DON'T
Guideposts For Written Work to be Submitted
Dr. Gottfried
You can call me Mr. Gottfried, or Dr. Gottfried. I am not a medical
doctor, so
don't ask me what to do with a cut, a broken bone or a sprain. I earned
my Ph.D.
in biological oceanography in the department of Biology and Living
Resources at
the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science (a
mouthful, but no one ever asked me; the name of the department has
changed since
then anyway.)
I am a very verbal teacher. I will provide you with lots of
printed material.
I will talk a lot (Don't
say it is because I like
to hear the sound of my own voice. While it may be true telling me this
is not a
good way to impress me.) You need to listen to all
instructions and to
read everything carefully.
I will do my best to teach you. I work hard for you and I expect you
to work hard
for me. Learning can be fun, but it is also hard work. Like any skill,
thinking
needs practice. In my classes I hope you will get lots of practice!
Bias
All ideas start from preexisting assumptions. In math these assumptions
are
frequently called axioms, or ideas that don't need proving. In history
they are
sometimes called maxims, things so obvious they don't have to be proven.
In science we like to think that there are no assumptions. HOWEVER,
this is not
true. There are a number of basic assumptions or biases to science that
are so
basic that we forget to think about them.
Science believes (and in this context that means that I
believe) that the
universe is rational, logical, and can be understood by rational and
logical
processes. Science believes (...) that the
universe can be explained in
ways that make sense without resorting to the supernatural or
paranormal.
There are other world views that societies can use as a focus for their
civilizations. The rationalist world view is mine, and has produced the
technology that gives us our standard of living.
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Error
Detection
During this year I will be
doing a great deal of
talking (see link 2).
I will give lectures, answer questions, conduct discussions, etc. Since
I am an
imperfect scholar and any evidence to the contrary aside, a fallible
human
being, I will inevitably make factual errors, draw some unjustified
conclusions,
and pass along my opinions as facts. I will be very unhappy (not
a good thing)
if you were unaware of these
mistakes. To minimize that possibility I assign you all the following
task. Make
sure none of my mistakes goes unnoticed. If you find an error (and
there will
surely be some) tell me why it was an error, the source of your
authority, and a
truer or less biased way of saying what I was trying to say. (If you do this properly-politely
identify and correct an error-you will
get extra credit.)
I may from time to time
include deliberate mistakes or outrageous opinions to see if you are
awake.
There is no need for you to "test" me alone. Feel free to collectively
review the things I've said. One of the strongest study
techniques is the
study group. Try and set up one.
Student ID number
It is very important you
learn, and remember your
student ID number.
Course Requirements
Read the fine print.
I give complex instructions. Read them.
While we will not be going through
the text
book chapter by chapter you will be assigned readings to go along with
the
classwork. For each chapter there will be a web-form assignment
(usually 5
questions) which will be due BEFORE the class discussions on the topic.
If you
don't have computer access to the Internet at home you can make
arrangements to
enter your answers using the schools computers. ALL of the assignments
are
available on line ahead of time, so don't come telling me you couldn't
do it on
time. It would be better for you to be a couple of assignments ahead
than to
fall behind.
Time and
interruptions
Don't waste time! Our class time is a limited resource. We have many
things to
accomplish and a limited amount of time in class. While each of you is
an
important individual, I must teach you collectively and you must
respect the
rights of the other students and my rights as a teacher.
Many minor crises can be more appropriately handled if you submit your
problem
(with a grade, an assignment, a group) in writing after class or by
email. I'll
get back to you with an answer as quickly as possible, and you won't
disturb or
interrupt the entire class. In addition, I am more likely to consider
your plea
if it does not interrupt me than I am if you are disrupting the class.
When it comes to whining
importuning requests
during class time the following witticism is informative: A politician
says
"yes" if he means maybe, "maybe" if he means no, and if he
says "no" he's not a politician. An editor says "no" if he
means maybe, "maybe" if he means yes, and if he says "yes"
he's not an editor. A teacher says "no" when he means no,
"no" if he means maybe, and "no" if he means yes. Anything
other than "no" and he's not really a teacher.
For the 2007-2008 school year NMB will be using a modified block schedule. This will give us 90 minutes per class. (As I type this-July 2008-there is a chance we will switch to a 6 period day.)
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Block A |
7:30-9:00 |
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Homeroom |
9:00-9:05 |
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Block B |
9:10-10:40 |
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Lunch 1 |
10:45-11:20 |
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Block C |
11:25-12:55 |
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Block C |
10:45-12:15 |
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Lunch 2 |
12:20-12:55 |
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Block D |
1:00-2:30 |
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Lunch
1: 2nd & 3rd
Floor of |
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Lunch 2: 700 Building, 1st
Floor of |
Note that all days are block with a few minor exceptions for finals and other testing situations.
A= periods 1 or 2
B=periods 3 or 4
C=periods 5 or 6
D=periods 7 or 8
NMB is instituting a new policy with a "DO NOW" in every class, every period.
JUST DO IT!
Behavior/Discipline
I hold my students to a high standard of discipline and good behavior.
I like to take my classes outside the building for some labs on the courtyard and PE field. I can not do this if my students can't control themselves.
I try and take field trips that
include
learning, which requires paying attention. A couple of years ago we
took a field
trip to Home Depot. I love the zoo.
I expect you to be able to walk 100 meters without talking to
anyone else!
I expect you to respond to directions without argument or debate.
I expect the sound level in the
classroom to
at all times be less than that of a jet airplane on take-off.
You know when you are too loud without being yelled at by the teacher.
Keep
yourselves under control, or I will be forced to control you! The
school has a
discipline policy which will be adhered to.
The Discipline Plan includes the following rules:
-Be prepared for class and on task at all times.
You need:
covered text (when I tell you to bring it-which honestly won't be often)
paper
pencil/pen
additional class materials (as required by teacher)
-Be on time and in your seat when the tardy bell rings.
-Be polite and respect others.
raise your hand and wait to be recognized
do not use profanity or obscene gestures
-Accept responsibility by following the rules the first time they are given.
do not disturb the class
do all class and homework assignments
no food in class
do not wear hats or shorts unless told specifically it is ok
no radios, cameras, tape players or beepers
-Make a positive contribution to our school.
dress neatly and adhere to the school dress code
participate in all grade level, and school activities
take care of your school materials
take care of library books
do not vandalize or deface school
property
Consequences range from verbal
warning and
parent contact to referral to the administration.
Conduct Grades
You are responsible for your behavior. Every student starts out each
nine weeks
with an "A" in conduct.
If you interrupt me, or other members of the class your conduct grade
will
suffer. If you don't know how to behave in class, your conduct grade
will
suffer.
You know what is appropriate behavior for a
classroom. You must show
respect for me and for every other person in the classroom.
In the past few years the single biggest conduct problem was tardiness at the beginning of the school day. WAKE UP!
Cell Phones
While the school board ruling says you can have them in school it
specifically
says your can't have them on during class. If your phone rings, buzzes,
vibrates
etc during my class it (or the battery) will be taken away and you will
be asked
to have a parent come in to pick it up. Do not take them out to use as
cameras
without permission or, they (or the batteries) will be confiscated and
you will
be asked to have a parent come in to pick it up. Do not ask to go to
the
bathroom so you can use your cell phone during class. If you get caught
at it,
it (or the battery) will be confiscated and you will be asked to have a
parent
come in to pick it up. If you want to use your cell phone as
a camera or calculator remember to ASK first.
IPods, mp3 players, cameras (etc) - see Cell Phones
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Attention
One important procedure involves my getting your attention when you are
too
loud, doing a lab, working on your own etc. It is possible I may need
to get
your attention quickly and efficiently before you do something
dangerous.
I have tried a variety of techniques ranging from ringing bells,
clapping,
flashing lights and just screaming. I don't know yet what we'll end up
using
this year. BUT, when I want your attention you need to:
(1) stop talking
(2) stop what you are doing
Substitute Policy
If you misbehave when a substitute is in the classroom, you will earn a
conduct
grade no higher than a C for that marking period. Your parents will be
contacted. You will also be excluded from special activities for a
month.
Subsequent offenses will require a parent conference at which
additional
sanctions will be discussed.
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Tardy Policy
Class can't start until you get here. Excessive tardiness will be dealt
with as
a serious conduct violation. Initially I'll call home. After
that it gets
worse.
Groups/Seating
I may or may not assign seats in the classroom portion of the
room. Don't
complain. I'll move you around when I feel like it.
You will also be assigned to a lab and assignment groups on a needs
basis. For
labs and group work you will be with the other people in that group for
the
duration of that assignment.
Part of the process of group assignments is to get you to work with a
variety of
different people. Do not tell me who you want to be in a group with!
You have to
learn to work with people you may not like as well as with your
friends.
Everyone has something to contribute.
If behavior allows, I may allow you to pick your own seats and dispense
with
assigned seats in the classroom section of the room.
Supplies
You will need a small 3 ring binder,
or a
section in a larger 3 ring binder for lab reports, homework, worksheets
and
other papers. This notebook
is subject to collection at any time.. I
suggest a 1" loose-leaf notebook, or a section of a larger one, with a
pocket for material that is (a) too big for the binder or, (b) doesn't
have
holes punched in it.
You will need to bring a pen and pencil (#2) to class every day.
You will need a basic calculator (addition, subtraction,
multiplication,
division and square root) for some of our tests and assignments. On
days when we
will need additional supplies (rulers, calculators, colored pencils,
glue, etc)
you will be notified in advance.
If you are completely disorganized see me, and I can offer some
suggestions.
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Lab Safety
Safety in the classroom and when we do labs is the first consideration.
You will
be required to read and sign a safety contract. Failure to do so will
result in
your forfeiting the right to participate in lab activities.
Violations of lab safety will be considered severe
violations of class,
and school rules! (See link 3).
One of the safety rules is that no food is to be eaten on the
lab side of
room 336. This is a science laboratory and many unpleasant chemicals
have been
used and are stored here. Please do not violate this rule. Some of the
chemicals
can cause cancer. It would be real pity if 20 years from now you got
cancer
because you put your muffin down on the table in the science lab.
If you are lucky, violation of lab safety rules will result in severe
disciplinary action. If you are unlucky you or a friend might loose a
limb, an
eye, or a life.
Below is a reference copy of a safety contract.
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STUDENT SAFETY CONTRACT and CONDUCT AGREEMENT-
SCIENCE
CLASS LABORATORY
This is to certify that I, _________________________________ have been instructed in the following safety components of this science class:
1) ______Safety Rules
2) Location and proper use of the following safety equipment:
________ a. Fire extinguisher
________ b. Fire blanket
________ c. Eye protection devices
________ d. Eyewash
________ e. Chemical containers
________ f. Master shutoff for gas and water
________ g. Bunsen burners
________ h. Electrical equipment
________ i. Intercom location & Phone
________ j. aprons
3) Safety procedures for the following situations:
________ a. Fire
________ b. Chemical splash to the body
________ c. Eye emergency
________ d. Chemical spill
I am aware that in the laboratory every student's actions can
affect the
safety of others more so than in any other classroom environment.
Every experiment can be performed safely by each laboratory student
following
recommended safety procedures.
To do my part to provide a safe environment in the laboratory, I agree to:
1) Follow instructions EXACTLY.
2) Perform only authorized experiments.
3) Protect eyes, face, hands, and body utilizing proper safety equipment and procedures.
4) Keep my work area tidy and clean up after each experiment.
5) Know where to get help fast.
6) Know where safety equipment is and how to use it.
7) Report at once all accidents, even minor ones, and any unusual occurrence.
8) Never bring food or drink into the laboratory.
9) Never "play around" - unusual motions are distracting and dangerous.
10) Ask questions if I do not understand what to do.
I am aware that I can look up chemicals I am to use and their safety in
the
Material Safety Data Sheets that are posted or are available.
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Donations
Often there are "kitchen" chemistry labs that we can do if YOU bring
in the supplies. You do not get extra credit for this (you can't buy a
grade!),
but you do get my gratitude and to do some fairly interesting labs.
Dreams
I assume you have them. Aspirations, hopes, and dreams of what you can
and will
do with your life. I have an acronym for what you need to master to
reach your
dreams. When I used
to teach middle
school I frequently had my students recite this as a mantra. I don’t do
that
in high school, but it is worth at least thinking about what you want
to do with
your life, and what you have to do to achieve your dreams.
D-discipline
R-responsibility
E-effort
A-ability
M-motivation
S-skills
Discipline-not
external discipline, but internal discipline, self discipline to do
what has to
be done and not to do what shouldn't be done. In school we can force
some
discipline onto you, BUT to succeed you need to
have self-discipline.
Responsibility-doing
what is required of you, without excuses or delays. We all want other
people to
trust us and rely on us. They only do when we are responsible.
Effort-to
succeed you need to put in the time and work. No enterprise succeeds
without
effort, and that includes your education. I put in effort to do the
best job I
can for you. I expect you to do the same for me, and for your own
futures. No
one becomes a great basketball player, architect, designer, doctor or
chef
without practice and effort.
Ability-there
is no doubt in my mind that in addition to effort, natural ability
plays a role
in success. A very short Magic Johnson would not have made a great
basketball
player.
Motivation-without
internal motivation you can not learn, and grow into a thinking person.
You may
succeed in school temporarily, but without some drive or motivation you
will not
become all that you can be.
Skills-reading,
writing, math, science, art, music, car mechanics, drafting, typing
(now called
keyboarding), cooking and sewing are all skills. To convert your dreams
into
reality you need to work on your skills.
I believe that scientific thinking is a skill that can help anyone
(with the
exception of a psychic) in any walk of life. Science is a process that
interprets the world. That is a skill we all need.
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Vocabulary Cards
I find that
students lose the use of their
scientific vocabulary the day after a test, and even during a test
confuse words
and meanings.
You are encouraged to create a set of vocabulary flash cards. On one
side you
will have a word, concept, or formula, and on the other a brief
explanation.
There will be a posted listing of words.
This is not for a specific grade.
Biology is to a large extent vocabulary! I have posted a list
of prefixes,
roots and suffixes which may help you.
Notes
I expect each student to be ready to work when the bell rings. In my
mind that
means that you will be:
1) in your seat
2) be quiet
3) have your notebook out to take notes
4) have any work
to be handed in out and ready
Note taking is a vital skill. It is very important to be able to write
down what
you are learning as you learn it. To copy from the board, TV, or
overhead is not
enough.
You need to take an active part in the process, interpreting what is
said, and
taking notes based on what is said, not just what is written on the
board.
(It is my general observation that those students who
take notes in
class do better on tests and quizzes than those that don't.)
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Guideposts For Written Work to be Submitted
Write neatly and legibly. Type if possible. You can submit by email as text files, MSWord files, or WordPerfect files.
Use blue or black ink on standard white notebook paper unless otherwise instructed. Do not use paper torn from a spiral notebook. Do not write in red, pink, or purple inks.
Do not use the plastic report covers with sliding plastic binders. (This is not a school rule or policy but one of my own. I HATE those binders!)
Write the correct
heading in the upper
right-hand corner of the paper. There is a correct heading for
individual and
for group work.
Individual Heading-In the upper right hand corner.
Last name, first name
Science-period number
Dr. Gottfried
Full Date Due
Group Heading-Again in the upper right hand corner, and including all
the names
in the group.
Last name, first name
Last name, first name
Last name, first name
Last name, first name
Science-period number
Dr. Gottfried
Work
In/Out
Papers for me to see will be collected at the beginning of class.
Work that I have
graded will be passed back to
you as time permits.
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Academic
Grades
The new version of the school
board adopted computer
grade
program will allow me to grade on a 0-100 point scale. Thus, an
assignment not done (0) is MUCH worse than one done very
poorly
(55). The system allows
you or your parent/guardian to log into the school's grade system and
look up
your grades.
Check the grades page for information on using the "look up" feature and interpreting the reports
Since computers
prefer to think in numbers
(rather than letters), I use a numerical version of the A-F grading
scale, using
the new scale.
Grades-
Grades will no longer be posted. See above for information on grade calculations.
F=0 D=1 C=2 B=3 A=4
In general, you will get the points you earn. For assignments that would normally be graded simply, A, B, C, D, F or Z, the following system will be utilized.
A=100; B=85; C=75, D=65; F=0, 25, 45, 55 depending on the degree of "F", Z=0
Assignment Values
In general,
assignments, homework, classwork,
lab reports, quizzes and tests have weighted grades. Weights depends on
how much
I value the assignment. Some minor assignments may be assigned a value
of 0.
That is, I know whether you did it or not, but it has no value to your
average.
The Reading
Assignments will as a whole be 10%
of your grade.
Tests/Quizzes
Tests will always be announced at least 2 days in advance, usually a week in advance (see link 15).
There may be pop
quizzes (see link 3).
Cheating
A first cheating offense will result in an F, or 0, on the exam, or
assignment,
a conduct grade cut and may require a parent conference. Subsequent
offenses,
will require a parent conference which will discuss additional
sanctions.
What counts as cheating? Using someone else's work. Handing in two identical papers, with different names. Copying from someone during a test or quiz. Bringing answers (crib sheets) into a testing situation. Copying word for word from someone or something (encyclopedia) else without attribution. This is especially easy on the Internet. That doesn't make it right.
You know what cheating is. If in doubt, don't do it.
There is a
cheating policy for magnet
students. Basically it states that if you cheat in one class that
information
will be passed on to the rest of your magnet teachers and an offense in
a
different class will still count as a second offense.
Late Work
In theory, late
work is better than no work.
In practice handing in work late is a sign of poor planning, pathetic
study
habits, and lack of responsibility (See link 8).
Not only I am
I supposed to teach you
science, but responsibility.
Nothing at all is accepted late without a really, really good excuse.
And then I
take off tons of points. I
mean this.
That said, since not handing in something is a 0 (zero), handing in
late work
frequently makes the difference between passing and failing for
procrastinators.
Even a D is better than an F. "A" level work handed in very late
generally earns a "D".
I reserve the right to make exceptions for specific cases.
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Missed
Tests/Quizzes
It is your
responsibility
to schedule make-up
tests and quizzes. In general, I administer make-up examinations, by
arrangement, after school from 2:30-3:30. It may be possible, under
special
circumstances, to arrange to make up a test during lunch. I do not in
general
offer make-up tests during class time. You would then have to make-up
what you
missed in class!
I do not
offer a lot of extra credit. In
the past for many people extra credit was the difference between a C
and an A,
or, a D and a B. I don't think that is fair to those who do what they
are
supposed to do on a regular basis.
You can get credit for helping me around the classroom before or after
school
(when I ask for the help). Cleaning up after labs is a common chore.
There are
also frequent additional assignments that get counted as extra credit.
For
example, you can write a lab or activity report on a lab, demonstration
or
activity when I have said that no report is required.
There is a standing extra credit assignment which I will not refer to in class at all. Your only information on this assignment is right here. (Aren't you glad you're reading this.) You can do this once each nine weeks. The total amount of credit depends on the depth of your analysis and how related the error you discuss is to the work we are doing that nine weeks (Don't go off on tangents-you can discuss your idea with me before you research it.)
Describe one of
the most significant errors
(see link 2)
scholars and scientists have made related to this years' course work.
Indicate
why it is an error, who made the error, and what persons are mainly
responsible
for correcting the error. You get even more credit if you can identify
errors
made by the error-corrector and even more if you can suggest an error
in current
thinking about the subject. Lastly you can get even more credit for
indicating a
possible error in some strongly held belief that resides in your mind.
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Lab
and
Activity Reports
A significant part of your grade will be based on how well you can write your lab and activity reports. Each report is MORE than a homework assignment. Each lab report is graded and its grade value depends on the amount of work I expect.
It is a combination of what was done in class with a conclusion you develop based on what was observed. Lab reports are the essence of science and they allow me to "see" how you think.
Labs generally involve a problem, in response to which you develop a hypothesis, design an experiment, carry out the experiment, report your results and present a conclusion.
Activities have
problems, but no hypothesis.
They have purposes (usually
mine).
They are sometimes called (by me) "lablets". Activity reports
sometimes consist of only observations and a conclusion.
Your lab reports must have a proper school heading.
The full scale lab report has several important parts.
Title
You can be creative or simple here. Your grade will not depend on your title, (unless it is too stupid for words).
Problem
In the form of a
question.
Hypothesis or Purpose
This is important
in my evaluation of how you
think. A hypothesis is a statement (not a question) which your
experiment or
observations will attempt to evaluate. Some experiments we do will not
have a
hypothesis, but a purpose.
Materials & Procedures
To save space and time I encourage my students to abbreviate this part of the standard lab report format. I allow the following statement to replace this section in most cases:
As given in _______. Where the source of the procedure is noted as class, text link, handout etc.
If you do anything that deviates from the instructions you must include that in a "but.." statement after the
"As given in class."
For example you might say: "As given on page 264, but Sarah added 4 drops of dye instead of 2."
This may become
important as I evaluate your
data and conclusions.
Data or observations
This is what you
see, what you measure, what
you record. It can and should include data tables, graphs and figures
when
appropriate. It does not include interpretation of what you saw. For
example
"The flame was orange" is an observation. "The flame was orange
because of sodium" is not an observation. You do not observe the sodium.
Conclusions
THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE LAB REPORT. Here you tell me whether the hypothesis was correct or not. Then you go on to elaborate on why, how and what it all means. I look in conclusion sections for evidence that you are thinking. That you are drawing conclusions based on the data and based on outside reading, other classwork, common sense, etc. Lab reports in honors biology are frequently more than one page (3-4 pages is not unusual.)
IT IS NOT ENOUGH
TO SAY, "THE HYPOTHESIS
WAS CORRECT."
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Effort
Grades
I believe that effort is essential to success in life. Whether you have
mastered
the material or not, you must do ALL the assigned work to get a good
effort
grade. It is possible, though difficult, to get an A for an academic
grade in my
class along with a 3 in effort.
In any given 9 weeks there are generally from 20-30 assignments. I generally give effort grades according to the following system:
0-1 missed assignments effort = 1
2-3 missed assignments effort = 2
4+ missed
assignments effort = 3
There are exceptions to this rule. Those in your favor may involve
hospitalization (yours, not mine). If you make up work late, and end
the marking
period with "zero-zeros" don't expect to get the same effort grade (1)
as someone who did all their work on time. Occasionally I will consider
the
quality of your effort in assigning effort grades. Someone who does a
poor job
on all their work does not deserve the same effort grade as someone who
tries
their best and does a fine job on all their work.
Occasionally
(very rarely-maybe once every
other year) I will reward excellent effort (0 missed
assignments) by
dropping the lowest grade in a marking period. But don't count on it!
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Posted Signs
Read all the
signs. Especially those at the
front of the room. Most of the material is also on the web page.
Agenda
I post the general
plan for the week including
agenda and homework on the Internet at my web page (http://www.mdgottfried.net).
I generally go over the agenda for the week on the first day of the
week.
Homework
I post the homework for the week on the Internet at my web page (http://www.mdgottfried.net).
I review the
week's homework on the first day
of the week (usually Monday).
Written homework is usually due either on Friday or Monday (depending
on block).
Tests and quizzes
(except pop-quizzes) are
announced on the agenda/homework web page.
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Electronic
Access
I can be reached via www with the following caveat:
I do not
necessarily sign on every day or at
least I don't guarantee it.
I can be reached at Internet mgottfried@dadeschools.net
or markgottfried@usa.net
(If
this is a foreign language to you, you probably don't know enough to
use this
method of reaching me). Either address works. (Actually I have a bunch
of other
addresses but this is enough--they all get to me.)
Use this address in the TO: field from Prodigy, Compuserve, AOL,
Earthlink,
NetZero, Juno etc.
I have an occasionally updated home page, but you know that, since that is probably how you got here.
IF you have
parental control on your email it
will be important that you set my addresses as "ok" since otherwise
you can't get mail from me.
The
Internet-At home
If you have a computer, and modem, you should get yourself an account
that lets
you do research and gather information on the Internet (the information
superhighway as it is referred to in the media).
You can even get
an account without having a
computer or modem. The local public libraries (NMB, Aventura and NW
Dade) are
hooked up with terminals that the public can use.
You can also get a free web based e-mail account without having your
own
computer from hotmail, netmail, yahoo etc. You could check these
account from
any of the networked computers, the library etc.
I would hope that all my students become familiar with the Internet and
e-mail.
Due to viruses
school computers only offer
limited web-mail access. As of summer 2008 they have blocked all of the
free
email services and most pay services from school computers. If you find
one that
works let me know and I'll post the information here.
Submission
of Homework Done on a computer
Homework should be
emailed to DrGHomework@gmail.com
E-mail can be used to submit homework. However, it is important that
you do not
send me files I can not read. Any plain text e-mail message is
readable. Files
that are attached to a message may or may not be readable. Your best
bet is to
convert everything to ASCII (plain text) and send it that way. You may
want to
experiment with test files before you use this for your homework. In
general I
can open Word (up to Office 2003) or WordPerfect (up to version 12)
documents.
I may be able to convert from the
I
no longer accept floppy disks. Under some limited circumstances (time
being the issue) USB pen drives can be used
The
Internet-At School (As of summer 2008 they are blocking a great deal.)
We will be using computers with Internet connections a great deal in
class. We
will be running simulations as well as doing research. Developing these
skills
is critical to success in the modern world.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools has an acceptable use policy for
students and
faculty.
This policy
basically says, don't do anything
that you wouldn't want to get caught doing!
The complete text can be found at
http://www.dadeschools.net/aup.htm
Pictures
In the course of the year I/we will probably take a great number of
digital
pictures, both still and video. You and your parents need to be aware
that these
pictures may be posted on the Internet and/or used in press releases
etc. for
NMB. Student names will not be used in these cases without specific
permission.
Start preparing yourself early.
Take every test that is offered. Take the PSAT in 9th, 10th and 11th grades.
Take the ACT (for reasons that escape me, our students do substantially better on the ACT than on the SAT).
Check out the NYTIMES
- Stanley Kaplan question of the day, daily. Make it a
routine. It is free
help. If you start in 9th grade you can go over 1000 questions by the
time the
SAT counts for you!
Check out Free
Rice
Jokes
You are not required to laugh at my jokes. But
it helps keep me in a good mood!
Errors
In any document this size there will certainly be errors.
Please point
them out to me politely.
Thoughts
to ponder
Mostly harmless
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from
magic." -Arthur C. Clarke
"Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability."
"Knowledge itself is power."
"They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea."
"Books must follow sciences, not sciences books."
"I have taken all knowledge to be my province."
Francis
Bacon
"I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to
have
been only a boy playing on the sea-shore and diverting myself in now
and then
finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the
great
ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
"If I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
Isaac
Newton
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent
perspiration."
Thomas
Alva Edison
"The time has come', the walrus said, `to talk of many things:
Of shoes- and ships- and sealing wax- Of cabbages- and kings-
And why the sea is boiling hot- And whether pigs have wings."
Lewis
Carroll
"It is a capitol mistake to theorize before one has data."
"..when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
Arthur
Conan Doyle
"A likely impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing
impossibility."
Aristotle
"Give me but one firm spot on which to stand, and I will move the
earth"
Archimedes
"Problems worth
of attack-
prove their worth
by hitting back."
"The road to wisdom-
Well is plain and simple
to express:
Err
and err
and err again
but less
and less
and less."
both by Piet Hien
"Sir, you have tasted two whole worms; you have hissed all my mystery lectures and been caught fighting a liar in the quad; you will leave by the next town drain."
William
Archibald Spooner
"The terms and circumstances of human existence can be expected to
change
radically during the next human lifespan. Science, mathematics, and
technology
will be at the center of that change-causing it, shaping it, responding
to it.
Therefore, they will be essential to the education of today's children
for
tomorrow's world.
-All children need and deserve a basic education in science, mathematics, and technology that prepares them to live interesting and productive lives.
-Scientific habits of mind can help people in every walk of life to deal sensibly with problems that often involve evidence, quantitative considerations, logical arguments, and uncertainty; without the ability to think critically and independently, citizens are easy prey to dogmatists, flimflam artists, and purveyors of simple solutions to complex problems."
AAAS-Science
for All Americans
© M. Gottfried, Ph.D. 2008
Any resemblance
to the title and format of
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams is purely
complimentary, and it is with great sadness I must report that Douglas
Adams
passed away May 11, 2001