Wiki's are awesome!!!

Most of you know that I stopped blogging about a year ago becasue i started using Wikis in my classes and found them far more useful.

If you want to set up your own class wiki click on the link below.


Check out the PBwiki tour!

I need your input!!!!

I know I have not posted to my blog forever. I have found that access to the Internet was a huge problem for more than half of my students. As a result, more than half of my students could not even access my blog if they wanted to and of the half that had technology only some chose to use the blog. However, hopefully that will change. At my high school we found out a couple of weeks ago that we have been given $1.8 million to design our new high school. Yeah!!!!!! One of the things we are planning for the new school is to have 60 mobile, wireless laptop computers. That way instead of trying to take the students to the technology we can bring the technology to the students.

Here is where you all come in. I would like your input on designing a new high school. If you had the chance to start from the ground up, what things would you include in your classroom and your school? These items can be technology related but they do not have to be.

For example, I want a smartboard in my classroom and a computer projector mounted on the ceiling. A colleague of mine currently has to walk across the entire school just to use the staff washrooms. This person really wants a staff washroom closer to their classroom. Our current school has very few windows in it. So, the whole staff wants more windows in the new school.

I can hardly wait to hear your suggestions for our new school!!!!!!

Podcast test

This is a test post to see if I can access a podcast I created using Garageband 3. For all of you Mac users out there, if you are thinking of creating a podcast, you have to get Garageband. It took me 15 minutes from start to finish to create this podcast. I did not have to read a manual or wrestle with 3 or 4 different apps to create this. All I needed was my eMac and Garageband. The audio was recorded using the built in Mic on my eMac.

If you listen to my podcast let me know what you think. By the way, my podcast is about fishing. It was the only idea I could come up with on short notice!!!!

Fishingcast podcast

Reviewing for this week's Trigonometry Exam

You have a trigonometry functions exam coming up this week on Thursday. Here are some useful websites to help you practice all of the things you have learned in this unit.

There are some self-check quizzes at this site. Select the section titled "Graphs of Trigonometric Functions".

I will be posting other useful websites in the coming days. If you find any, email me and I will post them for the whole class to use.

Happy studying!!!!!

It's Been a Long Time Since I Blogged

For those of you who followed my blog last school year you may be wondering what happened to my blog. Well I have to say "Life happened!!!!". Last semester I taught 3 blocks of the day and had 1 block as a prep period. I was not coaching last semester either. I have found this semester with teaching 4 blocks and coaching cross country running 4 nights a week I have had little or no time to blog. I hope to change this.

It is interesting though. I really do want to blog and provide extra resources to my students. However, time is necessary to do this. I still have to prepare my daily lessons, mark homework and assignments and fit a few minutes in with my wife and kids.

It would sure nice to have a prep period every semester. That 80 minutes a day makes it possible to keep up with my teaching duties and still blog. Ah, if only dream worlds did exist!!

I definitely have to figure out how to juggle all of the balls in life and still blog.

Welcome Back!!!!

Welcome to the first day of the 2005-06 school year. This blog will be used during semester I for my Pure Math 30 class.

Some of you had a chance to use the blog last year in our Pure Math 20 class. All of the information that I posted last year is still at this blog if you just navigate backwards using the months on the right hand side of the screen.

In class today I will be explaining the purpose of the blog. For those of you that want to get started now here is a quick explaination. I will be using the blog to post additional resources that are deigned to assist you with the material that we are studying in class. Sometimes the postings will be just pictures and/or text. Most times the postings will contain links to useful websites on the Internet. The whole idea is to give you, my students, more information on the topics we are studying so that you can better understand them and be more successful in your study of mathematics.

Make sure that you comment on my postings using the comment button at the bottom of any post.

To get you started using the blog here is a question. What is a transformation? Once you come up with an answer post it on the blog by using the comment button. I look forward to your responses.

P.S. The picture in this posting is of a waterslide in Penticton that my family and I went to this summer. I know some of you would like to be at the waterslide right now, however, all good things must come to an end!!!!!

Final Exam Review

Today we are writing our last unit exam in Pure Math 20. Now begins the process of reviewing for the final exam. This blog can be an excellent resource for your review. Remember that you can go back to the beginning of the semester on the blog and look at the links and information I have provided. If you are having difficulty in a unit while you are studying and reviewing for the final exam you can use the resources here to assist you.

Oh yeah, do not forget to tell your friends in the class to go to the blog. Many of them do not visit the blog as regularly as you do.

Happy studying!!!!!

Equations of Circles

Drayton Valley Crop Circle
Originally uploaded by tkaminski.

On Thursday we studied how to determine the equation of a circle. The following link let's you practice this some more.

The picture I have included is of a crop circle in a farmer's field outside of Drayton Valley, Alberta. How would we determine the coordinates of the center of this circle if we wanted to write its equation?

Hint: It has something to do with a piece of technology that starts with a G!!!

Something Fun!!!

post removed

Ferris Wheel

Ferris Wheel
Originally uploaded by tkaminski.

Yet another great picture of circles in real life. I see a radius and a diameter in this ferris wheel. Are there any chords or tangent lines?

Guitar

guitar
Originally uploaded by tkaminski.

I have been really impressed with the real life photos of circles that have been submitted so far. In this photo of a guitar what particular part of a circle do the strings represent?

Circle Geometry Site

So, we have spent the last week investigating circle geometry using Geometer's Sketchpad. We have looked at chords, inscribed and central angles as well as tangent lines.

There is a fellow by the name of Ron Blond (a former Alberta teacher) that has developed a number of very interesting applets to help summarize what we have learned about circle geometry. Check out his site. It will be very useful in helping you quickly review what we have learned.

P.S. Have you made your one page sheet summarizing all of the properties we have learned?? Remember you get to use this on your exam next week. If you have not started this summary sheet you need to have it completed for Monday. It will be very helpful in completing your assignment on Monday.

Cheers!!! Have a great weekend.

Steering Wheel

Steering Wheel
Originally uploaded by tkaminski.

Here is the latest real world picture of a circle. I hope Matt didn't take this picture while he was driving!!!!

Real World Pictures of Circles

Some of you have submitted real world pictures of circles to obtain your bonus mark on your next exam. What about the rest of you?? This is a great opportunity to exert a little bit of effort and impress me!!!! Find those really cool pictures and get them in to me.

Terminology

Today you need to find the definition for a Cyclic Quadrilateral. Our Math Dictionary does not have one. So, head out on to the Web and see what you can find!!

Inscribed and Central Angles

Here we are, the second day of circle geometry. Before we start our Geometer's Sketchpad investigations we need to define some more terms. Please use the Math Dictionary to write definitions in your notes for the following terms:

Inscribed Angle
Central Angle

Sometimes drawing a picture helps make your definition absolutely clear.

Do not forget about the challenge to find pictures of circles in real life and submit them for a bonus mark!!!!!

Daily Math Puzzle

Most of you have probably seen or maybe even try to complete the daily crossword puzzle in the Edmonton Journal. Now, if you are good with words (which are not my strong point) you probably quite enjoy completing crossword puzzles. Since I am good with numbers I prefer number related problems.

Yesterday I was sitting in my backyard enjoying the shade of my favorite tree reading the newspaper. There was an article about a number puzzle called Sudoku. Here is how Sudoku works:

You are given a 9 x 9 grid. The object is to fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3 x 3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. Sounds easy!!!! Well, I thought I would give it a try. I am hooked!!! I can't put down these puzzles until I solve them.

For a more detailed and pictorial explanantion of Sudoku check out this site.
If you get hooked on Sudoku and would like a new puzzle each day visit The Times of London website where they publish a new Sudoku puzzle each day.

Give Sudoku a try. I think you will like it.

Circles: Brondby, Denmark

Brondby, Denmark
Originally uploaded by tkaminski.

Is this a cool picture or what!!!! thanks for sharing this Chad.

Stonehenge

stonehenge.jpg
Originally uploaded by tkaminski.

Here is the first contribution of circles in the real world by one of your classmates. It is an artist's drawing of stonehenge.

Do you see any mathematical symbols in this picture??

Circle Terminology

Big Wheel
Originally uploaded by natalieb.

Before we start using Geometer's Sketchpad to investigate properties of circles we need to define some parts of the circle. Using the Math Dictionary link in our blog define the following terms:

Circle
Radius
Diameter
Chord

Mark sure to write these definitions in your notebook. You may even want to draw a diagram to help illustrate these parts of a circle.


This picture of a bicycle wheel illustrates some of the parts of a circle.

Challenge: The long weekend is before us. Anyone who brings in or e-mails me a picture of a real world example of circles receives a bonus mark on their next exam. Make sure that you can explain to me where this picture was taken, ie. the city or town, the building location etc... Wouldn't it be cool to post these to our blog!!!!!

Circle Geometry

church rosetta window
Originally uploaded by lunaryuna.

Tomorrow we start studying circle geometry. Many students always wonder where in the world circle geometry is ever seen or used. So, here is a Math Trail about circle geometry created by some teachers in Saskatchewan. It does an excellent job of illustating where in the world circles appear and are used.

Enjoy!!!!!

P.S. If you are no sure what a Math Trail is. Check out this video.