wednesday, may 6/09

Hello to everyone.
We were suposed to have a quiz today on personal finance, but Mr.Maks decided to have the quiz monday, which will also involve a few sequence questions.

Mr.Maks asked the class if Shakspear should be taught in high school. He said that he teaches math that could be seen as equally useless as Shakspear, as no one really uses either in "real life". He asked for our opinion, on whether we think we should be taught things that aren't used in adult life. As it is, there seems to be equal arguments for both sides... What do you think about this topic? Mr.Maks said something about putting a poll up, asking such a question.

Today however, Mr.Maks gave a lesson on Sequences, and showed us four different methods to answer the questions. They are: excel, ti83 home screen, ti83 sequences mode, and http://www.shodor.org/.

Mr.Maks handed out a booklet on sequences, and asked us to look at the first question.

He showed us how to answer the question using excel. He saved it on the network, if there is anyone who wants to use it, if it helps you learn.

Mr.Maks also used the calculator, on the home screen and came to the same answer as he got on excel. To get the answer on the calculator he put in the number of occupied appartments, multiplied it by 12% (as it said to in the question), and added 122 new renters.

Then he showed us how to use the mode setting on the calculator.
You go to "mode" change "Func" to "seq", then press "enter", followed by "y=" This brings up a chart where you input numbers, and letters. After all the inputs are done, you must go to the "windows" option, and put more inputs, then push "graph" and "trace", which shows you a picture of what all your inputs mean.

To understand this method (which I don't understand it that well), you must understand that to get a cetain answer in number form, you must understand that you need to know the number before it, and the number before that one, and so on. You should beable to pick a number at random in the question, and beable to get the answer.

The fourth and last method he showed us was done on the internet, at www.shodor.org/interactive/activities/Sequencer
With this sight, all you have to do is put in all the numbers, and the percentages in order, in other words tell the sight what you want it to solve, and it automatically calculates the answer for you, and it also gives you a graph, so that you can see the answer, not just numbers.

Just an added note:
Stablizing numbers don't have to occure, unlike in matricies where they all do. Some questions may ask for stablizing numbers, but stability may not neccissarily be reached.

The second question Mr.Maks talked to us about had to do with fractal patterns.

To describe or define Fractal patterns is to say that it is a self similar pattern. In other words it is an infinit, or on going pattern that keeps going on into itself.

Just another reminder, the quiz was moved to Monday, and it will be made of 2 questions. One being from personal finance, and the second being one of sequence.