So Long ...

We had our graduation exercises today. A gentle push into the world for all of you. I hope you're leaving with the keys to your future in your hand.

I'm so glad we've had this time together,

Just to have a laugh or learn some math,

Seems we've just got started and before you know it,

Comes the time we have to say, "So Long!"

So long everybody!

Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu, and all those good bye things. ;-)

I Found This...

This video reminds me of Mr.K's talks about technology and how it is evolving constantly:

Class Survey

The exam is over and we did a little survey in class. The results are below; 9 students participated. If you'd like to add another comment on what you see here email me or leave a comment below this post.

Without any further ado, here are the results of our class's survey. Please share your thoughts by commenting (anonymously if you wish) below .....

Classroom Environment
The questions in this section were ranked using this 5 point scale:

Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
1	2	3	4	5

The bold numbers after each item are the average ratings given by the entire class.

1. The teacher was enthusiastic about teaching the course. 4.89

2. The teacher made students feel welcome in seeking help in/outside of class. 4.33

3. My interest in math has increased because of this course. 4.11

4. Students were encouraged to ask questions and were given meaningful answers. 4.56

5. The teacher enhanced the class through the use of humour. 4.33

6. Course materials were well understood and explained clearly by the teacher. 4.44

7. Graded materials fairly represented student understanding and effort. 4.11

8. The teacher showed a genuine interest in individual students. 4.33

9. I have learned something that I consider valuable. 4.78

10. The teacher normally came to class well prepared. 4.33

Overall Impression of the Course
The questions in this section were ranked using this 5 point scale:

Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Very Good
1	2	3	4	5

1. Compared with other high school courses I have taken, I would say this course was: 4.56

2. Compared with other high school teachers I have had, I would say this teacher is: 4.78

3. As an overall rating, I would say this teacher is: 4.78

Course Characteristics

1. Course difficulty, compared to other high school courses:

Very Easy 0%

Easy 11.1%

Average 0%

Difficult 44.4%

Very Difficult 44.4%

2. Course workload, compared to other high school courses:

Very Easy 0%

Easy 0%

Average 66.7%

Difficult 33.3%

Very Difficult 0%

3. Hours per week required outside of class (n = 8):

0 to 2 0%

2 to 3 0%

3 to 5 37.5%

5 to 7 50.0%

over 7 12.5%

4. Expected grade in the course:

F 0%

D 11.1%

C 33.3%

B 44.4%

A 11.1%

AP Exam Preparation
The bold numbers after each item are the average ratings given by the entire class.

How prepared were you to write this exam? 76.5%

How much effort did you put into preparing for this exam? (n = 8) 81.9%

How good a job did your teacher do preparing you for this exam? 95.0%

Did you have enough preparation using your calculator?

Yes 88.9%

No 11.1%

Did you have enough preparation without using your calculator?

Yes 77.8%

No 22.2%

Was your teacher too hard or too easy on you?

Too Hard 0%

Too Easy 11.1%

Just Right 88.9%

Specific Feedback
[Ed. Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of students, over 1, that gave the same answer.]

What was your best learning experience in this course?

There is more than one way of doing things. Instead of memorizing, each student gained the ability to find patterns. The creative projects. Developing Expert Voices project (3) Work ethic. The AP Exam. Any time spent on the SMARTboard. (4) All group work in class. This blog. The Final Take Home Exam. "Commercial" assignments. Learning techniques to help make learning easier in the future. Train of thought. Being able to "think" in calculus.

What was your worst learning experience in this course?

Difficulty at the beginning of the course. The constant changing of teachers at the beginning. (2) Our substitute. (2) Workshops. Everything at the beginning. Riemann sums. Related rates. When Mr. K. wasn't here.

What changes would you suggest to improve the way this course is taught?

More students going up to SMARTboard to solve questions. I felt satisfied with what happened in this course. The teacher could be more prepared for class. Getting marked tests back. (2) Make sure to get everyone in class involved. Really spend a lot of time on concept building. Continue to ensure the concept of a derivative is firmly understood. Better room ventilation. More wiki assignments. More workshops. Make everyone goes up to the SMARTboard at least once.

It's interesting to compare the items that were considered both the worst and best learning experiences. Also, take a look at the list of worst learning experiences compared to suggestions for next year. Help me do a better job next year by commenting on what you see here ....

Baby Madness

I thought that this was just absolutely HILARIOUS.

DEV Status Report

Hey Mr. K,

As you know, everyone is working on their DEV's however, due to May-Madness, which includes the arrival of AP exams including Bio, Calculus, and Chem, our DEV's progress has hit a snag. Although I only speak on behalf on Team FLJ, I can undoubtedly say that all other groups have been hit with scheduling crisis's.

I myself have been kept busy with Career Internship, work, and projects from other classes. Unfortunately, all the due dates and AP exams are clustered up in the same region, leaving little or no room for flexibility. Other members of my team have also been busy with their own studying, individual class projects and others with myself included took part in this year's Fashion Show.

• Calc exam = May 6
• Fashion Show = May 7
  
• Bio Exam = May 11
  
• Chem exam = May 12
  
• English project = May 15
  
• Career Internship Portfolio = May 20

Due to this cluster of due dates, I on behalf of Team FLJ, am requesting a DEV extension. I will not keep this request exclusive to us, and I'm letting other groups also request an extension via Comment.

Twizzler MANIA!

As we all know, tomorrow MORNING, the bomb goes off. The AP is here! HOLY GOODNESS. Of course, anxiety is kicking me in the head right now. I'm slowly snapping back to reality.

Today was, THE LAST DAY before the exam. I still can't get that thought out of my head. It's so close. It seemed like only yesterday that we first started the class.

BEFORE we officially started the class, we were reminded of the really important rules we should follow to avoid automatic failure. As well as that, we were given the following tips since our exam would be running from 8 AM [be there by 7:45] until noon.

Make sure to:

• Sleep reasonably early, preferably before midnight-- don't DARE to do last minute cramming, it's way too late to do that, but sleep EARLY to wake up EARLY.
• EAT a really healthy meal before [not immediately before] your bedtime and have a really hearty breakfast. Eggs are good brain food, perhaps pack a granola bar, dipped in chocolate. Get Twizzlers, if you wish. HAHA

These tips given, need MUCH emphasis, no matter how much we'd love to defy them.

As for the actual exam itself, it will run approx. 4 hours in four sections.

• Multiple choice, calculator [50 mins]
  
• Multiple choice, non-calculator
  
• Free response, calculator [45 mins, 3 questions]
  
• Free response, non-calculator [45 mins, 3 questions]

**during the exam, remember to maximize your time.
NEVER recopy something that is already defined in the question. Also, don't feel the need to show off your algebra skills. This is already expected of you. Plug things into your calculator for efficiency. Don't do more than you're asked to do.

Finally, we started on the actual review section of the class. It was sort of a race, and whoever had the answer buzzed in with the phrase "Got it."

There was an exquisite blend of both calculator and non-calculator questions. We had fun with it, and I don't know about everyone else, but I somewhat forgot why we were doing it. We were all about business, but simultaneously having a good time. Especially when playing Jenga with the pile of Twizzler packs on my desk.

The questions were pretty straight forward multiple choice, and by now, we should know what we're doing given the circumstances of each question. We might not be as speedy as Benchmen, but I think we've proven that we could get there. I believe in you guys and I just don't feel like explaining slides right now. haha. I will though. I think.

I'm going to follow the advice given to us, and rest up, get nourished and do some light reading and test myself and see if I know what I'm doing.

But for now, while I'm on "standby" mode, enjoy this vid. It's not precisely funny, but it was part of our school's production of The Wiz. AWESOME JOB and the rest of the videos are on the channel.



The sound isn't really that good, and I think the footage is from the first matinee show. But still I miss the days where I eased on down the road. xD

...and here is one last kicker for you guys. This song is called "Believe In Yourself". I guess it's a really nice inspirational message before something like an exam comes up, don't you think?

Today's Slides: May 5

Here they are ...

AP Calculus AB May 5, 2009

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