Friday, May 11, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Reality
From some of my notes, one may get the impression that I will not be hired as a teacher soon. There is no way to know the future. This note, states reality, as I see it right now, so I can go forward.
It is not a plus that I was not hired back at two high schools. If I was hiring, that will be a minus. On the other hand I will give the opportunity to such a person to present his point of view.
School for me was easy, the high school students were not trying hard as I saw it, and I was not trained to help them more than I did. This time around, I will definitely be more sensitive at learning differences. I taught college in Mexico. There, if you do not study, you are out. No professor is not hired back because students fail. These were news for me. Now I know better; students have more help and resources here, it has to work, and department heads and school administrators expect few students failing.
I recently read, "Why Nations Fail," by professors Daron Acemoglu, and James Robinson, they identify what they call Inclusive Institutions, both Economical and Political, that produce success. As it happens, most countries of the world, including my own, have Extractive Institutions. Man is the wolf of man kind of thing. It is not that some cultures are good, and some bad, that is a self serving view, where "my" people are the good ones. The issue is historic, Jamestown, Virginia, started a new civilization, because the Europeans moving there, could not extract a living from Americans, nor silver and gold from the land. Mexico, Tenochtitlan, is a completely different story. Hernan Cortes defeated Cuahtemoc, and inherited his slaves, his silver and his gold. As simple as that. Since that August 13, 1521, when Cortes won, Mexico Tenochtitlan has not seen the light of day.
I cannot pay for the sins of my ancestors, I am Spanish-Mexican, no Aztec here, but my employers should give me a break, I will try everybody fairly, whether they have a Logical-Mathematical mind like myself, or not.
Wikipedia
It is not a plus that I was not hired back at two high schools. If I was hiring, that will be a minus. On the other hand I will give the opportunity to such a person to present his point of view.
School for me was easy, the high school students were not trying hard as I saw it, and I was not trained to help them more than I did. This time around, I will definitely be more sensitive at learning differences. I taught college in Mexico. There, if you do not study, you are out. No professor is not hired back because students fail. These were news for me. Now I know better; students have more help and resources here, it has to work, and department heads and school administrators expect few students failing.
I recently read, "Why Nations Fail," by professors Daron Acemoglu, and James Robinson, they identify what they call Inclusive Institutions, both Economical and Political, that produce success. As it happens, most countries of the world, including my own, have Extractive Institutions. Man is the wolf of man kind of thing. It is not that some cultures are good, and some bad, that is a self serving view, where "my" people are the good ones. The issue is historic, Jamestown, Virginia, started a new civilization, because the Europeans moving there, could not extract a living from Americans, nor silver and gold from the land. Mexico, Tenochtitlan, is a completely different story. Hernan Cortes defeated Cuahtemoc, and inherited his slaves, his silver and his gold. As simple as that. Since that August 13, 1521, when Cortes won, Mexico Tenochtitlan has not seen the light of day.
I cannot pay for the sins of my ancestors, I am Spanish-Mexican, no Aztec here, but my employers should give me a break, I will try everybody fairly, whether they have a Logical-Mathematical mind like myself, or not.
Wikipedia
Logical-mathematical
This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning and numbers and critical thinking. While it is often assumed that those with this intelligence naturally excel in mathematics, chess, computer programming and other logical or numerical activities, a more accurate definition places less emphasis on traditional mathematical ability and more on reasoning capabilities, recognizing abstract patterns, scientific thinking and investigation and the ability to perform complex calculations.[citation needed] Logical reasoning is closely linked to fluid intelligence and to general ability.[6]
Know Thyself
While applying to another high school position, I came to a daunting question. Why were you not rehired?
Dumbstruck, I just wrote, the supervisor decided that.
In another question, on my student teaching training, I wrote that I got an A. Now I remember that they called me to the office, because my reports were late. Memories came back. I did not think it was important, but they thought so. I might've gotten a lower grade, I do not remember now.
Why am I applying to jobs, for which two previous supervisors, decided not to rehire me?
During my years of research in other institutions, I did not identify with the work my peers were doing; I wanted something more.
Now I watch my son's movie (below), where the President of the Academy, dies of old age, but Lev says, "very likely died because he just saw the best movie he ever saw, and thus was ready to die."
Is there a message here?
Dumbstruck, I just wrote, the supervisor decided that.
In another question, on my student teaching training, I wrote that I got an A. Now I remember that they called me to the office, because my reports were late. Memories came back. I did not think it was important, but they thought so. I might've gotten a lower grade, I do not remember now.
Why am I applying to jobs, for which two previous supervisors, decided not to rehire me?
During my years of research in other institutions, I did not identify with the work my peers were doing; I wanted something more.
Now I watch my son's movie (below), where the President of the Academy, dies of old age, but Lev says, "very likely died because he just saw the best movie he ever saw, and thus was ready to die."
Is there a message here?
Monday, May 7, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
MIT and Harvard launch a ‘revolution in education’ - MIT News Office
MIT and Harvard launch a ‘revolution in education’ - MIT News Office:
"MIT President Susan Hockfield and Harvard University President Drew Faust, accompanied by top officials from both institutions, announced on Wednesday a new collaboration that will unite the Cambridge-based universities in an ambitious new partnership to deliver online education to learners anywhere in the world."
'via Blog this'
"MIT President Susan Hockfield and Harvard University President Drew Faust, accompanied by top officials from both institutions, announced on Wednesday a new collaboration that will unite the Cambridge-based universities in an ambitious new partnership to deliver online education to learners anywhere in the world."
'via Blog this'
The Information Age has Reached Academia
At the Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica, ESIME for short, I got introduced to Control Theory. Equally important were Computer Science, and Communication Theory. I decided to study Physics to become a scientist, as opposed to an engineer. I finally got my PhD in Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Santa Barbara, UCSB. After forty or so years, I finally have an idea that could be useful.
Recently Marc Andreessen predicted that the next big thing will be software.
I believe we can automate some important parts of the teaching-learning process.
At Lucent together with Steve Plovich, and the creator, Joe Lennert, we patented a method to automatize software engineering processes, Joe called it, Robust Process Automation. I think we can use Joe's discovery to automate some processes I have used for over forty years now, to learn and teach mathematics and science. To accomplish this, I need a principle, the one I plan to use is called the Constructal Law, by its creator, professor Adrian Bejan, from Duke University.
Andreessen prediction is based on the observation, that the Internet put us, right on top, of the Information Age. Another thinker relevant for this note is Stephen Wolfram, with his "A New Kind of Science" proposal, which you can read in his book, which is free online.
In a nutshell, Information is a set of marks, used to guide motion. Professor Bejan, states that flow is such, to make flow easier, next time around. As the great Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, put it, Se Hace Camino al Andar, The Path Pursued.
"Wanderer, your footsteps are
In the same way, flows facilitate future flows, and I will say that, that is how anything moves. According to Einstein, matter curves space, and the curvature directs matter's motion.
In this context, the role of software in the learning process, is to facilitate future learning. Making waves of knowledge between novice and expert.
What I need now, is actual software to give to facilitators of this new teaching method.
Recently Marc Andreessen predicted that the next big thing will be software.
I believe we can automate some important parts of the teaching-learning process.
At Lucent together with Steve Plovich, and the creator, Joe Lennert, we patented a method to automatize software engineering processes, Joe called it, Robust Process Automation. I think we can use Joe's discovery to automate some processes I have used for over forty years now, to learn and teach mathematics and science. To accomplish this, I need a principle, the one I plan to use is called the Constructal Law, by its creator, professor Adrian Bejan, from Duke University.
Andreessen prediction is based on the observation, that the Internet put us, right on top, of the Information Age. Another thinker relevant for this note is Stephen Wolfram, with his "A New Kind of Science" proposal, which you can read in his book, which is free online.
In a nutshell, Information is a set of marks, used to guide motion. Professor Bejan, states that flow is such, to make flow easier, next time around. As the great Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, put it, Se Hace Camino al Andar, The Path Pursued.
"Wanderer, your footsteps are
the road, and nothing more;
wanderer, there is no road,
the road is made by walking.
By walking one makes the road,
and upon glancing behind
one sees the path
that never will be trod again.
Wanderer, there is no road--
Only wakes upon the sea."
wanderer, there is no road,
the road is made by walking.
By walking one makes the road,
and upon glancing behind
one sees the path
that never will be trod again.
Wanderer, there is no road--
Only wakes upon the sea."
In the same way, flows facilitate future flows, and I will say that, that is how anything moves. According to Einstein, matter curves space, and the curvature directs matter's motion.
In this context, the role of software in the learning process, is to facilitate future learning. Making waves of knowledge between novice and expert.
What I need now, is actual software to give to facilitators of this new teaching method.
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