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Showing posts from April, 2018

Ethnogardening images

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For cleaning up the area southeast of the gym, I turned the camera over to a student so I could focus on finding plants amid the paddle grass (ischaemum polystachyum) and covering plant names with the students in preparation for the field final examination. The following are images captured that afternoon by Lavonna. She was under instructions to ensure that the images could be used to reconstruct attendance. Lavonna was, naturally, not in the pictures. Dana, Henry, Rayden The Myristica fragrans was again lost in the tall grass. Finding the plant was more challenging than before as the geometry of the Senna alata is changing. Myristica fragrans at 6.909, 158.157 [6°54'32.4"N 158°09'25.2"E] Rosalyn Marigold Lefreeancy Nette, Rayden Keona Myra Lefreeancy Nette Rodman, the most capable in tall grass Lefreeany, Rosalyn Myra Rodrigo Henry, Ian Yoma Keona Jayme Leeron Nett

Mathematical models, flying disks, and flying rings

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Laboratory 14 gathers data for a system for which the mathematical model is not known in advance. The students are to use their data to determine what mathematical form best describes the data. Desmos makes this possible. In the morning I attempted to use the new soccer field. Sunny weather for most of the week meant the field was dry, but overnight dew was on the field and the sun was full blast by nine in the morning. Add in the humidity from the dew, and the heat was torrid, absolutely torrid. I cautioned the students to seek shade if they felt at all dizzy or overheated. No pictures were captured. We grabbed what data we could and then high tailed it back to the classroom on minimal data. Data graphed in Desmos The above graph and associated data can be accessed from Desmos . I abandoned the concept of using the soccer field. I had hoped to use the Aerobee out there, but no one chose to throw the Aerobee anyway. At 11:00 I opted into a new location, using again the unus

Banana patch clean-up

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A few years ago the Agriculture and Natural Resources programs shifted to a focus on food production and natural resources management. In the process of the shift, SC/SS 115 Ethnobotany was included as a program requirement. The ANR program learning outcomes were \: 1. Acquire fundamental concepts and principles of land resources focusing towards development and production in a sustainable manner appropriate to Micronesia. 2. Demonstrate basic competencies in the management of land resources and food production. 3. Acquire basic skills, knowledge and attitude to manage a sustainable food production enterprise or qualify for entry level employment in a land resource management related agency. 4. Acquire a sound scientific background that will allow transfer to a higher degree program related to land resources and food systems. Lefreeancy Considering the ethnobotany curriculum, the course did not well meet focusing a land resource development and production. The course also d

Schoology Google Drive Assignments app comments: tagging in other students

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Schoology Institutional includes the Google Drive Assignments app which integrates Google documents into Schoology. In my statistics class I use Google Drive Assignments to distribute data and homework questions via Google Sheets. The comment system inside of Google Docs and Sheets is a far more powerful commenting system than one might be accustomed to in a typical desktop work processing program. The comment system is integrated to update notifications in Gmail and is enabled to "tag" into a "comment conversation" other Google users. The key to "tagging in" other users is the use a "+" sign followed by their Gmail address. This system is dynamically linked to your contacts, thus as you type a portion of the address, your Google Contacts list starts suggesting contacts you intend to tag. In the above example I use the tagging system to communicate to a group of three students that the identical and identically inconsistent answers sugge

From tulsi to ashoka, Brindha to Sita

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My introduction to sacred, mythic, religious, legendary, and holy plants comes and goes from the curriculum according the term and the number of class days. This introduction remains a walking lecture under development. I chose this term to focus on Saraca asoca, Ocimum tenuiflorum, and Cocos nucifera. Originally I planned to start with the Saraca asoca, but then I remembered that the Ocimum tenuiflorum near the south faculty building was gone and I would have to use the plant at the intersection. Ocimum tenuiflorum surrounds a single branch of Volkameria inermis At the last minute I literally cut and pasted my notes on story of tulsi vivah, Brindha and Jalandhar, ahead of the story of Sita, Ravana, and Lord Rama. What I had not fully comprehended is that this is the order in which the stories fit together. The story of Brindha has to precede that of Sita and Lord Rama. The story is perhaps adult themed, what with Lord Vishnu violating Brindha. Rodman wanted to ensure he