The Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project
Proceedings
of the International Conference
The
Humanistic Renaissance in Mathematics Education
Editor
Alan Rogerson
Hotel Città
del Mare, Terrasini, Palermo, Italy
September
20-252002
CASIO&
AUTOGRAPH
All
Rights Reserved.
No
part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the copyright holder.
Wishes
to thank the following for their support:
Facoltà
di Scienze della Formazione dell'Università di Palermo
Dipartimento
di Matematica dell'Università di Palermo
G.R.I.M.
(Gruppo di Ricerca Insegnamento Matematica)
Dipartimento
di Matematica dell'Università di Pavia
L'Università degli Studi di Palermo
Provincia
Regionale di Palermo
IRRSAE-
Sicilia
Regione
Siciliana
The
Hong Kong Institute of Education
The
Virtual School for the Gifted
The
Third World Forum
SNM
(Poland)
Design
Science
CDNALMA
Greygum
Epsilon
International
Program Committee
ChairmanDr.
Alan Rogerson, International Coordinator of the Mathematics in Society Project (Poland).
Prof Khaled Abuloum, University of
Jordan (Jordan).
Professor
Roberto Baldino, UNESP (Brazil).
Dr. Andy Begg , Senior Lecturer in
Mathematics Education, University of Waikato (New Zealand).
Dr. Donna F. Berlin, Mathematics,
Science, and Technology Education, The Ohio State University (USA)
Prof. Dr. Werner Blum, University of
Kassel (Germany).
Professor Ubiratan D'Ambrosio,
Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, State University of Campinas/UNICAMP, (Brazil).
Professor Bruno D'Amore, University
of Bolgna (Italy).
Prof Dr William Ebeid, Emeritus
Professor, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University (Egypt).
Prof. Omar Hassan El Sheikh,
University of Jordan (Jordan).
Professor Paul Ernest, Professor of
the Philosophy of Mathematics Education, University of Exeter (UK).
Prof. Dr. Gabriele Kaiser, Hamburg
University (Germany).
Dr. Madeleine J.Long, Program
Director, American Association for the Advancement of Science (USA).
Prof Dr Fayez Mina, Dept. of
Curriculum & Instruction, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University (Egypt).
Prof Nicolina
Malara, University of Modena (Italy)
Prof Dr M. Ali M. Nassar, Director of
Planning Center, Institute of National Planning (Egypt).
Professor Lionel Pereira Mendoza,
Associate Professor, Division of Mathematics, National Institute of Education
(Singapore).
Professor Angela
Pesci, University of Pavia (Italy)
Prof. Medhat Rahim, Lakehead
University, Faculty of Education (Canada).
Professor
Filippo Spagnolo, University of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
Professor Dr.
Alicia Villar Icasuriaga, Instituto deProfesores"Artigas" (IPA), Montevideo,
(Uruguay)
Dr. Arthur L. White, Mathematics,
Science, and Technology Education, The Ohio State University ( USA)
Professor. Wacek Zawadowski, Warsaw
University (Poland).
Local
Organizing Committee
ChairmanDr. Filippo Spagnolo,
University of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.
Prof.ssa Rosa
Maria Sperandeo, Direttore della S.I.S.S.I.S. (Scuola Interuniversitaria Siciliana per la
Specializzazione e l'Insegnamento Secondario)
Prof.ssa
Patrizia Lendinara, Preside della Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione Università di
Palermo
Prof. Aurelio
Rigoli, Presidente del Consiglio di Corso di Laurea in Scienze della Formazione Primaria
Università di Palermo
Prof. Pasquale
Vetro, Direttore del Dipartimento di Matematica e Applicazioni dell'Università di
Palermo.
Prof. Pietro
Nastasi, Dipartimento di Matematica Università di Palermo
Prof. Aldo
Brigaglia, Dipartimento di Matematica Università di Palermo
Prof.ssa Grazia
Indovina, Dipartimento di Matematica Università di Palermo
Prof.ssa Teresa
Marino, Dipartimento di Matematica Università di Palermo
Prof.ssa Maria
Vittoria Di Leonardo, Dipartimento di Matematica Università di Palermo
Prof. Umberto
Bottazzini, Dipartimento di Matematica Università di Palermo.
Alan
Rogerson
Chaiman
of the Programme Committee
Introduction 21 September 2002
Welcome, Good morning and thanks to all participants of the fourth meeting of our international group “21st Century for Mathematics Education” (with symbol MEC21).
I’m very pleased to meet in
Palermo the olds friends of Cairo (1999), Amman (2000) and Cairns (2001) (Australia).
I hope that your permanence in “Città del Mare” and Palermo will be very comfortable and agreeable.
The organisation of the conference program guaranties a variety of approaches following different schools of thoughts, different cultures, and different cognitive styles, in perfect accord with constitutive international group MEC21. The Mathematics Education will be able to assure a Renaissance if we will link, in other words throw a bridge, with other sciences: art, linguistic, anthropology, philosophy, neuroscience, sociology and … mathematics, history of mathematics, logic, fundamentals of mathematics, application of mathematics, experimental sciences, etc… In this way we will be able among other things to exchange methods and contents.
The understanding of phenomena of learning/teaching is complex, it needs many tools. The semiotic approach to mathematics and to mathematics education is one possibility.
For this purpose it is very important to have suggestions by teachers and by researchers in mathematics education. An example is the “Super Course”, which will be shown today in the plenary session by Alan Rogerson & Fayez Mina.
Palermo has a tradition in research in Mathematics and in Mathematics Education:
- The “Circolo Matematico di Palermo” (1884) and
the review “Rendiconti del Circolo Matematico di Palermo” with contributions of
Poincaré, etc.,
- The review “Il Pitagora” (1895-1919) (Liceo “Umberto”, Palermo) with contributions of pupils and teachers from all schools of Italy.
All these activity are well connected with researches in Mathematics Education in Italy.
For example we cite:
- the teachers association “Mathesis” (1895),
- the relevant contributions of Enriques (1871-1946),
- The “Enciclopedia delle Matematiche
Elementari” (1929-1949).
It is custom in all meetings to
have a presentation with formal many thanks. In this occasion they are not formal because
the collaboration in organisation of meeting has been constructive and efficient by many
people.
Many thanks to the President of Sicily Region on. Salvatore Cuffaro.
Many thanks to the President of Province Regional of Palermo on. Francesco Musotto.
Many thanks to the Prof.ssa Patrizia Lendinara Dean of “Science of Education Faculty” and in this occasion delegate by the Rector of Palermo University. I should like remember the important role of Science of Education Faculty in organise this meeting.
Many thanks to the Dean of course of degree in “Scienze della Formazione Primaria” (formation of future teacher in elementary and maternal school), prof. Aurelio Rigoli.
Many thanks to the Dean of SISSIS (post degree master for future teachers in middle and secondary school of Sicily) and Vice-President of GIREP (International Group of Physics Education)Prof.ssa Rosa Maria Sperandeo.
Many thanks to the Head of Mathematics DepartmentProf. Pasquale Vetro.
Many thanks to PhD students in Mathematics Education, to graduate students of “Primary Education Science”, to people which just have the degree in “Primary Education Science”.
Many thanks to components of GRIM (Research Group on Learning/Teaching of Mathematics), to components of Palermo’s teacher association AICM, to components of the Local Organizing Committee.
Many thanks to Publischer Center ofScience of Education Faculty.
And finally, many tanks to Alan Rogerson & Fayez Mina, the heart of international group !!!
Filippo Spagnolo
Local Chaiman of the Programme Committee
Article of Regional Journal of Sicily "Giornale di Sicilia"
Presented
Papers
Can Technology Save Classroom Mathematics
Douglas Butler
(Plenary Lecture)1
Mathematics Teachers and Students: How can we improve
the human side of their relationship?