Math and Super Mario Brothers

Usually I would hand out a worksheet on calculating when a function is closest to a point and have students complete 10-12 questions.  This year, I took the a different approach by bringing Super Mario Brothers in my class.

Using this picture,

I informed my class about Mario Brothers; when you jump, with Yoshi, you can jump again.  I then posed the question, "When would be the best time to jump off Yoshi if you want to get to the top level?"

Using Calculus, and geogebra you can calculate the path of Yoshi and the co-ordinate of the top level to get:

From here we calculated the equation of the parabola, and a distance function based on any point (x, f(x)) on the function.  Ultimately, we calculated the closest distance Yoshi comes to the point, and when to double jump to get the coin.
Students enjoyed this more than completing the 10 questions on the worksheet.  Feel free to use and fix as you see fit.

Animal School

Very good clip!

Why do teachers bargain?

Teachers are not fighting for higher pay, we are fighting for creating the conditions for best professional practice. These include:

• Class size and composition
• Hours of instruction and other assigned duties
• Inclusion requirements
• Pay
• Benefits
• Leaves
• Professional Development
• Hiring and Tenure

Our fighting is not about working less but instead we are asking for more control around our hours of work.  When teachers come to the table asking for anything, we are simply asking for the best conditions that will ensure the best quality of practice, that will ultimately allow for teachers to use their skills to the best of their ability to the children in the seats in front of them. 

The simple truth is the working conditions of the teachers is the exact same as the learning conditions of the students.

\

7 Reasons why not to use Grades in School

1) Truly extinguishes intrinsic motivation.

2) Actually diminishes performance.

3) Crushes creativity

4) Overcrowds good behaviour

5) Encourages cheating and other unethical behaviour

6) Will cause addictive behaviour

7) Fosters short term thinking.

Enough said.

10 Reasons why not to Vote for Wild Rose

In Red Deer, I have heard multiple speeches from the Wild Rose and I have now compiled my TOP 10 WHY NOT TO VOTE FOR Wild Rose.

1)      Using “Danny Dollars”, they will drive the economy of Alberta back in time instead of forwards.

2)      The leader, Danielle Smith, has very little elected political experience, aside from being on the Calgary school Board in her 20s, before all of its members were fired by the education minister.

3)      In Education, they have the mentallity that to prepare students for the tests of life, they should write many many tests in schools.  This will take time away from real learning.

4)      One candidate, Ron Leech, believes, due to being Caucasian, can be speak to all of the community.

5)      In their platform, Wild Rose has a “wait time guarantee”, but this potentially will just open the door to more private health care, which the leader supports greatly,

6)       The leader, Danielle Smith, cancels interviews and is becoming increasingly inaccessible to media.

7)       Wild Rose wants K-12 standardized testing, that will ultimately put real deep learning on the list in schools.

8)      Wild Rose is supporter of Merit Pay in education, and here is the problem with that.

9)       Wild Rose wants to advance private-property rights, which is a hallmark of the Fraser institute thinking.  This would allow Smith to freeze private land for public purposes.

10)    Still not convinced; just wait a day and you will have another reason based on a blog or a comment from one of the Wild Rose Canidates.