Consider using yahoo! answers to get help with a math question.

Rita Griffin from my 8 a.m. College Algebra class has discovered that you can get assistance with math questions from yahoo! answers.

You can go there by clicking here.

If you are in my College Algebra class, you remember the problem about the car that passed another car, and 30 seconds later, it was 500 feet ahead of the slower car.

Rita went there, typed in the question, and got four responses. The person who answered her question in the way that she liked best worked through the problem differently than we did in class.

If you would like to see the information on the question and answers, click on this link. You will see it all unfold before your eyes.

Rita, thanks for the information.

Everyone else, if you find some information that may be helpful to students, email it to me, or reply to one of my posts.

--Blue

Free Math Seminars Update-- Weeks 2 and 3

The Free Math Seminars meet at 3:45 pm for students in Math 0097, 0098, or 0099.

The week beginning January 19 was a short week because of the holiday. 7 students attended.
There were 9 students who attended the week of January 26.

More students attend the Wednesday group for Math 0099 than any other.

All students are welcome.

--Blue

Using the completing the square method to find the quadratic formula

This message is really just for my college algebra students.

There is a discusssion that derives the quadratic formula by completing the square at this link. You need to scroll down a little to get there.

--Blue

Russian Peasant Multiplication

Are you getting tired of using a calculator to multiply?

Why not try the Russian peasant method of multiplication? Check out this link for details.

--Blue

A note about homework assignments on Course Compass

This message is just for my students in Math 0098 and Math 0099.

You can work homework problems up until the last day of class to improve your score.

In order for changes you make to affect your score on an assignment that is past due or incomplete after the due date, you must be sure to click on the blue IMPROVE MY SCORE button when you enter the assignment. Do not click on the ONLY PRACTICE AND REVIEW button unless you do not want your work to affect your score.

Happy practicing!

--Blue

Fractals

You can see a video involving fractals by clicking on the image above.

Fractals are geometric figures that possess the property of self-similarity. That is, a close-up view of a small portion of the figure is very similar to the big picture.

You can find more fractal videos on YouTube at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuyRCfhCZT0 A video with music from The Police.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRQDbAduoM No music here, but a discussion of some things you will find in the Mandelbrot set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRMzglUxmOk A video from MathTV that shows you how you can make a fractal (or something close to one).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB8m85p7GsU The first 9 minutes of a much longer video.

No Cost Tutoring is available to you.

In case you haven't heard the news, you can get free math tutoring in the Student Services building near the front desk every Monday from 10:15 to 11:45 starting next week. Ms. Slocombe, who teaches classes here on the Douglas campus, with be there to assist you. Similar services are available on other campuses.

You can also get assistance from a student tutor. Uloma Owunta, and she can be contacted at 404-914-2495 or via email at uowunta@student.westcentraltech.edu. Her availability is from 12:00 to 3:45 on Tuesdays and from 9:00 to 11:00 on Fridays. Uloma's assistance is free to you, because she is working in a federal work study position. Contact her to make an appointment.

You can always come see me during office hours Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

There are a lot of resources on this blog, too. Check out some of the postings from the past.

--Blue