needs different skills &

knowledge when using various cognitive tools

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• School work– most cognitive tools

are allowed for “learning” • use of dictionary

when writing• use of books for data• use of human

partners • use of spell checker• use of paper, pencils,

etc

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• School work– most cognitive

tools are NOT allowed to test knowledge (“learning”)• only paper &

pencil• why?

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• Non-school work– all tools allowed to complete job– never take tools away from

worker• Would you teach a carpenter to

pound nails with a hammer and then expect him (now that he has learned how to do it) take away the hammer and expect him to do his job?

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• Would you teach an accountant how to use a spreadsheet to amortize a mortgage, and then expect him (now that he has learned how to do it) take away the spreadsheet and expect him to do his job?

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• Knowledge workers– use cognitive tools

• Change is occurring– qualifying exam for S3.– only paper & pencil– not how “real”

academics work– take home exam

• allows for use of cognitive tools

• reflection, revision, editing, feedback

What Does It Mean to “Know”

• Implications for schools– authentic tasks utilizing cognitive

tools• open book, notes testing

– calculators & computers • teach students how to use mindfully

– collaborative groups

Cognitive Tools• Business, industry, &

government – embraced & adopted

new cognitive tools• support work of employees

– demanding candidates for new positions

• to come with skills & knowledge to take advantage of these cognitive tools

Summary

• Amount of knowledge– continues to grow– much they will need to know is

not currently ‘known’– no longer expect students to

learn it all– teach them how to use

knowledge residing in cognitive tools (information technologies)

Summary

• Newer cognitive tools will transform our culture in ways we can’t yet imagine.– as automobiles spawned new ways of

living and working

• Currently still essentially using as replacements for older technologies– ex: word processing for typewriting

Summary

• If we must ‘test’ students knowledge, let it be a test of their knowledge and skills in utilizing cognitive tools to– collect– store– retrieve– communicate– analyze &– synthesize

• .... information

Where Do You Stand?

• Should students be allowed to utilize cognitive tools for all tasks in school, including test situations?

• Let the debate begin!

Credits

• All clipart courtesy of MS Office• Jinkerson, L.A. (1994). Computer Spell

Checkers and Collaborative Peers: Intellectual Partners, published dissertation. University Microfilms, International: Ann Arbor