Tuesday, January 4, 2011

A Tale of Two Numbers

I know that I am not really maintaining this blog, but for some reason I was reminded today of a digital story I had to make in a grad class, and I thought I would share it here. I hope you enjoy it.



My video on TeacherTube

Thursday, February 4, 2010

My Favorite Conic

** Disclaimer** This blog entry was created as a requirement for a course I took at Central Michigan University. I kinda liked it, and it definately relates to math, so I copied it to this blog. Feel free to play the role of the student and post your own responses!

We all have one (although some of us have so repressed our inner math geek that we are unaware). We all have a favorite conic section! We have selected our favorites for a variety of unique reasons, the sum of which is as unique as we are. Many senators have selected the ellipse, just as many with poor urinary tracks (link1, link2) have done. Baseball sluggers hate parabolas, but artillery generals live and die by them. The folks at Ticonderoga love hyperbolas, as did the Apollo 13 crew.

But what about you, what is your favorite conic??? Myself, I love a good circle any day, especially for desert! Pi anybody?

Return to class wiki.

Video Textbook

This site has a video textbook on the concept of dimensions. I really like the way they talk about connecting the vertices of an object to their shadows as a way to visualize the corresponding object in the next dimension. I think I might use this with my students in the future, especially when discussing higher dimensions.

http://www.dimensions-math.org/Dim_reg_E.htm

Sierpinski Doritos

This is a great video:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMYqzU1nZew

Monday, June 1, 2009

Who knew???

NEWS ARTICLE: School of the Future: Lessons in failure How Microsoft's and Philadelphia's innovative school became an example of what not to do

NEWS ARTICLE: Gates Foundation: Teachers trump class size


You mean that you can’t just throw a bunch of money at education and expect it to get better? You mean quality teachers actually matter? Maybe those crazy Republicans are onto something… Naaahhhh!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Gun Control to Major Tom...

A couple of quick posts re: gun control

First of all, realize that in general I am against gun control, though I do support the idea that guns should be sold with accompanying safety devices (although it is the owner’s option whether or not to use the devices).

Second of all, I am very interested in following the story related to a recent law passed in Montana. It seems that they are using the 2nd, 9th, and 10th amendment to effectively repeal federal gun control laws in their state. The 9th amendment allows the federal government to regulate intrastate commerce, so anything the crosses stateliness can be federally controlled. However, if the courts determine the inverse to be constitutional (which maybe the case as per the 10th amendment), then anything that does not cross state lines cannot be federally controlled. (There are some really interesting things going on here if you are a fan of logic, and the validity of conditional arguments). So, Montana has said that any gun made, sold, and owned within the state boundaries is not subject to federal gun control laws.

This has interesting and obvious implications. It will be neat to see the outcomes associated with this. The most interesting aspects are associated with the legal implications. What other federal laws could be “repealed” under States’ Rights and the 10th amendment? The fireworks should be fun to watch. As a fan of the Constitutional Party, I love the possibilities!!!

On another note, it seems Utah and Texas are considering similar laws, and for you who are worried about your children being able to use their guns, here is a nice puzzle for them.

fail owned pwned pictures
see more pwn and owned pictures

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Now We Know

Well, the time has come...
I am officially done with the class for which I created this blog, and here I am, posting anyway! Some had asked me if I would continue when the class was over, and now we know. In fact, I have made a decision. It seems that there are those amongst us who make a living as professional bloggers. This is an interesting concept to me - get paid for spouting off, but I guess syndicated columnists have been doing that for years. Anyway, I now have a new career objective, to become a professional blogger. I never quite made it as a pro football player, and I'm not a professional wrestler either, but pro blogger, I think that I can do.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Same-sex Education

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been busy trying to finish up some things for one of my other classes. Currently I am writing my capstone paper on same-sex education. It has really been a good experience. I think it will help me be a better educator, and a better parent.

In my district, we wont be adopting any same-sex classes - it's too expensive. I would like adopt some, at least at some grade levels, and for certain subjects, but it isn't really an option right now. However, I can use some of the things I learned to help me ensure I am reaching students where they are, and with the things they need.

I also think this information will help me with my kids. I think it will help with the father/child relationships, I think it gives be more realistic expectations for their behavior and learning, and I think that it will help me to advocate on their behalf.

I would recommend that every parent and teacher look into the way biology and society have shaped their children in unique ways based on their gender. Michael Gurian and the Gurian Institute are good places to start.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

YOU WIN!!!

What a great way to write off the expense of a car on your business' taxes!

xkcd - You Win!!!