Site swap mathematics

The morning dawned cool and wet.

As I have done of late, I prepositioned the juggling balls in the classroom.

Summer term wrapped up on site swap mathematics. As in the spring I shifted to a preview of the final to tie together the mathematical models encountered on the journey this summer. This doubles as a final preview - without my saying so - and provides a segue to introducing a mathematical model that the students have not yet encountered. 

Then I launch into site swap patterns starting with 3. After the students can make correct predictions for 3, I introduce 51. Finally I show that colors can be switched, swapped, between adjacent blanks, sites, for 42. Students are able to demonstrate mastery of site swap mathematics and everyone goes home believing they learned something. And yet they have learned nothing. At least nothing more than they did when they learned to FOIL quadratic equation factors. At this point I have not mentioned juggling nor any reference to what site swap mathematics means. 

I even asked the students, "When will you ever use site swap mathematics?" That's a rhetorical question.

The students will not see or use either site swap or FOIL after they leave college. 

If you want to anger a mathematics instructor ask them, "When will I ever use this stuff?" Some may have some rehearsed answer that they trot out, but in reality no student in a general education non-major physical science class is ever going to use quadratic mathematics again in life beyond college.

Then I show the class what the notation means, counting off landings of a red ball in a three ball set consisting of a red, green, and blue ball. After a demonstration of 3, 51, and 42, I invite the students to attempt site swap 3. 


Berny tries to start a three


Etwet working towards a three as well



LaPrincia has a site swap 3 well in hand.

Sru, learning three

The site swap laboratory ends the labs on a high note, a part of the peak-end design of the course. End on something fun, leave them laughing so to speak.

LaPrincia, a site swap 3 well under control


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