Lord Christopher Monckton Speaking in St. Paul

Lord Christopher Monckton speaks on October 14th, 2009 at a climate skeptic event sponsored by the Minnesota Free Market Institute.

more about "Lord Christopher Monckton Speaking in…", posted with vodpod

Using Mathematica as a Whiteboard

This screencast shows users how to use Mathematica as a whiteboard.For more Mathematica screencasts and videos, please visit:http://www.wolfram.com/broa…

more about "Using Mathematica as a Whiteboard", posted with vodpod

Reframing Human History | Christianity Today

This link takes you to a book review written by Kate Kirkpatrick.

The book:

Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies (Yale University Press) –

by David Bentley Hart

Hart, a visiting professor of theology at Providence College, begins by looking at the New Atheist phenomenon, lambasting Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett et al. for their carelessness with and rhetorical manipulation of philosophy, theology, and history. But that is quickly left behind; in the book’s second half, we begin to see the Orthodox theologian’s real intent: to offer a counter-narrative of religion’s role in human history.

Reframing Human History | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

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President Obama’s Address to American Students

The President encourages students to overcome and work hard to succeed.

more about “President Obama’s Address to Amereica…“, posted with vodpod

Problem Solving LaTeX Template

Ok, so here is one more template in LaTeX which is useful for standard math and science problem solving homework.  I have just cleaned it up a little to make it a bit more generic and to highlight the problem solving strategy.  The next LaTeX blog will explore new territory — getting away from the “homework template” examples.  Of course, if someone makes a comment and has something specific they would like to see, I’ll do my novice best to post something to address the need.

HwkTemplate2 The code used to produce this .pdf file is found below.

% Physics Homework Template using MEMOIR class
\documentclass[openany]{memoir}

%preamble
\usepackage{calc}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{graphicx}

%define title and other basic document info
%the title should reflect the style and give a foretaste of the document
%work on making a stylized title page — or title on a page as in ARTICLE class
\title{\huge \textbf{Ch 1 Problems}}
\author{J Edward Ladenburger}
\date{25 Aug 09}                    % could use \today  , but I like this date format better
%\publisher{}                            %one day I’ll need this 
%\thanks{Special thanks to God for the ability to work}        %produces a footnote to the title

\definecolor{shadecolor}{gray}{0.9}
\definecolor{ared}{rgb}{.647,.129,.149}
\renewcommand\colorchapnum{\color{ared}}
\renewcommand\colorchaptitle{\color{ared}}
\chapterstyle{bringhurst}
%one of a number of chapter styles available…this one doesn’t use the ared color
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\begin{document}
%title
\thispagestyle{empty}
%\begin{minipage}{300pt}
\begin{center}{
\begin{shaded}
\hrule \vspace{30pt}
\hspace{10pt} \thetitle  \vspace{30pt}
\newline \theauthor \hspace{30pt} \thedate  \vspace{26pt}
\hrule
\end{shaded}
}
\end{center}
%\end{minipage}
\clearpage

%\frontmatter    %use if needed –page numbers as lower case roman numerals i, ii,…

%\mainmatter
%%other declarations
\pagestyle{Ruled}                    %one of a number of possible page styles
\midsloppy                             %to minimize overfull lines

%Layout the page
%%Try this manual golden ratio layout or…           default seems better for now
\settypeblocksize{*}{\lxvchars}{1.618}
\setulmargins{50pt}{*}{*}
\setlrmargins{*}{*}{1.618}
\setheaderspaces{*}{*}{1.618}
%\semiisopage[12]                       %try this predefined layout — others predefined ones are options in MEMOIR…
%this one looked best but did not work

\checkandfixthelayout          %make the layout happen and provide details in log during build

\chapter{Chapter 1 Problems}

\section*{Problem 3}
\subsection{Given}
Clearly describe the problem, writing down all information so you do not have to look at the text again. Draw sketches or tables to organize information when possible. Define variables.
\subsection{Find}
Clearly state the problem.  What are you to answer?
\subsection{Plan}
Describe your approach here… Collect relevant theorems and laws and formulas
\subsection{Calculations}
Perform the necessary calculations and show your reasoning.

\subsection{Solution}
\begin{minipage}{300pt}
\begin{center}{
\begin{shaded}
\hrule
\vspace{20pt}
A nicely written sentence solution goes here.
\vspace{16pt}
\hrule
\end{shaded}
}
\end{center}
\end{minipage}

\end{document}

Format for LaTeX Homework II

It has been really interesting to note that of all posts, the LaTeX post has gotten the most hits.  I consider myself a novice user, who loves the concept of “content focus”,  with lots of specific publishing and formatting options.  I offer a simple template for basic problem solving with this post.  A link to the  .pdf result (when compiled)  is provided here. PhysHwkTemplate2

% Physics Homework Template using MEMOIR class
\documentclass[openany]{memoir}

%preamble
\usepackage{calc}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{graphicx}

%define title and other basic document info
%the title should reflect the style and give a foretaste of the document
%work on making a stylized title page — or title on a page as in ARTICLE class
\title{\large \textbf{Physics Example From Knight — Friday Night Football}}
\author{J Edward Ladenburger}
\date{28 Aug 09}                    % could use \today  , but I like this date format better
%\publisher{}                            %one day I’ll need this 
%\thanks{Special thanks to God for the ability to work}        %produces a footnote to the title

%\definecolor{shadecolor}{gray}{0.9}
\definecolor{ared}{rgb}{.647,.129,.149}
\definecolor{shadecolor}{cmyk}{.3,.1,0,0}
\renewcommand\colorchapnum{\color{ared}}
\renewcommand\colorchaptitle{\color{ared}}
\chapterstyle{thatcher}
%one of a number of chapter styles available…this one {bringhurst} doesn’t use the ared color; bianchi, chappell, dash, lyhne, ntglike,pedersen thatcher,
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

\begin{document}
%title
\thispagestyle{empty}
%\begin{minipage}{300pt}
\begin{center}{
\begin{shaded}
\hrule \vspace{30pt}
\hspace{10pt} \thetitle  \vspace{30pt}
\newline \theauthor \hspace{30pt} \thedate  \vspace{26pt}
\hrule
\end{shaded}
}
\end{center}
%\end{minipage}
\clearpage

%\frontmatter    %use if needed –page numbers as lower case roman numerals i, ii,…

%\mainmatter
%%other declarations
\pagestyle{Ruled}                    %one of a number of possible page styles
\midsloppy                             %to minimize overfull lines

%Layout the page
%%Try this manual golden ratio layout or…
\settypeblocksize{*}{\lxvchars}{1.618}
\setulmargins{160pt}{*}{*}
\setlrmargins{*}{*}{1.618}
\setheaderspaces{*}{*}{1.618}
%\semiisopage[12]
%try this predefined layout — other predefined ones are options in MEMOIR…
%this one looked best but did not work

\checkandfixthelayout          %make the layout happen and provide details in log during build

\chapter{Motion With Constant Acceleration}
\section{Ex. 2.14 Friday Night Football}
\subsection{Given}
Fred catches the football while standing on the goal line and he immediately starts running forward with an acceleration of $ 6 \frac{ft}{s^2} $.  At the moment that Fred catches the ball, Tommy is 20 yards away and is heading directly toward Fred with a steady speed of $ 15 \frac{ft}{s}$. Neither player deviates from a straight-ahead path.

\subsection{Find}
Find where Tommy will tackle Fred.
\subsection{Plan}
Write equations of motion for Fred and Tommy, determine \textit{when} they will be at the same location and use this time to find \textit{where} the collision will occur.  I’ll use the same coordinate system for both Fred and Tommy with zero at the goal line and the positive direction coinciding with Fred’s direction. Since the acceleration and velocity are provided with length dimensions in feet, I convert Tommy’s initial position to feet.
\subsection{Calculations}
The equation for Fred’s position:
\[ x_F = \frac{1}{2} a_F t^2 + 0 \cdot t + 0\]
The equation for Tommy’s position:
\[ x_T = 0 \cdot t^2 + v_i t + 60\]
By setting these equal, we can solve for the time at which they will be at the same position.  \\\\
\begin{eqnarray*}
\frac{1}{2} 6 t^2 &=& -15 t + 60 \\
3 t^2 +15 t -60  &=& 0 \\
t^2 + 5t – 20    &=& 0 \\
t^2 + 5t + \left(\frac{5}{2}\right)^2 &=& 20 + \left(\frac{5}{2}\right)^2 \\
\left(t + \frac{5}{2}\right)^2 &=& \frac{105}{4} \\
t &=& \frac{-5 \pm \sqrt{105}}{2} \\
\end{eqnarray*}
Using only the positive time solution, we see that the collision occurs at
\[t =     \frac{-5 + \sqrt{105}}{2} \]
or approximately at $ t \approx 2.6 s $.\\

We can substitute this value into either Fred’s or Tommy’s position equation to find out where the collision [presumably a tackle] occurs.
\[ x_T = -15 (2.6) + 60 = 20.6479 \approx 21 feet\]
or, right about the 7 yard line.\\

\subsection{Solution}
\begin{minipage}{300pt}
\begin{center}{
\begin{shaded}
\hrule
\vspace{20pt}
Tommy tackles Fred at the seven (7) yard line.
\vspace{16pt}
\hrule
\end{shaded}
}
\end{center}
\end{minipage}

\end{document}

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SAVE THIS SECTION TO COPY AND PASTE –AS NEEDED FOR ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\section{}%<problem # goes here>}
\subsection{Given}

\subsection{Find}

\subsection{Plan}

\subsection{Calculations}
\[    \]        %<math stuff here — calculations>

\subsection{Solution}
\begin{minipage}{300pt}
\begin{center}{
\begin{shaded}
\hrule
\vspace{20pt}
%nicely written sentence solution goes here
\vspace{16pt}
\hrule
\end{shaded}
}
\end{center}
\end{minipage}
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Keeping Up With Students

One of the absolute joys of teaching, tutoring, and mentoring students is in following their successes after they have moved on. I spent some time working with Patrick McCammond, who needed a little boost with his mathematics. He has gone on to great success in the academy and has become a solid leader and an exemplary young man. I recently received the following picture of Patrick on the rocket team (SMAW) in Combat Town at Quantico– this is a guy with honor and integrity, with whom I would trust my life.

Semper fidelis!

Patrick

What Blaze was born to do!

My dog, Blaze, is an Austrailian Shephard who would love this job

Wood Binary Adding Machine

This is so cool. I love hands on math that this neat video of a wooden binary adding machine represents. My father made me a set of Napier “Bones” which I still cherish and I have used wooden tablets with stone counters for adding Roman Numerals and an abacus just for the tactile experience with mathematics.

Social Media Revolution

Important data/information/numbers for educators, evangelists, and marketers alike.
This YouTube video is geared toward using social media to reach people with the Gospel.

String Music

I so want a big ‘ole stand up acoustic double bass. Of course, being able to play it like Edgar would be a plus Check out this trio — Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Conner

MyStudents Need to Know

Wolfram|Alpha vs  Google ?

No –> complementary tools

Screenshot by HowStuffWorks.com
Wolfram|Alpha is a computational engine

Sometimes tech journalists will call a new service a Google killer even when it’s not a search engine. That’s the case with Wolfram|Alpha. It’s easy to confuse Wolfram|Alpha with a search engine. It has a field into which you type a query and it searches its database for answers. But that’s where the similarity ends.

Search engines provide users links to Web sites that presumably hold information the user wants. Wolfram|Alpha consults an enormous database to bring data directly to the user. You won’t receive a list of links when you execute a query on Wolfram|Alpha. Instead, you’ll be greeted with charts and graphs populated with data related to the keywords you entered.

This makes Wolfram|Alpha a very powerful research tool. Wolfram|Alpha employees vet all the information included in the database. They pull data from established and accepted resources. You can use Wolfram|Alpha to compare two subjects within the same category. Want to see if a Big Mac is healthier than a Whopper? Use Wolfram|Alpha to compare the nutritional information.

Because Wolfram|Alpha pulls back data rather than links, it’s not in direct competition with Google. You should use Wolfram|Alpha if you need to know information about a specific concept. You should use Google if you want to read the latest news on the subject, find a product review or just browse.

Decyfer Down

A good friend is seeking support for ministry.  Josh Oliver, who I have known since he was a little guy, singing and playing with his family at Open Door Baptist Church in Morehead City, NC, is currently the drummer for Decyfer Down, a great Christian band.  Decyfer Down has accepted this calling on their lives — to spread the gospel of Christ with music.  Their style is powerful and reaches out to many would might not ever step into a church building.  They are preparing for another tour and desparately wish to bring their wives and kids along on this mission trip.  Please read the following request from Josh and respond generously!

You can contact Josh directly —   Email:  josh@decyferdown.com  or leave a comment on this post and I’ll get back to you with additional details.

This is a new season for Decyfer Down as many incredible opportunities have
been given to us including a 53 city tour this fall from coast to coast.
We are writing you to ask if you would partner with us as we raise the
funds for new transportation.

In the past 10 years we have gone through 4 vans and over 800,000 miles of
driving, and as we approach this new chapter we have been given an amazing
opportunity to step into a Prevost Coach that has all the right amenities
and sleeping for 12 people.  Moving from a van to a bus is a huge step,
so we have been praying about it for the past 3 months with the
accountability partners in our lives. We have experienced numerous trials,
but also many amazing acts of God as we toured around the country sharing
the message He has given us.
God has provided us a class A CDL driver, full time mechanic and even a
parking place in just a short period of time for the bus.

We would love to take our wives and kids out on the road with us to
experience the lives touched with us.  As the ministry grows so does our
outreach
into many different communities, and the option to show up in these cities
fully rested would be an amazing feeling!

We also envision taking young men from the local community on the road for
short trips . We believe that mentoring and being an example for them
would really challenge them to live a faith filled life .

We have partnered with a bus ministry out of Nashville TN and we are
looking to raise funds to purchase the bus shown in the attachments listed
below.

We are trying to raise $75,000 dollars for the bus and $25,000 dollars for
a bus fund and trailer.

A tax deduction through our non-profit partner is available .

We also would like to offer anyone or church that is willing to donate
$6,000 dollars or more… a special offer of:
1)      Free private Decyfer Down concert
2)      Vip Tickets to Decyfer Down Affiliated events (tours or festivals)
3)      A day in the studio as we record album number 3
——————————

——————————————————————————
Please hear our heart and pray that God will continue to use us and expand
the ministry and the calling that he has in our lives.  We look forward in
sharing with you how many hearts and lives have been greatly changed as we
continue this journey.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers
on this opportunity ……

Decyfer Down - seeks support for this tour bus

Wordle Ideas

Wordle Ideas

View more presentations from JenniferW.

Pastor Mark Driscoll

One of AMiA’s newest consecrated Bishops, Doc Loomis shared this video on Facebook and I just wanted to pass it along.  Members of my family have fallen prey to the “prosperity” gospel at times and Mark’s perspective is important.  So much of what Joel proclaims is Truth; we are children of an amazing God, our hope and faith in His power and authority and grace is well founded, He desires to bless us [though not in the way we might "want" or think we "deserve"], …   And yet Joel is wrong to equate “victory” with health, wealth and joyful relationships.  In fact, as Mark clearly points out, this definition of “victory with Christ” would paint a picture of Christ  Himself as a failure.  One other thought:  Another extreme and false position is also possible.  One can accept sin and pain and poverty as one’s “lot in life” and stop striving to live fully in God’s will, to develop His giftings and serve His people, allowing others to see the Christ alive and working within them.  Are wealth and prosperity and good health sinful in and of themselves?  Of course not!  But when they become idols or goals which are elevated to higher importance than following Christ, they hinder our walk with Him.  When they become a measure of our “victory”, they blind us to the real victory of  knowing and sharing the love of Christ.     Watch the video — and share your thoughts.

Life After High School

As I get ready to send my son away to college, a wave of emotions floods over me.  I am excited for him and the opportunities he has for learning and growth.  I am slightly anxious concerning the parenting job I have done — have I really prepared him for this new independence?  We have talked together and I had him create a list of  stuff he still wants to know or do before heading off to school.  The list was eclectic and included a few things I can’t believe I have not shown him yet.  For example, changing a tire and a few other basic car maintenance tasks and maintianing financial records and a budget.   We have checked  much off the list and I will cover the following this weekend:   [ a bible study I glanced at from Christianity Today magazine provides the outline]

Overview

Are you or someone you know nearing the end of their high school career? If so, you know that there are many decisions right around the corner. Help them prepare with this Bible study course intended to focus on issues such as new friendships, spiritual growth, and a healthy lifestyle.

The following 7-session course will help you and your group discuss questions on how to prepare for life after high school such as:

• What’s exciting about life after high school? What makes you nervous?
• What would be the result of treating the Bible like a buffet from which you could pick and choose truths, versus accepting the whole as God’s Word?
• Whom do you look to as a model of belief? Have you ever met or known a Christian who gave Christianity a bad reputation?

Session One

Rediscovering God
How to experience God the way he intended it.

Session Two

New Friendships
Experience life with frienships that matter.

Session Three

Romantic Relationships
How to receive and give love the way God intended.

Session Four

Tell Your Story
How to recognize and share your story effectively.

Session Five

A Healthy Body
Unlike a human gadget, your body was designed by God!

Session Six

Calling and Purpose
Living a life that points upward and beyond you.

Session Seven

Rest and Relaxation
Embrace God’s command to enjoy the Sabbath through fellowship and himself.

Geek Time

I glanced at this while students were taking a physics exam and want to really understand it.  So far I have only scanned the slides — anyone out there have thoughts about implementation and application to “my personal data” — Wanting to share — but wondering who the users are and ..well just wondering right now.

Create your own

Customized Search Engines

Learning is ongoing for me and the pace seems to quicken daily, especially with regards to technology and coding.  I have just begun exploring customized search engines and wanted to share this reference video:

Maria – Online math course design

Maria is a talented math instructor who has got it together with regards to technology and “best practice”.  She is also willing to share her knowledge and work for those willing to listen.  I am one who has benefited from her work and am grateful.  Here is a presentation about online math course design:

[authorSTREAM id= 205652_633813593982923750 pl= player/player by= wyandersen]

Link to presentation here

Also check out Maria’s blog at  www.teachingcollegemath.com

One Person Orchestra

A stunning performance on an electric organ -or- How can one talented woman impersonate an entire orchestra?

Check out this TED talk to see what a virtuoso organist can do with latest technology.

Organ virtuoso Qi Zhang plays her electric rendering of “Ridiculous Fellows” from Prokofiev’s “The Love for Three Oranges” orchestral suite. This exhilarating performance from TEDx USC features the Yamaha Electone Stagea, a rare, imported instrument specially programmed by Qi herself.

Qi Zhang is a Master’s candidate at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, and an award-winning international organist.

My Dogs

There are many days when I come home, tired or perhaps stressed, and while my prayer life and Christian walk keep me generally rejoicing, it is frequently my sweet dogs, who never fail to greet me with wagging tails and an offer of a generous face licking, who keep my spirits high.  So here is a shout out to dog lovers and to my great dogs, Bruno, Silk and Blaze.

Bruno

Silk

Blaze

They all love to play and this time of year, I most enjoy getting outside with them, tossing a ball or Frisbee and smelling the Cape Jasmine in the back yard.

Cape Jasmine smells so good!

Maria considers Wolfram|Alpha

M. Anderson  .ppt presentation link

Decision Making

Well I have come to really admire the work of Dan Ariely and want to share another of his TED talks. Meta-cognition is a key component of my educational philosophy and a frequent subject of mini-lectures when addressing students who are struggling with grasping a topic or struggling in a particular discipline. So, when Dan Ariely talks about our irrational decision making, my interest in piqued. This talk has obvious implications for marketing and I am currently wondering how these ideas might apply to education and pedagogy.

Link to Dan’s Video

Note: the quick and easy method to posting TED video’s was not available for this one…or this silly blogger could not quickly find the right TED id # … anyway the link is active and worth the “click”…[22 May 09]

Note2: the quick and easy method was available…this silly blogger found the right TED id# [19 June 09]

TED Talk – Why Cheat?

Having recently discovered how easy it is to put TED talks into this blog, I am likely to include more of them. This talk is about reasons for cheating. Dan Ariely uncovers and unpacks cheating psychology related to Enron and Stockmarket cheats. From my perspective this provides more evidence for Christian Education — consider Dan’s comments about the tests he does using the Ten Commandments.

TED Talk – Decision Making and Expected Value

A talk by Harvard Psychologist, Dan Gilbert about how we make flawed decisions. Dan demonstrated, with a number of great examples, how we fail to follow Bernoulli’s equation for expected value.

Do Hard Things

do_hard_things_study_guide

Do Hard Things - The Rebelution

I have been using this text as the basis for our High School Sunday School Class at All Saint’s Anglican Church in Newport/Morehead City, NC. The ideas resonant with me and I have plans to offer a modified version to our adults. Beware the Myth of Adolescence!

do_hard_things_study_guide1

Genius board

Brave Pi-Enthusiasts who successfully completed the Pi-Day Challenge!

Genius board

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Pi Day Pie

Plan Ahead for Pi Day!

Happy Pi Day

For true enthusiats, celebrate irrationally on March 14th,   26 seconds after 1:59 [the pi second] !

Here are the first 314 digits …just  in case you wanted to memorize a few for recitation on Pi Day.

3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433

83279 50288 41971 69399 37510

58209 74944 59230 78164 06286

20899 86280 34825 34211 70679

82148 08651 32823 06647 09384

46095 50582 23172 53594 08128

48111 74502 84102 70193 85211

05559 64462 29489 54930 38196

44288 10975 66593 34461 28475

64823 37867 83165 27120 19091

45648 56692 34603 48610 45432

66482 13393 60726 02491 41273

72458 70066 063

Thinking – With Assumption Focus

I was reading an interesting post on one of my favorite blogs today.  Two-Pi relates a story about his son’s cub scout meeting.  The leader was talking about “what to do in case of an emergency” and one boy kept escalating the scenario to a more extreme situation; “yeah, but what if…?”.   Two-Pi muses  –

“Hey, he’s thinking like a mathematician!”  He knows the stock answer that is expected, and he’s asking what happens if we change the hypotheses, considering a related problem where the conclusion doesn’t  follow.   HE’S DOING MATH!

– read the full story here:   Thinking Mathematically- by 360

A corollary comes to mind — teaching introductory physics,  I find it useful to frequently remind students to focus on assumptions made when building various “models” .

For example — introductory kinematics equations are generally formed with an assumption of constant acceleration — Newton’s laws are introduced in the context of “point particles” and for velocities << c — torque is introduced on “rigid bodies”, etc.   By stressing the limitations of a particular model,  students often get curious enough to ask the “what if…?” questions.   Of course, it also helps prevent them from misusing/misapplying formulas in situations when these assumptions are violated.

One  common observation as I tutor HS Calculus students,  is that I often find they have not been taught or have not paid attention to the “conditions” which must be met for certain theorems to be valid.  When they are preparing for AP exams, they often flounder because they don’t know the “if” portion of a theorem.   Consider:

Rolle’s Theorem

If   f(x) is continuous over the closed interval  [a, b] ,

if  f(a) = f(b) = 0 ,  and

if  f ‘ (x) exists at least over the open interval  (a, b),

then

there is at least one value (x_1)  in the open interval (a, b) such that the derivative  @  x_1 = 0.

By stressing the importance of wrestling with the assumptions, students develop a deeper understanding of the theorem/concept/model and are trained to ask relevant “what if…?” questions.

So, my suggestion for Two-Pi, who presents the following challenge:

So the challenge, as we prep for our classes:  find a way to ask questions with obvious answers, that will get students motivated to say “yeah yeah, but what about THIS situation?”, and aim to “lead them” (pushing rope comes to mind) toward the actual course content we want to explore.

Try emphasizing the antecedent (or the  conditions which must be met,  the assumptions,  the premise, …) and I think you will find students more naturally asking deep and relevant “what if…?”  questions.

Somehow I am reminded of the framework for the Ten Commandments — “thou shalt not…” — this sets up the boundaries;  you are free to love and work and serve… just do it within these “boundaries” and all will be well.   Carver uses the concept in his Policy Governance model when recommends writing the executive limitations policies in the negative.  In other words, the executive director is free to work toward fulfilling the mission of the organization within certain prescribed limits, which are clearly written into policy statements.  All the other categories of policy are written in the affirmative, as positive statements.

And now a “shout out” to xkcd

What If...

Oh, How I Want to Carry a Positive Attitude!

I have had a difficult time of late.  Personally, some relationships are not where they should be.  I am troubled by the issues and news of the day and this has affected my desire to “blog”.   Generally, I always wish to convey a positive, solutions-oriented message.  The following article just broke my heart.  I was not a supporter of the Education Lottery in North Carolina, when it was debated and finally implemented.  The lottery has already suffered from corruption and scandal.  Now we see that the economic “crisis” is used as an excuse for newly elected Governor Beverly Perdue to redirect monies promised for education.  Shame!

Education lottery funds in jeopardy for local schools

Lenoir County Manager Mike Jarman fears proceeds could be reversed to help battle state’s deficit March 2, 2009 – 9:44 PM Chris Lavender Staff Writer

Lenoir County Schools’ portion of the North Carolina Education Lottery quarterly proceeds were recently reversed back to the state, a county official said Monday. The state’s current deficit crisis has forced officials to scramble for cash where they can find it, including local funds for public school capital construction. Lenoir County Manager Mike Jarman told the commissioners during a Monday meeting the state has diverted $300,000 from its school building capital fund to help decrease the state’s deficit. “The $300,000 is gone,” Jarman said. “(The state) doesn’t intend to pay it back.” Lenoir County Schools wasn’t alone in the recent reversion of lottery quarterly payouts. Jarman said the state decided not to distribute $43 million in lottery proceeds for school districts use this quarter. The state’s education lottery began on April 30, 2006 with instant scratch-off ticket sales at about 5,000 retail locations. While quarterly payouts will continue to be in jeopardy, Jarman said the state could decide March 22 to dip into every county’s education lottery savings account. The county manager said about $1.2 million is distributed from the state’s lottery to Lenoir County annually. Commissioner Chris Humphrey questioned Jarman if the state could legally request that lottery proceeds for Lenoir County be returned. “The people voted for the referendum (on the education lottery),” Humphrey said. “They didn’t expect the state to steal (the money) back.” According to Jarman, Gov. Bev Perdue has the discretion during times of economic crisis to use local funds however she sees fit to meet the state’s financial needs. Jarman said Lenoir County officials were willing to work with officials in Raleigh to try and reduce the deficit. “We want to be part of the solution,” Jarman said. But if the state decides to take more lottery proceeds away from Lenoir County’s account, Jarman said it will have a substantial impact on the county’s ability to pay its debt service for school construction. Jarman will travel to Raleigh on Thursday to meet with state officials to see what they plan to do. This year, the county will pay $5.9 million on the debt services for school construction, the county manager said. “We plan to give (the state) a couple of days to see where they go with this,” Jarman said. “It could have a serious impact.” Lenoir County Schools Superintendent Terry Cline said Monday afternoon he is concerned about the state’s seizure of lottery proceeds in February earmarked for school construction. “These funds are important to us,” Cline said. “They help us pay for the debt on the bond.”

Does it do any good to make comments like, “I told you so!”.   As for me — I get back to work — teaching young men and women about integrity and character and honor; about Christ and His love, and about math, physics and the proper use of God’s gifts.  The Rebelution and the stirrings of a Revolution swirl about me.   God help us!

Mirrors

I loved this post at Division By Zero and recommend it here for all my math and physics students. Dave Richeson answers the question: “Why do mirrors reverse right and left but not up and down?”

Mirror Image

Right Handed Coordinate System

Home Schooling — Mathematics

Now into my second “school” year teaching mathematics to a young man who is home-schooled, it seemed that I might be able to post some relevant perspective on the advantages and disadvantages of our particular educational situation.

Our Learning Space -- Comfortable, Well-Lit Desk -- With A View

The View

When I was first enlisted to work with Ian on Algebra I, he was already committed to using Saxon materials. I had familiarity with the Saxon method, which has a pedagogical bent toward skill building through continuous review and incremental concept building. Each lesson adds a “nugget” of new material, has a few practice problems, and then a homework set which consists of 30 problems. Perhaps 4-6 of the problems are on the new “nugget” and the rest are review problems. It is imperative for the instructor (in this case me ) to tie the concepts together during a brief time of direct instruction and to then work alongside the student as they practice solving problems. Feedback and homework corrections are vital to catching and eliminating conceptual errors or misunderstandings, because, misunderstandings can potentially be compounded until review problems are no longer just review, but a large and daunting set, full of menacing confusion. With this last point in mind, an important procedural change was made this school year. I now grade all the homework and provide Ian with a graph of the scores, updated weekly. This simple but important modification over last year, has markedly reduced the number of “bad” homework papers. This was one of the big issues from last year, fighting to maintain an acceptable level of quality and constancy with Ian’s work. One lesson, Ian might get 90% correct and the next it would be <50%. This should not happen with the Saxon method — and is not happening anywhere near as much now that Ian can see and is confronted with actual graphical data about his performance on homework.

In future posts, I’ll discuss the role of faith and religion, the relationship which has developed and my use of supplemental materials to bolster the geometry content in a Saxon Algebra I, Algebra II sequence.

Just thinking “out loud” here Peace!

LaTeX generates visits

Hello World!

It seems that this is the standard phrase used by folks who are testing html code or simple functionality of LaTeX packages, etc.   So, it seems appropriate to this short post.  I am finding the whole “blog” experience rather interesting.  It does help to keep me motivated and provides a review tool to check my level of focus or monitor my broad and wavering interests.  I have also been surprised to find that the greatest interest, based on traffic to this blog, has been about LaTeX.  With this in mind, I’ll post more about my LaTeX experience to test the real interest level out “there”.

A caveat — I consider myself to be a complete novice and still struggle — anyone who is really proficient will likely cringe at my coding    Since, I think it is a worthwhile effort and strangely satisfying…I’ll throw some examples and commentary out soon.

To all LaTeX novices — let’s have some fun.

TeX Lion

Christmas Flashback

So here is a Christmas flashback of the new and somewhat hastily put together band whose members all work at Duke Marine Lab.  The recent snow in Beaufort, NC reminded me that I had not posted anything about the music in my life. Fact is, I love music and have played bass for fun and occasional cash since junior high school.  Filling in for a band that “fell through”,  The Lab Five Band was formed, and had this great opportunity to celebrate the holiday’s with colleagues and friends from Duke Marine Lab.

Note:  In order to see the whole video, you will need to view this post in it’s own page by clicking on the title [Christmas Flashback -- in red at the top]

This year I am hoping to ramp up my time playing and enjoying music.  Look for posts about — Blind Hog, All Saint’s Praise Band, Crystal Coast Community Choir, The Southernairs, Tapestry and, of course, The Lab Five Band !

Snow in NC

For all my family and friends:  You know we get very little snow in Eastern North Carolina and when we do, it is a big deal.  Most “things” generally come to a stand still with just a weatherman’s mention of snow or ice;  school’s close, events are canceled, stores are stripped of milk and bread, etc.   Perhaps this is because we are not very well prepared in terms of snow removal equipment and large stockpiles of salt and dirt to spread on our roads, or perhaps it is because the rare snow fall blankets and transforms our normal view of the world.  I prefer to focus on the latter.  The neighborhood suddenly looks pure and clean and Holy.

Home Snow 21Jan09

It is worthwhile to pause occasionally just to appreciate the beauty which surrounds us.  This rare blanket of snow in Morehead City, provided an opportunity for my family to pause and enjoy the freshness, the brisk, refreshing air of this moment  — before we all got cold and ran inside to sit by the fire in the fireplace.

Morehead City Snow