The following video was sent on by a coworker. There are two reasons I'm sharing it here:
First: The creation of a Rube Goldberg Machine of that magnitude and complexity, not to mention precise timing is simply too amazing not to share. RGM's show how stored energy can be released, and then converted from one form to another.
Second: The message of the lyrics I think is a great one to share with students in general. "Let it go for this too shall pass." So often we get so wrapped up in trivial stress that we lose sight of the big picture and the importance of knowing when to stop, breathe, and allow life to go on.
So enough preaching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w
Also worth seeing is the "official" video featuring the Notre Dame Marching Band:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKythlXAIY
Sorry to send you to YouTube but embedding is disabled for these videos.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
{Geo B} Quiz and Quiz and Tests, Oh My!
Wednesday this week there was a pop-quiz. Your student may need a hug. Regardless Quiz redoes are available for students and should be turned in no later than Tuesday next week.
Monday next week (Tuesday for 7th hour) is another quiz. They know this one is coming. It's been announced. It's posted here. It will cover 7-1, 7-2, 7-3 and 7-5. The only thing that won't appear on the quiz is the collection of problems related to how Perimeter and Area are related to scale factor. It will appear on the test.
Wednesday next week is the Chapter 7 BA. The preview will be posted in Skyward this weekend for those that want to look over the specific objectives that will be on that test.
Have a great weekend!
Monday next week (Tuesday for 7th hour) is another quiz. They know this one is coming. It's been announced. It's posted here. It will cover 7-1, 7-2, 7-3 and 7-5. The only thing that won't appear on the quiz is the collection of problems related to how Perimeter and Area are related to scale factor. It will appear on the test.
Wednesday next week is the Chapter 7 BA. The preview will be posted in Skyward this weekend for those that want to look over the specific objectives that will be on that test.
Have a great weekend!
Monday, February 22, 2010
{Geo B} {Geo Essentials} Snow Day Extra Credit
On this surprise (for me) snowday here's a little challenge.
Imagine that the snow never stops falling. Either by using your own estimation, or a weather report, find the rate of snow fall at the worst part of today. When you turn in your work, either cite your source or explain your logic.
Then imagine that you are going to take refuge on your roof from the ever rising tide of snow (remember it never stops falling). How long will you have before the snow is so deep all around you that even when reaching your hand straight up, it doesn't reach out of the snow. Assume, to keep the math easy, that the snow gathering on your roof slides down to match the snow building on the ground around your house so that when it does finally stop there aren't little mounds at each house, just a big open expanse of snow.
Otherwise enjoy the extra day of vacation!
Imagine that the snow never stops falling. Either by using your own estimation, or a weather report, find the rate of snow fall at the worst part of today. When you turn in your work, either cite your source or explain your logic.
Then imagine that you are going to take refuge on your roof from the ever rising tide of snow (remember it never stops falling). How long will you have before the snow is so deep all around you that even when reaching your hand straight up, it doesn't reach out of the snow. Assume, to keep the math easy, that the snow gathering on your roof slides down to match the snow building on the ground around your house so that when it does finally stop there aren't little mounds at each house, just a big open expanse of snow.
Otherwise enjoy the extra day of vacation!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
BA Grades - How they are figured
So you've checked Skyward and you see a total of 8 grades listed in skyward for the chapter 6 test. One says "Raw Score" and other 7 have various codes and descriptors. Attached is a file that lists the objectives and shows example problems of each.
But what does it all mean?
Let's take Jenny. She is a student who just took the test. Mastery Manger, the software that grades the test tells me that she got 20 out of 25 questions correct. That gives her a raw score of 80% or a B-. That goes into the system as her Raw Score, or the first grade.
It also tells me that she "mastered" 5 out of the 7 objectives. So in Skyward, each of those objectives will recieve a 1 or a 2 to show if she has been tested or if she has mastered it. So her grades on the objectives might look like this: A E A A A A A E, 5 A's and 2 E's.
This averages out to 71 % or a C.
Because of how the grades are weighted in Skyward, the Objective Grade and the Raw Grade are averaged together equally. Jenny's achievement on this test would be, overall, a 75% or a solid C. Not bad but not as good as she hoped.
For the math minded:
The weights on the test are 4.45 for the Raw score (which is actually out of 22 points) and 7.14 for each specific objective (out of 2 points).
So for the raw score, 22 * 4.45 puts it at 99.88 points.
For each objective, 2 * 7.14 = 14.28 each * 7 objectives = 99.96 points.
That makes the test a total of 200 points, equally split between raw and objectives.
What if we aren't happy?
Students can retest to show mastery of those missed objectives by providing evidence of improvement (generally additional practice) and then retaking the exam. Missed objectives can be made up this way but the raw score does not change.
Why aren't other teachers doing this?
I am personally piloting this system of reporting this year to see if this specific level of feedback is useful or meaningful to students and parents.
But what does it all mean?
Let's take Jenny. She is a student who just took the test. Mastery Manger, the software that grades the test tells me that she got 20 out of 25 questions correct. That gives her a raw score of 80% or a B-. That goes into the system as her Raw Score, or the first grade.
It also tells me that she "mastered" 5 out of the 7 objectives. So in Skyward, each of those objectives will recieve a 1 or a 2 to show if she has been tested or if she has mastered it. So her grades on the objectives might look like this: A E A A A A A E, 5 A's and 2 E's.
This averages out to 71 % or a C.
Because of how the grades are weighted in Skyward, the Objective Grade and the Raw Grade are averaged together equally. Jenny's achievement on this test would be, overall, a 75% or a solid C. Not bad but not as good as she hoped.
For the math minded:
The weights on the test are 4.45 for the Raw score (which is actually out of 22 points) and 7.14 for each specific objective (out of 2 points).
So for the raw score, 22 * 4.45 puts it at 99.88 points.
For each objective, 2 * 7.14 = 14.28 each * 7 objectives = 99.96 points.
That makes the test a total of 200 points, equally split between raw and objectives.
What if we aren't happy?
Students can retest to show mastery of those missed objectives by providing evidence of improvement (generally additional practice) and then retaking the exam. Missed objectives can be made up this way but the raw score does not change.
Why aren't other teachers doing this?
I am personally piloting this system of reporting this year to see if this specific level of feedback is useful or meaningful to students and parents.
{Geo B} / {Geo Ess} Extra Credit
In honor of our snow day today here is a chance to not miss out on this opportunity to flex the mathematical brain:
Objective: How many snow men worth of snow is in your yard?
Assumption:
A typical snowman is made up of 3 spheres. The radii of the spheres are 4, 2, and 1 foot respectively.
Question 1: How many cubic feet of snow make up a typical snowman?
Question 2: How deep is the snow in your yard?
To answer this, take at least 4 measurements and average them.
Question 3: What is the area of your yard?
To answer this, include how you measured the dimensions.
Question 4: What is the volume of the snow in your yard?
Question 5: How many snowmen is that?
Have fun playing in the snow folks!
Objective: How many snow men worth of snow is in your yard?
Assumption:
A typical snowman is made up of 3 spheres. The radii of the spheres are 4, 2, and 1 foot respectively.
Question 1: How many cubic feet of snow make up a typical snowman?
Question 2: How deep is the snow in your yard?
To answer this, take at least 4 measurements and average them.
Question 3: What is the area of your yard?
To answer this, include how you measured the dimensions.
Question 4: What is the volume of the snow in your yard?
Question 5: How many snowmen is that?
Have fun playing in the snow folks!
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