Sunday, July 8, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
NOVA - Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Nova makes some awesome shows.
Here is a great one from last week or so about fractals:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fractals/program.html
You can make your own fractals as well!
Make your own: http://www.fractaldomains.com/download.html (There are others as well, just Google it.)
Here is a great one from last week or so about fractals:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fractals/program.html
You can make your own fractals as well!
Make your own: http://www.fractaldomains.com/download.html (There are others as well, just Google it.)
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wobbly Table Math
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-turning&ref=sciam
It's a problem as old as civilization: the wobbly table. You may have thought your only recourse against this scourge is a hastily folded cocktail napkin stuffed under the offending leg. If so, take heart, because mathematicians have recently proved a more elegant solution. Just rotate the table.
It's a problem as old as civilization: the wobbly table. You may have thought your only recourse against this scourge is a hastily folded cocktail napkin stuffed under the offending leg. If so, take heart, because mathematicians have recently proved a more elegant solution. Just rotate the table.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Why is time divided the way it is?
Scientific American: Why is a minute divided into 60 seconds, an hour into 60 minutes, yet there are only 24 hours in a day?
I've always been fascinated by timekeeping and calendars. I hope you will find this article interesting!
I've always been fascinated by timekeeping and calendars. I hope you will find this article interesting!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Focus!
Scientific American: Beyond IQ: Youngsters Who Can Focus on the Task at Hand Do Better in Math
Attention span and reasoning may get higher marks than intelligence, especially in math
I have often noted, as a high school math teacher, a direct relationship between a student's ability to focus and persevere through a lesson and/or problem and what they ended up learning, retaining, and what grades they earn. Attention span and follow-through seem to be real issues affecting students' learning, and not just for those with diagnosed ADD or ADHD. One of the key factors to attain this is that people who have a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset, can perform and focus better. A growth mindset is one that is focused on personal improvement. A fixed mindset views math ability (or other abilities) as genetic or innate or left or to fate, and thus students think their math performance is 'out of their hands'.
Attention span and reasoning may get higher marks than intelligence, especially in math
I have often noted, as a high school math teacher, a direct relationship between a student's ability to focus and persevere through a lesson and/or problem and what they ended up learning, retaining, and what grades they earn. Attention span and follow-through seem to be real issues affecting students' learning, and not just for those with diagnosed ADD or ADHD. One of the key factors to attain this is that people who have a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset, can perform and focus better. A growth mindset is one that is focused on personal improvement. A fixed mindset views math ability (or other abilities) as genetic or innate or left or to fate, and thus students think their math performance is 'out of their hands'.
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