I just finished some final design tweaks on a paper airplane launcher. The launcher (see video above) is likely going to be a part of a larger mathematics/modeling unit for upper elementary students. The launcher is made out of eight sheets of standard card stock (65 lb). I used Silhouette Studio, a free download from …
Yearly Archive
for: ‘2010’
The Fantasy Football Problem Solving Task
If you play fantasy football like me, then you likely read NFL stats and watch videos of the prognosticators’ picks-of-the-week. I am not in a high-stakes league with money, so my motivation is purely one of personal enjoyment. Yet, I am the reigning league champion and so I take it as seriously as a working …
What is math?
Although I disagree with some of Conrad’s claims (i.e., computers are a silver bullet, programming hasn’t been used to teach mathematics- LOGO and Scratch), much of what he says resonates with me. A lot of what he talks about are the underpinnings of a models-and-modeling approach to mathematical problem solving.
Gallopin’ Gertie
I am in the process of writing a lengthy paper on the intersection of engineering, mathematics, and science. I think that I have found my hook: Gallopin’ Gertie. The following video was obviously touched up with a digital paint brush given the time period of the bridge’s collapse…
Animation with GoAnimate
I teach a technology integration course for pre-service teachers at the University of Virginia. I am always on the lookout for tools that allow my students (and their students) to be creative media producers, and I think that I have found one that I like- GoAnimate. GoAnimate allows users to make animated videos that feature …
Tax & Discount
You are offered a 20% discount on an item but you must pay a 15% sales tax. What would you prefer to have calculated first, the discount or the tax? I am somewhat comforted by the fact that, when I pose this question to fellow graduate students and various people with fancy degrees, everyone has …
The Future is Here and There
I am going to be leading a workshop at The Lovett School in a few weeks, and the topic of the two-day intensive with middle school math teachers is digital fabrication. For readers unfamiliar with the topic du jour, digital fabrication is the process of creating a digital design that is then produced or manufactured …
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