Intelligente

I asked two classes if intelligence is predeterminated. And no they were the super advanced students or AP Psyc kids. I wanted to see what people thought. The Yes people were supported their ideas and the no people supported their ideas. After the in class activity some different ideas shined through.

"(People) read (books,magazines, or etc.) to see who is right." The I think is the reader and at different times the writer. Also the right may be just looking for the news.

also
"(Intelligence is) not (just) what you know. It is want"

"As soon as you want something, you have an idea, the rest is up to you" See you all when your back visiting from freshman year of college just like the "07's" are.

Design

I am not sure why but I never thought about how a room should look. As I walk inside a room I don't think why this person put a couch next to the window or it's color is dreadful. But colors do matter and I am looking for the best way to design a room at my house. If I know what colors do for me I can better decide what color things should be. If you think about your room, you will say it's your own universe at times. In this world of personalization we do personalize everything and at times it is too much. Is life about getting what you want or understand why you think the way you do?
I see myself trying to figure out why I do what I do. If the color green makes me at peace then should my diner room or the living room be green, or my car. So should I change if it makes me happy. What about the money? If I like to make the best out of what I have and understand why I drive a red dragon and not a Cadillac it comes done to satisfying want or need. If you want "ug" boots or a personalized ring tone on your new i-phone, you are missing why you even wanted them in the first place. You want it because you want and have the money. I hope if I ever have money I will still see the difference between want and need. This is why i haven't purchased all new furniture. I am living of what I need. Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah.

Something that happens all the time

The following song has a message. It happens to me every week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlYkIJVguCU

I want to travel to New Zealand.

Chris Angel Mind freak

I have found that in math class as in life when you define your variables, everything is easier to understand. Then I watched Chris Angel

I was watching Oprah and Cris Angel quoted Harry Houdini to articulate a point. Houdini said "If I can get out of a straight jacket then you can get out of poverty." This was at a time of poverty and hardship for our country. Magic like math can help you learn about yourself. If you can conquer your fears then anything is possible. Defining yourself and realizing your fears starts the beginning of living full lives.

There is no better feeling then overcoming your fears.

Class of their own

Some students rise to the occasion. Some have to fall to rise. Then there are some that say "Mr. Grasso I swang danced with Rachael."

And for those few who speak without thinking, they are the ones we need to pick up when they fall. It is like footprints in the sand.


Separate note
Great weekend is below.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwZj1GV9Qok

Figuring it out

When your life seems like it is out of sorts. I do my problem solving and analytical thinking by setting part time to just think. I do it at home to sort out troubles and discover the best result for all people involved in the problem. Thinking and looking inward is one major part to learning and developing or just being a better person.

Where do you think?

Remember while you are thinking, do onto others as you would have them do onto you.

Timberlake and I

All risk takers read Dewar's Celtic BLOG



" I don't feel very creative when I am in math"

close second

"I stink at grammar"

"I try not to stink at anything"ME

We will be coming up with multiple operations to solve mathematics problems. We will see if you can find out how many different and creative possiblities there are in math.
There are many.

Can you name one activity that has numbers and is creative... I will give you a moment to think?(look below for the answer)






"Dancing": I called Justin Timberlake, JT as I call him, this weekend (As you all know I use to be his background dancer), and there is bad news. I still can't dance because all my kickin dance moves are copyrighted and closely monitored(sorry people who wanted to see me dance... Music, sports, and games. The list goes on.

Video of the week. Do you know what movie this?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=z0rxRCjPqds

8th grade night, it couldn't have been that bad

Last night we had the 8th grade parents over to the high school. After about an hour in the library there were student led tours through the school. The department heads for all the departments were present to present their subject. It was great to see all the different ideas the parents had. The questions were very appopriate especially for the changing times. In fact all the parents I spoke to after the visit said the same thing. This school has really changed from years ago. I didn't teach with the previous administration so I don't think it was that bad. School sometimes is hard work and tough work and that was the case. I think we have a good mixure. Good kids to give the learn, great leaders to give information vital to the kids and we represent the school as one. It is going to be tough at times, but whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Tesla

Picking a mathematician for your third term presentation is not easy. Look for a person you find interesting or you can relate to. I relate to someone like Telsa. No one understood him at the time but he was right about so many ideas.

Sox win Homecoming 2007

Sox win the WORLD SERIES and it was fun to watch. Bobby Kielty WOW.

Homecoming started out alright. It was a typical dance where boys don't feel confident dancing , and or looking at the girls in the face while dancing. Instead the dance took rolled out the same as usual and kids were acting like the midriffs and mooks they see on TV. And I know you don't see dance moves on Hannah Montana like we saw. I am of course talking about the MTV videos that lead to a lack of good dancers.

So the dance went from average to lame. Then the Red Sox scored and we all came together with a loud cheer. Soon the dance ended and I thought about last year and then it hit me. We have to clean up and fix the cafeteria. Last year there were only 4 people putting the whole cafeteria back the way it was. Last years seniors were out of the Halloween Homecoming faster than a Papelbon fastball. That is when I saw the character of the few seniors who showed up at the 2007 Homecoming. The cafeteria took us 45 minutes to reoragnize last year. This year it took less than 12. Thanks guys. What you lack in quantity you more than make up for with quality. Stay Classy, Norton.

Not Naming Names

I was challenged to a game of Madden by someone. I am not naming the person. But last Friday he didn't show up. I told him he needed passing grades on Progress Reports, maybe that has something to do with it? I use the Rams playbook, and you can give me ANY team. Period.

Reflecting on no dumb questions

There are dumb questions when they are not on topic.

I wanted to ask a question and I was afraid. How could that still happen to me at twenty six years old? Then I reflected on class from the night course I'm taking, and it helped me. I recall the pitfalls from when I was in high school. Students worry about asking stupid questions and looking bad, especially in high school. Asking is good when it is appropriate and facilitates positive discussion. I can tell when someone has a good idea or is trying to get me off topic.

I never asked the professor the question because I felt anxiety and fear of being shot down in front of people. I didn't feel free to comment. Creating a classroom with great ideas consistently flowing from the students is a new goal of mine.

I never thought about how many questions I received from students until now. My period "G" is very creative with questions. This week they made perpendicular distance more interesting and exciting. Ultimately questions should lead to studenting wanting to practice perfect in order to test and quiz anxiety free. When that happens tests and quizzes are part of reflection. I am glad I reflected on this week.

The question I didn't ask: Does it help to have an agenda of class activities every class?

Pasta

I always wanted to make people proud of me. Get this, if you didn't know I had the same teachers as my father, 25 years prior to me attending MSC, when I was in high school. Imagine how nerve wrecking that could have been, but instead of letting it bother me I laughed and tried to get teachers to tell old stories about my dad. He was like me rugged and charming and very intelligent, a natural athlete but I was surprised to "here" he couldn't spell well. Anyways, he was actually a goof ball and had a nickname or two. So instead of trying to be a goofball, which he already beat me to it, I wanted to make those teachers proud of me for good reason.

As I got older I relocated to a job where I wanted to make my superiors proud of me. I want to create a class where students want to improve and have pride in what they are accomplishing. In order to make a positive experience I had to learn something. How to effectively communicate, ok no big words, I mean how to talk.

George Saunders, writer of " The Braindead Megaphone essays", says Americans should like to answer questions with the freedom that to make mistakes. In fact people love that freedom to be wrong but most kids can't even ask the question. Sanders says people(students) questions have to be asked and answered with freedom. If a teacher yells it makes a person feel belittled. If a teacher yells at you to sit straight and pay attention then you will feel belittled right? But if you are asked, or even better, cued that class has started, then you may be more likely to want to learn? All by feeling free to answer and ask questions freely.

If you are yelled at while in school raise your hand. Ok, imagine going to school everyday and being reminded you have to go (Do you hear that from home, feel free to respond). You will go to school feeling belittled and it will be unlikely you will take pride in what you do. Unless you really like math like I did. Will you even have the effort to find something to improve at?

Maybe it doesn't matter and people will act the same whether they are yelled at or spoken to with clarity and consideration. Well it is up to you to respond. But I have learned what you put into your body will eventually show outside, like eating pasta before a game will give you energy(if you don't eat healthy you have no energy) , your mind needs to take in positive messages as well. So that is how you can get up in the morning and hopefully get through high school, pasta.

Books to read on how to think

I just picked up, Mr. Dewar recommended, Daniel Pink's "A Whole New Mind Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future" and it has got me thinking. I just started and it explains that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. You may not have known but the tight side of the brain sees things simultaneously. That section of the book made me think geometry isn't like the other math subjects. Geometry uses the right side of the brain. The left side of the brain is sequential and if you have me in class I line up everything in sequence. But Dan Pink even says that geometry requires seeing all parts of geometric shapes. I knew that math used the creative side of the brain and now I have proof.

It also makes reference to how we read and how it entails using the left side of the brain, because reading is interupting symbols in in a sequence. I started thinking of ways to use the right side of your brain while you read and have some ideas. If anyone has any ideas let me know what you think.

I also got Stephen Colbert's new book. Let me know if anyone has picked it up. Oh by the way the new Mansfield Borders doesn't open until Thursday. I found out the hard way.

Bruins 4-1 lose

I am not hating, but P.J. Axelsson and Andrew Alberts seem at times as if they don't know what they are doing. Hesitant and cautious. You need to be creative and want your teamates to succeed. I thought the Bruins were going to do away with play and players like this. How are fans suppose to get into a game when the Bruins dump the puck in all the time? Then the offensive circling in the corners circles comes up the boards. Are they all scared to stay in the corner? If you played hockey you would know that circling up high plays into the other team’s hands. When will the play improve and some creative players get the call. Matt Hunwick, I don't know how he has confidence with and without the puck but he does. No more Andrew Alberts and PJ’s scared play. Where is the change?

I hope everyone to succeed... Do I get that across? Maybe that is why I had more assists than any other player had points (combo of goals+ assists) in the league. I hope I get that across, you can let me know what you think when I do. Remember Transversals

Patriots

Although the Patriots seem unstoppable they are not. Many see the line of injuries to guys like Seymour and Harrison and proclaim if they are creaming teams without them imagine them with them. Looking at the teams they have played they have had to play well to achieve the scores they have and I am not taking anything away from that. But if you think beating Buffalo that badly is a good sign you are mistaken. Buffalo should be an easier match when they don't have their top quarterback and linebacker. All I am saying is keep it in perspective and remember the past. The real reason why the Patriots win is because they are the closest team on the field every week. They don't get too happy when they win and they don't get too down when they lose. They congratulate each other after each touchdown but they are just as enthused while picking up a teammate for having a tough set of downs. This is just what I have seen in the years the Pats win the Super Bowl. The defense talking and joking with the offense and their being no divide on the team. I am looking to break down walls and build team character all the time and now I can see it on Sundays. Get well CJ and Matt

I would like for Once

I would like a student to get through their entire high school experience being told, "You can achieve excellence". Students are not told this nearly enough. If you have feelings your not capable and it maintains consistantly then it will way you down eventually. If you expect to grow, which we all should, just remember that everyone goes through a tough time. It makes you really appreciate the times when you are supported .Because you will have to simple persevere through challenges in life. Talk about it to someone, or write about it until you are comfortable.

No Wondering where you are

Unlike others who blog I am not looking for anyone to inform me that they are out there. I am going to bring the hard truth. Math classes are getting better and I am happy to report that the effort in the homework and class participation is up from this time last year. I see other students raising the bar. Just today on my way out of class one students came out of a Geometry lesson wanting more and asked if we could do math during silent reading. We need to have silent reading, and we can use it for math reading. I will be incorporating more reading of real world applications of math. That time can be used for reading anything you like or is your favorite subject. So respect your brain and the small about of time you get to be creative. I will leave you with this, one student said to me last year reading is much more fun than a movie. I asked why and she said because a movie and a tv show is what someone wants you to see, but a book takes imagination and can be anything you want it to be. In many ways math can be like that too.

Blogging First Time

Should Math Teachers be paid more? According to ALan Greenplan, yes.