Ontario News from ExploreLearning : Teaching Strategies

Fuel Economy - MPG and L/100 km

I came across Brian Dunning's blog post this morning and it inspired me to draw a few connections between the way we communicate units. The first week of my Grade 11 Physics course has always had 2 objectives: build relationships and classroom culture and delve into real world communication of physics/math thru units (and unit conversions). What struck me about this blog post occured on my way back from dropping my kids off at school while passing the GM dealership advertising "Gas Pain? 60 MPG, 2012 Chevy Cruze".

The question that came to mind first was...

"Come on, really? How can it be that much better than my Honda Fit?" then I asked myself...

"Why are they using MPG in Canada?",  "How many people are mislead by such advertising?" and then...

"How many people even have an inkling of the real meaning (for me that would be $$ per kilometer)  between 40 MPG, 50 MPG and this fantastical claim of 60 MPG?" How would the numbers change if the sign was quoting L/100km?

Here is what Brian had to say,

The salient difference between the MPG and L/100km is not merely that one is metric and the other is not; it’s that they are multiplicatively inverted from one another. One gives fuel per distance, while the other gives distance per fuel.

When we talk about a car’s fuel economy, what we want to know is how much fuel does it use, not how far does it go. MPG answers the latter question, while l/100km is what gives us the answer we want. When we talk about a car that gets great fuel economy, we tend to speak instead in terms of how far it will go. This is the inverse of what we are trying to communicate.

The problem with using MPG — distance over volume of fuel — is that the relationship is not a flat line. It’s deceptive. Values at the lowest end of the mpg scale — where most of us scoff at all such cars — correlate to consumption numbers that are much further apart than those at the high end of the scale.

For example, imagine two cars that get 14 mpg and 17 mpg. Most of us look at them and say they’re both unacceptable. However, consider two cars that register 33 mpg and 50 mpg. Who among us would not clamor for the 50 mpg car, believing it to be far more fuel efficient than the 33? The fact is that in both pairs of examples, the car with the higher figure saves 1 full gallon of fuel on a 100-mile trip. Going from a 14 mpg car to a 17 saves exactly as much fuel (and carbon) as going from a 33 to a 50.

The advantage in using a linear scale of fuel consumption is that it tells us exactly what we want to know, without disguising the reality behind an invisible curve.

 

So, to me this is an interesting inquiry investigation and there are two Gizmos that would be great to use in figuring out your students perceptions and misconceptions of common units we see in advertising (MPG and L/100 km) and fuel economy in general.

         


And the answer to my burning question this morning...

My Honda Fit gets on average 45 MPG, or 5L/100 km and today that would cost me $6.30 to go that 100 km. This fantastical Chevy Cruze...60 MPG, or 4L/100 km for that same 100 km trip would cost $5.15. 

Now, I am clearer on why they are advertising in MPG. What would you choose to put on the sign in front of your Canadian car dealership?

I am with Brian, time to scrap MPG...I think it is bordering on misleading. What do you think?

Sources: http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/05/24/mpg-vs-l100km/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chart_MPG_to_L-100km_v2009-10-08.svg

Two New Science Gizmos - Digestive System & Unit Analysis

Have you ever wondered what happens to the food you eat? Most of us are pretty familiar with the path of the digestive system--mouth, esophagus, stomach, and so on. But what would happen if our digestive systems were designed differently? What if food went through the small intestine before the stomach? What would happen if the pancreas was attached to the large intestine? Do we really need a gallbladder?

The new Digestive System Gizmo allows students to arrange the organs and structures of the human digestive system in any way they like. By measuring how well different nutrients are digested and absorbed, students can discover for themselves the important role that each organ plays in the digestive process. Perhaps somebody can use this Gizmo to improve the design of our own digestive system!

An important skill in all areas of science and math is the ability to convert a measurement or value from one unit to another. The Unit Conversions Gizmo allows students to answer questions such as "What is the height of Mount Everest in kilometers?" or "How fast is sprinter Usain Bolt in miles per hour?" With 55 preset problems (and 12 additional randomized questions) to choose from, students will get plenty of practice converting distance, time, speed, mass, volume, and density units. This is a great review before end-of-year tests as well as an excellent way to start off next Fall.

We hope you enjoy the new Gizmos and please let us know what you think!

 

 

 

Skull Analysis

Here is an article that appeared in MacLeans (April 2, 2012) providing a great connection to the Skull Analysis Gizmo. Does this skull appear like a new species to you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attention, Games, and Acquiring Mastery

I am almost thru a great book on the the role of attention and distraction in learning and work. Maggie Jackson's video summary is a great one that gives you the bullet points of the book. 

 

Now that I have posted the summary, I will encourage you to go the next step and actually focus long enough to read the whole book. 

"The costs of attention deficiency are so great ... we need to step back and re-examine our priorities" 

This got me thinking about my own behaviours and those of students in school. I need to be more self disciplined so I can be a better role model for those I can influence. What are we teaching others when we frantically go from one activity to another? ( Article: 15 big ways the Internet is changing our brain )

I was in a classroom the other day and saw a teacher insist on students focusing on the task assigned, but once they got started, she went rushing about to complete the multitude of things that had to get done all at once. No wonder the students focus on the task was so short - the example we are giving them is to juggle many things, as fast as possible. 

But then there are video games...video games are, by their nature, designed to draw in the learners focus. When I watch my children play Reflex math, they are single focused on answering the math facts. Sometimes I wonder if the house crashed down around them, would they even notice.  This is what worries my wife when she watches them play any sort of video game. She is unsure if this is healthy.

I think that it depends on the context. If video games can provide the vehicle to get students keenly focused, and then we use that focus to build mastery of a skill (like math facts), then I think we are doing what we need to do to reach the learner in the social context we all find ourselves juggling.

What strategies are you using to teach the discipline of focus?

Response to Intervention (RTI) with Reflex

Several of the Institue of Education Sciences recommendations for implementing effective Response to Intervention (RTI) programs provide some great supporting arguments for using Reflex with students who have gaps in mathematical understanding.

"Research on instructional and assessment techniques (differentiated instruction and response to intervention) ... continue to drive initiatives to help close achievement gaps for students with special education needs." (Read more)

    Special Education Policy and Programs Branch Ministry of Education, Ontario

  Have a look at the specifics in this flyer. (Download RTI Flyer)

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Stopped Dreaming

When was the last time you heard a child say,"I want to be an astronaut when I grow up?" When was the last time that you heard a anyone express a lofty goal? 

 

I just love this video...oftentimes, we take for granted the things that really matter and easily dismiss just how valuable they are. NASA's budget is so small ("4/10ths of a percent of a tax dollar") in comparision to the other things that our governments fund in the interest of perserving the economy. And yet, it is an easy target to slash. Why is that?

"The 850 million dollar US bank bailout was equivelent to the entire 50 year running budget of NASA"

How much is dreaming worth? A long term vision - an unwavering belief in possibility. How much is it worth for our students to develop big dreams?

Sometimes I feel that I have a giant dream connected with my work with Ontario math teachers. I truly believe there are solutions to the challenges in getting students to believe math is relavant and, in fact, fun. I believe that if we all took a stand and convicted to - NO ONE will be an discouraged math learner - it could become a reality.

Instead, we look to the reasons why it is impossible and accept mediocrity. It is so much easier to look at the possibility of something delivering immeasurable, but somewhat intangible good, and dismiss it as something we cannot afford. Much more difficult to strive to maintain an unwavering belief in possibility.

The dream of success is always worth what it costs and, sadly, it never goes on sale.

Teachers need to be in the drivers seat of their own learning

I have the honor of joining my former colleagues at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School today to participate in their afternoon PD as a "pedagogista". They are using the Minds on Media approach to differentiate the professional learning experience to collectively uncover ideas toward the goal of effective use of instructional technology.

It's not 'wait for the workshop' any more. It's 'just in time' learning - not 'just in case'. Teachers will gain expertise in asking questions using Web 2.0 tools and in developing, nurturing and leveraging a robust professional learning network (PLN).

                 

I am looking forward to not only sharing expertise but also learning alongside my peers. It is so true what Peter Skillen says..."none of us are fully technology literate" as the technology landscape is changing very quickly.

 

In the workshops I did recently with the Durham DSB math learning teams (PLTs), we facilitators were really concious of modeling the best practice that we were trying to share. For me , it can never be that I am simply "talking the talk" as my actions speak so loudly about my own attitudes toward learning. If I am not passionately learning and growing how could I possibily expect that value to be transmitted to the learners I am influencing. ( See this article for some perspective on appropriate professional development for 21st century teachers )

How are you modeling 21st century learning in your professional development? How can we really craft differentiated learning environments for our students if we are not engaged in similar learning environments ourselves? Today we get to grapple with this question.

Learning Thru Games

As educators truly interested in modeling meaningful learning and skill development, it is sometimes difficult to determine the balance fun and engagement with instructional content and learning. I like how K. Ash puts it,

 "...how to avoid the criticism that many engaging activities are "chocolate-covered broccoli"—something students quickly sniff out and reject."

This idea was at the heart of the design work that went into Reflex. We are searching for the balance where the fun students are having playing the games translates into not only math fact fluency but also a positive attitude toward their math ability.

If you want a game experience to also be a learning experience you have to take engagement and how kids learn into account. That means finding an approach that interweaves instruction and entertainment.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term "flow" to describe the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. The conditions needed to create that state are clear tasks, feedback, attainable goals, and concentration and focus. 

Check out these videos and you be the judge. Are these kids in "flow" while practicing math facts?

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 17th - Professional Development Around Ontario

February 17th is a busy day around the province with some spectacular learning opportunities for teachers. ExploreLearning is pleased to be a part of three of these events. Below are some resources that are related to the presentations happening for the Durham DSB, Toronto DSB and Ottawa Carlton DSB. 

Durham DSB - Graham Whisen, OCT

Downloadable version of the workshop folder:  Download Gizmo Folder

Getting started with Gizmos boo klet:  Download Self Guided Tutorial

What are Gizmos flyer:  Download What are Gizmos

 

Toronto DSB Eureka - Peter Wright, OCT

Workshop Handout:  Download TDSB Eureka

Workshop folder:  Download Gizmo Folder

Getting started with Gizmos booklet:  Download Self Guided Tutorial

What are Gizmos flyer:  Download What are Gizmos

 

Ottawa Carlton DSB - Stephen Lippa, OCT

Downloadable version of the workshop folder:  Download Gizmo Folder

Getting started with Gizmos booklet:  Download Self Guided Tutorial

What are Gizmos flyer:  Download What are Gizmos

 

Students Outperform Using Simulations

I am often confronted by science teachers about the balance between hands-on inquiry vs. "virtual" inquiry. I am of the mind that they are not mutually exclusive but rather work together to craft more differentiated learning experiences. However, Chris Meyer shared this article with me showing that students who used electricity simulations actually outperformed the control group who did not on conceptual questions and real circuit assembly. Very interesting findings. What observations have you had showing effective inquiry can be done virtually? Please share in the comments.

Click to link to the full article.