April is:

• Math Awareness Month
• National Poetry Month
• National Humor Month

With such a glorious coincidence of human-created holidays, we should do something big. Monumental, even. But what? We could prepare a major April Fools prank, such as preparing a fake video about spaghetti growing on trees or publishing an article about how the Alabama legislature passed a law setting π = 3. But those have already been done, so let’s do something a little different…

Announcing the Humorous Math Poem Contest!

That’s right! Submit your original entries of humorous math poems. The format is entirely up to you.

• Try your hand at the highly mathematical haiku.
• Author a sonnet about your love of numbers. 
• Use ALGEBRA to create an acrostic poem.
• Or, get a little seedy with a limerick about doing problem sets late at night.

The only rule, really, is that your submission must be completely original. Please don’t copy a poem from another website or transcribe one of J. A. Lindon’s gems.

Submit all original poems to this discussion:
Humorous Math Poetry Contest : submit poems here.

On April 30, we will put the names of all who submit a poem into a hat and draw a winner. The winning author will receive an autographed copy of Math Jokes 4 Mathy Folks.

Good luck, and have fun with this task in your classroom or as a personal assignment!

To get the creative juices flowing, you can read a few classics below, or check out The Square Root of Three.

Statue of James Madison

Credit: Walker K. Hancock, Library of Congress James Madison Building, Carol Highsmith, photographer

 

“The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution."

 

With these words as preface, on December 15, 1791 Congress sent ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution to the states for their ratification. It is no exaggeration to say that the Bill of Rights is one of the most quoted of our laws.

Editorial Note: A special post from Dr. Erica C. Boling, Associate Professor of Literacy Education, Rutgers University. Dr. Boling's current research focuses on the impact of technology on teaching and learning, and how the integration of technology can challenge the fundamental beliefs educators hold about education.

You are an Associate Professor at Rutgers' Graduate School of Education.  What sparked your interest in online learning?

It all started when I was a doctoral student teaching courses at Michigan State University. My doctoral advisor invited me to use a series of online hypermedia videocases in my teaching. I personally observed the powerful learning that can occur when technology is used to support classroom instruction. Over the years, I’ve integrated more and more technology into my teaching, and moving into online learning seemed to be a natural progression. I also owe a great deal to the Verizon Foundation and a grant that I recently received from them to develop a fully online, graduate level certificate program in educational technology.

Tell us about your current work.

My current project, “Educational Leaders of the 21^st Century,” is funded by the Verizon Foundation and is focused on creating and implementing an online Rutgers University graduate certificate program in educational technology. The goal of this program is to assist educators in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are needed to effectively integrate technology and 21^st Century literacy skills into various types of educational environments. This program is unique in that it has the capacity to educate a wide teacher audience throughout the United States while leveraging the educational impact of Thinkfinity through its integration throughout all three courses. In January 2012, all three online courses will be offered through Rutgers Graduate School of Education. The first course examines teaching and learning through the use of various Web 2.0 tools. The second course looks at the design, development and use of web-based multimedia tools in classrooms. The third course will closely explore how to successfully develop and implement various types of digital e-learning environments in both distance and hybrid learning contexts.

You have used the Thinkfinity Community for several of your online courses.  What are the benefits, and what is your favorite aspect of conducting learning this way?

In addition to providing teachers with a wealth of free, online resources, I think one of Thinkfinity’s greatest assets is its online community. Providing teachers with a way to network with one another and with other professionals in the field of education is invaluable. Interacting with others in this way makes learning even more personal and more meaningful to our teachers.

What are some of the technologies that you foresee being the most beneficial in the K-12 environment?  Why?

In order for children to be successful in a Digital Age society, they must learn how to use technology to support critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation. I believe some of the most beneficial technologies are those that allow students to engage in these types of activities and practices. In addition, I think we need to keep a close eye on the role of mobile devices for both in-school and out-of-school learning.

Online learning is becoming more integrated in the K-12 curriculum.  How do you see this developing over the next five years?

I believe that it will just continue to grow, and we will see more hybrid learning experiences occurring in our K-12 classrooms. I also believe that students will begin to see more online options available to them when they take their classes, and we are going to see an increase in the number of virtual schools that exist.

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of teaching an online course?

I think one of the most challenging aspects is being able to create an online learning environment that supports meaningful and authentic learning experiences for students. Online students (and instructors) don’t want to lose that “human touch” when they are engaged in online education. I think one of the greatest challenges is finding ways to maintain these meaningful connections while creating opportunities for students to learn from one another.  I believe it’s a challenge, as instructors, to break out of the mould and from what’s familiar so that we can envision new, more dynamic ways of learning.

Ed. Note: Starting this month, we're excited to feature some of the members of the Thinkfinity Community. First, we'll hear from Katrina Allen, Learning Coordinator at Thinkfinity partner school St. Philips Academy in Newark, New Jersey. To learn more about Katrina's work with Thinkfinity, you can watch her appearance on The Balancing Act with president of the Verizon Foundation, Rose Stuckey Kirk. To learn more, visit the  St Philip's Academy community group! 

Q: What led you to a career in educational technology?

A: I passionately believe in the power of art and technology to enchant children. I feel it's through that enchantment they can be inspired to learn and through education they can develop the skills to critically reflect on the information they're receiving as well as their emotional response to that information. I first became excited about these ideas in college, but wasn't sure what that meant for my career.

I've worked in a few different industries and progressively discovered my brain thinks like a computer and I'm happiest when impacting a community in need, interacting with children, creatively solving problems, and am constantly busy. I still remember the day a lightbulb went off and I realized all this meant education technology was the perfect career for me.

Q: What attracted you to St. Philips Academy?

A: When I walk in the doors of St. Philip's I feel like I'm home. St. Philip's is a loving and supportive community that encourages students and staff to follow their inspiration. I'm allowed to try to make crazy dreams a reality and I'm surrounded by peers who are committed to developing emotionally, physically and mentally healthy and happy children.

Q: What does your average day look like?

A: No day is ever average! Every day almost always has a little teaching, teacher training, collecting or looking at data or research, smiling, and brainstorming.

Q: What is the most exciting technology tool your students using today?

A: Our 21st Century Learning Center (21CLC) is an amazing space that inspires student and teacher creativity. 21CLC is a high-tech learning environment. It's equipped with mobile seats so students can easily move between stations such as an LCD monitor, SMART Boards, video conferencing, or group discussions. Students are able to interact with each lesson using a student response system. We have a desktop with touchscreen monitor to scaffold group work and collaboration skills for the students that need extra support in those areas. An entire wall of the room is made of glass to build the ability to focus in the presence of multiple visual stimuli. My favorite times in that room are when the students take it over and run a class almost entirely independently.

Q: Do you have a favorite Thinkfinity site or tool? Describe why you like it.

A: There are so many different ways to use Thinkfinity that various tools or sites could be considered my favorite for different reasons. However, I have a particular soft spot for the features that compile resources that are relevant to a current event. They help encourage my teachers to engage in meaningful and relevant conversations with their students by giving them the confidence that comes from having the advice of an expert in your pocket. For example, after the tsunami in Japan the Earthquakes and Tsunamis feature helped us engage every student in our school from grades K-8 in meaningful and age-appropriate ways.

Q: Personally, what technology can you not live without?

A: My Smartphone is practically glued to my hand. It's how I organize myself, answer questions, capture things that inspire me, keep friends and family in the loop, multi-task, and obsess over Words with Friends!

Q: What's your favorite thing on your desk right now, and why?

A: I have a black and white photobooth picture of me and a loved one. It's a memory of a lovely day and in it I'm wearing a necklace I made myself. In the flurry of a school and the fast-pace of technology, it's a wonderful reminder to take a deep breath and savor the moment.

Calling all kindergarten teachers and parents of kindergarten students!

Visit our Kindergarten group to find and exchange strategies, technology and tools, lesson  plans and other content that meets the unique needs of kindergarten teachers and their  students.

Add your ideas and experience to discussions like Beginning Reading Skills, iPod Use in Kindergarten, and How do you introduce your students to technology? 

Christine

Verizon Thinkfinity Community Manager