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VT's FREE Newsletter for Educators - Insight, Inspiration and Ideas that work!
Celebrate PI DAY 14/3 this Thursday
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Welcome
What a busy Fortnight.
Thursday is PI Day - so check out the celebrations and ideas below. Download a sticker, or even knit - pearl 1, plain 1, pi 1 - HA!
I love Pi so irrationally that I always celebrate it.
For one thing, it's constant, unlike nearly everything else.
And while you are at it Gossip a bit about some other Mathemematical ideas.
More VT Supporters come on board thanks , I really appreciate this, support the good stuff. Thanks to all the folk who continue to purchased Maths Hammers, the feedback so far has been great.
ciao
Cathy
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“Nature is busy creating absolutely unique individuals, whereas culture has invented a single mold to which all must conform. It is grotesque. ” ― U.G. Krishnamurti
The rewards of effective discourse are many. Not long ago, I was observing students work out a problem together. When they finally "got" it, one of the students exclaimed, "We are so smart." Isn't that what we are striving for? Not "the teacher is so smart," not "they are so smart," but "we are." In that statement, I heard both confidence and community. Healthy discourse promotes these things.
-- Cynthia Lanius, Project teacher
TEACHER: George, go to the map and find North America.
GEORGE: Here it is!
TEACHER: Correct. Now, class, who discovered America?
CLASS: George!
Some Alternative Systems of Mathematical Measurement for your Amusement
*Vaudeville comedians who've become engineers may find thisdefinition handy: The time between slipping on a banana skin and smacking the pavement is defined as 1bananosecond.
*Broadcast engineers, 1012 microphones equals 1 megaphone.
*Mathematicians living north of the Artic Circle would, of course, know that the ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter is Eskimo Pi.
*The force exerted by 1 kilogram of falling figs would be 1 Fig Newton.
*Chemical engineers, or fans of ethyl alcohol in general, should know that 365.25 days of drinking low-calorie beer (Because it is less filling) is the same as 1 lite year.
 *Fans of science fiction shows and surveyors who use the rod in linear measurements should be certainly familiar with this conversion: 16.5 feet in .theTwilight Zone is equal to 1 Rod Serling.
*Anyone working in the medical industry might find it handy to know that half of a large intestine is equivalent to 1 semicolon, and that the basic unit of laryngitis is 1hoarsepower.
*If you are involved with transportation then 106 bicycles are equivalent to 2 megacycles, and the time it takes to sail 220 yards at a rate of 1 nautical mile per hour is 1 Knot-furlong.
*To round out the list
1000 grams of wet socks makes 1 liter-hosen.
2 monograms can be used to form 1 diagram.
10 millipedes are equivalent to 1 centipede.
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MATHEMATICAL GOSSIP
The biggest problem with the teaching of mathematics today is that it can be boring
and have little meaning or interest for students. If you look at any maths book available for school children, the overwhelming thought would be dreary, dull, repetitious, and well, just plain hard work. Compounded with this is the problem that most of the population will tell you that they hated maths at school and are no good at it even now.
Maths does have a definite image problem.
So what can we as teachers do about this, how can we encourage our students to have positive attitudes to maths and to think mathematically?
Shane Koyczan:
"To This Day" ... for the bullied and beautiful
This is a great Video - your students should watch - it will provoke a great deal of discussion - I would love to hear some of it.
Send in your classes responses and I will publish them on VT. I think they could be amazing.
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Animoog is the first professional synth instrument designed for the iPhone 4, 4S, and 4th Generation iPod Touch. It is an amazing product - if you you have any budding musicians this is a fabulous program.
The Downside - it costs all of $9.95 at the app store - can you believe it. Its amazing how cheap these things have become. You must take a look at this and the demo videos. Its fabulous.
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PI DAY - 14th of March is Pi Day!
Happy 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939... Day!
Pi (π) is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. By measuring circular objects, it has always turned out that a circle is a little more than 3 times its width around. The mathematician Archimedes used polygons with many sides to approximate circles and determined that Pi was approximately 22/7.
William Jones first used the symbol for Pi, the Greek symbol “π”, in 1706. In recent years, Pi has been calculated to over one trillion
digits beyond its decimal.
If you are looking for strategies that are both educational and fun, check out the sites on VT
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 My Learningis a fabulous website. Resources form Cultural and heritage Musesums from aroudn the world are accessible here.
The site offers Interactives, images, Video, audio, downloads and quizzes. Although mostly UK Musuems it is a great resource.
Some of the greatest Historic houses are on the lists here. But the resources are quite amazing. make your own Thamotrope. And uite unique.
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THIS IS A GREAT IDEA
Make it with your class at school, all the instructions are here.
26 Ways to Use Comics in the Classroom and 5 Free Tools for Creating Comics
IF IT WERE MY HOME
Site that allows students to compare their country to other countries around the world. Very powerful, very interesting. If it were my home |
I do answer all emails so send them along with your questions ideas and great sites.
Your VT is a delight and inspiration. Thank you.
Kelvin Robertson
Hi Cathy
We loved that fixed it button and wondered if you could send one over to us?
The video was a good laugh, something we all need.
Michael and Sue
Hi Cathy,
The Air Chew amused my class no end and they have been inventing their own Strine talk stories. they have been so creative with this. Loved it.
thanks Mary
Hi Mary , Send some of their creations in and I will post them on the website.
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Love to have some feedback from the Shane Koyczan video I think it could be quote wonderful to publishs students responses. Let me know how your Pi Days go - send in some photos - that would be great. Also I would love to hear about your maths gossip sessions - you will love them.
What great things are happening in your school, send them in and I'll feature them here. If you have any great links - please send them in and I can do a special feature on them.
Any upgrading links or suggestions please send them in.
Tweet or email your answers. |
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This Newsletter is not free, despite the misleading advertising above. The Fee is now due. Each week you must help one colleague on the Internet who has less knowledge than you.Help that person even if you have to visit their classroom or do a little research and get back to them. Trust me, this will help a lot of people get their computer classrooms running better. OK I'm trusting you!!!
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1. GOT SOMETHING TO SAY - Send in your Questions, Questions will be published with Answers, send in your Answers, if you have expertise to share.
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The opinions expressed here are purely those of the editor, Cathy Brown. All other small print clauses apply. Such as: Use at your own risk. Nothing in life is guaranteed. If it doesn't work for you send an email or tweet me.
Editor: Cathy Brown cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
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