Thoughts for August 11

Two linked google docs, linked the same way or so I thought. One works, the other doesn't. I have no clue why. I am going to leave it for a while. There is the question of to share with the world or just the Stritch community when one proceeds to share the doc. Both are done the same way. Still no clue...a little frustrated...

Gone too soon after bringing us 4 years of joy!

I had to say goodbye to one of my best friends today. She was hit by a truck and the end happened quickly - without any pain. I never thought I could get so attached to an animal, but if you knew "Waffles", you know she was a dear member of our family. She had as much personality as any living thing I ever knew...

The house will not be the same without her...

What a model she was for unconditional love and tolerance!

We love and miss you, Girl, we will never forget you!

1st Blog of 520

AJAX - Asynchronous JavaScript XML or something like that.

I want to learn Java, partly because I want to know what is currently being used in the world of programming and partly because I could be the one to teach the class at my school, once I learn it. I think that the other programming languages are all archaic (the ones I know, that are not supported by the latest computers).

Now, in our readings, I came across this "AJAX" term and I want to know about it. I can't even fathom how complex the computer is, much less, how complex the interactions between them must be!

I was browsing through the Cohort Home Webpage and I came across the Instructional Technology Department Information page. I saw the description of the Masters of Science in Instructional Technology and compared it the Masters of Education in Instructional Technology. I couldn't help but think, "What are they learning that I am not?" Probably, Java among other things.

I also read that we, the cohort, are required to submit an updated portfolio and culminating experience at the end of the program. Is the portfolio something we can start now so it is not so daunting next summer?

Thoughts, anyone?

As always, A LOT TO SAY...spreadsheets, my history with them

I remember being introduced to Microsoft Excel some 17 years ago. I was shown the application [in Excel] of using “linear regression” to calculate the concentrations of analytes, mostly heavy metals, in effluent water and/or industrial waste produced by the manufacturing of heat exchange products.

I was a lowly worker in a laboratory, with the title, “Chem Lab Tech 1”. It was the lowest rung on the ladder in the quest to forge a career, and make a little money in the meantime. I never realized where my life’s journey would take me from there…

Up to the point where I began to see where statistics truly has a purpose, I hated it. (In this regard, I can relate to those students who I am charged with teaching some specific topics that they hate.) The reason I hated it so much is that I didn’t understand it. What do you mean once I get an answer, I can only be 95% sure of its accuracy? And it lies within a window of this accuracy? That answer is an “outlier”! What? I don’t get it! As far as stats was concerned, I wanted to be the outlier!

Excel was enchanting to me; it took the data that I was generating from some expensive piece of analytical equipment and magically changed those numbers into useful answers (in a matter of microseconds, instead of hours of me punching the numbers into my calculator – God forbid, if I would have had to “crunch the numbers” by hand). It told me whether or not to tell the environmental engineer in charge of the plant, to keep the lines running or shut them down. Ah, what power I had (at least, in my own mind)! It was there that I finally understood the concepts of confidence intervals, variance, degrees of freedom, correlation coefficients and outliers, etc. I was finally an “inlier”! I had arrived.

I need to find ways to excite my students, energizing their motivation to become as passionate and enthusiastic about mathematics as I am. In this manner, I wish to show them applications involving computer and other technologies as the springboard. Utilizing spreadsheets was a turning point for me.

I have already used spreadsheets to show students the amortization of a bank loan, the maximization of the volume of a cylinder and right rectangular prism with the amount of surface area being held constant, the generation of the number pi by adding sides, ad infinitum, to a regular polygon and calculating the perimeter to pseudo-diameter ratio, graphing polynomials, in particular, parabolas to find the “zeros/solutions” and vertices, etc. all by using Microsoft Excel. Every time I have used these lessons, I have gotten overwhelmingly positive feedback from my students. I need to create/find more resources for these type of activities.

1st Blog of 515

Having read only the first chapter in the book, I have to get accustomed to some of its nuances (and in my initial opinion, faux pas) in order to acquire what is really being said. In other words, I had big problems, at first, with some of the ideas being stated. In particular on page 16 entitled, “Teacher’s Role” – focus is now on student learning, instead of teacher teaching (Huh? What kind of psychobabble am I reading?) I thought for something to be taught, something has to be learned. But after much contemplation, I have to agree with the book. Most of the time I spend planning for instruction, I am focused on what actions I will perform and statements I will make, rather than, how the students will respond and demonstrate their understanding. I could do my thing in an empty classroom and call it teaching, but no one is learning. I have more and more empathy with each passing year of what my students must be thinking when what comes out of my mouth sounds like some of the things I read earlier without time to reflect, critique, analyze and process.

I took the true/false quiz before reading the first chapter to see what I knew or thought I knew prior. I was shocked when I found the answer being sought for number 7, “According to this text, learning occurs best when it is technology driven”, was false. (“Technology has not been shown overall to be effective at increasing student achievement”, pg 13) Although, the text does throw a few disclaimers out there to justify itself and seemingly contradicts itself in the 4^th line of Figure 1.6 pg 16 (“Technology can help make learning more effective by providing a great wealth of resources and allowing students choices). I guess it depends on the definitions of the words “overall” and “help”.

I really got a kick out of the heading “What is Learning?” on pg 9. Upon reading something like this, I believe most of us would formulate a quick definition, then read further, to see if we were right or maybe close. The book never defines learning in its following lines of text. It just makes mention of two theories of what it is and that is given in Figure 1.2. It does, however, say it will be addressed in chapter 2. What a teaser!!! (I think I focused on this since I gave a definition in class and wanted to see if I was close or way off.)

These examples and some others will definitely impact my job, in that, I will be more aware of giving time for students to reflect, critique, analyze and process information that I present. I have been guilty in the past of not giving enough “lag time”. I also need to concentrate more on asking a student or student(s) to “play back” what was just proffered by me and articulate to the class the information (I attempted to convey) and its usage (so that I can assess understanding or any misunderstanding).

Post Script – The answer I gave for #7 true/false was supposed to be “true” after all. I found out when I submitted my answers to be corrected. I don’t agree.

The last blog for 510. Instructions: What did you learn?

There are too many tangents I could go on to list everything that I have learned in 510 and upon completing and publishing this entry I am sure I will think of a few more.

So I will try to limit it to mentioning a few things that were most impressive to me:

Operating systems:

I was ecstatic when I learned of the different operating systems that I could download for free. My old “Compaq” will have new life. I can’t wait to have the time to play around with “Ubuntu” and “Linux Mint”. I may partition the hard drive to use both. I now refer to that computer as “Lazarus”, that is, back from the dead. I had heard of different operating systems, like OS 2 Warp from years ago (from IBM?), but never tried to learn anymore about them since I didn’t know enough or whom to ask. Now, I don’t have to ask anyone. Knowledge is liberating, indeed!

Hardware:

Tearing apart my old computer from ’94 was therapeutic as well as educating. I looked at the CPU with its built in fan and “heat-sink” design and it brought back some lessons learned from taking Physical Chemistry and working at a company that dealt in “heat transfer” years ago. A great deal of heat is generated from current running through millions of transistors. It is an enemy of the productivity and efficiency of the CPU.

I have got to take another look at the RAM assignment that a colleague presented (and do a little of my own research). I want know what I am talking about, as well as, buy the most effective upgrade for my current computer or my next computer.

I now know to look for the correct type of DVDs for my DVD RW+ drive before purchasing. I didn’t know there was a difference between RW+ and RW +/- prior to this class.

Security:

I have more of an understanding of Malware. I used to be cynical about buying anti-virus software when some can be found for free. The features, efficiency and thoroughness of the software is definitely an issue here. I was excited to read independent reviews and find the software package that I will be purchasing. In researching the security assignment, I now know the steps to take and in what order to make my system and network safe.

In closing, I have also learned the correct usage and meaning of many terms/jargon used in techie talk, once again, it feels liberating!

Computer Security and Optimization

I am always leery of my two kids using my computer. Their ages are 22 and 19 so I don't have my computer set up to block specific sites. If I were to be in charge of setting up a network at school, I can't imagine where I would start to try to block all of the sites that kids are capable of visiting. I think I am relatively safe with the sites that I visit, but I have some e-mails sent to me that some of my friends get carried away with. It gives me some sense of security when whatever software in charge states "no virus" detected before I am allowed access to a download, but I am not entirely convinced they are free of malicious activity. Remembering the "I love you" e-mail from years ago that infected so many computers. Who would not be intrigued with that as the subject line? Sent to me, I have to open it!

I do have a free antivirus program that I run. It is called "Avast" for non-commercial purposes. I do recall loading it on my old HP tower which has since passed and it felt great the 1st time I ran it and it found some viruses and quarantined or expunged them. I am all about the free bees but they do give me some grief in worrying are they working as well as something I would pay for.

I do try to manage my files somewhat and rid my hard drive of files that I haven't used in a long time. I could do a better job of this, but the hard drive has so much memory that it doesn't seem necessary or important enough to do all that often. I do have my hard drive scheduled to defrag at regular intervals.