You Are Creating Your Future Today

I received this email today and wanted to share it with you. Every day in class is a chance for you to achieve your greatest dreams later on; be it able to get that big sale or coming up with an idea that changes the world.

Take this day and every day in school as an opportunity to make your biggest dreams come true in your future.

Congratulations to Luis and Chad, who came up with this science and math lesson, involving potential and kinetic energy, and estimation, distance, collecting and graphing data.

Teachers' work far from waste; it's priceless
BY EMMA KREINER

Recently, a friend of mine commented that teaching was "a waste of a life." His argument consisted entirely of the idea that we spend so much time in the educational system, so jumping back into it after college seemed "anticlimactic."
Instead of going out and making major discoveries in math and science, or becoming a diplomat to change the world, I decide to teach kids.

If teaching really is a waste of a life, I would like to know how people expect to get to where they want to go without teachers.

Most of the work teachers do should be labeled "involuntary volunteering." The work teachers accomplish in the classroom is priceless, but they rarely get the money and recognition they deserve.

I would be a completely different person today if it hadn't been for my teachers. They were the inspiration to think for myself, and that's huge.

Every student faces challenges during their school years, and teachers are the ones who support us through that time.

I thought about what we consider to be valuable resources. The most valuable resource, the most productive resource, is people. People are at the start of every new idea, and at the end of every sale. People are the beginning, middle and end of everything.

I choose to educate people for my living. I can't think of anything that would be more important than helping to raise a child that will be the start of a new idea.

Teachers are the confidence, the encouragement and the nourishment behind so many dreams.
If the Tree of Knowledge really does exist, then teachers are the fruit.

Emma Kreiner is a student in the University of Cincinnati's College of Education.

Fraction Help

We've talked in class about what a fraction "looks like".

I found a great website that shows this.

Click the link, Webmath.com - Get a visual on what a fraction is

Fighting for Fun

Taneicea, I will never give up on you. You can doubt yourself in angle-tangle all you want, but I never will

Whose class are you in?

Are you allowed to fail?

No one ever has,
and no one ever will...........

.....especially not you





Little Miggs, you doubt yourself in science, not taking notes that could help you go from the bottom of the barrell, to the top of the apple tree.

"Whose class are you in in, where giving up isn't allowed? Who doesn't see you as a failure, and refuses to let you fail? Who will keep believing in and pushing you, until you do the same for yourself?"

So here, borrow my strength and belief I have for you, borrow it as long as you need to, until you have the same confidence in yourself as I do in you.

The only form of failure history has ever known, is when you quit, give up, and stop trying.....I don't think I'll be lettin' any of you lads and lassies be doin' that anytime soon (and I'm saying this in my Shrek voice).

And if you don't have the strength at the moment, you may borrow mine. I may be just an ugly ogre, but my strength is fine. Together we'll see you're highest self this year.

The fight for your highest self must go on! Only then can the real fun begin.

Looking good Drew, looking good.

(Why the bandanna the past two days?....Why not?...Actually I've overslept Thursday and went to school forgetting it was on my head. Today I got a creme pie in my face on the morning news to promote a fund raiser and my hair is all sticky.)

MATH in NATURE

Are you able to find the line of symmetry in this picture? Math is in nature. Go outside - Be a kid! Take a walk with your family or friends and find as many examples of math in nature as you can.

It's dark outside? Search the internet for pictures like the one I came across while writing a poem on nature. Here are some ideas:

arrays, lines of symmetry, shapes, angles

Hilarious Student Bloopers

These are actual student mistakes, unintentional ones, collected by Richard Lederer, a high school English teacher. These make me laugh, and then I remember this is the future of our country, and start to cry :-) (Just kidding. When things are wrong....DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THEM RIGHT.)

Don't sit around and complain, anyone can do that. But, can you go about fixing the problem with a sense of humor? That not only makes the problem more likely to be solved, but much, much more enjoyable. I have had enough near-death experiences to appreciate the opportunity to wake up and say, "I'm still here? Cool!"

This great appreciation for life today has helped me to care less about what people think of me, and more about how I can help people think more of themselves, while I am here. My greatest concern being my children and my students. It's a pretty cool way to live.

The History of The World (from 8th grade through the college level)

Ancient Egypt was inhabited by mummies, and they all wrote in hydraulics. They lived in the Sarah Dessert and traveled by Camelot. The climate of the Sarah is such that the inhabitants have to live elsewhere, so certain areas of the dessert are cultivated by irritation.

The pyramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain. The Egyptians built the pyramids in the shape of a huge triangular cube.

The Bible is full of interesting caricatures. In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. One of their children, Cain, asked, "Am I my brother's son?"

God asked Abraham to sacrifice Issac on Mount Montezuma. Jacob, son of Issac, stole his brother's birthmark. Jacob was a patriarch who brought up his 12 sons to be patriarchs, but they did not take to it. One of Jacob's sons, Joseph, gave refuse to the Israelites.

Pharaoh forced the Hebrew slaves to make bread without straw. Moses led them to the red Sea, where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients. Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments. He died before he ever reached Canada.

....Well, back to working on my thesis, which is on education. I'll post more when I take another break. Till then, keep laughing, or crying. The US emerged as the world's greatest power just a short 60 years ago after World War II. China is predicted to take our place in as little as 30 years. India might surprise us all and beat them to it (greater democracy and faster growth to compensate for China's greater numbers).

Half our economy comes from the math, science, and engineering fields. After kicking out and keeping out many foreigners contributing to this part of our GDP after 911, it seems as if the real terrorism of that event is just beginning.

And with fewer and fewer American students entering the math and science fields because they don't "get it" and therefore don't find it interesting, it's as if we're throwing away this incredible freedom we've gained via economic prosperity and burying our heads in the sand in ignorance.

Hence, another example of where I just don't see ignorance as being bliss. What you, I and especially our children don't know, harms us all. "A's" in school don't mean a thing if that knowledge cannot be broken down and used to solve open-ended problems.

The world is full of problems, and we need heroes to solve them. The longer I teach the more important I see my job. When someone now asks me what I do for a living, with a Bruce Willis-like smile on my face I say, "I wake up grateful that I'm alive, get on my motorcycle, and go make heroes."

"The gods favor the bold." - Ovid

Make a hero today. Go believe in someone.

- Adam Stuart

Mark's Score

If Mark scored a 62 out of a possible 60 points on today's test, is his percentage score:

a) 102%
b) more than 100%
c) less than 100%

Explain why you chose the answer you did. Remember, this is math. Math involves quantitative, or measurable data. This means you can "measure" your thinking, or "explanation", by testing it. Test your explanation to know if you are right.

Learn to evaluate your own work. Learn to run your own life.

Mad Monkey Locker Mess - Hint

Well, no one's right so far.



But one of you is on the right track.




So before we move on to the next monkey math adventure,

let's return to this once more.

HINT: Look for a developing pattern


I know, not much of a clue, because it makes your hair stand on end when I don't TELL YOU WHAT to do (except learn to think for yourself and ask yourself THE RIGHT questions).

Becoming Independent Learners

I know it was only a day, but being back with you guys feels great. I really enjoy teaching you. I like that you can't help giving me a hug first thing, Kenny, even before I can finish saying good morning to Sofia.

My trip to Illinois was one of tremendous learning and growth for me. So to come back and discover all the learning you have done in my absence lets me know you are truly becoming independent learners.

A few shining examples of students DOING MORE than just what I had the sub ask you to do in class yesterday: (from the MATH QUIZ on Friday)




Summer - you created a terrific PowerPoint on the questions you missed. You recognize you are a visual learner and create more elaborate presentations than I do.


I have much to learn from you, Graphics Master, and need to figure out how to get these on the blog.

Mahrukh - you used the internet to find websites that showed you different ways to learn how to do the problems you didn't understand.

You are our webmaster, correctly using the web to surf for learning resources.

You are now.............Spider Girl!


Ryan & Briana - you both used the FCAT Explorer to find similar questions to the ones you missed. This is excellent! I see you as Great Thinkers.



Serena - you used a word document to quiz yourself on the ones you missed. This is exactly what I do to help me learn what I don't know. I had great success becoming fluent in Spanish this way, and now am applying it to Italian. We both go with what works for us.

*Remarkably, you got an "A" on the quiz but still chose to learn the little that you didn't know. You are truly unstoppable by making these kinds of "growth" choices. I can't tell you how excited I am to watch your future unfold for you, because YOU are conciously choosing what you want and taking action to make it happen.



Belle - although you got a poor grade on the quiz I wanted to take the time to discuss your real ability to "do" math. Many times being able to "do" math is confused with being able to memorize algorithms, or ways to answer problems correctly without really understanding the problem at all.



This is dangerous "learning" since in the real world you won't be given a set of ways to memorize to solve the problems you'll encounter. Those that thrive are those that can solve problems that others can't. To do this you have to UNDERSTAND the problem fully.





YOU CAN DO THIS! You were the first one to solve a college level math problem, meaning your brain operates very well at higher levels. This also means you CAN learn the simpler 5th grade problems, and I expect you to!!!!!!


I was proud to see how hard all of you worked today. MALCOLM you were definitely MIGHTY in your determination to solve the problems that challenged you. We worked hard together and fused our minds in coming up with the right answers!

Remember to try to think in terms of place value versus "columns" and you'll understand the problems better.



The classroom really became a learning playground today. It was so enjoyable. I'm going to miss you all next year (sniff, sniff, no.....I'm not crying......someone must be cutting up onions... =:-)

Click here to see all the pictures from today.

Another Monkey Clue for You

If trial and error isn't working, try using an algebraic formula.

This is the one I gave to the first sailor
(n/3 = x + 1) - x

The Monkey and The Coconuts - Hint

1. After the first sailor divided the entire pile of coconuts, took his share and hid it, how many coconuts were in the pile when the second sailor woke up?

2. Does the monkey even like coconuts?

Describe, Design, Do, Determine

DREAM BIG

1. Describe the problem you'd like to solve or objective you'd like to achieve

2. Design an experiment or project to explore the mystery you'd like to solve or idea you want to test
DO BIG!
3. Do it!

a. Have as much fun as you can responsibly handle.

b. ****As you search for answers, be OK with frustration and struggle. It means new learning is near. New learning means new growth. New growth means a new you (your creativity, caused by your frustration, will bring answers). Creativity creates.....you.

c. *If you are not more at the end of the day than you were when you walked in, we both have done a terrible diservice to you; disrespecting who you are, and not honoring everything you are to be!

4. Determine the amount of learning that has taken place. How? Always go back and start with what you know. In this case it's your objective or the intriguing problem you wanted answers to.

Reflect on what you've learned. Evaluate the outcome(s) of your experiment or project. Don't forget about any new or unexpected learning that might have taken place. Some great inventions were made by accident and "failure" (i.e. post-it notes).

BE BIG!
Respect who you are by turning in a paper reflecting your best effort.

Honor who you are to be by listening to new questions that come to mind and pursuing those on your own.