Mr. Brzenski's Math Apps

What "Reply To All" Says about you

2016-08-24T16:04:00.001-07:00

At work, we have the people who "Reply to All". You have them. Can't help themselves. Everyone needs to know what they have to say. Fun happens when everyone in an organization has at it, and tries to figure collectively why they are replying to so many emails. It happened at my school district, and I made a little infographic about what happened, and what you can say about the teachers in our district. Click for a full PDF of it.

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Tools for 3D Printing in the Classroom

2016-08-19T07:33:00.002-07:00

Many of the times I read about "What You Need" for 3D printing, and websites list tools and gadgets that add $100's to the price of an already expensive printer. I run the only 3D design AND printing class in San Diego for middle school kids (5th year now). We break a lot of things and need to fix them, and I don't trust them with $80 pliers. So below I have what we absolutely need, and it costs about $20.

Clockwise from the left corner:

Flat Paint Scraper : ($1.99) It is already super thin, but e sand the edge down to make it super thin and sharp. No need for a $20 "part remover", this thing takes kids banging on it, and never had to replace it.

Metric Angle Set ($4.99) : Everything on 3D printers is metric, and some are at funny angles. You need these.

Needle Nose Pliers ($0.99) : For grabbing filament stuck in an extruder, or BREAKING OFF SUPPORTS!!!

Razor Blade ($4.99 for 100, or $0.04 ea) : For fine detial work, or scraping off a build plate.

Tooth Brush ($FREE): Take an old one. Used to clean off the extruder gears (hobbed bolt) when there is a filament jam, which is all the time when letting kids change filament.

Reamer ($2.99) : For expanding holes that were printed with no tolerances, this makes quick work to make them bigger.

Set of NICE Ball Hex End Sockets [1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4mm] : ($4-$8 Each): So handy, and a bit more than the angle hex keys above them, but they are so nice, and they are rubber, and so nice to hold, and faster many times than the keys, and so nice....

Adjustable Wrench ($4.99) : For removing hot ends. Works most of the time. A 7mm wrench is also good, but this works for 90% of the things you need to do.

For the day to day use, there are specifics recommended by different suppliers. Here is what I have found to be as good or better.

Super Lube ($10.04) : This is what Makerbot send you in a little clear tube. This is the big version. It has lasted me 2 years for four machines used all day every day. It should last you forever. A little dab will do ya'.

Aqua Net ($2.99 at CVS) : Many people swear by their ABS slurry, or glue stick, or blue tape, or kapton. If your machine is leveled correctly, this is by far the cheapest and best stuff. A can lasts two machines an entire year. Way cheaper than blue tape or kapton, and cleaner than glue sticks, and not as specific or carcinogenic as a slurry. Extra Super Hold of course.

Spare Nuts and Bolts: OK, so you may not need this many, but when kids start taking apart printers, they have to keep track of parts. Then they start losing parts. Then you get mad. Then everyone gets mad because the printer does not work because it is missing a nut. Then you save the day with your spare set you have. I but every bolt from 5mm to 40mm in 3 and 4mm sizes (m3x5 - m4x40). It has saved many headaches.

DVOM : When you really want to diagnose stuff, you need this. If you don't know what it does, don't worry, don't buy it.

Temperature in my Classroom

2012-09-27T08:46:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be neat to see how hot it gets each day in my class. I hooked an Netduino up to an DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor, and linked them online through COSM.com What you see is the graphs for temperature and humidity in my room.

Yes, the temperature gets to 90 almost every day. The humidity, for some reason, is very low. Weird. Share if you like it, or maybe pitch in for air conditioning for us :)

Custom Webclip Icons

2012-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Many have asked how to create custom icons, and there was a cool website that did this for you, but alas, it is gone.

But, bookmarklets to the rescue.:)

Bookmarklets you say? Yes, little bits of javascript, saved as a bookmark, that execute when you click the bookmark. We are going to use one of these to change the generic home-screen icon that iOS uses when you try to "Bookmark to Home Screen"

Step 1- Make a generic bookmark. Heck, bookmark this page, and call it "Custom Icon"

Step 2- Copy this code:

javascript:var%20links=document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].getElementsByTagName('link');for(var%20i=0;i%3Clinks.length;i++){if(links[i].getAttribute('rel')=='apple-touch-icon'){links[i].parentNode.removeChild(links[i])}; break;};var%20s=document.createElement('link');s.setAttribute('rel', 'apple-touch-icon');s.setAttribute('href',prompt('Touch icon URL?','http://'));document.getElementsByTagName('head')%5B0%5D.appendChild(s);void(s);

Step 3 - Open you bookmarks, and click edit. Then, click the three little bars next to the bookmark you just created "Custom Icon"

Step 4 - Delete the URL, and paste the code in its place.

BOOM!! Now your done!!

Step 5 - To make your own icon now, navigate to the picture you want to use as the icon. Copy its URL address.

Step 6 - Navigate to the page you want the custom icon for

Step 7 - Click the "Custom Icon" bookmark. It will prompt you for a URL, the URL of the custom pic. Paste it in.

It looks like nothing happened, but the pic for the website has now changed to your own creation.

Step 8 - Bookmark to home screen, and you should see the pic you want as the icon.

Hooray, your done, and it will be much quicker next time you do it. Find the pic, save the URL. Go to the web page you want, click "Custom Icon" bookmark, paste URL, Bookmark to home screen.

My Dads Website

2012-06-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

Just finishing up my dad's website for fathers day. He's an artist. Mostly done with CSS3, and a little bit of java

http://myartnsoul.net

Redirecting To A Mobile Site

2012-06-14T15:51:00.001-07:00

I hate when websites take you to a mobile version, but then do not let you view the full version. www.volcomfijipro.com is one of them.

I wanted the same thing with my site mrbrzenski.com, but I wanted the option to go back to the regular site, and to remember it. So, javascript to the rescue. PS, this is cut and pasted from other peoples sites, like Sebastian Bettana, so kudos to them for making these things, I just work here.

I added this to the beginning of my website:

<script type="text/javascript" src="js/redirection_mobile.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript">
SA.redirection_mobile ({
tablet_redirection : "true",
});
</script>

And then added redirection_mobile.js to the js folder of my website

(Check it out here, cut and paste with a text editor and save it yourself http://mrbrzenskimath.com/js/redirection_mobile.js)

Boom, done, now it redirects to my mobile site at m.mrbrzenskimath.com, and if I click back to the full website, it remembers that, and will not redirect me for a couple of days.

Check it out, there are many variables to mess with, read the .js file for more on how to add variables, and specific devices to send or not.
I added the tablet_redirection:"true" to redirect all tablets, because it looks better, but left the rest of the variables alone because I did not need them.

Good Luck.

Operation Six for iPhone

2012-04-17T10:35:00.002-07:00

Operation Six is out!

2012-04-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

My new app, Operation six is out for iPhone and iPod Touch. Check it out.

There is a video

There is a solver in case you can't get a particular solution.

Operation Six

2012-03-30T07:36:00.003-07:00

Operation Six, coming soon. A "24" type game. a "four-fours" type game. A "Kronos" type game. http://mrbrzenski.blogspot.com/p/operation-six.html

2012-02-28T10:21:00.001-08:00

Classroom Observations

How to make a Pop-Up to direct user to iTunes Store

2012-01-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ever visit a website and you get a pop-up windows saying "There is an app for this, would you like to see?", (check this out) and wonder "Why can't I do that for my website"? Well, you can.

This work for only iOS devices, but the code can be modified to accept Android or Windows users. I do not have them linking because I do not have any apps in those market.

In blogspot (or any website), navigate to Design > Edit HTML. Right below the insert the following code.

<script src='http://brzenski.hostei.com/JavaScript/MathClassRedirectShort.js' type='text/javascript'/>

Basically I am saying "Run this script" called MathClassRedirectShort.js. Here is what the javascript says:

function detectMobileOS() {
 if (document.cookie.indexOf("MobileOS_redirect=false") &lt; 0) {
  if (!navigator.userAgent.match(/Opera/i) &amp;&amp;

                       !navigator.userAgent.match(/Dolphin/i)) {
   if ((navigator.userAgent.match(/iPhone/i)) ||

                                   (navigator.userAgent.match(/iPod/i))) {
    setMobileOSCookies();
    if (confirm("This website has an app for iPhone and iPod Touch!

                      Click OK to view Math Class on the Appstore."))
     window.location = "http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-class/id463190562";
   } else if(navigator.userAgent.match(/iPad/i)) {
    setMobileOSCookies();
    if (confirm("This website has an app for the iPad!

        Click OK to view Math Class on the Appstore."))
     window.location = "http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-class/id463190562";
   } 
  }
 }
}

function setMobileOSCookies() {
 var date = new Date();
 var days = 90;
 date.setTime(date.getTime()+(days*24*60*60*1000));
 var expires = "; expires="+ date.toGMTString();
 document.cookie = "MobileOS_redirect=false" + expires; 
}

detectMobileOS();

You host this wherever you want (sites works good). At the top is the function, we exclude Opera and Dolphin, and then use the IF statements to look for what device you have. If you have an iphone, display "THIS", set the cookie, and return.

At the bottom is the cookie function, that makes a cookie for 90 days, regardless of what happens (I hope!).

You can add more else if () functions to look for "android", "window", or whatever other browsers/devices are. I could not find out how to do this to save my life, then I found a bunch of obscure examples at once, so here I am posting it hopefully for others to find.

CPMA MS new things

2011-12-05T21:44:00.001-08:00

CPMA MS now has a weekly bulletin link, so you can read the weekly bulletin that is read in class, but now on your iDevice. Check it here.

Facebook YEAH!

2011-11-30T13:53:00.001-08:00

Now have a facebook page dedicated to MrBrzenski.com and the apps I make. Check it out, and be sure to hit the like button.

New CPMA Free app

2011-11-16T19:24:00.001-08:00

CPMA Free has been updated. No glitches or nothing.
BUT!!!

Look forward to the NEW CPMA MS app with push notifications to alert you to those real important things, AND new icon for D.C. trip information.

OK, the CPMA Free app will also have an update with the same stuff, but the notifications will be more "Buy the real app, so you know whats going on"

CPMA Free Fix

2011-11-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, there is an error with some icons on CPMA Free, and with the "Bus Rules" link. We are fixing and an update is forthcoming.

CPMA MS App

2011-11-07T21:15:00.001-08:00

CPMA MS gives quick access to key information for Creative, Performing, Media Arts Magnet Middle School. It features user-friendly, bright buttons to give instant access to the most useful information to keep users up-to-date about school AND class happenings.

**Access teacher information such as class websites, email addresses and important forms

**Teachers grouped by department, last name and key words

**Office staff grouped by department, along with description of job duties

**Virtual planner pages with school policies explained

**Access ParentConnect, StudentConnect, or the main website directly through the app

**Map gives you directions to school campus from any location

Click here for a GUIDE on how to use the app.

Download the iPhone/iPad app:

Download the FREEiPhone app (with ads):