Mathematic Instruction Media

Tony Phillips' Take on Math in the Media

2009-07-07T03:18:00.000-07:00

This month's topics:

Math on the Wild Side
"Intimidatingly awesome" knot theory project
Beyond Turing machines

Math on the Wild Side

Olivia Judson's weekly New York Times blog "The Wild Side" is being taken over for three weeks by the Steven Strogatz of Cornell, who refers to himself as "(gasp!) a mathematician." Strogatz has posted two columns so far, on May 19 and May 26, 2009.

May 19: "Math and the City" (available online). Strogatz starts with the observation "One of the pleasures of looking at the world through mathematical eyes is that you can see certain patterns that would otherwise be hidden." This first column focuses on various studies of scaling, which reveal "Manhattan and a mouse to be variations on a single structural theme." He starts with Zipf's law. George Zipf, a linguist, noticed that if you order the words in a language by the frequency with which they occur (in speech, say), with the most frequent first, then the nth word on the list has 1/n the frequency of the first word, to a good approximation. This distribution, called "Zipf's Law" turns up in many contexts. For example, Zipf "noticed that if you tabulate the biggest cities in a given country and rank them according to their populations, the largest city is always about twice as big as the second largest, and three times as big as the third largest, and so on. In other words, the population of a city is, to a good approximation, inversely proportional to its rank. Why this should be true, no one knows." Now for the scaling: "For instance, if one city is 10 times as populous as another one, does it need 10 times as many gas stations? No. ... The number of gas stations grows only in proportion to the 0.77 power of population." And here's where the mice -- and elephants -- come in: "on a pound for pound basis, the cells of an elephant consume far less energy than those of a mouse. The relevant law of metabolism, called Kleiber's law, states that the metabolic needs of a mammal grow in proportion to its body weight raised to the 0.74 power." 0.77, 0.74, "Coincidence? Maybe, but probably not. There are theoretical grounds to expect a power close to 3/4." The column ends with a useful set of references.
May 26: "Loves Me, Loves Me Not (Do the Math)" (available online). Here Strogatz makes his point ("the laws of nature are written as differential equations") by modeling the ups and downs of a tempestuous romantic relationship. He posits a theoretical Romeo and Juliet, with interlocking behavior patterns: "The more Romeo loves her, the more she wants to run away and hide. But when he takes the hint and backs off, she begins to find him strangely attractive. He, on the other hand, tends to echo her: he warms up when she loves him and cools down when she hates him." (The DEs are given in an appendix: dR/dt = aJ, dJ/dt = -bR with a,b > 0, along with the qualitative description of the general solution: "Romeo and Juliet behave like simple harmonic oscillators"). There's a nice riff on the three-body problem at the end involving both Isaac Newton and Strogatz's college girlfriend's old boyfriend. Again, a good set of references.

Math in the Media

2009-07-07T03:11:00.000-07:00

April is Math Awareness Month. Thanks to the Scientific American for an unusually rich selection of mathematical topics this month!

Space could be finite, merely giving the illusion of infinity, according to Jean-Pierre Luminet, Glenn Starckman and Jeff Weeks. Their article ``Is Space Finite?'' in the April Scientific American explains compact three-dimensional topologies and the possible local geometries consistent with observed cosmic symmetry, with reference to physical theory and experiment. ``Of all the issues in cosmic topology, perhaps the most difficult to grasp is how a hyperbolic space can be finite.'' For a picture of what 3-dimensional hyperbolic space (finite or infinite) would look like from the inside see Charlie Gunn's Hyperbolic Space Tiled with Dodecahedra on the Geometry Center Website.
Playful thinking, serious mathematics. "Playful thinking can often lead to serious mathematics" is one conclusion drawn from John Conway's career in a profile by Mark Alpert in April's Scientific American. The profile mentions Conway's serious work on finite groups and transfinite numbers, as well as his more playful inventions, including of course the Game of Life, and gives the glimmer of an idea of how these are all connected in Conway's very unusual mind.
``Alan Turing's Forgotten Ideas in Computer Science,'' in the April Scientific American is a reminder of the danger of not publishing one's work. A team (B. Jack Copeland and Diane Proudfoot) of philosophy professors have dedicated themselves to the difficult job of retro-dissemination of Turing's fundamental insights into the theory of computation, and in particular the idea of ``oracles:'' currently hypothetical non-computational devices that could hold the key to computing the mathematically uncomputable. The Alan Turing Home Page (maintained by Andrew Hodges) has links to a great wealth of information about the mathematician and his work.
``Why does the telephone cord always get twisted?'' Read Ian Stewart's ``Tangling with Topology'' in his Mathematical Recreations column in April's Scientific American and find out. Hint: if you pick up and hang up with the same hand, it probably won't happen. You will also learn the difference between writhing, linking and twisting, and how they are related.

Neckties, a Knotty Mathematical Problem? A piece in Nature (March 4) on necktie knotting was picked up by the New York Times (Henry Fountain, March 9): ``It Takes a Scientist to Tie a Necktie, 85 Different Ways''. Thomas M. A. Fink and Yong Mao of Cambridge University told Fountain that the key to their analysis was making the connection to the idea of a random walk. (On a triangular lattice). For an analysis of this media phenomenon, see Peter Suber's knot page.

Math and populNexkties, a Knotty Mathematical Problem?ar culture. ``Math Emerges Blinking Into the Glare of Popular Culture'' (Paul Lewis, New York Times, March 13) attributes the recent ``boom in sales of popular books about mathematics'' to the attention attracted by Andrew Wiles' proof of Fermat's last theorem and thereby, indirectly, to Andre Weil. As evidence of the boom, Lewis tells us that ``no less than three American writers are working on popular books about the concept of zero.'' Much ado?

The Lagrangian Codes. Not the latest Ludlum but a William Safire column (New York Times, March 22) about ``Joseph Louis Lagrange, the greatest French mathematician,'' whose ``multipliers, weighted with algebraic constraint equations, form composite functions'' which in their augmented form have supposedly been leaked to the Chinese to give them a leg up in the arms race.

The math of slime molds and ant bridges comes to life in a Science Times piece ``Mindless Creatures Acting `Mindfully' '' (George Johnson, March 23). The article describes how cellular automata (Conway's Game of Life may be the best known example) can be bred like livestock to select for specific behaviors. The featured scientists (James Crutchfield and James Hanson) are themselves the fathers of a new field of mathematics: computational mechanics, which ``synthesizes dynamical systems theory and the theory of computation to analyze how patterns, structure, and information processing emerge in spatial systems.'' (from the Princeton University Press blurb for their book on the subject.) For more information on cellular automata visit Moshe Sipper's Brief Introduction to Cellular Automata and check out Juha Haataja's animations.

This page was brought to you by the
AMS Working Group on Public Awareness of Mathematics.
Please mail us your reactions and suggestions.

Geometri is Ubiquitous

2009-07-07T03:08:00.000-07:00



		Unlike Algebra, Geometry is all around us – everywhere! It is physical. It is tangible. Start talking about geometry to your children early – they won’t know at pre-school ages that it is called geometry when you talk about shapes – the ball is a “sphere”, the can is a “cylinder” and the label on the can (take it off and show them) is a “rectangle.” Road signs are a perfect way to practice shapes… there are triangles, squares, octagons, and kite-shapes. Understanding geometry in our environment can grow with the child from the simple to the complex. From pointing out the ice cubes in the ice tray and shape of the tray itself to the cross-section of an ice cream cone (if the cross-section is parallel to the ground, it forms a circle, if not then an ellipse). A hands-on experiment would be to take the cone and place the circle part on a flat surface with the point straight up. If you cut straight across the cone (parallel to the surface), you have a circle similar, but smaller, to the one on the bottom. But, if you cut the cone at an angle, you have an ellipse. This works well with clay. Geometry in nature is a whole complex body of study. An interesting form in nature is the inside of a snail’s shell or the inside of the nautilus shell from the ocean – these are actually ever smaller right triangles with each hypotenuse becoming the leg of the next right triangle. Take a look at our MathMedia logo for an example of this. Then, take a look at flowers. The petals of a daisy are radii from the center of the circle. The possibilities in nature are endless. A wonderful visual of these types of examples in nature are in the Disney video called “Donald Duck in Mathamagic Land” – a delightful addition to any video library for all ages. Every time you watch it, you will discover something new. TV’s in a store are measured on the diagonal – the length or width are found using the Pythagorean Theorem (a2 + b2 = c2, where c is the diagonal of any right triangle). Billiards requires a keen innate sense of geometry with the angles and arcs necessary to predict and cause the balls to end up just the way you want them (also in the Donald Duck movie!). The immensely practical necessity of being able to calculate the area of the floor of room to know how much carpet to buy or the area of the walls of a room to know how much paint to buy – it’s all geometry. Want to buy an aquarium for a fish collection – what’s the volume of the tank? How should we cut the pizza, the pie, the cake – how many sectors and at what angle? How do we find the shortest distance between two points when driving – which route is the most efficient? For years I could not parallel park my car until someone told me to back in at a 45 degree angle – how about that?!? Every moment is a lesson – every place is a classroom! Putting up a tent (which is a “triangular prism” with a rectangular base) requires poles perpendicular to the ground to hold up the front and back doors. A parallel bar holds up the ceiling of the tent. If a circular water sprinkler is placed in the center of the lawn, a circular area will be watered, but most lawns are rectangular – so, either the edges will not be watered or the sidewalk and building will be watered – this problem has obviously been pondered by the manufacturers of water sprinklers who have designed more efficient sprinklers that go back and forth to water a rectangular lawn. Any kind of carpentry work involves geometry – it’s all about angles and levels (a tool to measure parallels to the ground) and circles with their radii and diameters. Obviously, an engineer building a bridge had better know geometry as well as an architect who uses geometry and physics to make sure the building will stand the test of time. Look up the “Transamerica” building in San Francisco and talk about the shapes used in that structure! Another industry dependent on geometry is theatre lighting which is all about angles and so important to some actors that they bring their own lighting designers with them. Geometry is also used to measure the width of a lake, to find the height of a tree, a building, or a mountain. In many situations, Algebra is used to find the answers to geometric situations. These concepts are covered in a high school geometry course. Read any periodical and notice the geometric representation summarizing the contents of the written article. A graph is a geometric representation of data. Newspapers will use bar graphs, line graphs, picture graphs…. Lots of analytical discussion there! Election years bring out the best graphs on a daily basis -- understanding these graphs allows us to understand the issues. In conclusion, whether we know it or not, we live our lives through a series of geometric experiences. Copyright 2004 Illana Weintraub for MathMedia Educational Software, Inc. All rights reserved.

Technologi In The Home School Curriculum

2009-07-07T03:05:00.000-07:00

Technology allows education to take place anywhere, any time, and any place. Using computers to enhance the home school learning environment is beneficial and necessary. For this reason, home school learners benefit greatly from our math software product line. Some home schoolers use our math software curriculum as their only learning tool and others use it to complement textbook and classroom work. This software is excellent to learn from scratch or fill in the "gaps". Learn elementary math through high school math with this educational math software.

Adding math software to your home school curriculum will benefit both students who require an extra boost to supplement their class work at school or the student who is a full time home school student. Home school math can be very challenging to teach at home. With this software, the parent/facilitator can direct the math learning while the math software will do the teaching, offer the appropriate practice problems with systematic interactive solutions, concluding with a test, which will record strengths and weaknesses. Home schooling is what you make it - whether it is a part-time or full time endeavor. The home school curriculum needs to include a serious math curriculum so that the homeschooler will be able to compete on par or above his grade level peers. This interactive comprehensive math software will assure that the homeschooler is missing no part of the math education curriculum.

Learn Algebra

2009-07-07T03:03:00.000-07:00

Each basic algebra chapter is organized as a traditional algebra 1 textbook. Learn algebra chapter by chapter.

Chapter 1: "Basic Algebra 1 Concepts" - Start with the basic algebra 1 concepts of real numbers, expressions, order of operation, algebraic properties, horizontal and vertical lines, sums & differences, products & quotients, solving equations, words to symbols and a comprehensive word problem solving section which includes the anatomy of a word problem, number problems, mixture problems, coin problems, finance problems, motion problems, and geometry problems. Learn algebra as each topic is introduced and explained with sample algebra problems followed by practice sets of algebra problems with the algebra solutions offered to the student step-by-step. This algebra software is your personal private algebra tutor.

Chapter 2: "Inequalities & Open Sentences in One Variable" - Basic algebra students and continuing algebra 2 students will learn algebra by working through inequalities and open sentences by solving inqualities, solving combined inequalities, absolute value inequalities, graphic solutions to inequalities and an "extras for experts" section on symbolic logic. Each topic is introduced and explained with sample algebra problems followed by practice sets of algebra problems with the algebra solutions offered to the student step-by-step. This algebra software is your personal private algebra tutor.

Chapter 3: "Linear Functions in Two Variables" - this math software provides algebra help and practice with linear equations, open sentences, graphing, comprehensive study of slope, standard form of a linear equation, horizontal and vertical lines and their graphs, forms of linear equations such as point-slope, slope-intercept, parallel & perpendicular slopes and their linear equations, writing the equation from the information given, systems of linear equations in two variables, linear inequalities, linear functions and relations. Each learning algebra topic is introduced and explained with sample algebra problems followed by practice sets of algebra problems with the algebra solutions offered to the student step-by-step. This algebra software is your personal private algebra tutor. Algebra 1 students will learn this material for the first time and algebra 2 students will review this very important material which is necessary for more advanced algebra studies. Math help is always available. MathMedia Educational Software will be your virtual math tutor.

Chapter 4: "Polynomials: Products & Factors" - Factoring polynomials is one of the most challenging topics both basic algebra and advanced algebra 2 students face. The in-depth math software chapter on factoring will provide the algebra help students require. Begin with an introduction to polynomials with algebra help and practice in the basic operations on polynomials, move on to exponents (definitions, rules, multiplication, division, power of a power, and even an exponent "challenge" section; continue with the multiplication of polynomials and prime factoring. Factoring polynomials provides the help and practice required to master common monomial factoring, common binomial factoring, the difference of two perfect squares, factoring cubes, factoring by grouping, factoring quadratics; conclude with solving polynomial equations and polynomial inequalities. Each topic is introduced and explained with sample algebra problems followed by practice sets of algebra problems with the algebra solutions offered to the student step-by-step. This algebra software is your personal private algebra tutor.

Each chapter offers the students comprehensive details for learning algebra with algebra help and algebra practice. Each math software chapter contains a separate algebra word problem solving section. Students with holes in their math education will receive the appropriate math help necessary for success. Each chapter concludes with a test of the studied material.

Learning algebra - These four chapters represent the first half of a typical first year algebra course. Use this algebra software as a complete curriculum or within the curriculum or for after school enrichment or remediation. Students enjoy the interactivity of knowing immediately how to do a problem. MathMedia Educational Software will be your virtual math tutor. Algebra 2 students will use this software to review and prepare for the first semester of Algebra 2. (Functionality includes automatic scoring and recording of assessments as well as "bookmarking" for the student to return to the last screen they worked on in their previous session.)

Each chapter is available for $49 or purchase this bundle set of 4 chapters for $159.

Algebra Software - Learn Algebra
1st Semester Bundle

Algebra Software Program

2009-07-07T02:57:00.000-07:00

MathMedia Algebra software is a comprehensive interactive Algebra 1 course, curriculum based and comprehensive. This academic software teaches chapter by chapter in the traditional curriculum sequence with comprehensive sections of algebra word problems. The "Algebra Software Series by Chapter" takes the student through Algebra 1 from the very beginning -- just like starting a textbook on page 1 and working through each chapter. Learn math as each chapter introduces and teaches the topic followed by interactive practice problems with step by step explanations which unfold one step at a time upon student request. In this algebra teaching software the problems in each section advance to more challenging types appropriate for first semester Algebra 2 students.

Math Media Educational Software

2009-07-07T02:54:00.000-07:00

Why MathMedia Educational Software Works

As the use of educational technology grows and grows and computers in the classroom (and home) become more prevalent, the need for quality, comprehensive, and relevant software becomes increasingly important. Using MathMedia computer technology in the classroom, students receive the benefits of individualized instruction on the computers in the classroom, ample math practice, immediate feedback and coaching. "On-demand" help and positive reinforcement put students in control of their own learning and help to keep them on task. Technology in the classroom supports better student interaction too, because teachers who have computers in the classroom can spend more time with students who need additional intervention. MathMedia software not only aligns with the math standards of California, Illinois, and Massachusetts but goes beyond the standards to challenge all students to "Unlock the Mystery of Math".

Mathematic to Architecture

2009-03-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

This is a content about ideas in architecture and ideas of architecture. Now this is a very large subject, about which many volumes have been written, almost all of them concerned with ideas of the imagination. The ideas discussed in this content are ideas of a different sort: ideas of the intellect, of reasoning. Such things are commonly believed to be the province of engineering and science and mathematics, and really not of much interest to the art of architecture. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It is the aim of this book to show that although architecture is usually thought to be product of acts of inspired creation. it is also the product of acts of inspired reason; to demonstrate that science and mathematics are portions of our intellectual culture that cannot be set apart from architecture and left to the engineers to worry about, but are the concern of all of us.

Several themes run through the following chapters. At the highest level, these is the notion of the pervasiveness of mathematics in the western intellectual tradition. The extraordinary ubiquity of mathematics in our culture is not due to its instrumental efficacy, that is, to the fact that is useful for solving practical problems. The peculiar and revered position of ancient mathematics claim to provide absolutely certain knowledge.

From the birth of mathematics as an independent body of knowledge, fathered by the classical Greeks, and for a period of over 2000 years, mathematics pursued truth, Under the powerful influence of Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle, mathematics and philosophy became intertwined, sharing as they did the requirement for ironclad proofs of statements. The mission of philosophy, it was held, was to discover the true knowledge behind the change and illusion, the veil of opinion and deceptive appearance of this world. In this quest, mathematics had a special place, for mathematics knowledge was the outstanding example of knowledge independent of sense experience. It was certain, objective and eternal.

To archieve its marvelous and powerful results, mathematics relied on a special method, namely, that of deductive proof from self-evident axioms. Deductive reasoning, by its very nature, guarantees the truth of what is deduced if its axioms are truths. By utilizing this seemingly clear, infallible, and impeccable logic, mathematicians produce seemingly irrefutable

Math in the Media

2009-03-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

April is Math Awareness Month. Thanks to the Scientific American for an unusually rich selection of mathematical topics this month!

Space could be finite, merely giving the illusion of infinity, according to Jean-Pierre Luminet, Glenn Starckman and Jeff Weeks. Their article ``Is Space Finite?'' in the April Scientific American explains compact three-dimensional topologies and the possible local geometries consistent with observed cosmic symmetry, with reference to physical theory and experiment. ``Of all the issues in cosmic topology, perhaps the most difficult to grasp is how a hyperbolic space can be finite.'' For a picture of what 3-dimensional hyperbolic space (finite or infinite) would look like from the inside see Charlie Gunn's Hyperbolic Space Tiled with Dodecahedra on the Geometry Center Website.
Playful thinking, serious mathematics. "Playful thinking can often lead to serious mathematics" is one conclusion drawn from John Conway's career in a profile by Mark Alpert in April's Scientific American. The profile mentions Conway's serious work on finite groups and transfinite numbers, as well as his more playful inventions, including of course the Game of Life, and gives the glimmer of an idea of how these are all connected in Conway's very unusual mind.
``Alan Turing's Forgotten Ideas in Computer Science,'' in the April Scientific American is a reminder of the danger of not publishing one's work. A team (B. Jack Copeland and Diane Proudfoot) of philosophy professors have dedicated themselves to the difficult job of retro-dissemination of Turing's fundamental insights into the theory of computation, and in particular the idea of ``oracles:'' currently hypothetical non-computational devices that could hold the key to computing the mathematically uncomputable. The Alan Turing Home Page (maintained by Andrew Hodges) has links to a great wealth of information about the mathematician and his work.
``Why does the telephone cord always get twisted?'' Read Ian Stewart's ``Tangling with Topology'' in his Mathematical Recreations column in April's Scientific American and find out. Hint: if you pick up and hang up with the same hand, it probably won't happen. You will also learn the difference between writhing, linking and twisting, and how they are related.

DOWNLOAD MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIKA SD, SMP, SMA DAN SMK (Lanjutan)

2009-02-19T01:31:00.000-08:00

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DOWNLOAD MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIKA

2009-02-19T01:30:00.000-08:00

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Lintang (bintang~Kawakib): bulan purnama di atas Dermaga Olivir

2009-01-30T01:18:00.000-08:00

Ingin tahu siapa Lintang?, itu tuh salah satu anggota Laskar Pelangi karya Andrea Hirata. Ada apa dengan Lintang? seorang pemuda yang Jenius luar biasa sehingga bisa menghitung 18 kali 14 kali 23 tambah 11 tambah 14 kali 16 kali 7! hanya dengan sedikit modifikasi cipataannya diluar trek yang diajarkan di sekolah-sekolah.

Dengan sedikit memberi nasehat "Hafalkan luar kepala semua perkalian sesama angka ganjil, itulah yang sering menyusahkan. Hilangkan angka satuan dari perkalian dua angka puluhan karena lebih mudah mengalikan dengan angka berujung nol, kerjakan sisanya kemudian, dan jangan kekenyangan kalau makan malam, itu akan membuat telingamu tuli dan otakmu tumpul!"

Meskipun rumahnya paling jauh tapi kalau datang ia paling pagi. Wajah manisnya
senantiasa bersinar walaupun baju, celana, dan sandal cunghai-nya buruknya minta ampun. Namun sungguh kuasa Allah, di dalam tempurung kepalanya yang ditumbuhi
rambut gimbal awut-awutan itu tersimpan cairan otak yang encer sekali. Pada setiap
rangkaian kata yang ditulisnya secara acak-acakan tersirat kecemerlangan pemikiran yang gilang gemilang. Di balik tubuhnya yang tak terawat, kotor, miskin, serta berbau hangus, dia memiliki an absolutely beautiful mind. Ia adalah buah akal yang jernih, bibit genius asli, yang lahir di sebuah tempat nun jauh di pinggir laut, dari sebuah keluarga yang tak satu pun bisa membaca.

Lintang memiliki hampir semua dimensi kecerdasan. Dia seperti toko serba ada kepandaian. Yang paling menonjol adalah kecerdasan spasialnya, sehingga ia sangat unggul dalam geometri multidimensional. Ia dengan cepat dapat membayangkan wajah sebuah konstruksi suatu fungsi jika digerak-gerakkan dalam variabel derajat. Ia mampu memecahkan kasus-kasus dekomposisi modern yang runyam dan mengajari kami teknik menghitung luas poligon dengan cara membongkar sisi-
sisinya sesuai Dalil Geometri Euclidian. Ingin kukatakan bahwa ini sama sekali bukan
perkara mudah.

ORANG cerdas memahami konsekuensi setiap jawaban dan menemukan bahwa
di balik sebuah jawaban tersembunyi beberapa pertanyaan baru. Pertanyaan baru tersebut memiliki pasangan sejumlah jawaban yang kembali akan membawa pertanyaan baru dalam deretan eksponensial. Sehingga mereka yang benar-benar cerdas kebanyakan rendah hati, sebab mereka gamang pada akibat dari sebuah jawaban. Konsekuensi-konsekuensi itu mereka temui dalam jalur-jalur seperti labirin, jalur yang jauh menjalar-jalar, jalur yang tak dikenal di lokus-lokus antah berantah, tiada berujung. Mereka mengarungi jalur pemikiran ini, tersesat di jauh di dalamnya, sendirian.

Godaan-godaan besar bersemayam di dalam kepala orang-orang cerdas. Di
dalamnya gaduh karena penuh dengan skeptisisme. Selesai menyerahkan tugas kepada
dosen, mereka selalu merasa tidak puas, selalu merasa bisa berbuat lebih baik dari apa yang telah mereka presentasikan. Bahkan ketika mendapat nilai A plus tertinggi, mereka masih saja mengutuki dirinya sepanjang malam.

Orang cerdas berdiri di dalam gelap, sehingga mereka bisa melihat sesuatu yang
tak bisa dilihat orang lian. Mereka yang tak dipahami oleh lingkungannya, terperangkap dalam kegelapan itu. Semakin cerdas, semakin terkucil, semakin aneh mereka. Kita menyebut mereka: orang-orang yang sulit. Orang-orang sulit ini tak berteman, dan mereka berteriak putus asa memohon pengertyian. Ditambah sedikit saja dengan sikap introver, maka orang-orang cerdas semacam ini tak jarang berakhir di sebuah kamar dengan perabot berwarna teduh dan musik klasik yang terdengar lamat-lamat, itulah ruang terapi kejiwaan. Sebagian dari mereka amat menderita.

Sebaliknya, orang-orang yang tidak cerdas hidupnya lebih bahagia. Jiwanya sehat
walafiat. Isi kepalanya damai, tenteram, sekaligus sepi, karena tak ada apa-apa di situ, kosong. Jika ada suara memasuki telinga mereka, maka suara itu akan terpantul-pantul sendirian di dalam sebuah ruangan yang sempit, berdengung-dengung sebentar, lalu segera keluar kembali melalui mulut mereka.

Belajar kata terlebih dulu, bukan belajar bahasa, itulah inti paradigma belajar bahsa Inggris versi Lintang. Sebuah ide cemerlang yang hanya terpikirkan oleh orang-orang yang memahami prinsip-prinsip belajar behasa. Dengan paradigma ini aku mengalami kemajuan pesat, bukan hanya karena aku dapat mempelajari bahsa Inggris
dengan bantuan analogi bahasa Indonesia, tapi petuahnya mampu melenyapkan sugesti kesulitan belajar bahasa asing yang umum melanda siswa-siswa daerah. Bahwa bahasa,
baik lokal maupun asing, adalah permainan kata-kata, tak lebih dari itu!

"Yang paling membautku terpesona," cerita Bu Mus. "Adalah
kemampuannya menemukan jawaban dengan cara lain, cara yang tak pernah terpikirkan"

Cuplikan kisah Laskar Pelangi..

Saya berandai-andai jikalau ada pemuda Indonesia yang dapat menyerupai Lintang! maka, saya akan suka rela untuk mengajaknya berdiskusi tentang segala hal yang telah membuat kita semua terlena dengan kenikmatan dunia ini.. karena aku adalah orang yang terdidik untuk menjadi seorang guru Matematika yang berandai-andai memiliki murid seperti Lintang..

Ya Allah, semoga hidayahmu menunjukkan kepadaku jalan yang engkau hendaki.. Amin..
( iKings94)

Tentang Soal2 Matematika (About ThatQuiz)

2009-01-30T01:15:00.000-08:00

Mungkin ini adalah versi lain dari sebuah media pembelajaran yang berhubungan dengan matematika. Namun, sifatnya lebih menDrill (memberi banyak latihan) interaktif sifatnya. Nama websitenya ThatQuiz (info dari seorang teman heri, trims ya..)
ThatQuiz adalah sumber belajar dan latihan secara online namun gratis!!. Dibuat di musim panas 2004 dan dikembangkan untuk kebutuhan dan permintaan guru. Tujuan utamanya adalah mengembangkan software yang dapat secara mudah dipakai di sekolah-sekolah tanpa menggunakan komputer secara penuh. Namun, juga bisa digunakan oleh siswa di rumah. Walaupun, pada awalnya diperuntukkan bagi siswa sekolah dasar namun sudah ditambahkan beberapa pokok bahasan untuk sekolah lanjutan, seperti: aljabar, sudut, segitiga, peluang dan geometri.

Semua pengguna dapat menggunakan seluruh latihan tanpa mendaftar. Tidak ada alsan bagi siswa karena proses register hanya diperuntukkan bagi guru saja. Register ini gratis!! dan guru yang mendaftar akan mendapatkan kopi rekaman nilai untuk kelasnya. Dengan ThatQuiz, guru akan lebih dapat melakukan tes awal, membuat tes sendiri dengan kategori berbeda dan lainnya.

Browser yang dibutuhkan: Internet Explorer 6 atau Firefox. mendukung Safari (OS-X Tiger) dan 1.3.2 (OS-X Panther). Pastikan cookies dan JavaScript di-enable (aktif).

Science, literacy, and the internet?

2009-01-30T01:06:00.000-08:00

by Alecia Magnifico

This piece was originally published by the Macarthur Foundation on their Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning blog (original link).

Young people already use web search services, wikipedia, blogs, and online news to learn about their world and complete their school assignments. When it’s easy to find thousands of hits on just about any topic - some fascinating, some irrelevant - with a simple Google search, it is not surprising that they report learning far more from the internet than they do from school, and enjoying that learning more. But are they getting accurate information from the explorations that they do on their own?

In the recent Macarthur session on games and learning, Jonathan Fanton reported that one goal of the Macarthur Digital Media and Learning project is to better understand how young people evaluate information that they find on the internet. In our work on Science.net, an epistemic game in which middle schoolers spend several weeks role-playing as science journalists and writing several stories for an online newsmagazine, we have found that our reporters begin the game feeling comfortable with the internet. They tell us about using web sources for school reports, for chatting, for playing games with their friends. They even report knowing that anyone with a webpage can publish opinions for the world to see.

The majority of them, however, don’t have a strategy for assessing the reliability of the information that they find. Here’s one typical pre-game interview response: “You never know, it’s the internet. If it’s like the first thing that pops up and then it looks pretty professional, then I’d use it…”

I wonder how much of this finding comes from the simple fact that young people don’t often need to check or even understand their sources: textbooks and teachers are the authorities, and they must be believed (even memorized!) in order to get good grades. A teenager questioning commonly-held information would likely be perceived as antagonistic in many classrooms, although the same behavior would be rewarded for a researcher developing a new theory or a doctor treating a pernicious ailment. These divisions between school and working-world occupations have led several education theorists to label most classrooms as “inauthentic” - composed of facts to memorize and “test questions” to which teachers have set responses - rather than “authentic” explorations of complex issues that may not have absolute answers.

In short, the tight strictures of state-mandated, achievement-tested knowledge don’t allow time for most teachers to delve into multiple answers (much less controversial issues) in classrooms, even when those issues are under lively debate in other settings.

Science.net players, on the other hand, role-play as reporters and thus take on clearly authentic tasks: (1) to learn about a scientific issue that is current and important, in order to (2) write a well-researched, balanced story that will help news readers form their own opinions about the issue. Along the way, they learn to do research on the internet and find credible sites that capture several different perspectives on their issue. They interview scientists for expert opinions on (for instance) stem cell research, nanotechnology, or avian flu. They learn journalism techniques - like writing in the neutral voice and sourcing all opinions - from journalists, and they come to understand why those techniques are important in writing news for public consumption.

More importantly from a media literacy standpoint, however, is that Science.net reporters become more critical consumers of the information that they encounter. In the post-game interviews, 83% of them told us that it’s important to check a source’s reliability or verify the information before using it somewhere else: “[I’d use information] from a reputable website… You have to think about why they’re giving you the information. You can’t [trust it] if it’s to sell a product or something.”

In this age of constant information and advertising, that perspective is important to everyone - not just middle school students.

A Perfect Match at Mudd

2009-01-30T00:58:00.000-08:00

This short article is about Maria M. Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College, a college that is known not only for its excellence but also---according to the article---for being "a home for eccentrics and pranksters." Klawe, who has a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Alberta, says the college's personality matches hers. She juggles, paints, runs marathons, plays video games, and skateboards (as pictured, at left). Last December upon arrival at work she found a 12-foot long "Zen pond" with fountain and plastic fish in her office. Was her response to put the pranksters on double-secret probation? No, she says, "It was fabulous. I loved it. That is so Mudd-like."

--- Mike Breen

Scholars Juggle Dynamics of Mathematics at Institute

2009-01-30T00:50:00.000-08:00

Photographs courtesy of MSRI.

This article gives an overview of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in Berkeley, California. In addition to providing an environment for research and collaboration by professors and post-docs, MSRI also sponsors after-school math groups for local kids and a concert series. Even the art on the walls of the institute is mathematically focused, and the address (17 Gauss Way) and furniture in the building allude to the influence of mathematical genius Carl Friedrich Gauss. The mathematicians at work there, however, are often so consumed by their research that they don’t notice the beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay outside their windows. The institute’s funding comes primarily from the National Science Foundation, but universities and private-sector businesses support it as well.

--- Lisa DeKeukelaere

XingMath.. Media Pembelajaran Matematika..

2008-12-16T02:48:00.000-08:00

Saya tujukkan kenbali betapa masih langkanya para guru yang menggunakan media komputer untuk digunakan dalam proses belajar mengajar..
Entah mungkin SDM para guru yang kurang atau karena pendapatan yang pas-pasan.. jadi sampai tahun 2007 saya sering googling tapi masih sedikit yang menciptakan media pembelajaran terutama Matematika yang notabene sangat dikagumi oleh para siswa.. :)
seandainya kalau saya bisa berandai maka alangkah senangnya hati para siswa yang belajar menyenangkan layaknya mengalami metamorfosis kesenamga..
Seperti yang pernah aku buatkan beberapa tahun lalu berkenaan dengan pembuatan media pembelajaran berbantuan komputer..

XingMath ya.. itu namanya ndak tahu ilham apa yang merasuki aku sehingga aku menyanggupi untuk membuat skripsi yang berhubungan dengan komputer, (padahal aku jurusan matematika lho) namun nasi sudah menjadi bubur (uih enaknya karna aku membayangkan bubur ayam jakarta) terpaksa aku lakoni hal itu yang untuk sementara menjadi programer temporer dan amater.. he he he..
jadinya ya ini bisa didownload heheh disini atau disini

Chil Media

2008-12-14T01:39:00.000-08:00

visit please !

Med Math

2008-12-14T01:38:00.001-08:00

media

2008-12-14T01:37:00.002-08:00

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Math

2008-12-14T01:37:00.001-08:00

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Belajar Integral Yuk!!!!

2008-12-02T16:41:00.001-08:00

Berapa nilai berikut:

Jawab:

Belajar Integral Yuk!!!!

2008-12-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Berapa nilai berikut:

Jawab: