The Learning Curve - Tips to Learn Something New Entry #70 30 May 2016 12:00 am Brian Winkel 0 comments In the recent issue of the Indiana University Alumni Magazine (Summer 2016, p. 40) the following good advice is offered and we share it with you here. This comes in a piece on teaching violin at the world class Jacobs School of Music at IU. These ideas apply to all teaching, including our own...
Look for AMS Blog on Mathematics Education about Modeling Approach in Differential Equations Entry #68 28 May 2016 1:19 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments We have been working with Benjamin Braun, University of Kentucky, in his role of Editor-in-Chief of the AMS Blog On Teaching and Learning, to prepare a posting (due out end of June 2016) on teaching differential equations using modeling and our efforts at SIMIODE. The posting will be...
Why should I prepare, submit, and publish in SIMIODE? Entry #67 25 May 2016 11:33 am Brian Winkel 0 comments One of the main purposes SIMIODE exists is to offer colleagues solid, refereed teaching material on which they can base a modeling first course in differential equations. Thus publishing new ideas and activities for students is a main goal of SIMIODE. However, it is reasonable to ask yourself,...
The Wisdom of Willie Nelson Entry #65 14 May 2016 8:43 am Brian Winkel 0 comments In spending time on FaceBook I found the following quote from Willie Nelson, the great American country and rock and roll musician, “If you can be content right now, then you’ll always be content, because it’s always right now.” When I was young I often said, "I am...
Teaching Mathematical Modeling to Students - The GAIMME Report Entry #66 14 May 2016 12:00 am Brian Winkel 0 comments Reprinted from SIAM News May 2016 issue with permission. SIAM is Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Teaching Mathematical Modeling to Students From Kindergarten Through College and Beyond By Rachel Levy Mathematical modeling can be taught at every stage of a student’s...
Differential Equations as Terrorism Entry #64 10 May 2016 6:25 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments This week two colleagues sent me reports from MSN.COM and FOX NEWS about the same event. The latter offered a more succinct summary, "An Ivy League professor says his flight was delayed when a fellow passenger mistook his scribbling on a math problem as a sign he might be a...
Guidelines for Assessment & Instruction in Mathematical Modeling Education (GAIMME) Entry #63 07 May 2016 9:28 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments There is no longer any excuse for not incorporating modeling into your teaching of mathematics, indeed, to use modeling to drive the learning process for your students. The report, Guidelines for Assessment & Instruction in Mathematical Modeling Education (GAIMME) was published in April 2016...
The Math Mandarins and what we can do about their impact Entry #54 23 Mar 2016 9:18 pm Brian Winkel 1 comments In the current (25 March 2016) issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education there is a piece, "The Math Mandarins," by Andrew Hacker who is a professor of political science and mathematics at Queens College of the City University of New York and the author of The Math Myth, recently...
Moving to new HUBZero environment in support of SIMIODE Entry #49 04 Mar 2016 8:26 am Brian Winkel 0 comments Currently our technical folks are working behind the scenes (and some of their work can be scene up front as well) to install HUBZero 2.0. This is the latest version of the platform on which SIMIODE resides. The good folks at Purdue University, where HUBZero was developed with NSF funding and is...
Joy in Refereeing Entry #47 16 Feb 2016 1:32 am Brian Winkel 0 comments Jeet Mozumdar, Quantitative Strategist/Analyst/Researcher and Independent Consultant writes, "It has been a pleasure to review the submissions at SIMIODE. A mathematical model is a beauty, because, just like the Mona Lisa, it is imperfect! "I wish I had opportunities to design...
The Self-Obliterating Professor Entry #44 11 Feb 2016 7:48 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments In an Observer piece for The Chronicle of Higher Education The Self-Obliterating Professor Doug Anderson, a professor of Philosophy at Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale IL USA opines, "The sooner a teacher makes himself useless the better. It is a great fault with some teachers...
Transforming Higher Education without Tears Entry #43 10 Feb 2016 11:55 am Brian Winkel 0 comments At www.threejoy.com David E. Goldberg of Therapy Associates writes about Normal and Deep Transformative Change. the Normal change column we all know and have been practicing. However, the Deep Transformative Change Column is really that, namely, deep! Here are the Deep Transformative Change...
Our Irresponsibilty in Spending Student Money Entry #40 25 Jan 2016 2:13 am Brian Winkel 0 comments While visiting colleagues on the campus of Oregon Institute of Technology I wandered over to the bookstore. What I saw there horrified me. I presume things are the same at "your place." Textbook prices were very high, unbelievably high. Typical mathematics textbooks were in the...
Visiting in Klamath Falls Oregon - Beams, Beads, Technical Staff Personnel Entry #39 25 Jan 2016 2:04 am Brian Winkel 0 comments In our travels surrounding the Joint Mathematics Meetings of January 2016 in Seattle WA we have been visiting colleagues in Washington and Oregon. We had a wonderful visit with Tiernan Fogerty and Gregg Waterman at Oregon Institute of Technology. Tiernan attended our SIMIODE Minicourse at the...
Introducing colleagues to SIMIODE Entry #38 17 Jan 2016 2:25 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments SIMIODE offered an Exhibit Booth and an Open House at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Seattle, Washington USA, 6-10 January 2016. We met with many, many colleagues and shared news and nature of SIMIODE with them. Some 200 faculty and students signed up for SIMIODE and are now on the web...
College Isn't for Learners Entry #37 23 Dec 2015 10:44 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments In a very interesting and disturbing post at The Coffeelicious web site Tyler O'Briant posts a four minute read article that will really make you think. Check it out at https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/college-isn-t-for-learners-3ea69952fdbe#.nyh0lxqwg . In the piece Tyler says,...
Ideas for differential equation models are all around us Entry #36 21 Dec 2015 5:10 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments I sit at my office window and outside there is a flowering pear tree. It is rather large. It goes above our roof on top of our two floor home. My office window faces out to this flowering pear tree on the second floor. There is a family or colony of squirrels that live somewhere in a nest nearby,...
MathFest 2016 SIMIODE Minicourse Announced Entry #35 20 Dec 2015 12:47 pm Brian Winkel 0 comments We just got approval for an MAA Minicourse at MathFest 2016, 3-6 August 2016 in Columbus OH. The workshop will be led by Therese Shelton, Southwestern University, and Brian Winkel, Director SIMIODE. Below are the available details. Complete details and registration information will be...
SIMIODE Open House at Joint Mathematics Meetings, 8 January 2016 Entry #34 18 Dec 2015 12:36 am Brian Winkel 0 comments We are in the final stages of planning for our SIMIODE Open House at the Joint Mathematics Meetings on Friday evening, 8 January 2016, from 7 - 9 PM in the Willow Room of the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. Room layout is done; T-shirts which can be won from registration drawing are printed and...
Things you never thought you would do Entry #33 16 Dec 2015 1:35 am Brian Winkel 0 comments While studying for prelims or qualifying exams in graduate school or writing your thesis, there were lots of things you probably never thought you would be doing later in your life, even if folks told you that you would. Serving on committees is one of them, while attending faculty...