Learning Math (Funny)

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The Message from Mr. Pan's Calculus Class

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Funny Pictures

The end of school year is approaching. we are very excited about the coming summer vacation. The following video clip will make laugh out aloud.

Math Education: A University View

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Shift Happens

In August 2006, a high school teacher, Karl Fisch, was asked by his administration to do a presentation at his new school year faculty meeting. He stated in his blog (http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html), "I'm really focused on staff development and the "vision" of where we should be headed, so I wanted to do something different." He remixed content from David Warlick, Thomas Friedman, Ian Jukes, Ray Kurzweil and others, added some music, and came up with the following awesome, thoughtful, and widely spreaded presentation, SHIFT HAPPENS.

The above presentation is created by Karl Fisch, and modified by Scott McLeod.

Happy Holidays

Attitude

By Charles Swindoll

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our Attitudes.

What Matters Most to Colleges

Copied From https://www.collegedata.com

How do colleges select students? It's not one of the great mysteries of life, even though it sometimes looks that way. While there is no precise formula for how a student gets admitted to a college, admissions departments typically provide their admissions criteria. On CollegeData's College Profile pages (in the College Match section) you can find lists of these factors. Most colleges then rank their factors as Very Important, Important, Considered or Not Considered.

Which Factors Rank as the Most Important to a College?

While every college is different, some factors consistently rank as either Important or Very Important:

College prep course grades (AP, IB, and honors) — Most high schools use a weighted GPA system, so that grades in college prep courses count more than those of regular courses. Even if your high school does not do this, most college admissions officers consider your completion of such courses one of the strongest signs of your commitment to do well in college.

Standardized test scores — These include the results of the SAT I, the ACT, the SAT II, Advanced Placement (AP) tests and the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. Colleges will let you know which of these tests you will need to submit scores for. The SAT I and the ACT scores are the two most requested. The SAT II Subject Tests, AP tests, and IB exams are more often part of supplemental application materials. The SAT I is designed to predict how well a student will do as a college freshman, and the ACT is designed to show what a student learned in high school.

Overall high school grades — Your transcript will display every class that you have taken in high school and the corresponding grade you received in that class. Colleges will be looking to see whether you took challenging courses or whether you opted for the easier route.

Class rank — Class rank shows which percentage of your high school senior class you are in, or where you place numerically, based on your GPA. The higher your GPA the better chance you have of being in a higher rank, depending on the GPAs of your classmates and how the ranks are divided. Colleges that use this factor (not all do) want to see how much competition you had to face to achieve your rank. Ranking number one or in the top ten percent in a class of 300 is more impressive than ranking in the same position in a class of 12. However, fewer than half of high schools track class rank, and most of those are public high schools.

Letters of recommendation — These are forms which ask certain teachers, your high school counselor and possibly your principal to complete and submit to colleges as a testimony of your achievements and capabilities. They are supposed to be letters of praise, so look for faculty with whom you've had a good history, who know you well and who can vouch for your likelihood of academic success. Colleges want an honest, professional opinion of your abilities and personality. These endorsements can make a difference when your application is compared to others that are similar to yours, especially at private colleges.

The admissions essay — Almost every application will ask you to submit an essay or personal statement, based on a question the college provides. You may usually choose from several questions. Your essay is a way for colleges to find out more about you as an individual, what means the most to you, what experiences have affected you the most or what you have to say about your world. Your essay is your opportunity to put a "personality" behind the application. Like letters of recommendation, a good essay can tip a decision in your favor, especially at private colleges.

Extracurricular activities — These are the things you do outside of high school. What you do in your spare time says a lot about you, so make sure your activities give the message you intend. Maybe you're on a sports team, take ballet classes, play an instrument, are vice president of the chess club, work or volunteer. The thing that counts most to a college is quality over quantity. How long you have been involved, how much time you alot to an activity each week, and whether or not you have taken a role of leadership in your activity are the things that will matter most to a college, especially private colleges.

A special talent — This is a skill that makes you stand out. Whether it's your piano playing or your creativity in painting, a special talent that is valued by a college could give you a leg up on other candidates, not to mention access to scholarships that list your talent as one eligibility criterion. If a college wants a talent you possess, there is no telling what they'll offer.

While all of these factors are important, it is up to the college that you are applying to to tell you which are the most important to them. You can see that colleges want more than just test scores and GPAs. They want a whole student. Start investigating which factors matter most to the college of your dreams.

Goodbye And Enjoy The Rest Of The Summer Vacation

If That Dog Can Do Math, So Can We!

Summer Vacation

Enjoy oversleep and relaxation,
Enjoy staying with your family members,
Enjoy being with your friends,
Enjoy listening your faverite music, and reading your desired books,
Most of all, enjoy the beauty of the nature and the human being, ...

A Copy of My Email to Math Teachers

Hi, wonderful math teachers, the 2005-2006 school year comes to an end, I'd like to thank you for your hard work and dedication to the math department. We've made a good team.

For the past 10 months, you posted pacing calendars, planned hundreds of lessons, graded projects, tests, and quizzes, distributed and collected books, made the delinquency book list, and volunteered to help the department and school. You've kept parents informed of their children's progress and deficiencies. Although we are not happy with our Math A Regents Exam result, we will improve it next year and make New Dorp a better school. I firmly believe that together we are capable of bringing our students to the next level.

To make you laugh, click the following shortcut:
http://newdorpmath.blogspot.com/2006/05/do-you-want-to-laugh-after-ap-calculus.html

I hope you have a wonderful summer!

Graduation Day

It was the happiest day of the school year for graduates, parents, teachers, and administrators. Their smiles were visible. All the speakers made wonderful speeches. The weather was very cooperative although the weather forecast predicted that it would rain. The sunshine got stronger and stronger, and we all got suntanned. Look at the pictures, do you hear the cheering blast?

MIT Single Variable Calculus Course

Students asked me how college calculus is different from AP calculus.

Please click the following shortcut to view MIT single variavle Calculus course description, Syllabus, Lecture Notes, RecitationsNotes, Assignments, and Exams:
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Mathematics/18-01Fall2003/CourseHome/index.htm

Yearbook for Class 2006

Some of the seniors cannot afford to buy the yearbooks; others have paid for the yearbooks but for some reason, have yet not received them. They want to know what I wrote for them this year. So I now post what I wrote for them in the yearbook here:

I have truly enjoyed working with you and watching you grow up academically and personally. You have delighted me with your many achievements in and out of class. You have shared your disappointments as well as the good times of your lives. You have impressed me by demanding the program change. You have made me laugh - a lot - with your marvelous senses of humor. You have been a special group to me so I was thrilled, but stunned, by the fact that you will soon graduate from New Dorp High School. I want all of you to have good lives. Good luck, good health, success, and happiness. I wish you all good things. May those big dreams come true.

My 2006 Math & Science Institute Luncheon Speech

Ms. DeAngelis, Assistant Principals, Teachers, and especially Institute Graduates, on this day of celebration, you are all happy and fulfilled. You feel just proud of your accomplishments to date.

A few words of recognition are due to those who have helped make today’s event possible. To Ms. DeAngelis, I thank you for the wisdom and constant support you have provided. To Assistant Principals, I thank you for offering rigorous courses as well as unselfish helps. To teachers, I gratefully acknowledge your dedication, and caring, and for times, you have challenged our students to reach their full potentials. To Mrs. Barnett, I thank you for your hard work and commitment to the institute. To you, the institute graduates, you are the reason why we are here. You have brought the distinction to yourself, your family, and your school. Congratulations!

You will leave us soon.
I will miss you very, very, …, very much.
I will miss the moment when you demanded me to change your program. I will miss the moment when we danced with slopes, and sang calculus songs with holiday melodies. Asaf, you sang too loudly but you had a good voice, more expresive tham the math formula.
I will miss the Senior Reversal Day.Surit made me became a beautiful blonde high school student.
I will miss your sweet smile after you solved a tough problem, got a good grade, or received an award.
I will miss your shining eyes exploring knowledge and searching for truth.
I will miss the numerous small talks about your happiness, personal or family problems, and mostly your dreams.
I will miss your shows. In my eyes, your shows are better than the ones on Broadway.

So after you leave New Dorp, please stay in touch!

To express my best wish to you, let me quote what Mark Twain wrote,

“Always work like you don’t need money. Always fall in love like you’ve never hurt. Always dance like nobody is watching. And always, …., always live like it’s heaven on the earth.”

Again, congratulations, and thank you for letting me be part of your life.

Attention, Mr. Pan's Calculus Class

Mr. Pan's calculus class will be in Computer Room, W101 from Monday, May22 thru Friday, May 26. Power Point Presentation Calculus Project will be done there. Please keep up good work!

P.S. Institute Luncheon will be at 12 pm on June 1, 2006.

"Bye Bye Birdie" performed by New Dorp Students

What a great performance! How talented our New Dorp students are!

My wife and I enjoyed the show very much. We lost control, and laughed throughout the show.

I am extreamly proud of our institute students. They played leading roles and other roles. Their singing, danceing, and conversing were so impressive, expressive, and professional that I almost forgot they were my students. At that moment, I did believe that they are the real characters, Albert, Rosie, parents, Birdie, ... Bravo!

Some of them may soon leave New Dorp H.S. for Colleges to pursue their dreams. I'll miss them badly.

Best wishes to our seniors!

Please don't forget to say "I love you, Mom" today.
Happy Mother's Day!

2006 AB Calculus Exam Section II 5b solution

During the last 3 days, students, and teachers were talking about the solution to free-response question 5b online or in the classroom. Different answers have been presented. which one is the right answer? If you still trust me, read my solution.

Solution to free-response question 5b:

Given dy/dx=(1+y)/x where x ≠ 0
Solve the differential equation. We get,
ln[abs(1+y)] = ln[abs(x)] + C
e^abs(1+y) = e^( ln[abs(x)] + C)
abs(1+y)=e^C* e^ln[abs(x)]
1+y=±e^C * abs(x)
1+y=k *abs(x) where k = ±e^C, and k is a constant.
y=k abs(x) - 1 where x ≠ 0 ( Note: x ≠0 is given)
Using the initial condition f(-1)=1, we get k=2.
So the solution is:
y=2 abs(x) - 1 where x ≠ 0 or the domain is all real numbers except for x=0.
Since the solution is a piecewise function, it can also be expressed as
y= -2x-1 when x<0
y= 2x-1 when x>0

Check the original equation with each piece.
When x<0, y=-2x-1
dy/dx=(1+y)/x
(-2x-1)' = ( 1 + (-2x-1 ))/x
-2 = -2 (True)

When x>0, y=2x-1
dy/dx=(1+y)/x
(2x-1)' = ( 1 + (2x-1 ))/x
2 = 2 (True)

Therefore, The solution is: y=2x - 1 where x ≠ 0.

Do you want to laugh after AP Calculus Exam?

Laugh with the babies, please!

Last Minute Reminders for the A.P. Exam

COPIED FROM THE HANDLEY MATH PAGE

Before the Exam:

Study the Quick Reference Guide on the night before the exam.
This will help keep the formulas fresh in your mind.

Review important concepts.
The exam emphasizes concepts.

Study what you do NOT know.
That may seem obvious, but many people enjoy getting the right answers so much that they only review the stuff they know.

Get a good night's sleep.
Relax. Don't stay up late studying. You need to be able to think during the exam.

On the Day of the Exam:

What to bring:
Several No. 2 pencils, black or dark-blue ballpoint pen, graphing calculator (or two!), a watch, a snack for during the break.

Eat a good breakfast and arrive on time!

Be sure that your calculator is set in RADIAN MODE!


On the Exam:

Be methodical – work neatly and carefully.
You can't get credit if the readers can't read it.


On the Multiple choice Sections:

Read each question carefully and look at the answer
choices.

Do the ones you are sure of.
Don't struggle over one that isn't working out.
remember that you have a limited amount of time.

One type of question may ask you only to set up the problem.
Looking at the answer choices may keep you from doing too much work.

Some questions ask you to choose the one true or false statement form 5 statements.
Be sure you know if you are looking for a true or a false statement.


On the Free Response Sections:
Numerical answers may be left unsimplified and in terms of e, pi, etc.
Avoid simplifying numerical answers (see note below about three-decimal accuracy).

Don't write a long essay.
You may show a number line as your analysis of the sign of the derivative – be sure to label it appropriately , for example y', y'', f ', f '' etc.

Do not explain how to do the problem you cannot do.
A general explanation without work will receive no credit. You must do the problem you are given.

If you work a problem two different ways, choose the best one and put an X
through the other one. If both are left, they will both be scored and the scores will be averaged.

Standard notation must be used – not calculator notation!

Start each problem on the Free Response Section even if you can't do it all.
They are written so that the first parts are easier in order to help you get started.

Do not let the points at the beginning keep you from getting the points at the
end.
If you can do part (c) but don't know how to do part (a) and (b), make a guess for the expression needed.

If you use your calculator to solve an equation, write the equation first.
An answer without an equation might not get full credit, even if it is correct.

If you use your calculator to find a definite integral, write the integral first.
An answer without an integral will not get full credit, even if it is correct.

Do not waste time erasing bad solutions.
Make an X over anything that you don't want the Readers to grade.

Do not use your calculator for anything except:
(a) graph functions, (b) compute numerical derivatives, (c) compute definite integrals, and (d) solve equations.

If a calculation is given as a decimal, it should be correct to three decimal
places after the decimal point.
Do not round in intermediate steps before a final calculation is made.

Some answers, the evaluation of a definite integral for example, must be written as decimals because they are found using a graphing calculator. These answers must be correct to three decimal places past the decimal point. 56.000 may be given as 56.

Too often students may choose to give decimal answers when they are not required. Once a free-response answer is entirely in terms of numbers, there is no need to change the number to a decimal. For example, the answer cos(4) + 7/2 is sufficient. If you decide to change it to a decimal, and it is correct to three decimal places, you will receive credit. However, if you change a correct answer to an incorrect decimal (including one with too few decimals), then you will lose credit.

Some of these ideas are adapted from Dan Kennedy at A.P. Central and from Lin McMullin's Teaching A.P. Calculus

This is for both calculus students and other high school students

Hi, New dorp students, This is an amazing site. Hope you enjoy it. Check out the humor as well as AP Calculus plus the high school math.

Shortcut to:
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/lessons/mcalc.html

10 Ways to Survive 11th Grade

Jay Mathews is a famous education columnist, who have been writing insightful and practical articles for policitians, educators, parents and students. Let's sit back and enjoy his recent writing.






10 Ways to Survive 11th Grade

By Jay Mathews
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 11, 2006; 9:15 AM

Two weeks ago I wrote a story for The Post about the horrors of high school junior year. One student compared 11th grade to having her feet nailed to the bottom of a six-foot-deep pool full of . . . . Well, I better not say what she said it was full of. My editor cut that from the story. But you get the point.

I did not have enough space in that article to explore ways to handle what is, in my view, our kids' most difficult year. All the worst emotional, intellectual, occupational and familial pressures seem to peak in the 11th grade, when students are too young and inexperienced to make confident judgments about what must and must not be done.

I can't promise to make that grade easier, but for years I have been interviewing teenagers and the adults they blame for their troubles, and I was an 11th grade parent myself three times. That has given me some ideas for keeping the stress of junior year to a minimum. Here they are:

1. Do your homework and listen in class

That sounds dumb, simple and parental, doesn't it. But it is the key to a less painful junior year. To succeed in school, you don't have to be brilliant. You just have to show up and do the problems and essays and reading you are asked to do. Give that first priority, and everything else falls into place.

It is best if you study at the same time and the same place every day. Some days may be worse than others, but a two-hour homework time block, if you follow that schedule every day, including weekends, should keep you on track. Two thirds of college freshman say they never did more than a hour of homework a day in high school, so two hours should give you a competitive advantage and a sense of confidence that will relax you. (If you think you need a three-hour block, go for it, but actually using the full two-hour block every day, and working ahead of schedule when you run out of daily assignments, will bring rewards that will surprise you.)

2. Think of the SAT or the ACT as just another test

Your parents, and the companies that market test-prep courses (including Kaplan Inc., a major part of The Washington Post Co.), have led you to believe that the SAT or the ACT will make or break your college dreams. That simply isn't true. If you do your homework, pay attention in class (see number 1) and go over a few of the practice tests in the school library, you will do fine. A score in the 2000s on the SAT or the 30s on the ACT will give you a shot at an admission letter to Yale, just as drawing a 7 or a 4 will improve your Super Bowl pool chances, but getting in will still be a matter of chance. If you get a lower score, you will have plenty of opportunities to get into good colleges that cater to students with your interests. There are fine schools that are happy to see a score over 1500 on the new SAT and over 20 on the ACT.

3. Two extracurricular activities are enough

Joining French club and the debate team and Safe Rides and the volleyball team and church choir and Key Club and volunteering at the hospital every Friday is a bad idea. That is too many activities. The colleges don't want to see thick resumes. They want evidence of deep passion for some pastime. Two activities would be fine, as long as your commitment to them is strong. So pick a sport you like (see number 6 below) and something else that you enjoy, and focus just on them. If you like basket-weaving, enter your stuff in the county fair. If you write poetry, organize a regular Thursday afternoon reading in the junior class corridor. And with all extra time you have, . . .

4. See your friends

And when I say "see," I mean be in the same room with them and talk and laugh and play music and watch dumb DVDs and work at being 16 years old. Telephoning and instant messaging don't count. You are 21st century Americans, so I can't stop you from doing that stuff, but I think you will be more cheerful and less stressed if you have regular times to interact in person with your friends, just as we primates have happily done for several million years.

5. Remember that getting into a good college is not that difficult

It may not be a college that your grandmother has heard of, but you have a better choice of colleges and universities here than in any other country in the world. You might pause for a moment and appreciate that. Notice all those young people moving here from China and Korea and the Philippines and Egypt and Nigeria and other places? They know that you can get a splendid education in the United States with nothing more than a basic understanding of English and a willingness to work hard. The vast majority of colleges accept most of their applicants, and some good ones still have empty spaces in September.

6. Exercise regularly

You say, "Who has time for that?" Make time. Every study ever done shows that people who make a regular effort to get their bodies moving briskly feel better and do better the rest of the day. If you pick a sport that requires some physical effort, then you are taking care of this and half of number 3 at the same time.

7. Go to bed an hour earlier than you usually do

My wife suggested this one, and I can hear what you are saying -- "That sounds like my mom. She doesn't know anything either." But it will cut back on the exhaustion you sometimes feel, and if you have already done your two-hour block of homework, why stay up? Rather than going past 11 p.m. to instant message all of your computer-addicted friends, leave an away message saying you are doing your homework so they don't think you are a total sleep freak, and then hop into bed with a book that you WANT to read about something unrelated to school.

8. Pay more attention to how you feel about yourself then how others feel about you

If you carefully read Post columnist Carolyn Hax, who dispenses wisdom to people under 30, you know what I am talking about. You cannot be attractive to other people if you don't like yourself first. To do that, just follow all the suggestions above.

9. Treat others as you would want to be treated

This taps into religion and ethics and making a world we all want to live it. My own children grew weary of my asking, when they came home from school, if they had learned the Golden Rule. But I think they eventually figured it out, and that lesson still pays dividends.

10. Remember that this will likely be the hardest year of your life

I don't expect anyone to follow any of the suggestions above, but perhaps the best defense against stress in junior year is to recognize that it is going to be over soon. Senior year has its difficulties, but your grades won't count as much, the SAT or ACT ordeal will be history, and you will have more time for friends.

In college, you will be able to follow your own dreams and interests more than you are able to now. You will still be busy, but you will be happier about it.
The same goes for the rest of your life. Just consider 11th grade crazy, to use a favorite junior year adjective. That is usually a temporary condition. The rest of your time on the planet is unlikely to be so bad.

© 2006 The Washington Post Company

Reminder

Vacation Pleasure For MCX2 Students:

1. Take Home Exam: 1997 Calculus AB Exam.

2. Extra Credit Pleasure: Practice Exam III and Practice Exam IV (The gray book).

I am very proud of your accomplishments. Did you know limit, differentiation, integration and differential equations on September 5, 2005? Now you know them very well although you have spent only 7 months on Calculus. Please review so that you can show your mastrey of the subject on the AP exam.

Use the College Board Website to Review Calculus AB Exam

Time is flying. AP Calculus AB Exam day is approaching. The date is May 3, 2006 (Wednesday). Practice makes perfect. If you want to solve more AP problems,

1. Get on the following website:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/calculus_ab/samp.html?calcab

2. Then choose what you like to work on
- Course Description (containing both Sample Multiple Choice Questions and Free- Response Questions, plus their answers):
It is a pdf file.
Section I sample questions are on page 24 of 76 to page 37 of 76.
Section II sample questions are on page 52 of 76 to page 57 of 76

- 2002 to 2005 Free-Response Questions

- 2004 and 2005 Free-Response Question Scoring Guidelines ( with Answer Keys)

I’ll see you after the spring vacation.

May all of you be well prepared and score very high on the AP exam!

Wonderful New Dorp Students

Wonderful New Dorp Students

Math makes us smarter

Math makes us smarter. If you don't believe it now, you try to study math hard for one semester. You may have difficult time; but do not give up. Your friends and teachers will help if you ask. Open your organ under your nose often, let your brain work effectively, and have your hand on math tirelessly. You will be much smarter than now.