Updates: 03-11-200903-04-2009 02-16-2009 01-08-2009 12-18-2008 12-13-2008 12-03-2008 11-26-2008 11-15-2008 09-25-2008 09-18-2008 09-03-2008 08-13-2008 07-11-2008 05-28-2008 04-15-2008 03-28-2008 03-22-2008 03-13-2008 03-11-2008 03-06-2008 01-30-2008 01-23-2008 01-16-2008 01-09-2008 12-29-2007 12-12-2007 11-28-2007 11-22-2007 11-16-2007 11-13-2007 11-07-2007 10-31-2007 10-20-2007 10-17-2007 09-26-2007 09-12-2007 08-29-2007 08-23-2007 08-11-2007 07-19-2007 07-11-2007 07-04-2007 06-27-2007 06-20-2007 06-14-2007 06-06-2007 05-30-2007 05-23-2007 05-16-2007 05-09-2007 05-02-2007 04-25-2007 04-18-2007 04-11-2007 04-04-2007 03-28-2007 03-21-2007 03-14-2007 03-08-2007 03-07-2007 03-01-2007 02-28-2007 02-21-2007 02-14-2007 02-07-2007 01-31-2007 01-24-2007 01-17-2007 01-10-2007 01-03-2007 12-20-2006 12-13-2006 12-06-2006 11-22-2006 11-15-2006 11-08-2006 11-01-2006 10-25-2006 10-18-2006 10-11-2006 10-03-2006 09-27-2006 09-20-2006 09-13-2006 09-06-2006 08-30-2006 08-23-2006 08-16-2006 08-09-2006 08-02-2006 07-26-2006 07-12-2006 07-05-2006 06-28-2006 06-21-2006 06-14-2006 05-31-2006 05-22-2006 05-17-2006 05-10-2006 05-03-2006 04-26-2006 04-19-2006 04-12-2006 04-05-2006 03-29-2006 03-22-2006 03-15-2006 03-10-2006 03-08-2006 03-02-2006 02-24-2006 02-15-2006 02-14-2006 02-11-2006 02-09-2006 02-03-2006 01-24-2006 01-19-2006 01-10-2006 01-04-2006 12-20-2005 12-08-2005 12-01-2005 11-15-2005 11-10-2005 11-03-2005 11-02-2005 10-24-2005 10-20-2005 10-16-2005 10-05-2005 09-29-2005 09-22-2005 09-19-2005 09-07-2005 08-11-2005 08-08-2005
|
Weekly Math Updates$25 for Immortality. See below. January 24, 2007 Contents:
Fantastic Legislation - YOU NEED TO CONTACT YOUR OFFICIALS AND SUPPORT THIS BILL H.B. 144 This last week in the legislature has proved fruitful with a couple of bills coming forth that could really make a huge impact in Utah. The first bill is one sponsored by Kenneth Sumsion from Lehi. This bill will require that every 2 years after a school district superintendent is appointed to that position, his or her name will appear on the general ballot for a retention vote. This will finally turn the attention of superintendents to the entire district instead of just catering to a few board members to keep their support. Here's the bill itself: http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2007/bills/hbillint/hb0144.htm There are also some unlisted bills (don't have the actual text posted yet) being run by Steve Urquhart concerning school vouchers, and several bills by Howard Stephenson related to charter schools and education issues. I'll report on those as they become available, but please, please, please, contact everyone you know to support HB 144. Powerful Video This next piece is a must see for the visual comparison of Investigations and Everyday Math to traditional algorithms. It's produced by a TV news meteorologist in Washington state who has joined the fight they're waging for better standards and curricula there. Please watch and forward this one to everyone you know. Voucher Argument Anyone who missed the opinion piece by state school board president Kim Burningham, missed a great reason to get ill. His view piece was called, "vouchers would hurt schools". To be sure, vouchers are a contentious issue and even as one who has opposed them in the past, I only endorse them now due to the level of power school districts and educrats have over our lives. Todd Whitaker sent me his excellent rebuttal this week and he's agreed to let me publish it here. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650221621,00.html (original piece)
Bizarre Atomic Factoid OK, I haven't done the math to prove this :) , but I heard a scientist from BYU mention today that there is so much distance between electrons and neutrons in atoms, that if you took all the people in the world and collapsed their atoms so that the electrons and neutrons touched, you could fit everyone's atoms in a small cup. Sort of makes me feel a little less significant than I did yesterday... In God We Trust Donations OK, so immortality is free and that headline was obviously a marketing ploy. I am desperate and needed your attention. :) But seriously, what greater legacy can we give our children that will last forever? I am very grateful for those of you that have contributed to the poster project. We have over $600 collected and need less than $900 to put these posters up in every single classroom of the district. Bob Bonham is working on the design so you know it's going to look good. Please contribute just a few dollars. $25 will pay for all the posters for one school in the district but even $5-10 will help us reach the goal. This email goes to hundreds of you that have benefited by the actions of a few, and we have all been the beneficiary of the actions of a few faithful founders that sacrificed all they had to give us our freedom. Please, don't make me buy a fraction of the posters and have to decide where to put them. Let's purchase all of them and fill the district with our national motto and a reminder that all blessings flow from God. http://www.oaknorton.com/donationpage.cfm Media Articles Science hopes to change events that have already occurred
Weapons of Math Destruction by Oak Norton Does Playing the Piano Make You Smarter? "Taking piano lessons and solving math puzzles on a computer significantly improves specific math skills of elementary school children, according to a study by UC Irvine researchers." Weekly Comic Archive: http://www.weaponsofmathdestruction.com Till next week, Oak Norton |
|
Copyright 2005-06, All Rights Reserved |