technology again

the counter on the school's copier says I am out of my ration for copying.  I have no idea what it is. The reason we are not given the amount is because there is concern that we will try to use it all.

I talked to the principal whom I told "surely in February I have not used more than I did last year."

So he will look to see if the count can be reset.

So I spent time loading my web page with assignments.  I needed to anyway.  I will be using projected tests and Ipads to get tests done.

I make lists in my sleep

This is good.

http://davidseah.com/

How to plan stuff.  Many forms on how to plan.  I have a stack of them for my students who need help planning.

http://davidseah.com/_wpcontent/imgcache/images/pceo/lifestyle/583-the-emergent-task-planner-01.jpg

Zombie STEM Activity

I am usually down on Texas Instruments.

Now I recognize that years ago they are responsible for Americans having easy access to calculators.  The first ones that came out years ago when I was in High School were very expensive and TI made them cheaper than the others.

My issue is they really want people to use calculators...regardless.  After all if you use calculators instead of doing it with paper, then become dependent on calculators they have sales.

Many of their lesson plans involve teaching students how to use the calculator or new program or new console, instead of learning the lesson.  Of course in my class I use TI.  I even had a set that hooked up to the calculators. (right now my current school has a set of such things by another company)

But here

http://education.ti.com/en/us/stem-hollywood/zombies

is a lesson on how such a thing could happen.  It covers the curriculum. 

Hmmm. Maybe we can all do a lesson.

Myths in education II

"the State of North Carolina plans its prison population based on grade reading scores."

Urhommm, no.

Look on the face of this.
How many states do you know of that have the right amount of prison space.  Right.  None.

Every state has prisons that are overcrowed.  People are in prison because of laws.  Many in prison are non violent offenders, drug laws, mandatory sentencing. 

Granted there are many people in prison who cannot read.  But none plane their population based on test scores.

Do not believe me?  Check out snopes.com

cleaning my mail

There has been a lot of discussion about Common Core.  I teach science, there is not a common core for that.  There is, however, Next Generation Science standards.  Which really should be "science standards aligned with Common Core."   I was going through this that I had sent to a person involved with Next Generation (and where is Jean Luc and Worf?).

Never got an answer.

"I read the power point for next generation recently forwarded to me.

It had this
"On June 1, a fast growing species of algae is accidentally introduced into a lake in a city park. It starts to grow and cover the surface of the lake in such a way that the area covered by the algae doubles every day. If it continues to grow unabated, the lake will be totally covered and the fish in the lake will suffocate. At the rate it is growing, this will happen on June 30. "

I am not a biologist, botonist or hortoculturist, or anything like that.  I have to ask.  "What supper algae is this?" Genus and species is nice.  I mean there is math here, excellent. But is it real?  I cannot envision any plant that grows at that rate.  Okay, cells reproduce and double, but some die, some are eaten....other thing happen. I know of algal blooms and such, even teaching it in Environmental science now.  I remember Chinese cleaning algae out of the ocean in preparation of the Olympics.

So my question is, does the quote I have accurately reflect what can really happen? "

BTW the answer is "the day before it covers the lake, what ever day that is."

I can do geometrical progression.

school shooters, and do not piss off momma bear

We had active shooter training this week.

Since we are a high school, we are not concerned about a random crazy.  At this level it is usually one of our students (Columbine, Jonesboro).

All of us agreed in thought.  They are not getting in my room, if they do it will be because they had to step over my body.  They are not hurting my students, I have high school football players, scrappy black girls, brave hispanic students and brave redneck students. 

The cops will have to scrape up the shooter with a shovel.

And I have an entire chem lab at my disposal.  We will fight back, You will not hurt any of mine.

Book of the day grammar

Transitive Vampire.
by Karen Elizabeth Gordon.

This is where I learned what a "gerund" is.  I used this when I had to teach a remediation class in reading.

You will never see a book like this.

book of the day star wars

Wedge's Gambit

by a Michael Stackpole

From the Star Wars Expanded Universe, How the Rebellion seized Coruscant.  Multi character intelligence infiltration.