Blog Archives
University of Rochester Graduate Student Speaks to Athena AP Students
Joshua Horn, Graduate Student in the University of Rochester’s Biochemistry and Biophysics Program, visited Kathy Magin’s 2nd block AP Stats class. He delivered an interesting presentation on his laboratory work with protein poly-peptides. Mrs. Magin and Mr. Horn collaborated previous to his visit. This allowed him to customize his presentation so as to address areas of Statistics the students were familiar with. These topics included:
- What are the characteristics of a “good” sample?
- How large a sample is required?
- How many simulations of an experiment are necessary?
- When population values are not know, how do confidence intervals play a part in drawing conclusions?
The students found Mr. Horn’s presentation interesting and it allowed them to appreciate the real-life application of all their hard work in Statistics.
Mrs. Magin appreciates all of the work that Mr. Horn put into customizing his presentation and that he graciously agreed to present his work to Mrs. Magin’s 4th block Stats class later in the school year.
Kingsbury Makes Math Fun for Students
On December 6, Elissa Kingsbury presented to my MTH 155 students (one of my many jobs is teaching MTH 155-Math for Elementary Teachers- at Monroe Community College). Elissa is a 4th grade teacher at Canal View Elementary in the Spencerport Central School District. She also trains teachers on how to use the “Math Investigations” program. As Elissa told the class, the focus of Math Investigation instruction is on mathematical thinking and reasoning. Children use prior knowledge and the discovery approach to make sense of and develop an understanding of fundamental mathematical ideas. The program’s objectives, which overlap with the MTH 155 objectives, are to encourage students to use multiple strategies to find solutions to any given problem and explain their thinking. Some of the key parts of Elissa’s presentation included a demonstration of Ten-Minute Math, quick images, arrays, and an engaging game called “Multiple Turn Over.”
Elissa gave the college students some great advice: “Have fun yourself and make it fun for students! Use movement, songs, jingles, etc.” Thank you for given such an engaging presentation to my class.
Rochester Red Wings Statistician Visits Athena
On Wednesday, November 2nd, Rochester Red Wings Statistician Chuck Hinkel came into Mrs. Magin’s AP Stats class to discuss how math is used in his career. Although Mr. Hinkel’s official title with the Red Wings is Public Relations Director, he uses statistics everyday. He explained to the 30+ students that many sports, such as baseball are statistics driven. Many athletics careers rely on the important work that Mr. Hinkel and his team do. He also said that statistics tells an important story and it is his job to use stats to lead fans through the story of a season. Mr. Hinkel, who also does work with CBS, the NFL, and RIT hockey, explained to the students the importance of picking a career that you really like doing. He said that sometimes you have to pay your dues when you first start out (referencing that he was the Red Wings mascot at an earlier time with the organization), but if you work hard and focus on your goals, it will be worth it in the end.
My name is Andy Maillet and I am an instructional math coach at Athena Middle and High Schools.
Have Your Pi and Eat It Too 