Theo Jansen - reinventing the wheel - for real

Some time ago I posted a video of a very neat Geometer's Sketchpad sketch simulating Theo Jansen's beach animals. However, I didn't investigate the source of this effort.

Today, I read Barbara McLaughlin's post which embedded the video of Theo Jansen's TED talk, below. Astonishing what problems the human mind turns itself to. As Barbara points out this is the kind of delight that is a reward for maintaining a Personal Learning Network.

Math Coaching in Ontario

The provincial government has announced a large investment in Math Coaches (Grades 7-12).

I have created a wiki page with some support links (please feel free to add to it).

Does anyone have any experience with coaching at this level that they are willing to share?

Mathematical Poetry?

This is not as deep as Kaz's stuff, but comes from Harold and Kumar by way of the College Math Teacher,

I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

I probably should have saved that for Valentine's Day, but I have something else up my sleeve for that.

Once again mathematical proficiency is associated with embarrassing lameness - sigh.

We are number 1 - oops, we are number 127!

According to a list of the top 200 jobs, Mathematicians have the best job. Teachers, unfortunately, hit the list at 127 - right between Vending Machine Repairer and Buyer.

See the related story, sent on to me by Dr. Doug Franks - maybe he was trying to cheer Dr. Dan Jarvis up on his birthday!