I posted this on my Facebook page on July 29.
Caught on the horns of a dilemma...literally. "The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak". It's time for church: my spirit wants to go but my flesh would much rather stay home with my dogs and cats. What to do?
Kum & Go!!!!! Kum&Go gets me to church because I bribe my body with a 52 oz Coke Zero with 3 splashes of vanilla, and a blueberry muffin. Ole sinner body knows it will get its reward if it just cooperates. "I'm On My Way Up To Canaan Land", by way of Kum&Go.
I am so glad I was born for such a time as this!!!!!!!!! — in Rogers.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Smackdown! Chick-fil-a vs. Starbucks
Don't you hate it when kids don't get along?
I don't share the anti-gay-marriage views of the president of Chick-fil-a, but I love the food, so I will not participate in a boycott of said restaurants. Hint: I also believe in freedom of speech.
Similarly, I am very fond of Starbucks coffee; I will definitely not boycott them, even though some evangelical Christians want to drive them out of business for giving financial support to pro-gay-marriage organizations. Again, I think I heard somewhere that the constitution protects the right of freedom of speech, and the Supreme Court just affirmed the right of corporations to give financial support to causes and politicians as their exercise of free speech.
Where does that leave me? I guess I won't boycott anyone, and I think that's the best practice for everyone.
To quote the late Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"
Perhaps I'll take a photo of myself with bags from Chick-fil-a and Starbucks.
I don't share the anti-gay-marriage views of the president of Chick-fil-a, but I love the food, so I will not participate in a boycott of said restaurants. Hint: I also believe in freedom of speech.
Similarly, I am very fond of Starbucks coffee; I will definitely not boycott them, even though some evangelical Christians want to drive them out of business for giving financial support to pro-gay-marriage organizations. Again, I think I heard somewhere that the constitution protects the right of freedom of speech, and the Supreme Court just affirmed the right of corporations to give financial support to causes and politicians as their exercise of free speech.
Where does that leave me? I guess I won't boycott anyone, and I think that's the best practice for everyone.
To quote the late Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"
Perhaps I'll take a photo of myself with bags from Chick-fil-a and Starbucks.
Who and What Made You the Way You Are?
Sunday, I posted the following status on my Facebook page.
Who made you the way you are? Who contributed to your successes? In the article, "The Credit Illusion" in the New York Times, David Brooks looks at how our time of life effects how we might answer the credit question. This commentary is not about financial credit, but about life credit. As always, Brooks gets his point across using wit, wisdom, and impeccable writing style.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/opinion/brooks-the-credit-illusion.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share
Who made you the way you are? Who contributed to your successes? In the article, "The Credit Illusion" in the New York Times, David Brooks looks at how our time of life effects how we might answer the credit question. This commentary is not about financial credit, but about life credit. As always, Brooks gets his point across using wit, wisdom, and impeccable writing style.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/opinion/brooks-the-credit-illusion.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share
Saturday, June 16, 2012
New video: How to find the cube root of a number using TI-83
How to use the TI-83 to find the cube root of a number
This is a little flash video I made for a student today. I was using a super little, FREE program called Jing. It is a little clunky and the videos won't upload to Youtube (because they are flash), so I may have to switch to a program like the new Snagit which is $50.00.
Does anyone have any better ideas?
Barb
This is a little flash video I made for a student today. I was using a super little, FREE program called Jing. It is a little clunky and the videos won't upload to Youtube (because they are flash), so I may have to switch to a program like the new Snagit which is $50.00.
Does anyone have any better ideas?
Barb
Saturday, February 25, 2012
How to Handle Student Excuses
I just replied to a ProfHacker post. I liked what I said so much, I decided to publish it here.
I teach at a community college, so very few of my students travel to Europe or say they can buy me. On the other hand, I do have students email me the first day of classes and say they will not be able to attend for the first several weeks because of __________________ .
I feel great annoyance at communications like that. However, I calmly tell the students that everything we will be doing - I teach math - all the topics we will cover and all the work they will be responsible for are on the syllabus and on the Internet. I tell them to make sure to take their laptops with them, and I will see them whenever.
Secretly, I know these students will probably flunk or withdraw, and I just let the bad feelings go. After all, there is nothing I can do to control anyone, especially people who are (technically) adults. We do not have a Math SWAT Team to send after errant students. They will flunk or withdraw and hopefully learn something from the experience.
At least, I pray, let them register with another math prof next semester.
Unfortunately, in these times of stressed budgets, the entitled students (who do incredibly stupid things) will only add to our attrition rate, thus giving the state legislature that much more ammunition to use against us.
I teach at a community college, so very few of my students travel to Europe or say they can buy me. On the other hand, I do have students email me the first day of classes and say they will not be able to attend for the first several weeks because of __________________ .
I feel great annoyance at communications like that. However, I calmly tell the students that everything we will be doing - I teach math - all the topics we will cover and all the work they will be responsible for are on the syllabus and on the Internet. I tell them to make sure to take their laptops with them, and I will see them whenever.
Secretly, I know these students will probably flunk or withdraw, and I just let the bad feelings go. After all, there is nothing I can do to control anyone, especially people who are (technically) adults. We do not have a Math SWAT Team to send after errant students. They will flunk or withdraw and hopefully learn something from the experience.
At least, I pray, let them register with another math prof next semester.
Unfortunately, in these times of stressed budgets, the entitled students (who do incredibly stupid things) will only add to our attrition rate, thus giving the state legislature that much more ammunition to use against us.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The Theory That Motivates My Practice
Theory and My Practice
Like most math teachers, my educational philosophy motivating my life's work is classical liberalism, which means I believe that people who graduate from 4-year colleges should have studied a smattering of mathematics, science, history, literature, languages, and writing; these subjects form the basis of the traditional definition of what it means to be an educated human being. A more cynical soul might suggest that classical liberalism is the only philosophy that justifies my continued existence as a purveyor of a system of knowledge that descends directly from the ancient Greeks.
Community colleges are hybrids; they contain characteristics of universities and of technical colleges. My students are as likely to be seeking a 2-year Associates Degree, a 1-year Professional Certificate, or transfer to a university. My students may be recent high school graduates, recent GED program graduates, or people who have been out of the educational mainstream for 20 years. None of my students know or care about classical education and have only the vaguest awareness that mathematics is an ancient art; their concerns are finding employment while balancing student, single parent and work responsibilities. Increasingly, my students are unemployed and attending college to learn a new career. They are all stressed by life and terrified of mathematics.
My job as a developmental mathematics instructor is to follow Lindeman's maxim that the purpose of adult education is to change “individuals in continuous adjustment to changing social function.” (Merriam & Brockett, 1997, p. 37). While I would love to cure classrooms full of people of their mathematics phobias and ignorance, 15 years of attempting to teach mathematics have taught me that my victories occur only one person at a time; I therefore subscribe to Beatty's individualist educational philosophy: As the number of educated individuals increases, society will improve (Beatty & Ilsley, 1992). Brookfield would consider me hopelessly naive...or, perhaps, just stupid.
From experience, I am a cognitivist. I know and see constantly that the only students who survive my classes are the ones who enter with their schemata prepared to be rearranged and augmented, that is, they are ready for insights (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). I see all the time, unfortunately, how students fail who have remained in Piaget's concrete stage and have not progressed to the abstract. The abilities to imagine, visualize and perceive patterns are essential to success even in developmental mathematics.
Social cognitive theory states that people learn in social contexts by observing others (Merriam et al., 2007); in other words, modeling is an effective and efficient teaching tool. For that reason, I spend a good deal of time at the whiteboard not just working problems but sharing my thinking process as I write. I also encourage students who have mastered categories of mathematics problems to share their expertise with their fellow students; peer tutoring can be very powerful and non-threatening (usually).
Teaching tools I frequently use are group work and project based learning; these allow me to use constructivist/Vygotskian theory and learning styles. As students work together to solve problems – homework or community service – less skilled group members learn from the more experienced, and students have the opportunity to use their favored learning style: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile. Learning projects should double or even triple my retention rate; but they do not. So many personal factors prevent students from attending school or group meetings that group work and projects are useless for a sizable minority.
Brookfield says that theories help people make sense of the world (2005). Merriam and Brockett (1997) say exactly the same thing. For me, in my teaching, all philosophies and theories are provisional. I use what works best for me in my classes. I am always on the hunt for new methods that might prove more effective. One day, I hope to discover a magic best practice that will transform mathematics education.
References
Beatty, P. T., & Ilsley, P. J. (1992). Part One: Should the Starting Point of Adult and Continuing Education Be to Change the Individual or Society?. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 54, 15–34.
Brookfield, S. (2005). The power of critical theory for adult learning and teaching. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Merriam, S., & Brockett, R. (1997). The profession and practice of adult education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in adulthood : a comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Like most math teachers, my educational philosophy motivating my life's work is classical liberalism, which means I believe that people who graduate from 4-year colleges should have studied a smattering of mathematics, science, history, literature, languages, and writing; these subjects form the basis of the traditional definition of what it means to be an educated human being. A more cynical soul might suggest that classical liberalism is the only philosophy that justifies my continued existence as a purveyor of a system of knowledge that descends directly from the ancient Greeks.
Community colleges are hybrids; they contain characteristics of universities and of technical colleges. My students are as likely to be seeking a 2-year Associates Degree, a 1-year Professional Certificate, or transfer to a university. My students may be recent high school graduates, recent GED program graduates, or people who have been out of the educational mainstream for 20 years. None of my students know or care about classical education and have only the vaguest awareness that mathematics is an ancient art; their concerns are finding employment while balancing student, single parent and work responsibilities. Increasingly, my students are unemployed and attending college to learn a new career. They are all stressed by life and terrified of mathematics.
My job as a developmental mathematics instructor is to follow Lindeman's maxim that the purpose of adult education is to change “individuals in continuous adjustment to changing social function.” (Merriam & Brockett, 1997, p. 37). While I would love to cure classrooms full of people of their mathematics phobias and ignorance, 15 years of attempting to teach mathematics have taught me that my victories occur only one person at a time; I therefore subscribe to Beatty's individualist educational philosophy: As the number of educated individuals increases, society will improve (Beatty & Ilsley, 1992). Brookfield would consider me hopelessly naive...or, perhaps, just stupid.
From experience, I am a cognitivist. I know and see constantly that the only students who survive my classes are the ones who enter with their schemata prepared to be rearranged and augmented, that is, they are ready for insights (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). I see all the time, unfortunately, how students fail who have remained in Piaget's concrete stage and have not progressed to the abstract. The abilities to imagine, visualize and perceive patterns are essential to success even in developmental mathematics.
Social cognitive theory states that people learn in social contexts by observing others (Merriam et al., 2007); in other words, modeling is an effective and efficient teaching tool. For that reason, I spend a good deal of time at the whiteboard not just working problems but sharing my thinking process as I write. I also encourage students who have mastered categories of mathematics problems to share their expertise with their fellow students; peer tutoring can be very powerful and non-threatening (usually).
Teaching tools I frequently use are group work and project based learning; these allow me to use constructivist/Vygotskian theory and learning styles. As students work together to solve problems – homework or community service – less skilled group members learn from the more experienced, and students have the opportunity to use their favored learning style: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile. Learning projects should double or even triple my retention rate; but they do not. So many personal factors prevent students from attending school or group meetings that group work and projects are useless for a sizable minority.
Brookfield says that theories help people make sense of the world (2005). Merriam and Brockett (1997) say exactly the same thing. For me, in my teaching, all philosophies and theories are provisional. I use what works best for me in my classes. I am always on the hunt for new methods that might prove more effective. One day, I hope to discover a magic best practice that will transform mathematics education.
References
Beatty, P. T., & Ilsley, P. J. (1992). Part One: Should the Starting Point of Adult and Continuing Education Be to Change the Individual or Society?. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 54, 15–34.
Brookfield, S. (2005). The power of critical theory for adult learning and teaching. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Merriam, S., & Brockett, R. (1997). The profession and practice of adult education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in adulthood : a comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
