Using Modular Systems to help teach trig beyond 360°

The concept of the unit circle can seem quite foreign to students when they first encounter it. I read this post recently, which reminded me of modular arithmetic. It has quite a good explanation using clocks at even a year 7 student could understand.

I think that this would be a great introduction to Trigonometry beyond 360°.

 

Posted with Blogsy

An easy free way to use any printer connected to Windows PC to AirPrint from iPad or iPhone,

After much search and trying to install AirPrint as a service and not wanting to pay for FingerPrint, Netgear has recently released Netgear Genie. It is very easy to setup and allows you to AirPrint to any printer connected to a windows PC (it doesn't even need to be shared). The software is also designed to let you update settings on a small range of Netgear routers (mine is not supported).

 

Highly recommended.

 

Introducing the Windows Surface - a solution for schools?

To watch the full video, go here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/windows/videogallery2b.aspx

A full windows PC, running a full operating system that can deal with processor intensive applications such as photoshop.

Built in stand and absolutely awesome keyboard cover (like the iPad one, just better because it has a keyboard)

 

The new Stage 6 Australian Curriculum - response from the Sydney Morning Herald

The Sydney Morning Herald published this article commenting on the proposed curriculum.

With four courses proposed - 2 non-calculus courses then mathematical methods and specialist mathematics. These last two are loosely equivalent to harder versions of the 2 unit Mathematics course and the Extension 2 mathematics course. Where does that leave Extension 1? Out in the cold!

I am very concerned by this move! Only a small percentage of students go on to study Extension 2 maths, but a middle subject between these two courses makes perfect sense.

What are your thoughts?

 

AirPlay Mirror iPhone 4S / iPad to a Windows PC! It is now possible - no apple tv required!!

For a long time (about 9 months since I got my iPad 2) I have wanted to AirPlay straight to my laptop which is connected to the projector in the classroom. After considerable searching I found a few semi-reliable apps that would AirPlay sound or video, but they would not allow mirroring.

In May Airserver released a PC version of their software which allows wireless mirroring straight to my PC laptop. It is currently in beta, but available for purchase and free updates are promised (not that I have needed any). There is no sound at this stage, but on its way.

I purchased a teacher educational license for USD$5.99 through PayPal (you need to change your primary PayPal email address to be one that contains .edu) and now I have a license for 3 computers. I've already installed on my work laptop and my media center and it is working fantastically!!

The app on the PC opens when mirroring starts and closes when you turn mirroring off.

Applications:

I love to photograph students work - their way of solving problems or group work that they produce and project it straight on the board for others to see. Using my iPhone 4S / iPad makes this easy now and I no longer require an apple tv to get the job done.

 

Google now graphs equations, just like wolfram alpha

Having the unified search field in google for images, websites or just about anything just got better. We knew previously that google would complete simple numerical calculations - the "google calculator".

 

You can now graph functions from the google search box. Just put a comma between the functions.

 

 

Things to think about before flipping... Not flipping? --- Some thoughts on homework

Freetech4teachers has recently cautioned about introducing the flipping model. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/three-questions-to-consider-before-we.html

 

Rather than introducing a full-flip model, we just need to rethink homework. What do we want students to be doing at home? What would your best student be doing at home? Here are some thoughts

• Consolidation - quality, not quantity
• Assignments/Assessments
• Preparation

The third of these - preparation is where flipping comes in. We want our students to be preparing for lessons in advance by reading ahead (or watching videos). Surely if our students have a basic knowledge of the content that can be filled out in class, they will benefit.

 

What are your thoughts? Do your students read ahead?

 

One other thought on homework is that my best students actually spend time correcting their work and finding the parts of content where they do not completely understand.

 

 

 

The new General Maths Syllabus from 2013 - why they decided to introduce it and where to find the new syllabus.

The Board of Studies issued a notice on 12th March which can be accessed here. It seemed like a very hurried announcement with no clear direction. Here is what we know:

• The Board of Studies wrote the General 1 and General 2 Syllabus (as well as three new calculus mathematics syllabi) back in 2009.
• At a MANSW Annual Conference in 2008 I asked the question of whether the BOS was planning on making schools write new program's for NSW and then new ones within "a few years" for the National Curriculum (now Australian Curriculum) as it was in the works by ACARA.
• The Board of Studies completed these documents but recommended to the minister that they not be implemented (due to ACARA in my opinion).
• Schools could implement the General 1 course from 2010?? (from memory) as a Board Endorsed Course (not count towards ATAR)
• Then... The implementation of the F-10 Australian Curriculum got delayed... Until 2014 at this stage, if it ever gets implemented
• The 11-12 Maths Curriculum seems to be on hold with little information coming out of ACARA on this.
• 2012 - New HSC Examinations in all Maths courses (including General Maths - for one year???)

So the question has arisen - Why has the Board of Studies decided this year to suddenly implement General 2 as a Board Developed examinable course, which counts towards an ATAR? At the same time General 1 has an elevated status of a Content Endorsed Course, non-examinable and not count towards an ATAR. The 3 Calculus developed courses have been ignored.

 

The new syllabus was due to be published by the "end of Term 1" but we haven't seen it yet. If you're keen to see the new syllabus then visit this link: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/archives/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/mathematics-general-2-stg6-draft.pdf

 

"The Code" - SBS On Demand great for teaching circles, pi, SHM, prime numbers and more!!

This tv program follows a mathematician as he seeks to discover the 'code' of numbers hidden in the world. The fantastic way that God has made the world so that all the numbers work together so beautifully.

This documentary is very well put together and I would be very happy to show relevant sections to my students.

The first half of this program looks at:

• Prime numbers
  
• simple harmonic motion - music
  
• Circles
  
• Pi is irrational
  

Click Here to access the program on SBS On Demand (for the next 9 days)

 

A new use for mathematics - to put you to sleep?

Sometimes us mathematicians get a bad rap.

 

"what do you do?"

 

"I'm a maths teacher."

 

"oh, I didn't like maths at school"

 

 

Had that conversation before? Checkout life hacker who suggests using numbers as a cure for insomnia.

 

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2012/02/do-some-maths-if-you-have-trouble-fallingasleep/#.Tz4jFVRIqKI.mailto

 

 

Convert web pages to PDF files from laptop or iPad to save for later - 2 tools

As I am using my iPad more and more often, if I want to archive a site and keep a copy of it, it is difficult to copy the text and pictures out and put it into a word document - which is what I would do on my laptop. 
 

1. Use http://www.web2pdfconvert.com - simply enter the URL of the page you would like a PDF from and it will convert for you (I have had some problems getting the PDF back using this method from my iPad)
2. Web2pdfconvert has an email option. Simply send an email to submit@web2pdfconvert.com with convert as the subject and the URL in the body of email. The PDF of the web page gets emailed back to you within a couple of minutes (this is good for storing them in the archive of a gmail account, or to review later when you get to a laptop and access your email. You can also use the "open in..." function as described below)  
   
3. There is an iOS app that simplifies the process. Url2pdf is a very simple app and only includes a field to enter the PDF and a button to start the convert. It opens the pdf in safari once it has converted it.  
   

 
 
I then save these files to Dropbox. Dropbox is online storage. You can access files directly from your mac, pc, iOS or android device. You can also seamlessly transfer files between these platforms. You get 2GB for free. 
 
 
If you don't have a Dropbox account, click here to sign up (you also give me a small amount of extra space if you use this link)