I’m moving. Just this blog, that is. The days between Christmas and the spring semester starting up again tend to be a time that I fiddle with web stuff. I decided to create a special place for my blog, which you’ll now find at http://convergediverge.com (and [...]
Today in non-major, algebra-based physics we went over the fairly classic problem of determining which will win a race down a hill, a sliding block or a hoop, cylinder, or solid sphere? I like working through this problem because it’s a great way to show students the [...]
In my last post, I talked about how students were drawing very complicated free body diagrams (FBDs) in class. Not even stick figures, they were drawing extremely complicated figures with gears on pulleys, wheels on cars, etc.
This is all fine and dandy [...]
This year marks the fourth I am teaching some form of introductory physics. Some factors have changed (institution, textbooks, student ability level) but I’m finding that some things remain the same. I’m getting a better handle on the common misconceptions my students have.
A big one revealed itself this week regarding free body diagrams (FBDs) [...]
(view from our cabin at Honeyrock)
We’re two days into the Fall 2011 semester, but here’s a wrap-up of how my summer went:
Two days after graduation, we hit the ground running with summer research. I worked with two Wheaton students on [...]
An email I received after the AAPT summer meeting reminded me that sometimes it’s useful to be able to be notified of changes to WordPress Pages, not blog posts. To address this, I’ve added an RSS button to the bottom of the Resources page (which has info pertinent to my talk). Scroll to [...]
Last weekend I attended THATCamp Liberal Arts College (LAC) at St. Nobert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. You might immediately wonder, “why is this scientist going to THATCamp?” Here are a couple of reasons why I attended.
The other day, one of my students asked if I could give her a list of my favorite books that I’ve read recently, whether they are science-based or not. I was happy to do so, and thought I’d share the list on [...]
Last weekend I had the privilege of chairing two physical science sessions at the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) Student Symposium at Elmhurst College. The undergraduate students in my sessions presented some very fascinating accounts of research projects, and I was impressed [...]
One of my favorite professors in college warned us after each spring break that the time between then and the end of the semester is the fastest of the entire school year. I believed him then, and I believe him now. It’s amazing how fast time can pass.
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