First Blog

Premise: The US performs poorly international math tests, TIMSS and PISA The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. TIMSS is used to compare over time the mathematics and science knowledge and skills of fourth- and eighth-graders. TIMSS is designed to align broadly with mathematics and science curricula in the participating countries. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009001 Overall, the US came in tenth among four graders and ninth among eight graders. On the PISA test, the United States came in 25 out of 35.   China , which did best on the test, cited “ China also raised teacher pay and standards and reduced rote learning, while giving students and local authorities more choice in curriculum.” Comments from the big shots. Education Secretary Arne Duncan , “The results show that U.S. students must improve to compete in a global economy. … This should be a massive wake-up call to the entire country.” Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill

In this note we are most interested in a singularly important aspect of American education, that of our corps of mathematics teachers.    We look at numbers.   Included in this report are the numbers of new teachers and the all important retention/attrition rates.    Teacher Certification – New Teachers As reported by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification, we consider numbers of candidates who received initial Mathematics and Science certifications over the ten fiscal years, 2000-2009.   Important conclusions are Mathematics teachers remained predominantly female and white in all the years under consideration, despite substantial year-by-year changes. About 70% of all newly certified math teachers are female correspondingly 30% are male. By ethnicity, the data reports that 8.76% are African American, 68.33% are white, 16.48% are Hispanic,    5.10% are Asian, 1.05% are Native American, and 2.12% are Other.   The percentage of white Mathematics teachers declined pr

Our purpose is to develop and analyze a model for the dynamics of political power and control in a social system. The significant feature of social systems is that they are neither purely competitive nor cooperative but some of each. Therefore this model must exhibit both qualities and balance them. It must also permit socio-political phenomena such as coalitions, alliances, anarchy, and revolutions and apply rather generally to various types of political systems. Using generalized logistical models we are able to encompass all these requirements for the case when the system is closed; that is, when all forces are internal to the system. The models developed also apply to shared market economies. Motivation for the model. One of the major historical difficulties in describing the notions of power and control is the inherent difficulty in describing the nature of the human being from this perspective. Interpersonal relations are impossibly complex. There are few if any general rules

Using Analogies We all use analogies to explain the concepts we want to impart, to convince, to help understand, and to reduce to a simpler more physical and familiar level of understanding.   Analogies have been used over the great span of time, even in Plato’s Phaedo , where the philosopher’s soul of reason should not do and redo arguments as with Penelope’s rug 2 . (Plato, Phaedo ) Research says indicates that using analogies assists in concept development. This is something we’ve all suspected. It is interesting to note that it is somewhat established in the literature 1 .     To be effective, analogies must be familiar, and their features must be synchronous with those of the target. Reasoning by analogy indicates the target concept is like something else.   You can argue it, but it is still only an analogy and may prove nothing at all.   The real problem is that the analogy may be false, and worse still is that your audience may interpret your intended concept throu

 Shakespere has suggested "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." Henry The Sixth, Part 2 Act 4, scene 2, 71–78   How unfair! From the Washington times we learn that "Once the surest path to a six-figure salary and a life of luxury, a law degree in the aftermath of the Great Recession comes with far fewer guarantees, leaving many graduates with mountains of debt while confronted by a rapidly changing legal landscape."   Only 86% of new law grads have jobs.  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/17/unemployed-lawyers-sue-schools-over-promises-of-jo/ Oh, what a shame. What a great bunch of folks can't practice their chosen profession of extracting from poor people from all they have left, and billing rich people more than is just. These people, with their (legal) license to steal have an average annual earning of about $110,000.  Considering the numbers making really big salaries, there must be quite a group just scratching out a livi

Some years ago I began writing my thoughts in small notebooks. They were entered as I considered them.  It was not daily, weekly or anything on a time schedule.  When I returned to them months or years afterwards I was amazed.  I came to understand my thoughts, how my mind worked, and how my thinking had changed.  Working definitions:  A diary is a record of events, indications, and particularly feelings made daily or at least regularly.  A journal is more like an account of events, thoughts, or ideas made intermittently.There are lots of these: Travel journals, Diet journals, Workout diaries, Sleep diaries, Tagebuch, War diaries, Fictional diaries, and Unusual diaries.  Some are just newsy, a sharing with friends.  Naturally, many if not most politicians keep diaries and/or journals of their encounters with other politicians, in person or by phone. Have I created a diary?  Not quite.  My notes are more like a journal.    People make them for a variety of reasons.  Some are for

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci is arguably the most famous painting of all time.  And many regard it as the best painting of all time.  No doubt more has been written about this painting than any other.  (Google away...) The history of the painting is interesting.  Every single aspect has been studied, the art, the viewers, the locations, even the identity and gender of the sitter.    In this note I only highlight that Leonardo kept the painting through his lifetime, though the sitter has traditionally been identified as Lisa del Giocondo, a member of the Gherardini family of Florence and Tuscany.  He never delivered it.  Why might that be? Any of us who are involved in creative endeavors of any kind understand that some of our "creations" are not so good, others are good,  and some are outstanding - at least by our own personal standards.  I am a painter, not by profession, and I understand this full well.  Even in my professional life, I see the same.   When it com

Ever thought about how you figure things out? Your marvelous brain has it covered. Indeed, you use six separate systems to make conclusions, see describe them in this order though it varies from person to person. Beliefs/Faith - You have a set of beliefs and a state of faith, both of which which function as guideposts on how to view problems and resolve difficulties.  These are your strongest system, and can override all other considerations.  The two overlap so much, it isn't really possible to distinguish them.  The first is the second, and the second is the first. Random - When all else fails, and all considerations are equal, what do you do? Throw the dice. This means just take a guess.  We all do this from time to time, usually when there is little time to use your more considered systems to respond.   Analytic - This is the logical part of your brain. It channels you through issues using the strengths of logical deduction and induction. You try hard to use accepte

June 20, 2012 Changing Your Mind We all change our minds.  This is a natural part of our life's journey. It happens; we understand how necessary this is - at least on an individual basis. But within our political institutions, this has become a pariah.  Any politicians that do change their minds are accused of flip-flopping, vascillating, or worse.  It seems to have become a stigma, a political black flag, for anyone who even entertains in their thinking what is a natural evolution of thought.  But in political institutions, the art of compromise  (i.e. appearing to change one's mind) opens one up to these withering condemnations.  How many of our great leaders were known as superiour precisely because they were great compromisers?  Many, I believe.  How many of our great leaders have refused compromise at every turn?  Name one. We desparately need someone to emerge that understands compromise  is an essential part of successful government administration. We desparately

June 17, 2012 The Telepathy Game Suppose telepathy is possible; that is, human minds can communicate using some mechanism not among the known senses.    There have been lots of suggestions for the mechanism of information transmission and reception, from brain waves of some form, to electromagnetic waves, to quantum effects, and more.   Let’s agree to ignore this part of the story, and simply assume some type of telepathic communication exists in some type of people under some types of circumstances.   We are proposing a thought experiment, something the physicists like to run. What we consider here are those that may be senders, receivers, both senders and receivers, and neither .    All of the first three categories have something to do with person-to-person interactions; the fourth is not.   A small list follows Senders: teachers, preachers, leaders, actors, parents. Receivers: students, psychologists, doctors, nurses Both senders and receivers: diplomats, politicians

Working on a few blogs.  These take time - particularly on fact checking.  Conjecture is easier. Immortality now.  How does that work? Moods - we all got them.  Damn. UFO's and creationism - what's in common?  Simple answer, probability. What makes a successful stock analyst? What is consciousness?  Difficult question. It's all in communication and how much of it there is.

Let's Play Roulette - Just for Fun June 14, 2012 The other day it occurred to me I could double my money at Roulette if only I was willing to play a large enough numbers of times, even with possible losses building up before the ultimate win.   So, I decided to try this by simulation. Here’s the game.   You have a table with 36 number slots, half red and half black with two additional green slots, zero and double zero.   This gives a total of 38 possible outcomes for American roulette.   The table is circular, something like a bowl. A steel marble is sent a spinning in one direction and the table is sent spinning in the opposite direction.   When everything slows down, the marble settles into one of the slots.   That number pertaining to this slot is the winner.    You can bet on any number, or perhaps bet a red or black number will come up. In our game we will always play red. The payoff for any number is 36:1, and the payoff for red is your bet, 1:1.     We always bet