Left: Alyssa Rands is eager ¿to learn aboutpolynomials in M ath L I L. You Tube videos a n d other Internet media create a new learning environm ent in a new style o f teaching
fo r the class. Right: RJfonda H ull, Clackamas C om m unity College m ath instructor, demonstrates the use o f a graphing calculator w ith an.overhead projector.
YouTube class creates sum worshippers
By Joshua Dillen
Associate News Editor
Some students would rather
poke out their eyes than endure
the lecture portion of a college
algebra class» The standard
class- m ay-be-the reason 4-bs one
of the most hated and feared
classes at community colleges.
The boring stream of math'
rules and graphs that govern
functions and lines gets easily
replaced by tM 'm m 'e enjoy
able thoughts in a student’s
head. Who,-wouldn’t find it
hard to follow and actually
retain enough of the informa
tion to_ pass the course?
Clackamas ^Com m unity
College’s math department
has bëeh changing the way
Math 111 is taught, to hope
fully increase the pass rate rif
this required course for many
transfer students. ’ Rhonda,
Hull, math instructor, has
helped to design a new and
different approach to teach
ing this difficult part of the
math curriculum. During her
sabbatical two years ago, she
worked closely with Carrie
Kyser, math department
chair, to develop and create
an engaging arid fun learning
environment to make the class
more enjoyable and fun.
Hull seerns ‘to be almost
exuberant when^ dgicjdbiug
ciianeed»iia.b#J6~Gla^s^e^^rq,?Jieal-
ly talk about the math, and we
really. DO the math in class.
I don’t just give the students
one long,boring lecture and
then hope students ask ques
tions' about what they don’t
understand,” she said.
The: result of the pfdject
led to the development of a
hybrid class that utilizes the
best of both Iriternet learning
ahd realcla-ssroom dynamics. -
Gone are the expensive text
book and long boring lectures.
The interactive “e-book” used
i s a virtual textbook accessed
through the course’s Moodle
page to be printed off as the
term progresses,:-.This virtual
textbook is, an internet gate
way tovlessons and pertinent
math links which' include
YouTube videos and a plethora
of other videos and ¿sites that
eater to a visual learning style.
Lectures have been replaced
with groups of like scoring
students that work together to
complete exercises and’ work
on' ^developing skills rather
than listening to the drone
i i
I
£
We really talk about
the math and we re
ally DO the math in
class.”
Rhonda Hull
Math Instructor
of a lecture. The same groups
work together on pre-exams
(a longer version.of each actu
al midterm/final) during the
class to ensure they are even
mOre prepared for the real t^st.
^ f‘Thtere is a post quiz online
that must be completed 24
hours after each in class les
son. Research has shown this
type o f repetition helps stu
dents retain what they have
learned” said Hull.
Kyser described that they
m e w a rffle a r^ ^ ^ rra ro
tlae...vyj.yT-.aAu-U.em-a-^I?u.ilsruxa.-Lli
skills. Most would riot associ*-
ate polynomials and functions
with YouTube; but that is pre
cisely what this class I does.
A familiar way of interacting'
socially in today’s'wo rid may
be key, to teaching math.
“People go to YouTube and
the Internet- to view music
video clips and all kinds of'
popular videos,” she said.
‘We’re using a vehicle that is
typically used for recreational
purposes to help us teach a
math class,” said Kyser.
Kyser has taught the same
class and believes her students
enjoyed the new method of
learning. She also made i t clear
she had trerrieriddus fun teach
ing the course'and even some
times had to kick students out
o f class when it was river.
Alyssa Rands ' is pursuing
her transfer degree and really
enjoys the class» She intends
to work in die fashion indus
try. She expressed that it Was
a lot ofw ork, but she feels
she has actually learned about
math, rather than just retain
ing infprmat jgn.
r Fike rlrara Wr orrearm^^
is a c c o m p lis h e d o n y o u r
said Rands. “If requires'you to
fully understand the concepts,
rather than just "absorbing
information in-the classroom
then exuding it back out onto
the test.”1 *
Kevin Douglas, student and
volunteer at the information
desk in Streeter, took the new
class last year after not com
pleting the traditional college
algebracourse. He really feels
the new type .of learning set
ting helped him to succeed the
second time.
I “The type of lessons and
all the different links really
helped, me to get if.'AH the
work made it easier, to pass
the tests,’’ saidDouglas. “The
course does an outstanding
-job of teaching you the mate
rial and keeping ypu on track.”
RULES: Follow them and share the road
Continued from Page 2
Rule of the road No. 2: Let
people merge!
N q W this is the one thing
that makes my blood boil on
the road: when you need to
get right to make an exit- and
nobody will touch their brakes
or let off theiraccelerator long
enough for you to slide into the
lane and to your exit without
trouble. What is even worse
are people who close the space
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between them rand the dar in
front of them to keep people
from merging onto the high
way at on ramps or to get to
exits. Are you so pathetic that
your sense of self-worth can be
challenged by letting someone
pull in front of you? Everyone
.Is* going the same direction
and if it weren’t ■ for people
who close the gap when it is
most important, we could all
be going a higher speed.
Rule of the road No. 3:
D o n t -suddenly speed up
because traffic has cleared up
a little.
| Traffic is stpp and go for
a mile or so, but* suddenly it
breaks up and starts to flow a
little only to be stop arid go
again another exit doWn. Do
you know why this is? .It is
because you can’t keep a pace.
You feel the need to catch up
with the traffic and make it
worse. If traffic is bad and sud
denly you are' lucky enough
to' be going 30 mph, don’t
take that moment to speed up
more and more becausesall you
do-Is catch up to traffic. Use
your little brain for achange.
Look ahead. If traffic is still
bad half a mile ahead of you,
there is-no reason to catcb i'ff
Split the difference-. Traffic is
going slow ahead of you, don’t
go 60 mph and catcb them in
45 seconds. Try going 30 mph,
giving traffic a chance to clear
up on its own. The less you hit
your-brakes, the better traffic
will b e . .
More than anything just
try not to b e ta ’stupid child;
remember that sharing is car
ing. Take the higher road. If
someone is tailgating you, le t
them pass. If the person? fin
front of you is going the speed
limit'; just be happy they aren’t
going slower. Give ; yourself
time- to - get places without
having to speed, but if you
get the chance'"to 'speed do it
responsibly.-There is never a
reason to be going 15' mph over
the limit try 5 mph. Go with
the flow. You-might1find that if
you are just not a total dick on
the road, it'will turn ou to be a
nicer place for everyone.