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  1. The Learning Curve - Tips to Learn Something New

    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...

  2. Why should I prepare, submit, and publish in SIMIODE?

    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,...

  3. The Wisdom of Willie Nelson

    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...

  4. Differential Equations as Terrorism

    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...

  5. Joy in Refereeing

    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...

  6. The Self-Obliterating Professor

    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...

  7. Transforming Higher Education without Tears

    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...

  8. Our Irresponsibilty in Spending Student Money

    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...

  9. Introducing colleagues to SIMIODE

    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...

  10. College Isn't for Learners

    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,...

  11. MathFest 2016 SIMIODE Minicourse Announced

    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...

  12. Things you never thought you would do

    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...