Sunday, April 14, 2013

Quarter IV, Week 1: ScreenCasts, SmartNotes and Code oh my!




Quarter IV, Week 1: ScreenCasts, SmartNotes and Code oh my! 

Math 4R: preCalculus for Seniors
Math 4H: preCalculus Honors for Juniors
Math 5H: AP Calculus BC
CSH: preComputer Science Honors
APCS: AP Computer Science A
CIS(theta): Computing Independent Study
PAEMST: Presidential Award of Excellence
Ubuntu: Linux Install Fests, Fun and Games

Above you will find links to summaries of all my lessons for the past several weeks. So, this blog post serves as a Table of Contents for all my other blogs from class!

In addition, CIS(theta) is a summary of my Computing Independent Study class that meets after school like a club. 

PAEMST details my trials and tribulations regarding my 2013 application for the Presidential Award of Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. 

Last, but not least, UBUNTU is a collection of blogs about installing, maintaining and teaching math and computer science with Ubuntu Linux on my desktop, on my smartboard and on my students' desktops in class!

Our YouTube Wednesday was cancelled this week as I was sick and then we had a lockdown. Next week our guest speaker will be Carl Sagan!



Well, that's all folks!
Learning with Technology, 

Teaching Math 4R: Finishing Chapter 12 - Sequences and Series!









Teaching Math 4R: Finishing Chapter 12 - Sequences and Series! 

preCalculus for Seniors finished Chapter 12 this week! We talked about sequences vs. series, finite vs. infinite series, geometric vs. arithmetic, and The Binomial Expansion Series. 

We also tried doing this unit without a Graphing Calculator like the TI-83 we're used to. I showed my students a Computer Algebra System called SAGE. SAGE is based on the python programming language and is very easy to use. SAGE is a free online mathematical programming environment like Mathematica and MATLAB. The ScreenCast below is a playlist including videos from last year using the TI-83 and new videos from this year using SAGE.

Here's our ScreenCasts and SmartNotes for this week:

mySlideShare SmartNotes
mySage code for MATH4R2012

Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Teaching Math 4H: Unit 5 - Anti-Derivatives!





Teaching Math 4H: Unit 5 - Anti-Derivatives! 

preCalculus Honors for Juniors started Calculus Unit 5 this week. We talked about definite and indefinte integrals as well as area between curves. Next week we'll be using SAGE/python to write programs for Riemann Sums!

Here's our ScreenCasts and SmartNotes for this week:





mySlideShare SmartNotes
mySage code for MATH4H2012!

Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Teaching Math 5HBC: Unit 12 Vector/Polar!







Teaching Math 5HBC: Unit 12 Vector/Polar! 

AP Calculus BC started Unit 12, our last unit, this week. Unit 12 started with a discussion of vectors and parametric notation. Then we talked about polar graphs. We calculated polar area using a Riemann argument based on circular sectors. We also found dy/dx converting from vector to parametric mode! We have only one topic left: polar arc length using paramtrics!

We will review an old MCQ Monday BC Part IB next week! This is part of the Final Exam for the preTEST/postTEST model of the new Teacher Evaluation System!

Here's our ScreenCasts and SmartNotes for this week:






mySlideShare SmartNotes

mySAGE code for MATH5HBC2012!

Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Teaching Computer Science Honors: Continuing Turtle Graphics!


Teaching Computer Science Honors: Continuing Turtle Graphics!


We continued Turtle Graphics using "How to Think Like a Computer Scientist using Python." We spent all week random walks and a lab!

Here's our ScreenCasts and Code for this week:



mySAGE code for CSH2012!


Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Teaching AP Computer Science: Continuing Chapter 18, Recursion!



Teaching AP Computer Science: Continuing Chapter 18, Recursion! 

This week we started Recursion. We are overriding the Math class by writing our own Math.java static class! We started by overloading the pow() method:

public static int pow(int base, int exp),
public static int pow(double base, int exp),
public static int pow(double base, double exp).

That way we can test each method separately. We want to compare interation to recursion to the standard Math.pow() method. So, the first pow() uses a product for loop. The second pow() uses recursion based on the fact that base^exp=base*base^(exp-1). The last pow() method with use log() and exp(). My students will be in for a rude awakening when they try to use Math.log() and Math.exp() from the standard java.lang.Math class....

Then we added:
public static int fact(int n)
public static int fib(int n)
public static int pascal(int n, int r)

We have a Take Home due this Monday on recursive methods. We will follow recursion with GridWorld Part IV and AP Review! BTW, Chapter 19 on Searching and Sorting Algorithms will be sent home as a reading assignment. Searching and Sorting isn't a big topic on the AP Computer Science exam anymore and we need time for AP Review.

Here's our ScreenCasts and Code for this last week:

 





myPasteBin code for APCS2012
myProgramr code for APCS2012

Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Quarter III, Weeks 8&9: ScreenCasts, SmartNotes and Code oh my!



Quarter III, Weeks 8&9: ScreenCasts, SmartNotes and Code oh my! 

Math 4R: preCalculus for Seniors
Math 4H: preCalculus Honors for Juniors
Math 5H: AP Calculus BC
CSH: Computer Science Honors
APCS: AP Computer Science
CIS(theta): Computing Independent Study
PAEMST: Presidential Award of Excellence
Ubuntu: Linux Install Fun and Games

Above you will find links to summaries of all my lessons for the past several weeks. So, this blog post serves as a Table of Contents for all my other blogs from class!

In addition, CIS(theta) is a summary of my Computing Independent Study class that meets after school like a club. 

PAEMST details my trials and tribulations regarding my 2012-2013 application for the Presidential Award of Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. 

Last, but not least, UBUNTU is a collection of blogs about installing, maintaining and teaching with Ubuntu Linux on my desktop and on my students' desktops in class!

Our YouTube Wednesday was about Bill Nye and Intelligent Design!




Well, that's all folks!
Learning with Technology, 







Teaching Math 4R: Chapter 12 - Sequences and Series! 

preCalculus for Seniors started Chapter 12 the week before break (3/18/13-3/22/13) and nearly finished the week after break (4/1/13-4/5/13)! We talked about sequences vs. series, finite vs. infinite series, geometric vs. arithmetic and proof by induction! Next week we'll talk about The Binomial Expansion Series. 

We also tried doing this unit without a Graphing Calculator like the TI-83 we're used to. I showed my students a Computer Algebra System called SAGE. SAGE is based on the python programming language and is very easy to use. SAGE is a free online mathematical programming environment like Mathematica and MATLAB. The ScreenCast below is a playlist including videos from last year using the TI-83 and new videos from this year using SAGE.

Here's our ScreenCasts and SmartNotes for this week:


mySlideShare SmartNotes
mySage code for MATH4R2012


Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Teaching Math 4H: Unit 3 - Derivatives!




Teaching Math 4H: Unit 3 - Derivatives! 

preCalculus Honors for Juniors started Calculus Unit 3 the week before break (3/18/13-3/22/13) and finished the week after break (4/1/13-/4/5/13). We talked about high order derivatives, derivatives of trig functions, product rule, quotient rule and chain rule!

Here's our ScreenCasts and SmartNotes for this week:















4H2012 Calculus UNIT2 Assignments! from A Jorge Garcia 305 Chain Rule!
from A Jorge Garcia

mySlideShare SmartNotes
mySage code for MATH4H2012!

Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Teaching Math 5HBC: Unit 11 Power Series!






Teaching Math 5HBC: Unit 11 Power Series! 

AP Calculus BC started Unit 11 the week before break (3/18/13-3/22/13) and finished it this week after break (4/1/13-4/5/13). Unit 11 started with a discussion of MacLaurin Series and The Ratio Test for Absolute Convergence of Power Series. Then we talked about the Alternating Series Test, Taylor Series and LaGrange Error Terms!

We will have a new MCQ Monday BC Part IB next week! This will be part of the Final Exam for the preTEST/postTEST model of the new Teacher Evaluation System!

Here's our ScreenCasts and SmartNotes for this week:























mySlideShare SmartNotes
mySAGE code for MATH5HBC2012!

Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Teaching Computer Science Honors: Continuing Turtle Graphics!

Teaching Computer Science Honors: Continuing Turtle Graphics!

We continued Turtle Graphics using "How to Think Like a Computer Scientist using Python." We are spent all week on a lab with loops, functions and turtles. Next week we'll do some random walks!

Here's our ScreenCasts and Code for this week:

 








mySAGE code for CSH2012!


Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology, 

Teaching AP Computer Science: Starting Chapter 18, Recursion!


Teaching AP Computer Science: Starting Chapter 18, Recursion! 

This post covers the week before April Break (3/18/13-3/22/13) and the week after (4/1/13-4/5/13). The first week we finished Chess960 and started a tournament. This week we finished the tournament and started Recursion. We are overriding the Math class by writing our own Math.java static class! We started by overloading the pow() method:

public static int pow(int base, int exp),
public static int pow(double base, int exp),
public static int pow(double base, double exp).

That way we can test each method separately. We want to compare interation to recursion to the standard Math.pow() method. So, the first pow() uses a product for loop. The second pow() uses recursion based on the fact that base^exp=base*base^(exp-1). The last pow() method with use log() and exp(). My students will be in for a rude awakening when they try to use Math.log() and Math.exp() from the standard java.lang.Math class....


We have a Take Home due this Monday on the Comparable Interface. We will follow recursion with GridWorld Part IV and AP Review! BTW, Chapter 19 on Searching and Sorting Algorithms will be sent home as a reading assignment. Searching and Sorting isn't a big topic on the AP Computer Science exam anymore and we need time for AP Review.

Here's our ScreenCasts and Code for this last week:










myPasteBin code for APCS2012
myProgramr code for APCS2012

Well, that's all folks!
Teaching with Technology,