https://flavoracle.tumblr.com/post/167150535757/its-sad-how-much-of-what-is-taught-in-school-is Flavoracle -- It's sad how much of what is taught in school is... 1.5M ratings 277k ratings See, that's what the app is perfect for. Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don't wanna flavoracle Flavoracle I'm Dave. Husband. Father. Writer. Inventor of Vorthos Volleyball. Founder of the Flavorum. * Posts * Ask Away! * Archive languill [avatar_59f] languill It's sad how much of what is taught in school is useless to over 99% of the population. There are literally math concepts taught in high school and middle school that are only used in extremely specialized fields or that are even so outdated they aren't used anymore! [avatar_a68] flavoracle I took calculus my senior year of high school, and I really liked the way our teacher framed this on the first day of class. He asked somebody to raise their hand and ask him when we would use calculus in our everyday life. So one student rose their hand and asked, "When are we going to use this in our everyday life?" "NEVER!!" the teacher exclaimed. "You will never use calculus in your normal, everyday life. In fact, very few of you will use it in your professional careers either." Then he paused. "So would you like to know why should care?" Several us nodded. He picked out one of the varsity football players in the class. "You practice football a lot during the week, right Tim?" asked the teacher. "Yeah," replied Tim. "Almost every day." "Do you and your teammates ever lift weights during practice?" "Yeah. Tuesdays and Thursdays we spend a lot of practice in the weight room." "But why?" asked the teacher. "Is there ever going to be a play your coach tells you use during a game that requires you to bench press the other team?" "No, of course not." "Then why lift weights?" "Because it makes us stronger," said Tim. "Bingo!!" said the teacher. "It's the same thing with calculus. You're not here because you're going to use calculus in your everyday life. You're here because calculus is weightlifting for your brain." And I've never forgotten that. teaching math calculus weightlifting for the brain 239,251 notes 239,251 notes Nov 5th, 2017 * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink 1. [cone_open_]so-much-for-subtlety liked this 2. [avatar_510]phildini liked this 3. [avatar_679]chocolateauthoress reblogged this from enigodupont 4. [avatar_227]coxy00045 liked this 5. [avatar_ef8]roastedbrusselsprout reblogged this from donatj 6. [avatar_ef8]roastedbrusselsprout liked this 7. [avatar_b28]donatj reblogged this from flavoracle 8. [avatar_b28]donatj liked this 9. [avatar_47c]enigodupont reblogged this from flavoracle 10. [avatar_47c]enigodupont liked this 11. [56e60cc756]ninjafoxyoko liked this 12. [2feba6b9c6]the-bisexual-bean liked this 13. [avatar_f7c]kakashi-hawtake liked this 14. [avatar_cc3]aryadr0ttningu3 liked this 15. 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See more posts like this on Tumblr #teaching #math #calculus #weightlifting for the brain More you might like horde-of-impressions [e0286102b3] horde-of-impressions @flavoracle Am I awesome? [avatar_a68] flavoracle Gather round for story time everyone!! Keep reading [e0286102b3] horde-of-impressions When I woke up this morning and read it on my dash, my stress levels went down. Thank you for that. I just got done with the test. It felt pretty easy. Pretty sure I rocked it. Thanks Magic Dad. [avatar_a68] flavoracle "I heard that @horde-of-impressions' brain has an eight pack. That @horde-of-impressions' brain is shredded." well done!! calculus weightlifting for the brain 61 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink horde-of-impressions [e0286102b3] horde-of-impressions @flavoracle Am I awesome? [avatar_a68] flavoracle Gather round for story time everyone!! Keep reading calculus confidence learning you can do it i believe in you workout for your brain i heard horde-of-impressions brain has an eight pack that horde-of-impressions brain was shredded you're awesome 61 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink avienbgwp asked: I need to know that you've read the responses to your calculus post. Not even specifically mine. Have you at least read them? [avatar_51f] Yes, I've read several of them, and I've even responded to a few. I stopped responding because those responses only served as a drop in a very large pond of other reblog trees. Here's what I'd like to make clear about that "calculus is weightlifting for your brain" story: That story was meant to encourage my friend, the original poster, because it seemed he was feeling discouraged about his math class. So I shared that personal account in the hopes that it would help him continue on and not give up. Because it certainly helped me when I was facing difficult math assignments. But I also want to make it clear that my story was NOT intended to defend the idea that calculus should be a required subject for graduating high school. It's advanced math, it's full of complex and confusing concepts, and it's definitely NOT for everyone. The calculus class that I took in high school wasn't a required class. In fact, every student in there had to make a very deliberate path to even be in the class. At the high school I went to, graduation required two years of math classes. Taking calculus required three years of math prior to that class, which meant every student in there was a senior who decided to take math EVERY year of high school, just to be allowed to take the class. Because of the requirements, there was only one calculus course in the entire school schedule. So it was a class we all had to schedule our other classes around. The kids in that class were passionate about math. And we STILL struggled with it! Having said that, I feel like I got a lot out of that class and it expanded my understanding of what math can do. Do I think it should be a required subject for all students? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But for those who currently find themselves in a difficult math class and struggling to thrive, just know that I'm cheering you on! I'm rooting for you! And I'm not just cheering for the people in "advanced" math classes. I'm cheering for anyone, struggling at ANY level. If you are struggling, then you are doing "advanced" math! The way I see it, all math is simply a means of applying logic to quantitative data, and learning to apply logic helps us understand the world around us. But it's certainly not the ONLY means of understanding the world around us! And if my post made anyone feel like their self-worth is tied to their aptitude for math, then I sincerely apologize. This amazing world we live in is far grander than could ever be understood through math alone. 42 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink thetasteoffire flavoracle asked: Hey! So I made a post earlier today about a math/MtG conversation I had with my kids last night. As a professional math teacher, I was hoping you could tell me if I made any math-teaching mistakes with my kids. :) [avatar_a68] thetasteoffire answered: flavoracle it looks like you have pretty advanced kids. Home schooling is a topic on which I have a number of opinions, some good, some bad, but the outcomes in respect to your children's advancement seem very good. As in, you're secretly having them do algebra, and that's outstanding for any learner <10, and still impressive older than that. (everyone's different, and no one should feel discouraged by any age points mentioned - I'm just discussing points at which things are remarkable. I have multiple math degrees and didn't know algebra proper til older. Keep going with math, y'all). Most relevantly, they are engaged. One of the greatest obstacles to math & traditional pedagogy is the lack of kinesthetic/concrete modes of engagement with the learning - people don't have stuff to move around, so they falter with the concepts. By filtering it through Magic, you've given them a concrete fashion of manipulating the numbers proper, and that's a big step forward to keeping the learning going. Magic is demonstrably Turing-complete, so theoretically we could teach any concept, but algebra is readily available, and you've done yourself/flavorwife/flavorkids a great service by leveraging that. In all, I would say that there's no mistakes - rather the opposite. Your discussion reads like a textbook example of how discussions like that should go. [avatar_9b9] [avatar_a68] flavoracle Thank you very much for the complimentary professional assessment, faultyschematic (and for the kind words!) That was far above and beyond the level of insight I was hoping for, and it was a very generous use of your time and skills. act of kindness mtg education i think that's the first time anyone has used the terms 'flavorwife' or 'flavorkids' i really like it flavorwife flavorkids 9 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink comeonandsam [pyramid_op] kraft--punk Every time I see Ph in my calculus class I lose 2 life. [avatar_a68] flavoracle "Can't he just pay the mana instead?" "Csc" xtreme nerd humor mtg humor nerd humor terrible puns calculus puns 1,331 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink wizardsmagic Teaching My Kids to Play Magic - Five Things I've Learned [avatar_a68] flavoracle image Around this time of year you may be thinking about gift ideas for the kids in your life, and you may be wondering if now is a good time to teach them to play Magic: the Gathering. Magic is a complex game that adults play at all levels of skill, from beginners to professionals. But despite the fractal-like complexity of the game, the basic rule set and premise of Magic makes it an excellent game to share with kids too. Just keep in mind that introducing young children to Magic can be very different from teaching it to a teen or adult. This year, my oldest daughter (age 7) and son (age 5) asked me to teach them to play Magic. It's been a great experience and we're having a lot of fun. We're all learning a lot too. Below are the top five lessons I've learned while teaching my kids to play Magic. Keep reading [avatar_a68] flavoracle WOW!! Thanks very much to @wizardsmagic for the reblog and for the kind words of encouragement! And thanks to all the rest of you for reblogging and passing this around! I spent a lot of time writing and editing this post because getting more kids to play Magic is a topic I'm passionate about, and I'm glad to see it's been so well received. But now I want to hear from all the rest of you!! What lessons have YOU learned when teaching other people to play Magic?! (Kids or adults) What are some mistakes you've made in the past or choices you would make differently in the future? What are some of your favorite success stories? PLEASE SHARE THOSE STORIES WITH THE REST OF US!! mtg community five things i learned teaching my kids magic teaching kids passing along magic to the next generation we've got to do it together 575 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink oldtumblhurgoyf What I Learned About Teaching Magic [389513e018] tumblhurgoyf Follow up from the other day: Hung out with my coworker. When we got to the LGS she revealed that she had played Magic a bit before (I knew she played Yu-Gi-Oh!, but not Magic) so it was even easier to teach her how to play. Even then, I was more aware of what I was teaching and tried not to front load information when it wasn't relevant. For example, I know when I tried to teach my partner to play, I told her way too much info about the turn order at first and why the first player doesn't draw first and stuff like that. It doesn't matter. This time it was, "each turn you can play a land. Do that. Good, now you can cast a spell that costs one blue mana, which you get from that land." Can't cast a spell? End of turn. We also played our first game open handed. It was a lot easier to advise her about what she could play. I also didn't try to get into tactical and strategic considerations about when to cast creatures with ETB triggers, especially when you couldn't use them. "Hey, you could get this 2/2 out to attack me. It has an ETB that won't do anything, but I'd say just get creatures on the board right now." Maybe it turns out to be a mistake in a long run, but it's something they can learn from and make that decision for themselves in the future. I know I used to try to consider any questions the person I'm teaching could have and get the answers out there before they asked. I now think a lot of the time that's a mistake as it just gives them too much info and doesn't help them to focus where they need to. They've never played before; don't worry about the stack or AP-NAP or instant speed/sorcery speed. Just get them to cast spells and attack with creatures. The other stuff will come up eventually (and even then, when I had an opportunity to explain the stack, I didn't use the term "the stack" and explained it by way of an example where I physically stacked cards on each other and removed them in the order they resolved). Give them the basics and then wait for them to ask more questions. That way you know what you're telling them is something they are ready to focus on at that time and something they now think they need to know. It's not a distraction from the fundamental of just casting spells. It doesn't overwhelm them with the immense strategic and tactical decisions present in every game. That stuff's scary and boring and not fun! At least not for a beginner who hasn't even cast a spell yet. It'll become apparent to them later and they'll ask about it later. Don't worry about it now. What all this really comes down to is "follow the fun." Casting spells and attacking with creatures is fun. Get your new player doing that stuff and they will stick around long enough to learn the more complicated things. Try to bring that complexity in on turn zero and you are going to turn them away. So she was an ideal student, but I think I learned a lot about teaching Magic and I've been even more mindful of it since reading @flavoracle's article. I hope I get more opportunities to share Magic with others in the future. I also plan on keeping my D20 decks (you can check the D20 tag or deck list tag on my blog) together as they are great for learning. We started with mono color decks but ended up having some really close and incredibly fun games with the Gruul Werewolves and Esper Government decks. [avatar_a68] flavoracle Excellent article, and great tips in here for teaching new players of ALL ages. Thanks for the helpful lessons, @tumblhurgoyf!! mtg discussion teaching magic passing magic along keeps the game strong ooo i like that! it even rhymes passing magic along keeps the game strong 65 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink franz-dargor [avatar_a68] flavoracle Pigment of My Imagination The other night, my D&D party earned several magical items at the end of our Adventure League session. Among them, I managed to pick up two jars of Marvelous Pigment. For those not familiar with the item, here's the official description: imageimageimage Now, the ability to literally paint reality is an interesting thing. As you can see, there are some limitations built in. But those limitations can be pretty much summed up in three rules. Anything created with the paint must be: * Inanimate * Non-magical * Worth no more than 25 gold if sold Honestly, those limitations hardly seem like limitations at all. Ever since I acquired this item, my mind has been buzzing with ideas of how to use it. Especially because the reason the party let me have it is because they wanted to see what it could do in the hands of "someone creative. (Thanks guys, no pressure.) Well, you may be shocked to learn that after texting with my DM today, I have already used up half my supply of paint. But I'm happy to say it went to a good cause... image I've got some ideas of what to do with the other pot of paint, but before I go into that, I want to hear what ideas you awesome nerds have!! Anybody wanna toss out some wacky ideas?! [avatar_d96] startaconversation I know you're already have an airship, and maybe you already have one of these as well, but why not paint a fantastically majestic keep? [avatar_a68] flavoracle It's a neat idea, but my party doesn't really have a need for a base of operations. Right now we're still constantly on the move. Here are some of the other ideasnof painting things that I've had so far... * Small freshwater spring * A crack on the side of a mountain with lava oozing out * A small metal canister filled with liquid hydrogen * A canon * A perfect tetrahedron made of quartz * Something something M.C. Escher * Life model decoy of someone * A toilet * A fractal * An elevator door * A small sun Keep in mind, I'm not saying that I actually intend to paint any of these things. But they make for fun thought experiments without breaking any of the established rules. [ca6fa26369] sarkhan-unspoken sarkhan-unspoken @flavoracle excuse me, but the sun wouldn't just *poof* since it's a form of energy? [avatar_a68] flavoracle Buckle up my fellow nerds because we're about to go for a ride on the Math & Science Train over to Shenanigan Town! If all I was painting was a big ball of fire, you'd be correct that it would just immediately dissipate. But the sun isn't really just a ball of fire. While the sun produces lots of energy, it's actually made of MATTER. The sun is a giant ball of (mostly) hydrogen gas that is so massive that its gravity compresses the hydrogen to a density of 1.41 grams per cubic centimeter. At that density, nuclear fusion occurs and the hydrogen becomes helium. This process lets off a boatload of energy in the form of light, heat, and other radiation. Now granted, my foolish gnome warlock doesn't know all this, but nevertheless he is painting a small sun, so I'm assuming that whether he understands the true nature of the sun or not, what he gets will be what it actually is. So let's say he uses up one cubic foot of Marvelous Pigment (since the rules measure its use in cubic feet) to create a small sun in the room he's in. One cubic foot will be the equivalent of about 28,316 cubic centimeters. It's important to note that the paint usage is limited by volume, not by mass. That will matter very soon. So let's assume the "small sun" we create has the same density as the actual sun (which seems like a fair assumption since everything else created by these paints seems to keep the same density as the object the painter is visualizing.) With a "small sun" that's approximately 28,316 cubic centimeters in volume, we would end up with a ball of hydrogen that has approximately 39.93 kilograms of mass. OK, so only 39.93 kilograms isn't nearly enough to create the kind of gravity necessary to maintain its ridiculous density, which means there's no way nuclear fusion would occur. So that means we don't get all that heat, light, and radiation that the sun produces. But we do get something else. See, since our small sun isn't massive enough to hold its density, all that hydrogen is going to immediately try to expand to fill the space that 39.93 kilograms of hydrogen would normally take up under normal atmospheric pressure. The density of hydrogen at normal atmospheric pressure is about 0.08988 grams per liter, or 0.00008988 grams per cubic centimeter. Now is a good time to remember that we just painted 39.93 kilograms of hydrogen into existence with a volume of just 1 cubic foot. And as soon as it comes into existence, that 1 cubic foot of sun matter will attempt to take up approximately 15,684 cubic feet of space. You know how if you use a can of compressed air for too long, too quickly it becomes really cold? Yeah, rapid decompression does that. What does decompression do when the density of a gas suddenly decreases by a factor of 15,684?! I have no idea. But I'm betting it's really cold. Also, I've been trying to figure out a way to measure how many newtons of force is produced from an expansion like that, but I haven't been able to determine a way to do that yet. So if anybody wants to chime in on that, please feel free. (I'm betting it's not a small number though.) And of course there is still the chance that someone could somehow ignite those 39.93 kilograms of hydrogen, which (according to my best estimates) would produce approximately 3,724,950 kilojoules of energy. (That seems to equate to nearly 9 hundred million calories, so it's a fair bit of heat released.) OK. So. *deep breath* What have we learned today? We learned that using one cubic foot worth of Marvelous Pigment to paint a small sun would almost definitely kill my warlock as soon as it comes into existence, and would likely unleash hellish destruction on the surrounding area... but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. Am I going to actually attempt to do this in the game? Absolutely not. Am I glad I'm aware of the destructive potential of these marvelous pigments? ABSOLUTELY YES. d&d shenanigans d&d magical items marvelous pigments breaking reality d&d humor fun with math and science 3,513 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink Black Holes and Blueberries Last night my daughter was asking about black holes, and a few weeks ago she was asking why calculators show an error when you try to divide by zero. I decided we could talk about both of these while also picking some blueberries in our backyard. This is a video of that little lesson. (Sorry in advance for the shaky camera work. My nine-year-old daughter was willing and enthusiastic operating the camera, but not exactly steady.) nerd parenting black holes and blueberries black holes blueberries science math density dividing by zero 1,147 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Pinterest * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink flavoracle Concept: The Great Hall [avatar_a68] flavoracle We're all vikings and there's a winter storm raging outside. The severity of the storm has prompted everyone in the village to leave our homes and gather in the Great Hall. Though the storm rages outside, its sounds are muffled by the strong, sturdy walls of the Hall. Inside we are all safe and warm. Many sit together by the central hearth, while others are spread out among the nooks, crannies, and rafters of the large space. Some sleep beneath thick blankets, while others simply sit to listen, think, eat, or observe. There is room enough for all to have the space they need in the Great Hall. Those who sit by the fire share jokes and stories, sometimes loudly, sometimes in dramatic whisper. Plans are made for the far-off Spring that will surely come. Everyone, from the children to the elders, are given their turn to be heard, and all are given full attention when they speak. No one knows how long the storm outside will last. It could be hours, days, or weeks. But nobody is concerned about it. Inside the Great Hall, there is plenty of wood for the fire, plenty of food and drink to go around, and everyone in the village is safe and accounted for. We're all here, safely gathered in, and enjoying our time together as we weather the storm. [avatar_e5a] misteryada This made me feel calm reading it. [avatar_a68] flavoracle I'm glad. This is one of the scenes I sometimes imagine at night when I'm trying to quiet my brain and go to sleep. [avatar_a68] flavoracle During therapy today, my therapist asked me if I ever meditate, and it prompted me to think of this post. I wept as I read it out loud to her, realizing how much of my life lately has been weathering one storm after another But even more, I felt a huge swell of emotion and gratitude for this internal refuge. And to recognize that I'm still the same person I've been all along, and that what matters to me most hasn't changed. Safety. Nourishment. Rest. A chance to be heard and acknowledged. These are the foundation of the haven I want to build for myself and those I love. And that's what I've been working to build for years, one stone at a time. Even if the winds blow and the elements rage, they can't just tear down something that's been fortified by years of deliberate, consistent effort. And on days where I wonder if my efforts make any difference at all, it is very comforting that the Great Hall still stands. concept vikings weathering the storm weathering the storm together all are safely gathered in friends winter winter storm the lighthouse here you are safe here you are loved here you are celebrated for being yourself family changes divorce therapy the great hall 405 notes * Open in app * Facebook * Tweet * Reddit * Mail * Embed * Permalink See this in the app Show more [impixu][impixu]