USB Apps

Here's a new use for your USB that really makes sense - applications that run off the USB, without cluttering your hard drive. Just the thing if you use more than one computer, or use shared computers.

Some of the available apps:

• OpenOffice (an MS Office clone)
  
• GIMP - media viewer and manipulator
  
• Firefox & Thunderbird
  
• Mini-Sukodu

Since I spend time on several different computers, this seems a worthy use of the USB.

Old Dog Learns a New Trick

If you want to specifically look for blogs on a topic in Google, you can get a list, from the most recently posted to the oldest, by choosing your search term, then clicking the MORE tab above that. The term to look for is Blog Search. That way, you avoid non-blogs and commercial sites.

Some New Uses for Technology

I have just returned from the AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers) national conference. One of the workshops was "Blogs, Wikis, and Forums".

We were a relatively savvy audience - most of us know of the technologies, some had used them, fewer had used them in class. Once I get my camera out of our overloaded car, I'll download the pictures.

Other references to blogging in academics:

FemaleScienceProfessor

west of the moon: academic blogging

Teaching with Blogs: Always Something New

Eat Better, Get Smarter - Duh!

Like, this is a surprise? Any teacher can list the kids who routinely eat sugar-laden garbage, and you will see a near-perfect correlation with test scores. You could probably also get a linear relationship with behavior.

I really don't get it. Why, when parents claim to want the best for their kids, do they let them eat non-nutritional junk?

Nice Bio of Fermi

PTRA - Monday, 2007

Jan Mader is demonstrating resources to use in leading the PTRA workshop, Waves. She and Jane Nelson showed the PTRA leaders some new resources and strategies that are available.

PTRA - First Day

This is Liz Harper, another woman in PTRA. We're in Greensboro, NC, at UNC

It Takes a Thief - Dumb Ones

This is another example of technology being smarter than people.

Amazing Women in Science

This is an incredible story about the woman who invented the material that turns men into Supermen:

In the mid-1960s, Kwolek was a researcher at the DuPont Co. in Wilmington when she stumbled on the discovery that became the chemistry that led to the strong, lightweight fiber known as Kevlar. Pound for pound, Kevlar fiber is five times stronger than steel.

More than 3,000 law enforcement officers have survived potentially fatal or disabling injuries because of the golden-colored fiber that is spun into the sheets used in vests, helmets and shields, according to DuPont research. Since the first Gulf War in 1991, nearly every U.S. combat soldier has worn a helmet of Kevlar, according to DuPont data.

Police officers and military are only a few occupations that use the product.

Besides body armor, the fiber is used in products ranging from oven mitts to tires, from airplane parts to mattresses.

Kwolek is scrupulous about taking credit only for the initial discovery of a technology that was used in the development of Kevlar. She credits the team of scientists who worked on the development, particularly DuPont scientist Herbert Blades. She has received numerous honors, including being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio. The hall of fame includes such names in American scientific history as Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers.

The 4'11" scientist

recalled how excited she was when former DuPont scientist Paul J. Flory visited the Experimental Station. Flory won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1974.

"He came and talked to me, and he told me that I had proven his theoretical conditions for the formation of polymer liquid crystals," Kwolek said.

In technical terms, Kwolek invented a liquid crystalline solution of synthetic aromatic polyamides, from which she spun a very strong and stiff fiber.

How NOT to Get More US Students to Major in SMET

This is an issue that I believe all SMET professionals, including teachers, need to become informed about.

Singing Tesla Coil

I just love techno-geeks!

It's Official

My husband and I have taken jobs in Chester, SC. I'll be teaching the Physical Science classes; he'll probably be teaching Physics & Chemistry - a few Math classes is a possibility.

We're very excited about it. It's a shorter drive to Cleveland from there, and it's near a major airport and several universities. We've been on the road almost non-stop for the last month. We've narrowed housing down to a few - we'll probably make a bid early next week.

No word yet on our Low Country house yet. It'll be officially on the market next week, if we don't hear back from a prospective buyer.

Which all means that I have a ton of work to do to get it ready for showing.

REALLY Cool Technology

This is the cutting edge of new technology. I expect that it will be expensive, and, of course, being Microsoft, it won't work seamlessly without a few glitches.

But it IS cool.

I Love Laptops

This is belated Valentine to my laptop. It is:

• Convenient - I can take it most anywhere, and get some work done
  
• Possessing an integrated wireless setup - I just need to find a coffee shop with a link, and I'm set
  
• Making it easy to enter my grades right now. I just need to find the time, and it's a breeze.
  
• not jealous of the time I'm spending with my OTHER laptop - that's the school's, and it's mainly used for the interactive response system (used with remotes) and showing the streaming video that SC has made available to us - free!

A Great Physics Video

I found several videos illustrating Physics concepts.

Turning Boiling Water to Snow

Another Snow Demonstration

Making Snow the Hard Way

All of these are fun, and create a good bridge to discussing phase changes.

Update

No time to update lately. I've truly been too busy to spend much time on this blog. With luck, I'll be move active in the future.

Non-tech issues

Today, I am moving like an 89-year old, arthritic codger - probably good training for my old age, which feels as though it's already arrived.

Over the last two days, I moved my entire classroom of books, computers, materials, files, and equipment to another classroom. For the second time this school year.

Why? We started 2 teachers short in the science department. We were able to pick up one three weeks into the school year. Because the position I held last year, in the 9th grade academy, was switching to mostly Biology, I volunteered to move out, necessitating the first move. Although the classroom was smaller and had less storage, I was teaching 4 Physical Science and two Chemistry for the Technologies, which I preferred.

Last week, the high school lured a middle school science teacher to the high school. He'll be arriving Tuesday. Trouble is, he was only Chemistry, and couldn't teach the Bio classes. This made some switching of classes necessary, to avoid issues of certification. I was one affected. I lost my ChemTech classes, and added two Bios. Also, we had to flip-flop two Physical Science classes. I wasn't exactly happy, but I understood that we had to do it.

So, I had about 1 week to pack up the stuff, move it, and set up for the new classes on Monday. I'm moved in, but surrounded by boxes. My files are a mess, I may not get my old file cabinet in for a few days, and I have to get an extra copy of lesson plans to the new teacher - he shouldn't walk in cold without some help. He's taking the Praxis Monday.

What's the upside?

• My Bio classes are better students - they're already had Physical Science, and they rank higher in math skills and academic performance. So, even though I'll be having to put a fair amount of time into catching up, it should be OK.
  
• I have a Bio teacher next door - she's a VERY sharp lady, and I plan to lean on her a LOT.
  
• I finally have a storage room again.
  
• The new room is bigger, and has MUCH cabinet storage. Several sinks, instead of just one.
  
• Air conditioning works. As well as the heat, when needed.
  
• I have lots of chips in my stack, since I made the changes without complaining. The principal owes me, and he's a guy that remembers those things. Could come in handy someday.
  
• Many of the kids I had before - helps in getting acclimated with names and stuff. Several of them were QUITE excited to hear they'd have me again. Good for the ego.

The kids and parents weren't all happy, but they weren't that upset. They're a good bunch, and, I think, recognize that the change has some positives. I was open in expressing my optimism and focusing on the good of the move, and I think that helped.

On top of moving yesterday, I had to take tickets at the football game. We all have to do that once a year. But, at least I got it over with, and I can kick back for the rest of the year.

I'll take some pictures Monday, before I put the room back to order. Then, I take some "after" shots. I'll post the contrast in a few weeks.

Technology Issues

I'm still not using my probes, motion detectors, and other bells & whistles as much as I'd like to. Partly, it's the issue of moving stuff to a new room. Partly, it's a matter of spending too much time on classroom management issues.

I'm planning on making a big push this week, and into the weekend. Clearing up any incomplete grading, organizing my filing and storage, and getting caught up on planning. It all sounds perfectly dreadful.

I did move ahead in some ways. I've been working on whittling down the grading backload for the last week, and it's a much smaller pile. I've been setting a goal of bringing order back to my desk (not totally successful) before I leave each day. Slowly, I'm managing to develop some routines.

Constant nagging is helping with getting kids to progress, especially making them take responsibility for turning in work, cleaning up after themselves (I swear, most of them must have personal maids), and completing their work before the end of class.

Too many of them resemble the cartoon below:



And, realistically, it takes a lot of self-discipline to reject the fun for the work. Heck, I have difficulty doing that myself - for example, I'm currently writing this post, rather than getting the grading done.

Back in the Saddle Again

Not that I'm feeling like a cowboy, you understand. But 3 weeks of teaching is enough to get me back into the rhythm again. Monday and Wednesday, meetings. Tuesday and Thursday, tutoring after school. Friday, pack up all papers for grading on the weekend. Saturday, catch up on household chores and grade. Sunday, grade, and make out the week's lesson plans. Monday...

Actually, I kind of enjoy the routine. I'm not someone that needs to have every day exciting and different.

Lately, I've been thinking about Direct Instruction. In our district, it's expected that we will be using that model of teaching. Not necessarily every day, or in every class, but often. And, as I incorporate more of DI in my lessons, I've noticed a few things:

• Low-performing students improve markedly. Not surprisingly, since they are usually quite deficient in basic skills.
  
• Average students achieve mastery more quickly.
  
• High-end students are not bored by the repetition. They seem to be OK with it.

I've been focusing on using DI with the many math skills and concepts that are such torture to teach - fractions, decimals, metric measurement, graphing. I've been including a LOT more review each day, not just the previous day's work, but weaving back several weeks. I plan to continue hammering down on these topics, using motion and force as the science topics. I'll post in a few weeks on our progress.

Does this mean that using Modeling is out?

No. But I think that when students clearly indicate that they can't calculate a simple velocity problem, even after leading them through the process, more DI is a reasonable option. I've been calling parents, suggesting tutoring for those still struggling (or, more often, those who just sit there, waiting for other students or the teacher to give them the answers. Lord, are they a passive bunch!)

Prime Numbers

I've been reading a murder mystery book, "Case of Lies", by Perri O'Shaughnessy. At the core of the reason for the murders is mathematics, more specifically, prime numbers. The math is way beyond my understanding, but the approach to explaining it seems to be novel. It's an interesting book, and the mystery part works well, too.

I'd recommend it.