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Showing posts from August, 2018

Linear motion

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As per notes made January 2018 , I shifted back to using meters for the RipStik linear motion exercise to simplify Desmos data entry. Prior to class I measured out a 30 meter run with timing marks every three meters. I also set up a Desmos table with the distance data, leaving the time cells blank. This pre-class work was even more necessary fall 2018 as the class periods are now 50 minutes long, as opposed to 55 minutes as they were last term. I had to go over the Friday quiz and then move out to the sidewalk to gather data. I prefaced the sidewalk work with a speed calculation from Friday's long run: 15015 meters ÷ 6000 seconds = 2.50 meters per second. I do not know that this helped as an introduction to speed. The run ended at 15.78 seconds and 30 meters. As seen on the graph, the slope displays well on a "square" graph, something that was not the case when the distance was in centimeters. Wednesday I demonstrated Desmos on the television monitor at th

Banana patch clean-up

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The third day of ethnobotany class is, as was the second day of class, spent out in the field, again with machetes, again whacking away at various invasive species. Epilette working along the fence line, Clidemia hirta on the left Venister in the center of the garden Clidemia hirta is climbing the fence like a vine Bananas to be identified Utin ruk Utin ruk Possibly kudud, also known as uht rais   Shift to an 18:9 aspect ratio image otherwise known as 2:1 The uht rais is rather weak and underdeveloped On the left is taiwang, Via-Marie in the background cleaning bananas, Justin under the taiwang Venister in a patch of Clidemia hirta, Cheilocostus speciosus   Justin and Venister Via-Marie on the left, Adelma enjoying a laugh

Mars and Murrie Milk Chocolate Statistics

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For a fifth term the MS 150 Statistics course began with a problem solving open data exploration leading to a presentation. The exercise effectively flips the role of the students from that of being students in a class to that of being statisticians reporting on their statistical findings. This shift allows the instructor to begin the second week of class by saying, "I know you already know how to calculate statistics and make charts..." This gives the students an early sense of success and a sense that they can succeed in the course. Students starting work on their MMs For fifteen years the statistics course started with gathering data on body metrics and then launching into a lecture driven course. In 2008 I added statistics projects to the lecture and test mix in an attempt to both increase student engagement with statistics and to integrate more writing into the course. The statistics projects did not result in increased student engagement with statistics . In 2

Ethnogardening

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The second day of class the ethnobotany course tended to one of the plant collections scattered around the campus. Some of the plants in the area the class worked include Senna alata, a variety of Ixora casei, Jasminum sambac, Macaranga carolinensis, Gardenia jasminoides, Cymbopogon citratus, and Myristica fragrans. On the left, Saccharum spontaneum, in the background Macaranga carolinensis, on the right Senna alata. Senna alata Cymbopogon citratus In the center background is Gardenia jaminoides On the left is a young Myristica fragrans Senna alata Jasminum sambac Hand cleaning around the Jasminum sambac Merremia peltata is the vine, the grass is Ischaemum polystachyum The orange blossoms are a variety of Ixora casei

College summit on student advising

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The summit was opened by the acting Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness and Quality Assurance followed by opening remarks by the president. This summit focuses on advising and improving advising in support of student success. The Vice President for Instructional Affairs covered some of the curricular innovations engaged in last year including the use of compressed schedules, embedded tutoring, and teaming up a developmental reading course and the general education history of Micronesia requirement. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning provided support for bringing in a filmmaker in support of the reading course and the history of Micronesia course. Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services. 1505 students sat the COMET entrance evaluation tool. 1299 were seniors. 78% placed into programs, 22% were not able to be admitted. 25% of the admitted seniors were placed into college level courses, 75% were placed into developmental course programs. I