I will continue my studies with the same zeal as before. The program is based around the individual. What do I mean by that? I mean it is up to the individual how much one wants to grow. The meaning of tests and homework is different here. The question, instead of doing it, is whether or not it means that much to you. A homework assignment may not be that important to you on one day, in which case one might not do it. It is very laid back. However, in class, I feel, one is forced to practice speaking, which is good. Struggling is beneficial. Back to the original question. The schools philosophy is based around the individuals management of time, and from that, one may grow. My father always said, “You have to work within your means.” That can be applied to academia and to the home. For example, in my situation at my homestay, they do not provide me with a towel to shower, so I end up drying myself off when I shower with another one of my t-shirts. Afterwards, I hang it up to dry. This is what I mean by working within your means. Every step you take requires analysis. When you are outside your comfort zone, it is important to be critical, analytical, and on your toes. I just experienced a graduation ceremony, which I was not fully a part of because I will be here for two more weeks, however, it feels the time has gone by so fast. On to the next step in my journey!

Thirty-four students will deliver presentations during two sessions arranged into panels by topic or field that are moderated by a Lawrence faculty member. Presenters are nominated by faculty and invited to submit abstracts of their research. Students are selected for the symposium based on the abstracts and present their work in the format used for professional meetings of scholars in the humanities and social sciences.

Each presentation lasts approximately 20 minutes and is followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session. Among the topics that will be explored in this year’s symposium are the condition of education in rural Ecuador, the detrimental effects of the loss of a parent in childhood, the politics of music in Sierra Leone and the work of the late painter Thomas Kinkade.

The symposium honors former Lawrence Dean of the Faculty Richard A. Harrison, who organized the first program in 1996. Harrison died unexpectedly the following year and the symposium was renamed after him to recognize his vision of highlighting excellent student scholarship.

About Lawrence University Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among Americas best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College. Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries. Follow us on Facebook.

Digital education is revolutionizing how we teach, including our traditional courses. It already affords us new and deeper ways to customize how students absorb material and how they link it to their own interests, Haas Dean Rich Lyons said in an article on the Haas website about the new courses. This is the future. We need [to] shape it─and be a leader, he added.

The first online course, “Data and Decisions,” will be rolled out in June for Evening & Weekend MBA students. “Professional Judgment in Accounting,” an undergraduate course, will begin online in July, and “Power and Politics,” a popular MBA elective, will be offered online to fulltime and evening and weekend students in the Fall B semester.

Haas specifically chose both quantitative and qualitative courses as well as faculty with different teaching styles for the pilot courses, according to Jay Stowsky, Haas senior assistant dean for instruction. Different vendors will implement each of the three courses to give Haas the opportunity to compare effectiveness of different approaches to online education development, he added.

Faculty and administrators hope the online courses will provide some advantages over traditional classroom courses, such as the ability to tailor material to individual students needs and interests and the opportunity to encourage participation by students who might not be as likely to speak up in class.

This is a much safer environment that pushes them to contribute a lot more, says Associate Professor Cameron Anderson, who teaches the “Power and Politics” class. I think there is going to be a ton more participation. He also hopes students may actually learn more from one another than in the in-class version of the course because they will be required to have more group discussions on their own.

Finally, Anderson hopes the digital courses will give students the important advantage of being able to go at their own pace. Ive heard from my students that my class is like drinking from a fire hose, he says. This online approach allows for self-paced learning that I think will benefit students in their busy, time-constrained lives.

Funding for the pilot digital courses comes from a $1 million matching gift from Steve and Susan Chamberlin, MBA 87, former members of the Haas faculty.

Learn more about Haas’s launch of digital classroom pilots.

1. Your math secret 2. TED-ED Flip your lesson 3. Image conversion project thank you! 4. Twitter update 5. Math puzzle 6. Friday math movie The $8 billion iPod 7. Final thought Apply yourself

1. Whats your math secret?

2. TED-ED: Flip your Lessons

This one is mostly for teachers, but math students should also find something interesting here.

TED (the place where the worlds great thinkers get us to re-evaluate the way we look at the world) recently released TED-ED.

TED-ED is a collection of “Lessons worth sharing”. There are lesson plans built around interesting TED talks, and you can either use those lessons, modify them to your own needs, or create a completely new lesson based on the talk.

Flipping your lesson involves getting students to learn some things before the actual in-class lesson. This allows students more time to process the concepts during class time, rather than hearing the concepts for the first time. Flipping gained a lot of momentum with the growth of resources like the Khan Academy.

This tour explains the TED-ED concept.

Here is the Math Category

Theres also a Math in Real Life series of TED talks.

3. Twitter update

There are now over 3000 people following IntMath on Twitter! The 3,000th follower was a design engineer.

There are many good people sharing educational messages and resources there. Its a great place for getting to know people and for sharing interesting finds.

Why dont you join us?

4. Convert images project thank you!

A big thank you to all those who helped out in the recent IntMath image conversion project. There were a few thousand images converted and now its all done.

Im in the process now of removing the old images and replacing them with the new ASCIIMathML-produced, MathJax output equivalents.

You an see some examples of converted images in the math on these pages:

Matrix Multiplication and Inverse

Related Rates (calculus)

5. Math puzzles

Several people wrote in to answer the last puzzle about numbers. The correct answers were 41 and 50. Great to see reasons given for the answers!

New Puzzle

Line ABCD is a diameter of a circle whose radius is r. Length AB = BC = CD. Semicircles are drawn on AB and BD to create the shaded figure as shown.

What is the perimeter of the shaded figure?

6. Friday math movie: The $8 billion iPod

7. Final thought application

Lee Iacocca, colorful chairman of Chrysler Motors for many years, was named one of the top American CEOs of all time. The following quote could apply to what we do with our math knowledge:

Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Dont just stand there, make it happen. [Lee Iacocca]

Until next time, enjoy whatever you learn.

Wondering whether the SAT writing section really tells you how well you write?  Well, the answer is probably NO.

The New York Times recently reported on a study of robo graders that are being used to grade writing samples, including the SAT writing section. The results of the study indicate that robo graders, i.e. computer programs that grade written essays, do a great job.  The automated reader used for the SAT grades 16,000 essays in 20 seconds. 20 seconds.

So, whats the problem? The problem is that the computer programs use very specific  standards for what is good writing. If you know the standard, you can do better on the writing section. Want to know how to do better on the SAT writing section? Of course you do.

Use big words because the program thinks you are smarter if you do so. Write as much as possible because longer essays general do better than shorter essays. Dont use short sentences or short paragraphs. Dont start a sentence with and or or. But, use however and moreover because those words show you understand complex thinking (well, at least the computer thinks you do).

I know, youre worried about writing an essay that is not only long but answers the question. Dont worry, the computer program reading your essay doesnt care if any of the facts you cite are correct. Did Abraham Lincoln cause the Vietnam war by invading Poland. Sure, why not.

Go out there and practice using big words while writing long essays and youll do fine on the SAT writing section. Just forget all of that when you start writing your college application essays. Because real people read those.

My name is Courtney and I am studying Spanish in Cusco, Peru.

I am 23 years old and I am from the state of Kentucky in the United States. I study at the University of Kentucky and this year I will graduate with two degrees, one in International Studies (my specialization is in the developing world) and the other in French. For my degrees I spent one year studying abroad in Caen, France and two summers doing volunteer work in Uganda. After I graduate, I plan to obtain a Masters degree in Public Health focusing in Global Health.

Why, might you ask, do I want to study Spanish when my degree is in French? For three main reasons: First, I have always been fascinated by languages and I would love to know how to speak as many as possible. I have learned so far that with a background in French and English, Spanish comes fairly easily. Second, I want to learn as many languages as possible so that I have the flexibility to live, work, study, and travel in as many places as possible. With French, Spanish, and English you have a large portion of the world covered! Third, my boyfriend, Cristian, is Colombian and he has been teaching me Spanish because I want to know more about his language and culture. Actually, I have never had a formal Spanish class, until now, and all that I know about Spanish has come from learning from Cristian.

Now that you know a bit about me, I should begin by telling you about my trip. My flight schedule was from Cincinnati to Miami, Miami to Lima, and then I had Amerispan organize a flight for me from Lima to Cuso. My flight from Miami was delayed, but LAN airlines paid for all passengers to stay in a hotel over night and they included dinner and transport to and from the airport. On my flight, I met two Peruvian students who were returning home after having studied abroad in the United States. They were so friendly that I had a great feeling about how my trip would turn out. Because of my flight delay, I missed my flight to Cusco, so I called the program in Cusco and Evelyn was very helpful in giving me advice! I was able to get a new ticket with Star Peru airlines for the next morning and LAN airlines paid for me to stay in another hotel connected to the airport with two free meals since they made me miss my flight. At the hotel restaurant I tried Seviche, a famous Peruvian dish of raw fish that is “cooked” (aka marinated) in lime or lemon juice with onion, hot peppers, and sweet potato, for the first time and it was fantastic!!!! I also tried a Pisco Sour, which a well-known Peruvian cocktail made from a type of white grape brandy with eggwhites, nutmeg, and some other ingredients. It was tasty, but a little too sweet for my tastebuds, although for such a sweet drink it was pretty stiff.

The flight into Cusco was beautiful! We could see the coastline in Lima, then the desert, then the mountains. Even though we were so high in the sky, we didn´t seem to be very far from the ground since we could still easily see the mountain peaks and villages on the mountain sides and in the valleys. The clouds seemed like they were napping on the mountains as they were so close that they could touch. It was pretty extraordinary! And landing in Cusco was breathtaking! Not only for the wonderful sight of my new home for six weeks, which is beautiful I might add, but also because of the way the plane landed. Since Cusco is in a valley it is a rapid decent with a sharp turn to land on the runway!

More about my host family and school to come!

But fate had other plans, and so she became a volunteer in the small Ugandan village of Namwenda, unaware the decision would change her life – and hundreds of others – forever.

“It was a place I had heard a lot of but knew very little about so I signed up to volunteer and the organisation I went through only had one place left in Uganda so it was by chance that I ended up in that country.

“I knew it would be hard but it was the small things that took me by surprise, I remember walking around the village for the first time with my long hair and wondering why everyone, even the women, had shaved heads and I later learnt it was because if anyone got nits it would be an epidemic.”

So moved by the poverty she saw, and the friendships she formed, Ms Lovell returned to Australia and set up a grassroots aid organisation which has since helped hundreds of families.

“What makes us unique is not the projects we do but the way we operate,” Ms Lovell said.

“The community identifies a need and our Ugandan and Australian volunteers work together to research how we can best address that need, taking into consideration the cost and benefits of the project, its sustainability, how it will be implemented and possible risks.”

One of the first and most memorable projects she started was a secondary scholarship scheme to support young girls through high school.

The program has now funded more than 100 education scholarships, including tertiary schooling, for both girls and boys.

“When I first went to Uganda I was primarily teaching and a lot of the girls I met didn’t have a chance to go onto secondary school, some would have probably ended up in early marriages.

“But some of those girls are now studying nursing and teaching – it’s a privilege to have been able to help them realise their dreams.”

One Village also runs agriculture programs in schools, providing lunch for more than 3000 children a day. In one school the organisation even built a kitchen and mill.

“Prior to the program in one local school, only 200 kids out of about 1500 ate lunch because they all had to bring something to contribute but families didn’t have enough supplies to bring in extra food so most kids ate only dinner.

“Now, the children are able to grow their own produce and cook it at school.”

Ms Lovell has documented her experiences in her first book, We Are One Village, published by Allen and Unwin and due to hit the shelves on April 1.

In her last year of a law degree at Flinders, Ms Lovell hopes to specialise in human rights law, although “I’m already so committed to One Village it’s hard to imagine being so involved in something else, and if I did human rights law I wouldn’t want to do it half-heartedly”.

As for One Village’s fundraising efforts, Ms Lovell shrugs her shoulders: “I could look it up but people often focus on the amount raised – I think it’s nicer to focus on the impact.”

At the time of writing, 4 million other people had agonized over (or been ghoulishly amused by) this video.

One wonders about the safety aspects of the driver who is operating the camera while also in command of a deadly missile.

Leopold shared that her team will send emails out at noon tomorrow, March 29th, conveying Round 2 admissions decisions. “Congratulatory calls will follow, but we dont do admissions notification via phone,” she wrote.

Tomorrow’s admissions decisions will include waitlist invitations, Leopold continued. “I know for sure we are going to use the waitlist probably beginning in early May and trying to wrap it up by early June,” she wrote, adding that she anticipates that her office will be able to make offers to between 25 and 50 candidates on the waitlist, some from each Rounds 1 and 2.

She also reminded candidates that HBS doesnt make financial aid awards at the time of admission. The school provides generous financial aid to both U.S. and international students based on demonstrated financial need regardless of the round in which candidates are admitted. “Its not a ‘rolling’ process as in, we dont run out of need-based money. Round 3 admits have access to exactly the same resources as Round 1,” she wrote.

Finally, with regard to feedback for candidates following the interview, don’t expect dramatic revelations, Leopold warned. “I am resolved to not be prescriptive about the future,” she wrote, adding that the vast majority of the calls she has with denied candidates involve her reassuring them that not getting in had more to do with her team’s efforts to put together a diverse class with different backgrounds and perspectives than with anything that might have been wrong with their application or gone wrong as part of the application process. Details about phone hours for these calls will be included in the decision letter denied candidates receive, she added.

For those of you eagerly awaiting word tomorrow, best of luck from those of us here at Clear Admit. 

A limited number of seats will be available to the Lawrence community. Overflow seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for a live video feed in Harper Hall, adjacent to Stansbury Theatre.

While Lawrence is very careful not to endorse candidates for political office, we do encourage our students to learn about the political process and to be involved in making informed decisions about candidates. As such, the governors appearance is an excellent educational opportunity for Lawrence students to experience first-hand the political process in the midst of an important election cycle, said David Burrows, provost and dean of the faculty.  “One of the founding traditions of a liberal arts college is the education and creation of good citizens and good citizenship includes understanding the issues in any election. This should offer a great teaching moment for the entire Lawrence community.

Lawrence was selected for the announcement based on its standing as the states top-ranked liberal arts institution. Last week before the Illinois primary, Romney issued a policy statement at the University of Chicago.

Romneys visit is only the latest example of Lawrence’s engagement in the national political arena.  Earlier this year, Lawrence launched an Internet tool to help voters intelligently search for their own individual “best candidate.”

MyElectionDecision.org allows voters to see which candidates positions best match their own on a variety of important national issues.

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports’ look at the Wisconsin Republican primary race, Romney holds a double-digit lead over Sen. Rick Santorum. Based on statewide telephone survey, 46 percent of likely Republican primary voters in Wisconsin favor Romney, while 33 percent prefer Santorum.

Mitt Romneys stop at Lawrence shows that he knows Wisconsin elections are decided here.  Fox Valley voters are key both to the GOP nomination and to the states electoral vote in November, said Arnold Shober, professor of government at Lawrence. Despite the move to an April primary, Wisconsin is still a key piece of any candidates election strategy.

About Lawrence University Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a world-class conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. Ranked among Americas best colleges by Forbes, it was selected for inclusion in the book Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College. Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,445 students from 44 states and 35 countries.  Follow us on Facebook.

McAllen ISD – Make Up Day April 9th Sharyland ISD – Make Up Day April 9th Mission CISD – Students/Teachers off. Other staff reports to work. St. Paul Lutheran School (McAllen) St. John’s Day School (McAllen) Taylor Christian School (McAllen) Agape Christan School (Mission)

Open With Delays:

Valley View ISD – Elementary at 8h45, Secondary at 8h45 and High School at 9h35

Open With Regular Schedule:

All IDEA Public Schools Edinburg CISD PSJA ISD UTPA

This lessson is part of a series of lessons for the quantitative reasoning section of the GRE revised General Test. In this lesson, we will learn:

• Functions as equations
• Domain of Functions

Functions

An algebraic expression in one variable can be used to define a function of that variable. Functions are usually denoted by letters such as f, g, and h.

For example, the algebraic expression 2x + 7 can be used to define a function f by
f(x) = 2x + 7
where f(x) is called the value of f at x and is obtained by substituting the value of x in the expression above.

For example, if x = 1 is substituted in the expression above,
the result is f (1) = 2(1) + 7 = 9.

It might be helpful to think of a function f as a machine that takes an input, which is a value of the variable x, and produces the corresponding output, f(x). For any function, each input x gives exactly one output f(x).

However, more than one value of x can give the same output f(x). For example, if g is the function defined by g(x) = x² − 2x + 3 then and g(0) = 3 and g(2) = 3.

This video shows some examples of functions defined by equations.

Domain of Functions

The domain of a function is the set of all permissible inputs, that is, all permissible values of the variable x. For the functions f and g defined above, the domain is the set of all real numbers.

Sometimes the domain of the function is given explicitly and is restricted to a specific set of values of x. For example, we can define the function h by h(x) = x² + 2 for −3 ≤ x ≤ 3. Without an explicit restriction, the domain is assumed to be the set of all values of x for which f(x) is a real number.

The following videos show how to find the domain of a function.

See Peru Spanish schools