Blabbering Pine Marten

I just got back from iMATHination math/science/technology conference where I shared the exciting features of the TI-Nspire CX CAS and the TI-Nspire Navigator. It was quite an adventure getting to the conference at the Q Center in St. Charles, West of Chicago. While driving up there, 6-9 inches of snow came down. The last hour of the drive turned into 4 hours. I grateful to have made it there safely and in time to give my Friday nigh Math Bash presentation called "Hands-on Learning of Slope: Math and Science Connections with the TI-Nspire CX CAS, Navigator and the Vernier DataQuest Application."

From one of the sessions I attended I learned about a website called Blabberize.com. My second oldest daughter used it to do her science project. When making the mouth, the large green dot indicates how low the mouth will drop. It was hilarious fun to make. Enjoy the production.

Update: If we would have watched this video tutorial, it would have been even easier to make our first 'Blabber.' Exploring is nice, but trial and error can be time consuming. I also discovered an example of how this Web2.0 tool can be using in the mathematics classroom.

I wonder if this blabberizing animals can be considered an application of Genesis 1:28 - having dominion of living things that move on the earth.

J-term TI-Nspire in the Snow

Actually, the class that I'm teaching is called Exploring Math & Science with TI technology (especially the TI-Nspire CAS). J-term is a nice way to get back into the swing of school after the break. There are 3 hour morning and afternoon classes that students can take. Most of the upperclassman intern for the two weeks. I limited the class size since I knew I would have a diverse group. I have about 3 freshman, 5 sophomores, and a junior who are taking algebra 1, geometry, alg 2, trig & pre-calc. TImath.com has been a great resource to give some exceptional differentiated instruction.

We have used some of the resources I put together back when I did the Physics of Toys J-term. (Check out our science of toys booklet. I need to edit it and fix the typos.)
So far we have investigated the terminal velocity of various sized bubbles, the distance a toy car goes when pulled back a certain distances, logistic curves from temperature data. We have also discussed diffraction, thin film interference, impulse-momentum, air resistance and other physics concepts.

More pictures of the good times with bubbles, snow, and data collection and analysis with TI-Nspire can be seen on this album.









After starting with the TI-Nspire CAS Primer, the students have done geometry investigations and SAT practice reviews. Next we'll do more with CBR motion detectors. I was particularly impressed with one student's unique depiction of his Fahrenheit and Celsius data today (see below). For other interesting graphs I've seen, check out this.

“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”
Proverbs 25:2 (NIV)

Live as children of the King - explore and search out matters.