Saturday 31 October 2020

Pandemic Parenting: Oct 2020

Week 119
-Downstairs, 7 hrs straight sleep?^ A bit of quiz work. Dad time after 7am for an hour, with cereal. Mom time as I finish making online quiz. All out before 9am for time in park during ultrasound (change in car), then Edinburgh park until 11:30am. Lunch and snooze; finish other parts of quiz then. Phone home, then time to fill out MinOfEd survey and complete grading before releasing. Dad time 4pm for near an hour, then all out to park and for ice cream. Brief 6pm break, dinner, bath, etc. TORG role-play 7:30 until after 10pm. Final online details.
-Messy night*. Queue up posts, then family time 7:15am; depart, regular school day (still no projector). Run out for lunch and see Custodian Greg, quick chat. Get lessons on and look at emails/quizzes, stop at store, pickup and home. Clean up, then Dad time for 75 min including two parks. Tidy after dinner (recycling), bit more school to handle, dinner et al by 8:30pm. Downstairs by 10pm.
-Near 7 hrs sleep, posted info to Classroom after 6am, Dad time from 6:45am (reluctant rising). Wanted to see baby video before leaving after 7:30am. Prepped class, saw B for first time in nearly two weeks to finish stats. Song. After lunch, online co-ordinators talk Jamboard and collaboration. Pay bills, shop (milk) and pickup. Brief downtime, then Dad time for 45 min downstairs. Bedtime routine, more downtime (online) then finalizing quiz and test for tomorrow. Bed after 11pm.
-Dreamt&. Posted tests/quizzes online, some family time. Finished 2Var stats review while class worked, then into Probability. Managed remote Google Meet myself at same time. Fielded emails, checked through quizzes, lunch and then more prep. Quick run in rain(bow) after 3pm, bought gas, home. Family time including downstairs and park in splash suit; she wipes down the slides (and doesn't use them). After dinner, quick trip to shop and get DQ for AL as Sept ends. Dinner, finish putting together new test, down time from 9pm. Bed upstairs.
-Decent sleep, Dad time. Oct 1st so saw Cohort B for only 4th time since start of school, went through all 2Var with still an hour to work; remote Google Meet with self again. Got probability files updated early (still no projector), emails and managing of quizzes and assignment checkins. Brief look at Farmer's Market after school, home (with lawn sign). They return home as I go out, prompting back to parking for balances. Brief Dad time, after bed I find files and note my texts; Mom dinner. Online until 11pm.
-One wakeup, queue up last test set before 7am. Family time, now she's okay with waffles. School for 6th time with Cohort A (halfway to end), and a fire drill (done in stages). Again manage quizzes, also make phone calls for textbook liabilities from June. (Phone feels like a new horror.) Chat with colleague, quick store for bread, home. Pickup food, Dad time for half an hour until dinner. Bath after 6:30pm for near half an hour, bed by 8pm. Unproductive evening, bed 10:30pm.
-Awake 6am with queasy stomach. Still Dad time for over 75 minutes after 6:45am. Lie down after, better before 9am to Tatie. Morning of dishes and doing Epsilon writing. Lunch, then during snooze some re-reading, more writing, quick lie down. France reading after 3:30pm, 2+ hrs of Dad time after 4pm including park and rock throwing in pool. Try on snowsuit after 6pm. Half hour to self (bit more writing), half hour family time (downstairs bunnies), dinner before 7:30pm. Takes both to get her asleep about 9pm. Complete Epsilon writing before midnight.

===

Item counts to Saturday (Oct 3):
Step Count 2016: About 55,800
-Writing motivation stalled, car broke down, went to AFEMO french math conference.

Step Count 2017: Over 60,000 (16 stars)
-School ratcheted my stress to 8, in Ink & Insights Top 10, took a plane home.

Step Count 2018: Over 62,250 (11 stars)
-Passport photo, Cappies stuff, on train with Alexandra for Thanksgiving.

Step Count 2019: Over 76,000 (15 stars)
-Little one Doctor, climbed slide herself, I felt ill but was busy.

STEP COUNT 2020: Over 66,550. 10 stars.
SCHOOL EMAIL 2020: 141 New (70 sent)
 22 sent were "score released"
We have completed DAY 24. Now taught for ten days vs. quarantine only five.

RH Stress Level: 7 (Starlight Breaker)

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Week 120
-Up in night; awake 7am. Final scan and post of Epsilon. Dad time for an hour after 8:15am, then Family time for an hour outside. Come home 10:30am to cook lunch and check school email. Back out 11:15 to park; depart house by 11:45 to get boots for noon opening of store. Home for lunch before 12:30pm, then into snooze, asleep 1:30pm. Awake 3pm; I get some down time soon after. Phone my parents 4:15pm, Dad time from 5:15pm including trip to see ducks in light rain. Home for dinner, much tidying during bath. Story 7:30pm then online Torg gaming to 10:30pm. More down time, bed an hour later.
-Awake before 6am, check updated Covid questionnaire. Dad time for half hour with waffles, video then off. First true Support Day, many in Gr 9 Meet, two bath breaks, handled emails during Music replacement, lunch, no one in Gr 11 Meet. Got through quizzes and short part of tests. Bit of down time after 3pm, pickup and home. Family time from 5pm, mostly Dad time for last half hour to dinner after 6:30pm (Mom reads on training). Realize need quick grocery run, bed routine 7:15pm. Cooking, dishes, recycling; done 9pm. Minor work on OAME recap, some RDA, bed before 11pm.
-Decent night, awake by 6:30am, email students with missing tests. I need to be the one dressing, then cereal. Computer died at school, sang in Gr 9 Meet, managed to get tests done for one Cohort including while monitoring music. End of day staff meeting, immediate pickup 4pm. Dad time for over an hour after 5pm, park and smol car around house. Brief rest after dinner, cooking during bath, bed before 8pm. Not very productive, though did put together Untied cast list for possible post. Bed by 11pm.
-Awake before 5am, little one may be congested. Had dreamt, can't sleep^. Set up away emails, go in after 6:30am. Confirmation by 7am. Some back and forth, then Dad time for 2 hrs from 8:30am. An hour to handle emails and collapse for a bit, then make lunch. 2.5 hrs (during snooze) to contact parents, handle Google Meet, realize I didn't put grading in my bag. Dad time for 2.5+ hrs including outside, calling grandma (got new book), pours and more. Start dinner 6pm then half hour of down time. After dinner, family goofing with bed, then over half an hour to find sleep (she wanted me in specific). From 8:30pm can mostly finalize OAME post and prep Untied edits. Bed 11pm.
-Night disruptions, still dreamt*. Check msgs, again the one to dress, family time. Drop-off and rescue of all my items; check in with virtual anime upstairs too. Grading, Meet, textbook forms, relief, grading, music support. Lunch, grading, Meet and then meet tech guy. Projector is not supported, new projector needs new mount, but at least steal computer from prep room so I have something. Phone parent, leave later than usual. Pickup 4pm, home to clean, then out to shop (lost time). Back by 6pm as they arrive from park after a fall off ladder (slippery mittens). Cuddles, over 30 min of Dad time including videos. Bath & bed go well, I tidy, do dishes, dinner, start assembling review. Finally break 9pm; to bed after 10pm.
-Quiet night, awake after 6am. Dad time including animal play, nose seems better. At work finish grading, Meet has auto-attendance, prep next unit, given mobile projector for class. After lunch, Meet, upload files and info. Some time for jogging, notice little one rejected lunch for first time (holiday turkey). Pickup after 4pm, tears as another father had been there just before (not me). Mixed emotions, Dad time after 5pm for over half an hour, 30 min break, family time. Bed resistance 7pm, wanted Dad before 8pm. Evening of checking BTTF info, starting "Untied" edits.
-One disruption, dreamt but gone. Little one up by 7am, I take 75 min to do more "Untied" edits. Family time, Dad time of an hour, more edits 10:30am. Make lunch after 11:30am, start snooze an hour later (Mom out). Asleep after an hour. I'm asleep an hour after that. Up 3:30pm, I go for a run after 4pm. Meet at park 5pm, family play. Dad time by 5:45pm outside and basement. Dinner. Use of potty at 7pm, bath. Back into "Untied" edits; call for Dad after 8pm, half an hour there. Complete edits on File1, oy. Bed 11pm.

===

Item counts to Saturday (Oct 10):
Step Count 2016: About 59,600
-Bought cheap calculators, in-laws in town, lacked clear direction.

Step Count 2017: Over 63,300 (14 stars)
-Pregnancy news, but school had made me dead inside plus no blog buffer.

Step Count 2018: Over 67,100 (10 stars)
-Read Alexandra first story, first Thursday group, progress reports & CanCon.

Step Count 2019: Over 65,450 (16 stars)
-Tired, grading before progress reports, flight and Thanksgiving Saturday.

STEP COUNT 2020: Over 60,100. 11 stars.
SCHOOL EMAIL 2020: 149 New (87 sent)
 Removed 16 Sent Evidence Exports from count.
We have completed DAY 29. Now taught for ten days vs. quarantine only six.

RH Stress Level: 7 (Starlight Breaker)

=======
Week 121
-Dreamt&, up before 6am, "Untied" edits. Dad time from 6:50am for 1.5 hours including paints and going out in new boots. Family time to 9am, break for more edits. Dad & Mom time back and forth for half hours, until lunch. Mom takes snooze, go shopping for more milk, corn and next week's cake. Home 2pm, more edits. Awaken others before 3pm, bit of Dad time then family out to parks again. Home before 4:30pm for lie down, then Dad time before 5pm. Ice cream requests lead to phoning grandparents first, then trying to finalize prep for sirloin tip roast. Thanksgiving-ish dinner with corn. Family time play has a slip and minor lip blood. Dad time for half an hour to past 7pm. Bed; finalize Thanksgiving dinner. More edits, nearly to end of second file, oy. Bed 11pm.
-Dreamt^. Some wakeups, with her from 5:50am for 2.5 hours. First 45 min chair and back, then play and raspberries. Rest after 8:20am, including some Untied edits; after two hours, Dad time again. Out to park. After an hour, home to prepare lunch. Handled snooze, up by 3pm. Saw online card, then Zoom/Meet with Family for an hour from 3:30pm. More card after, email break for me 5pm. Dad time 5:30pm includes early dinner? No ice cream. Then trip to bridge. Family time before 6:30pm, bath 7pm, call for me to help sleep as I do dishes. Asleep 8:30pm, finish in kitchen and with photos by 9:30pm, dinner and a bit more editing (only into C file).
-Dreamt*, awake 5am, 25 min later provide little one relief. Let her sleep a bit past 7am, she wants waffles. Finish probability teaching, department meeting, emails (including survey). Pickup (still in rain), home. Briefly together, then 45 min crash. Dad time for half an hour, then dinner. Power out as we finish (6:55); half hour to disconnect alarm and look up outage info. Last things, bedtime. Power back half hour later (8:25), still don't cook; do "Untied" edits. RDA, reconnect alarm 10pm, bed 11pm.
-Dreamt in pieces (including bus trip on bridge, fear of heights). In chair before 6am. Send emails by 7am. Family time (nose seems fixed), to work. See student cohort in person for first time in 13 days, probability. Check handouts, finalize work on probability test sheet. Home, brief crash, Dad time then family time to park (w/ big stick). Dinner 6:45pm, bath, I start dinner, tidy masks, vacuum, do more school (including virtual anime). Break after 9pm. Brief edits, bed after 11pm.
-Wake 5am hearing the others, never fully back to sleep. With little one from 6am until lights on after 6:30am. Manage out door before 7:30am, drop Mom at appointment, on to Daycare. Teaching, including quiz only half of cohort completed. Update grades. Shopping after 3pm, pickup, home. Back and forth parenting time, including walking in rain suit. DQ trip before weekend closure. Email break before 7pm. Needed to help with bed at 8pm. Release all scores and do emails, then a bit of time for other things. Edits complete on File3.
-Never quite asleep again after 5am; queue up test. Gourds for little one. Through probability for Cohort B; am very tired. Handle emails and files after lunch. Back and forth at home (mostly Mom); extra star sometimes happens when upon arrival at far park, we want the near one instead. Dad time 30 min until 7pm dinner. Bed routine as I make cake. No energy to ice. Manage more edits, collapse 10:30pm.
-Dreamt of photo of someone running before nuclear explosion; awake before 6am but decent sleep. 1.5 hrs of Dad time from before 7am. Some family time, then near 2 hrs to handle some email, drive to bookstore, and prep dinner in slow cooker. Dad time 45 min, Mom takes over to go to park so lunch, then Zoom I'd help set up two weeks ago at noon. Birthday zoom, with cake and present. Handle snooze before 1pm, Mom trip out. She wakes us, more gifts, out to park until 5:30pm. DQ en route back, I do quick run then Dad time half an hour. Dinner, bed vector 7pm. Very rough sleeping; I'm in after 8pm but cannot lift, cries, Mom until near 9pm. I do attempt more edits, but not dishes, and bed before midnight.

===

Item counts to Saturday (Oct 17):
Step Count 2016: About 53,450
-Dealt with figuring out benefits, and found my writing groove. Simpler times.

Step Count 2017: Over 61,600 (15 stars)
-Implosion from teaching CS, everything is off, there is no joy.

Step Count 2018: Over 79,000 (8 stars)
-AL birthday, interviews extend normal half day, some passing out downstairs.

Step Count 2019: Over 70,300 (13 stars)
-Wrote comic review and about voting, AL birthday amid lack of sleep.

STEP COUNT 2020: Over 68,300. 13 stars.
SCHOOL EMAIL 2020: 134 New (63 sent)
 13 sent were 'score released'.
We have completed DAY 33. Now taught for 14 days vs. quarantine only six.

RH Stress Level: 8 (Starlight Breaker Extension)

=======
Week 122
-Decent night, awake 6:30am. 1.5 hrs of edits (finishing file 4) during Mom time, then 1.5 hrs of Dad time (including cereal and many books). Dishes, as little one gets story. Brief down time, then we let Mom cook lunch. More edits during snooze, also catching up photos and lying down. Laundry after snooze, then outside into leaves. Dad time for an hour at parks; home to call grandparents after 5pm. Pick up food during Mom time. Dinner, long bath, bed. Back into my edits, collapse before 11pm.
-Dreamt&. Dad time from 6:30am, family time then to work in the rain. Support day, full Meet on factoring, managed to get through all tests that were submitted on time and update files too. Testing centre now open next door. Home, 10 min Dad, not quite an hour Math Zoom, 20 min Dad, dinner, more Dad time. Spent after 7pm, dinner and not much else to 10pm. Minor edits.
-Dreamt we had to change school buildings. Awake before 6:30am again. More minor edits, then family time amid recycling; nearly forget pedometer. P/T Interview software has changed with fast turnaround. Support day, manage to design next evaluation and finalize all grades. Pick new route for run. Home, grab daycare photos, then Family time to park after 5pm and Dad time later. Bath 7pm, try to deal with fridge spill. 7:45pm total breakdown. Don't really cook after that, also discover the file I'm editing is an incorrect version. Brief RDA, bed 10:30pm.
-Wake in night, then at 6am. Dad time with waffles but forget temperature. Work manages to be productive in setting remaining tests, less so in other ways. Quick shopping, home routine. Family time 5pm, trade breaks; Dad time through 7pm then dinner and bed. Dishes, dinner, and finally manage to finish edits on File5. No energy after 10pm.
-Awake before 6:30am, get things together. Depart before 7:30am, drop Mom at appointment. At work, call about tires, get appointment news, grade Assumptions. Meets, Support, and create solutions for Probability Test. Emails over lunch, Meet, finish lunch. Pickup and home for 5 P/T interviews on phone before 6:30. Break in middle, little one wants photos. Run out at end to parking, then park, home 7pm for dinner; wants waffles. No cooking, but dishes. Also wants to be held before 10pm. Watch DNoble videos, bed before midnight.
-Up 6am, dreamt of skiing and catching fish? Dad time by 6:30am. Catch up on new items and get Project feedback done by 12:30pm; Board having issues with math contests. Finally look ahead at 3M & 3C, make refinements. Messaged about flu vaccine in area, go after work - 1.5 hr wait no good. Daycare round trip home, back to wait for an hour, home after 6pm. Finished 'Strange' comic set in that time. Dad time for near an hour including dinner. Bath, dealing with emails, bed, needed for half an hour before 9pm. No cooking. Tired, some edits.
-Up 5:30am w/ little one (after more odd dreams). After 6:30am, some file sorting. Dad time 8-10am, including out at park. Math Social from 10-11:15am. Family time into snooze at noon; asleep 1pm. I'm out soon after. Awake before 3pm, get nearly 1.5 hrs for some edits. Dad time for 1.5 hrs (including slip and fall), eventually into dinner. Get 10 min from 7pm then bed routine. Cook, some RDA Tech and edits... chair time before 11pm. Stubbornly continue edits for 1.5 hrs, past midnight.

===

Item counts to Saturday (Oct 24):
Step Count 2016: About 48,300
-Finished T&T mostly. Put away hose, etc. outside.

Step Count 2017: Over 61,600 (14 stars)
-Went on anti-anxiety/depression pills, reading book doctor recommended.

Step Count 2018: Over 69,750 (10 stars)
-Saline runs for cold, level 2 flow bottle, sleep troubles all around.

Step Count 2019: Over 72,700 (12 stars)
-Grandparents Video and Visit, voting, smoke alarm, video edits... walking!

STEP COUNT 2020: Over 51,250. 9 stars.
SCHOOL EMAIL 2020: 116 New (102 sent)
 The sent include 16 Evidence Exports & 16 Parent Forwards
We have completed DAY 38. Now taught for 14 days vs. quarantine only six.

RH Stress Level: 8 (Starlight Breaker Extension)

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Week 123
-Awake about 6am, they're in chair. Take over by 6:30am, 1.5 hrs Dad time including fall against table. Then 1 hr of edits, rejoin, briefly lie down, yard work. To park 10:15am, Dad time included some sweeps and leaves too. Cooking lunch. They head to snooze after noon, I do brief edits then shopping and an hour of eavestrough cleaning. (She explains how she can't walk under kitchen island any more!) From 3:30pm, 45 min family time then shifts. Brief park after 5pm, home when parents can take call. Dinner, sad bath, bed; I cook and finish edits on File Six. Dishes. Little else.
-One wakeup; dreamt of infiltrating a building, a bomb and elevators? (Also job applicants?) Some school work and quizzes before 6:30am to 7am. Family time (briefly downstairs), then car, deer runs across road at airport. Regular teaching, student emails, lunch, etc. At home parent back-and-forth time, I have readings and tea. Dinner 7pm, tangent to bed; I put up decorations, clean fruit, cook dinner, more messages, done 9pm. Some Szabo, some edits, some RDA Halloween. To 1am, oops.
-Chair until nearly 2am. Awake 6:30am. Dad time, discovers decorations. Regular teaching, questions, setting up Math Contest Meet, then going through documentations to sign off. Gas en route, at home likes skull kitty. No outside so eventual half hour trade-offs. Order in, grade probability tests watching Szabo Q&A. Bed from 10:30pm.
-Multiple wakeups including 5:30am on; finalize some grading before 7am. To school, one lesson only and finish grading as they work (also fire drill). Finish take-ups, tweak assignments and use photocopier. Pay bills en route. Family time for 30 min then I collapse for an hour. Dad time after dinner. Grading once she's asleep, break for dinner after 9pm. Then actually post OAME and do some edits until after 11pm, oops.
-Dreamt&. Quiet night; Mom up 6am, I do quick grading and take over after half an hour. Dad time includes breakfast, then more quick work as they arrange coffees. To school, find old z-scores, first in class test (which needs more time). During which I work out math contests and start 3M quizzes. Lesson, fire drill, copies, lunch, Meet with student. Grading, shopping, home. Light up pumpkin dropped by little one. Surreal evening; includes more grading and edits. Bed before 11pm.
-Bumpy night. Microdreams**. Mostly awake from 3:30am, more grading 6:45am. Cute pumpkin shirt; to school for a copy of Thurs. During test I manage emails and a possible blog post. Lunch, store all tests, register for math contest, do a run. Pickup with treats bag. Brief family time with her art, then sharing (I collapse for a while). After bath/bed, I manage lots of edits, little else, until midnight.
-Take over from 5:30am after rough night. Chair, then up 7:10am (delay due to damn time change upcoming). An hour later (2.5 hr) switch to Mom. After over an hour (including emails), dishes. Then Dad time, including using bag to clean surfaces and pumpkin carving after 11am. Lunch, Mom takes snooze. More edits and light yard work. After 3:30pm, quick rest during online book, then before 4:30pm we all go out to look at spooky houses. One has candies in separate bowls available, Alexandra chooses. Home, Dad time including basement, then costume time. Pumpkin out. Eventually sushis. After dinner, notice a rash/hives? Must be allergy (shellfish?). 8pm still in bed routine. I get done Untied edits through 8th file, 9th is current. Sign in for NaNo.
-Halloween at -1. (No one due to pandemic; got candy at the house with separated bowls for Alexandra.)

===

Item counts to Saturday (Oct 31):
Step Count 2016: About 56,900
-Felt good about writing, perused NaNo forums, sent zero emails.

Step Count 2017: Over 54,800 (15 stars)
-On medical leave, SOAP reunion, poor Halloween showing.

Step Count 2018: Over 71,100 (12 stars)
-Long day before Halloween (33 visitors), tried bedtime 7:30pm, NaNo start.

Step Count 2019: Over 71,250 (13 stars)
-Kanata visit, Halloween costumes, daycare dropoffs, NaNo write-in, lip bleed.

STEP COUNT 2020: Over 62,550. 10 stars.
SCHOOL EMAIL 2020: 204 New (83 sent)
We have completed DAY 43. Now taught for 19 days vs. quarantine only six.

RH Stress Level: 7 (Starlight Breaker)

*****
CONSTANT TO-DO LIST
:
 -Sketches for 2019 holiday parody
 -2020 Banner for TPolys
 -Write a TANDQ article on Polling and Bias
 -Write a post about types of praise/encouragement
 -Catching up with web serials/comics (from ~August 2018)
 -Read some of the books sitting at my desk

Wednesday 28 October 2020

OAME 2020 Summary

I had no plans to attend OAME 2020 (the annual conference for the Ontario Association for Mathematics Education), as it would be in Oshawa, near Toronto... and I'm the only one able to drive our little one to Daycare. Not to mention I've never been away from her for that long. (Even Anime North 2019 had my wife and her at the same hotel, meeting up with relatives during the day.) Said OAME conference would have been Thurs May 7 & Fri May 8.

Then there was a pandemic in March.

So OAME 2020: In Focus got shifted virtually for Wed May 6th right through Sat May 9th. For free, and including evening sessions, meaning no need to try and split my time between being a Dad and a Teacher.

Granted, my life from April through June consisted of only balancing those things, which is a large part of why I only angled for two live sessions.

There were also pre-recorded sessions available; I did not find the time to partake. I did check out the slides for one other session after the fact. Here we go with a recap.

MDM 4U as Data Science Using RStudio

Session by Chris Papalia, at 1pm on Thurs May 7th. I was able to attend then as my daughter was doing nap time.

Preamble includes: It is time that we start integrating our Data Management and AP Statistics classes with the fields of Data Science and Computing. ... You will be surprised how frictionless the initial set up is using RStudio Cloud and how easily students learn how to produce visualization and manage data in the RStudio Cloud IDE. Bring your laptop to participate in this interactive workshop that will inspire you to use this in your next class. ...

I had heard of 'RStudio' before, but hadn't (and haven't) found any time to consider playing around with R programming. I'll admit I came as much to see the data sets as to see more about the program... but I'll also admit I downloaded a version of RStudio that morning, as a reminder.

Chris admitted he's also new-ish to R, which helps as an entry for the layman.

He started by considering the meaning of Data Science, along with R. He later noted how it's easier to create a histogram in R than in Excel. (Truth, spreadsheets just botch histograms, in my experience. Chris added Fathom is great but costs now, Desmos/Geogebra are okay with limited capability.) And there are a number of datasets that are available in R, including from sports and Gapminder.

R coding is challenging (sort of) but always reproducible. There was also mention of the Philosophy of Data Exploration, which includes a loop of Exploration. A number of graphs were available in the slides (and even some Covid-19 data).

Later on, Chris included a section on challenges and solutions, including technical background and finding data. There are support resources. And as a sidebar, Chris managed really well when a troll started posting nonsense in the stream too; the OAME crew installed an extra password layer in future presentations.

If nothing else, this was a valuable session for keeping me engaged with the Data Management course. I suspect it will take another session (or some other sort of push) to get me into the programming, in part because I don't have a lot of time to spare, but we'll see... I wasn't able to latch onto Desmos histograms right away, now they're almost a go-to.

Harnessing Student Curiosity

Session by Joel Bezaire and Shauna Hedgepeth, at 8pm on Fri May 8th. My daughter was in bed.

Preamble includes: Students have an innate curiosity about the world around them; what if we could harness that curiosity to power our math lessons? Students want to make sense of the world, as well; that motivation can serve to drive student engagement in math class. In this session, teachers will engage with lesson samples from a Middle School Statistics classroom to see how some purposeful planning, tech tools, meaningful decision-making, and clever "teacher moves" can take a "normal" lesson and turn it into one where students are begging for more new mathematical content.

They began by questioning 'Why Data Analysis?' in terms of the hook. Well, meaningful data works different, acts as preparation, and we need students to be critical consumers given how much data is in the news.

The steps for harnessing curiosity were 1) Examine; 2) Expose (a need); 3) Learn; 4) Revisit; 5) Finalize. Step 3 in the middle is for the teaching, it's the other four where we need a focus.

They did an Examine & Expose regarding 'War on Drugs' data. (With sketched images on account of possible copyright given the virtual conference.) Major League Baseball put in a drug policy, and the question was whether there would be a significant decline in offensive numbers.

The Revisit & Finalize (after talking about difference of means) was seen using student work samples. The class found (among other things) that hits didn't show a meaningful decrease but runs showed a difference. And then there's the fact that "War on Drugs" has something else come up in search engines.

There was then some talk of other areas (like Climate Change data) and questions were addressed (I had one, but no longer recall). I was actually recognized by name in the stream as I made a couple comments (and puns). ^.^

Some good perspective here, and I know there are other resources out there that can be brought in for particular topics. It's another one of those things for which I may try to do more, once I have the time (and the sanity) to do it "properly" (as I define it).

Desmos: Focus on Graphing and Data Analysis

Session by Michael Lieff, at noon on Sat. May 9th. I wasn't able to attend live, but did have a look at the slides when they were posted up (at the end of the conference).

Preamble: Come learn how to use the features of this must-have graphing calculator app (and web site) to put the power of dynamic graphing and data analysis into your students' hands!

Mostly I wanted to see if there were key items I'd been missing, as I only recently got the whole Histogram/Box Plot situation worked out. (My holdup: Info doesn't always paste depending on the source.) Michael started with the basics of an account and the Desmos library.

Items included domain restrictions, image insertion, a hands on activity, converting equations to tables (THAT one was new for me), regressions, and graphs (like box plots as referenced earlier).

And that's pretty much all I had a chance to take in, both at the time, and in putting this post together five months later. Teaching in 2020 has been nuts.

I'm glad I did make the time. I also don't think I could have handled more than I did.

*

If you're wondering about previous OAME conferences I went to, you can have a look at 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. (In 2017 the sessions were full before I realized registration was open.)

Alternatively, feel free to drop a comment here. Did you learn something, or have any thoughts about the mathematics? Or the teaching, or applications? Please let me and other readers know. As always, thanks for reading through to the end.