All about math department projects and events.

Microcontrollers and DC Circuits

TedHere’s some great info put together by Mr. Matthias, the teacher who will be leading the charge in the classroom next year for one of Williston’s brand new courses, Microcontrollers and DC Circuits.

1. What topics will this class be covering?
The basic principles of microcontroller design and simple DC electrical circuits will be introduced. Topics of voltage, current, resistance, capacitance, induction, Ohm’s Law, and breadboard prototyping will be covered. In addition, students will use their Java/C++ programming knowledge to write programs for the Arduino microprocessor and use these programs to control the behavior of their DC circuits. Online circuit design software will also help students test and document circuit designs before building them.

2. How is this class different from the other classes taught at Williston?
The two major areas of knowledge presented in this course are computer programming an direct current electricity. Classes already exist for students to learn computer programming in the Math Department (e.g.; Engineering & Robotics, Advanced Programming and AP Computer Science, Video Game Design) and the Science Department offers topics in electricity (e.g.; AP Physics 2, AP Physics C). What makes the Microcontrollers and DC Circuits course unique is the way it integrates topics from BOTH departments into a single, hands-on experience. The topics presented in Microcontrollers and DC Circuits form the basics of a STEM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education.

3. Why do you think it is an important class to offer?
Microcontrollers and DC Circuits expands the School’s STEM offerings for students interested in studying electronics, computer engineering, or electrical engineering at the college/university level. It also presents topics that can be somewhat abstract (programming theory, current/voltage/resistance, etc.) and makes them concrete through experimentation in a hands-on experience.

4. Why should students take this class? What type of student do you think this class will appeal to?
Certainly, any student who has an interest in computer programming or engineering will find that this course will augment their level of preparation for studying engineering at the college/university level. In addition, a student who has had taken the computer programming classes at Williston will be able to use and expand their programming knowledge to build and program DC circuits that perform many different functions.

5. What prerequisites are required for a student to take this class?
Prospective students must have competed both Engineering & Robotics I and II, or Advanced Programming in Java and receive approval from the Math Department.

6. Is there anything else students should know or other things about this class you would like students considering this class to know?
Microcontrollers and DC Circuits is designed for knowledge mastery through a fun, engaging and experiment-based experience. Student will each have their own microcontroller (Arduino), a prototyping “breadboard”, and a kit of electrical components. In addition, software to program the Arduino will be installed on the students’ Surface.

Also, for those students who anticipate taking AP Physics 2 or AP Physics C, Microcontrollers and DC Circuits will prepare them in advance for the topics in the Electricity unit of both courses.

7. Have you taught any other similar topics before? If not, has there been/ do you anticipate there being a learning curve for you as a teacher when preparing the material?
I have taught the skills necessary for the computer programming aspect of Microcontrollers and DC Circuits. I have also been an amateur electronics hobbyist for the last 52 years. I will be blending my teaching experience in computer programming with my knowledge of DC electronics, and will frame both in a curriculum I am developing with the generous help awarded to me by a Williston Summer Grant. As part of the grant, I will be attending a week-long workshop for educators taught by secondary school electronics curriculum developers.

Things to check out – 4/24/14

At the last few Math Departments I have taken to sharing several “Things to check out” — articles, videos, and websites that have come to my attention that are worth checking out. I thought I would start sharing those resources on this blog. Here’s what I shared at today’s meeting:

Website: Gaudi Columns [Thanks Ms. Chambers!]
Article: David Thornburg on Open-Source Textbooks [Thanks Mrs. Baldwin!]
Website: Fractals and Fugues [Thanks Mr. Tuleja!]

Video: Mercury Hz [Thanks Mrs. McCullagh]

Video: Calculus II Summer Course Trailer [Thanks Jesse Ware!]

Mapping Running routes in San Francisco

Check out this awesome message and visualization created by Mrs. Baldwin!

“R is arguably the most powerful statistical analysis tool out there. Its features extend far into the world of data visualization. After the AP Statistics exam, students will have the opportunity to learn and develop their skills in the R environment creating graphics such as this. The graphic overlays data from RunKeeper onto a map of San Francisco. This visualization shows the most frequently travelled routes for runners in the city!

Inspiration and script from flowingdata.com.”

Carey-Stat-Picture-Running-R

Math, Ultimate, and Origami

Due to a generous Williston professional development grant, I was able to spend all of Spring Break traveling through Israel and the West Bank. I visited schools, saw math classes in action, folded Origami with masters, taught Ultimate, and saw many new places.

Cranes in the Western Wall
Cranes in the Western Wall

You can read about my travels in these three blog posts:

Math, Ultimate, and Origami – Update 1
Math, Ultimate, and Origami – Update 2
Math, Ultimate, and Origami – Update 3

US Math Students of the Trimester – Winter 2014

I am excited to announce a new award, the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester!

Awards-Banner-T2-1024

Each math faculty member was free to choose whichever student of theirs they thought best exemplified what they are looking for in a model mathematics student. The official description of the award is as follows:

“Awarded to students who exemplify the math department’s core values of competence, confidence, and perseverance while helping their peers realize the relevance and importance of an exceptional mathematical education both for its beauty and for its practical application.”

The following students have been recognized as the Upper School Mathematics Students of the Trimester for T2 2013.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding mathematics students!

Sam Atkins
Sam Atkins

Sam Atkins – Sam has excelled in Engineering & Robotics. He has submitted accurate and creative programming solutions, and is quick to help other classmates with the material. Sam moves on to the Advanced Programming course where his easy style and helpful nature will be a terrific asset to the class.

A'Kala Chaires
A’Kala Chaires

A’Kala Chaires – A’Kala thinks deeply about the concepts in Probability and Statistics and makes great contributions to our class discussions. She has been a model of intellectual curiosity and academic persistence. A’Kala is excited about Prob/Stats and about learning. This is clear in her habit of finding applications in her daily life and the excitement with which she brings these to class.

Brittany Collins
Brittany Collins

Brittany Collins – Straight As in prob/stat…great person as well as good math student. Her work ethic is amazing. Always has her homework done. Is an active and positive participant in class discussion. Has the highest average in her class. Has math insight beyond rote learning. Plus she’s a great kid who is involved in all kinds of volunteer activities.

Alyssa Cote
Alyssa Cote

Alyssa Cote – Alyssa has been a steady high achieving student all year. She has a perfect homework record and is always engaged in class. She is both confident and competent, seemingly enjoying the material, while willingly helping her peers.

Maranie Harris-Kuiper
Maranie Harris-Kuiper

Maranie Harris-Kuiper – Mar is a powerhouse. She works HARD for every point that she earns. I am so proud of how she has kept up her work ethic even as the course has become more challenging. She actively participates in class, doesn’t hesitate to ask questions, and fully leverages every option for expanding her understanding of the material. She is one of the most coachable students I have ever worked with. She’s a class driver. All of this is all the more impressive because the course is not easy for Mar. She has stepped up to the challenge BIG time. Keep it up Mar!

Umi Keezing
Umi Keezing

Umi Keezing – All year long, Umi has been one of the top students in AP Calculus. She comes to every class well prepared and ready to learn. She has a genuine curiousity about mathematics. She always pays close attention to detail, and is always ready to point out her teachers mistakes. Umi is a pleasure to teach and work with everyday.

Josephine King
Josephine King

Josephine King – Pinky is an insightful student of mathematics who consistently understands the nuances of difficult concepts and is able to apply them with skill and precision. Her grasp of the challenging material we study is apparent every day through her detailed work on homework and the way in which she explains concepts to her peers. She took her understanding to the next level this trimester by creating a poster that perfectly and creatively presented all of the intricacies of a trigonometric topic known as the ambiguous case. The detailed attention she gave to her poster and the clarity with which she presented the topic demonstrated her strong mathematical ability as well as the manner in which she always approaches the study of this discipline.

Emily MacDonald
Emily MacDonald

Emily MacDonald – Emily has achieved at the highest levels this marking period. Always engaged in class, Emily is often the first to demonstrate her work on the board and she is willing to take healthy risks by volunteering answers to the most challenging questions. She has paid close attention to details and completed all assignments with precision. Accurate and organized, Emily always learns from her mistakes and she saved her best work for the trimester two assessment!

Ian Ostberg
Ian Ostberg

Ian Ostberg – His averages were all A’s (test and quizzes 93%, Homework 93%, and class work 100%). He has an incredible work ethic, is greatly organized, and always participates with class discussions. He not only wants to get the right answers but wants to truly understand the connections of the concepts. He is never satisfied just doing without fully understanding.

Teddy Wolfe
Teddy Wolfe

Teddy Wolfe – Teddy Wolfe was selected to be a math student of the trimester for many reasons. Teddy is an extraordinary math student. He earned excellent grades in both trimester I and trimester II this year. He goes above and beyond what is expected of him on all of his assignments. Teddy asks intelligent questions that demonstrate his interest in mathematical processes and reasoning. His curiosity leads him to discover fun and inventive methods for solving a variety of mathematical problems. Teddy is also a wonderful classmate, and continually volunteers to explain solutions to the class and help peers grasp the material we are learning. Teddy comes to class everyday wearing a smile and always has a positive attitude.

Emily Yeager
Emily Yeager

Emily Yeager – Emily is always so interested in all the mathematics we are discussing. She is always prepared, and she will always ask questions when she doesn’t understand something right away. Upbeat and positive, I can always count on her to be fully engaged in every lesson.

Molly Zawacki
Molly Zawacki

Molly Zawacki – Molly has worked very hard this trimester. She has excellent insight into each problem. Her depth of understanding has been one of the highest in the class.

 

T1 Students of the Trimester can be found right here.

All about math department projects and events.