Month: March 2009

Podcast number nine in the As We May Teach… series is now available:

Reading Math — II: Painting by Numbers

This podcast returns to the concept of math as a language that can be “read” by everybody, with the assistance in this scenario of numerical simulation and modeling tools.

Resources for this podcast are listed below. If you develop new models of your own using the resurces mentioned in this podcast, please let me know in the comments — I’d love to feature them in a future podcast.

Reading Math — II: Painting by Numbers

Prelude – A Medical Dilemma:

Paulos, J.A. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences. New York: Hill and Wang, 1988. Hamm, R.M. “Underweighting of Base-Rate Information Reflects Important Difficulties People Have With Probabilistic Inference: Commentary on Koehler on Base-Rate.” Psycoloquy 5(03) (1994) Griffiths, T.L. and Tenenbaum, J.B. “Optimal Predictions in Everyday Cognition.” Psychological Science 17(9) (2006)

Substitution to Augmentation – Visualizing Probability:

NetLogo The Center for Connected Learning (CCL) and Computer-Based Modeling – Connected Mathematics: ProbLab

Modification to Redefinition – Programming Systems:

NetLogo-Educators Group Puentedura, R.R. A Simple Wolf-Sheep-Grass Simulation. (2006)

The eighth podcast in the As We May Teach… series is now online:

Visualizing Chemistry: 3D and the Secret Life of Molecules

The theme for this podcast: how visualization and computational tools can make chemistry more accessible for a broader audience, and increase everyone’s understanding of the subject at the same time.

As always, the resources for this podcast are listed below. If you have questions about the tools used in the podcast, by all means please post them in the comments — I’ll be happy to answer them.

Visualizing Chemistry: 3D and the Secret Life of Molecules

Substitution to Augmentation — Visualizing Molecules

Avogadro MathMol — Library of 3-D Molecular Structures DrugBank RCSB — Protein Data Bank

Modification to Redefinition — Computing Molecules:

Alan Shusterman — Reed Organic Chemistry Online Shusterman, G.P. and Shusterman, A.J. “Teaching Chemistry with Electron Density Models.” Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 74, No.7 1997 GAMESS MacMolPlt

Sustaining Redefinition — Exploring Molecules:

National Computational Science Institute — Computational Chemistry for Chemistry Educators

This week’s podcast in the As We May Teach… series is now online:

Reading Math — I: Visualization as Virtual Interpreter

This podcast focuses on the use of visualization tools as a way to provide everyone access to mathematics as a language they can “read” and apply, even if they have not taken advanced courses in the subject.

The resources for this podcast are listed below. If you have examples of uses of visualization tools in math that you would like to share, by all means please do so via the comments.

Reading Math — I: Visualization as Virtual Interpreter

Math Literacy and Technology

National Science Foundation — Math: What’s the Problem? Crowe, D. and Zand H. Computers and undergraduate mathematics I: setting the scene. Computers & Education 35 (2000) Crowe, D. and Zand H. Computers and undergraduate mathematics 2: on the desktop. Computers & Education 37 (2001)

Substitution to Augmentation — Interactive Demo

Wolfram Mathematica Player Wolfram Demonstrations Project Wolfram Demonstrations Project — Relationship of Sine and Cosine to the Unit Circle, by Noel Patson

Augmentation to Modification — Interactive Exploration

MacRumors: Guides — Grapher Y. Barois — Grapher How-To Google Translate Apple Discussions — Forum: Using Mac OS X Leopard

Modification to Redefinition — Data Analysis and Exploration

National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) — Sunspot Numbers

Sustaining Redefinition — Pure and Applied Mathematical Exploration

Wolfram Demonstrations Project — Riemann Sums: A Simple Illustration, by Phil Ramsden Wolfram Demonstrations Project — Rational Harmonics, by Stephen Wolfram

A new podcast in the As We May Teach… series is now online:

Collaboration and Peer Instruction: Google Docs and Forms

This podcast concludes the “Google Docs Trilogy,” discussing uses of the Forms module to enhance collaboration, and to change the dynamics of classroom discussion. Coming next week: technology and “reading math.”

As usual, resources for this podcast are listed below; please let me know what you think via the comments.

Collaboration and Peer Instruction: Google Docs and Forms

Collaboration and the Flow of Data

GLOBE at Night

Peer Instruction and ConcepTests

Eric Mazur, From Questions to Concepts: Interactive Teaching in Physics. Project Galileo McConnell, D.A., Steer, D.N, and Owens, K.D. “Assessment and Active Learning Strategies for Introductory Geology Courses.” Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 51, n. 2, March 2003. Lasry, N. “Clickers or Flashcards: Is There Really a Difference?” The Physics Teacher, Vol. 46, April 2008.