Last week, we downloaded and started working with Scratch, a computer program language for young kids.
Here is her first program in Scratch about learning Bisaya. Use the space bar to start.
Author Archives: Kevin
Learning Python
As I was reading and gathering information about the R programming language, I discovered Python. Python was something I was looking for in the past- easy to learn, powerful and related to math and science. R seems better for statistics and python is touted as easier to learn than other languages.
Learning Python and R
Long story short, I’m learning python to program and using R for statistics. I intend to use R for when I take a graduate statistics class soon. As a science teacher, I am enjoying my walk back on Math Street. As for R, I can now run many test using the R code and I am teaching myself to write a function using statistics.
So I figured the best way for me to learn Python was to take a class somewhere, preferable online. I found an online python class that was just what I was looking for. The Python class is at Udemy and is taught by Zed Shaw. The price was $29.00. I feel it’s worth the price as he is an expert programmer and I need some structure when I’m learning. The class consist of reading lessons in his PDF ebook and watching videos. There is also a place to ask questions and get feedback on the site.
My first Python program
I’ve completed the first week’s lessons which includes getting Python up and running, working with the terminal and terminal commands and writing my first program. For this class I’m going to use both WingIDE and the Mac terminal for Python programming. As I go along, I’ll work more with the terminal.
I hope to learn a great deal in this Python class so I can continue my studies in statistics, R and programming.
A Return to Math Street
The last few months I was tutoring a student in statistics. The class was something I know about but some of the topics were a little rusty. Towards the end of their class, I found myself reading through my old stats book and also doing some additional reading on the internet on Chi-square, ANOVA and hypothesis testing.
This brought back memories of taking my stat classes in college years ago when there was no internet to turn to. I remember going to the college library to read some additional books for some background knowledge.
But now it’s different.
I’ve read so much statistics from the net that I have an even deeper understanding now. I also ordered some statistics books from my favorite book swap store at Paper Back Swap. I’ve been bitten by the statistics bug and I want to know more.
But that’s not the only surprise. While looking for a statistical program to help crunch the numbers, I came across R.
I was amazed.
R is free and it works on my Mac. R is an open source statistical package that is free to use. It also has many niche packages that work with the statistics of science. When I was in college, I had to rent some stat program that wasn’t even that good. So when I saw what R could do, I downloaded it right away to my computer and tried it out. I also use RStudio because of it’s nice interface and to help me with R’s learning curve.
I am finished with tutoring now and my weekends are open. But it’s different now, I’m back on math street but I’m getting on the highway soon.
Home for Christmas
Jaycee and the kids are now home from their trip to the Philippines. She was there for two months visiting the family. They are now adjusting to the time difference.
They were all up last night at 2 am, running around the house, playing with their toys and making lots of noise. I tried keeping them up during the day but they fell asleep before lunch.
Last week I moved all my science projects out of the living room and back to my lab at school. The solar panel is complete, just need to calk the clear panel to the top.
Now it’s time to get ready for Christmas and get everything back to normal.
Don’t Forget It! Use The Peg System
Using the Major System has its limitations when remembering content. This is where the Peg System comes in.
The Peg System ties everything together and make it easy to remember all kinds of things. I usually call both these systems just the Peg System. Once you get the basics down, it’s not that hard to use and it makes it much easier to remember content, especially numbers and dates.
Watch the video below and see how I use the Peg System to remember a small list of items. You can review the Major System in my previous post here.
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Here’s a Quick Way To Remember Einstein’s Birth Year
I use the Major system to remember dates of different scientists in class. Once you know the Major system, it’s easy to remember because the picture sticks in your head and it is also easy to translate.
Here are the basics of the Major system and how to learn it.
Remember, when translating, it always goes by how it sounds and not the spelling.
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Do You Know How To Teach The Major System?
I teach this system in the beginning of the year. It only takes a few minutes each day for a few days. Once they get the system down, we move on to the peg system. It is now possible to learn and remember many things. As we add to our background knowledge, we can make connections and synthesize information.
Here is my first post on using the Major System.
Synthesizing is creating something new using different sources.
When learning different dates and small packets of information, the students can make connections. For example, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison were born in the same year, 1847. One of my students asked me if they ever met each other and I said that’s a good question. I encouraged the student to find the answer and do a report.
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Teaching Science Using The Major System
I learned the Mnemonic Major System when I was in college taking mathematics classes and trying to learn lot’s of technical material. Now that I teach, I pass the system along to my students. How do students learn and remember things? it’s an age-old question that I have been refining for many years. Remembering things means to put them in your memory. But how is this done and how can we make it easier?
How I use the Major System
In my classroom I have been teaching The Major System and the Peg system for almost 20 years. I’ve used it in gifted classes when I taught for the college gifted programs during the summer and also in my special education classes where I have a variety of students at different ability levels.
Here are the numbers to letters conversions.
I believe the Major System system helps students remember what they learn and helps them achieve at higher levels. Having a trained memory, using good study techniques, and employing the techniques of good storytelling are the pillars of good teaching and help students achieve at the highest level.
To teach for comprehension and understanding, It’s very important for students to build their background knowledge as everything flows from that. This is why I spend time in the beginning of the school year to teach my students a system to help them build their background knowledge.
School video blog
This week I started my school video blog at Dingman Delaware Middle School. I posted the first video about the four color lab yesterday. The video shows how the students completed the lab and how the colors mixed together. They also learned the different class procedures such as moving row by row when going to the sink and putting supplies back in an orderly way. They wore safety glasses for the first time as the glasses protect their eyes and also gets them in a good habit of wearing them during labs.
The students learned how to measure the volume of a liquid using the graduated cylinder, beaker and petri dish. They also learned how to read and interpret the meniscus, the line that one sees between the liquid and air in the graduated cylinder. The students learned how to use the graduated cylinder, beaker and petri dish.I hope to post video there every week showing what we are doing in the classroom and to give the students experience demonstrating the important concepts. Like they say, those that explain, retain.
You can see the video and read the blog here.
My completed solar panel
Completing the solar panel
I finished my solar panel project this week. I’ve been working on it on and off for the past two years and it’s finally done. The only thing I need to complete is to put the clear acrylic panel on top to protect the cells.
Here are my previous posts on building the solar panel. Part 1 gives information on the parts I bought to build the 18 volt, 60 watt PV solar panel. Part 2 describes my frustration of learning to solder the cells and the time needed to do this well. Part 3 describes my attempt to solder the tab wire to the negative part of the cell and how I’m going to wire the cells to produce the correct voltage. This last post will summarize the task of completing the solar panel before school starts and what my future plans are with solar power panels.
Video of the completed solar panel
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It took me a couple of days to complete all the soldering. I got better at it as I went along and only broke a few cells. Luckily I bought enough and I still have about ten left. The hardest part was dealing with corrosion that built up on the tip of the soldering pen and getting an even flow of solder to flow onto the three positive connections on the back of the cell. I had to scrap a few cells because of poor solder connections.
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