Year: 2011

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We like to celebrate a variety of weird and nerdy “holidays” here at the Gatton Academy.  From Pi Day to Mole Day and a host of minor celebrations in between, these moments present an opportunity to remind students about why STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is such an exciting field.  Today marks the day of which I’m the most fond: Ada Lovelace Day.  More than celebrating a number or measurement, this online event champions the work of women across STEM disciplines by honoring a true innovator who was way ahead of her time.

The Finding Ada website offers this brief summary of Lovelace’s life and work:

Ada Lovelace is widely held to have been the first computer programmer. Close friends with inventor Charle Babbage, Lovelace was intrigued by his Analytical Engine and in 1842, she translated a description of it by italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea. Babbage asked her to expand the article, “as she understood [it] so well”, and this was when she wrote several early ‘computer programs’. Ada Lovelace died of cancer at 36, her potential tragically unfulfilled.

Few were able to grasp the concepts Babbage pitched, but that didn’t stop Ada from testing the boundaries of thought.  More important–as you can see in the sentiment below–was her realization of the continual progress of science, the promise of future realization, and the simple fact that others would someday take up her work:

“Even in the utilitarian aspect, however, we do not doubt that very valuable practical results would be developed by the extended faculties of the Analytical Engine; some of which results we think we could now hint at, had we the space; and others, which it may not yet be possible to foresee, but which would be brought forth by the daily increasing requirements of science, and by a more intimate practical acquaintance with the powers of the engine, were it in actual existence.”

We’re certainly proud to do our part in the effort to train a new generation of young women who will be innovators, thought-leaders, and key players in the scientific discussions that will shape this young century.  Recent graduates like Sarah and Clarice are already making their mark. (I could easily fill this post with the great research and accomplishments of many of our female students.)  The Gatton Academy is also fortunate to have numerous female faculty members in Ogden College of Science and Engineering at Western Kentucky University who educate and inspire our students.  Programs on campus like Women in Science and Engineering and SKyTeach are doing great work with young women as well.

We’re not the only group in Kentucky who seeks to inspire young women.  Today is also a great day to talk about the Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative.  In 2009, Kentucky Educational Television aired a panel discussion that included several Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative members outlining the importance of encouraging participation in STEM career paths, highlighting challenges to STEM engagement, and providing an overview of Collaborative services and goals.  Participants reviewed factors that hinder girls’ involvement and success in STEM subject, including a lack of role models and the perception that smart girls are not socially successful. Panelists also outlined Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative specific services, short- and long-term goals, financial aid available to Kentucky girls interested in the sciences, parents’ and teachers’ roles in the initiative, and much more. You can view the episode of Connections with Renee Shaw on the KET website.

There are other ways to get young women excited about learning.  The culture blog The Mary Sue offers their review of the new book Geek Girls Unite.  While tech geeks are somewhat of an afterthought, the book does remind girls that one should take pride in their interests.  She’s Such a Geek is also a fun collection of essays in which women “write about science, technology, and other nerdy stuff.”

Earlier this week, Boing Boing spotlighted an intriguing manga and novel series making the move from Japan to the US titled Math Girls (you can preview the forthcoming book here [PDF Link]).  Publisher Bento Books offers their take on what makes the book so exciting:

“Math Girls” is a very unique book, a young adult novel that is both a teen romance and an introduction to higher mathematics. There isn’t much out there quite like it, but Joe here at Bento Books once summarized it as “like Glee for math nerds,” and I think that’s a pretty apt description. The book covers a wide variety of topics in mathematics, from basics like how letters are assigned as variable names to quite challenging problems like finding a general term for the sequence of integer partition numbers.  The book is currently in its eighteenth printing in Japan, and has been one of the top 5 general interest mathematics books on amazon.co.jp since its original release in 2007.

XKCD, with their always thoughtful and acerbic wit, offer a bit of advice from Zombie Marie Curie about pursuing science and math not for the purpose of becoming the “next Marie Curie.”  Instead, do it for the following reason:

You don’t become great by trying to be great.  You become great by wanting to do something, and then doing it so hard that you become great in the process.

So… how can you celebrate today?  Celebrate the legacy of Ada Lovelace and thousands of women who have provided inspiration and innovation in STEM by saying thank you to a teacher who sparked your interest in science. Write a blog post about a lady scientist who is doing amazing work.  Tell people with pride that you love science and math!  You can even wear that pride with a t-shirt, the image of which it at the top of this post.

Most of all, celebrate by doing.

A Quick Mathematica Guide for Students

October 5, 2011 | Academics, News | No Comments

by Tyler Clark

Mathematica is a high-powered computer mathematics tool. Many universities have a student edition available for download free of charge (WKU is one of these universities). WKU also has it installed on all computers in open labs (MMTH, library, COHH computer lab, FSH computer lab, etc.).

I recommend that students take advantage of Mathematica to help with checking their answers and exploring different problems to better understand the general aspect of a certain concept. Trig students may want to graph different variations of the sine function to determine what is going out in relation to the period, phase shift, vertical shift, and altitude. Mathematica will allow you to graph several different functions on one plot.

Calculus students may want to check their understanding of differentiating the inverse trigonometric functions. They may also want to check to make sure they got the right answer to an integral problem. Mathematica can perform both of these actions.

Although Mathematica is very useful, it really does no good if you do not know how to use it. I am working on a help file for students that can be downloaded at http://www.tylerclark12.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mathematica-Help-File.pdf. It will be uploaded as I make changes. Please let me know if this file is helpful to you or not.

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Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday will participate in the first-ever #AskDocH Twitter Town Hall on Thursday, October 6, from 4 to 5 p.m. ET. The town hall also will be presented live on the Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) webcast channel.

Beginning today, Twitter users can submit questions to Commissioner Holliday using the hashtag #AskDocH.

“Communications is a priority for this agency,” said Holliday, a longtime user of Twitter (@kycommissioner), Facebookblogs and other forms of electronic communications. “It’s important that we reach as many audiences as possible, and conducting this Twitter Town Hall provides direct feedback from and conversation with educators, parents, students, elected officials and others.”

KDE uses the KDE Twitter feed to share information and converse with the education community and the residents of Kentucky.

On Oct. 6, the live webcast of Commissioner Holliday’s Twitter Town Hall can be viewed here. To listen and/or watch, you must have Windows Media Player installed on your workstation. Once Windows Media Player is installed, simply click on the appropriate link to hear audio-only or view the video with audio.

To install Windows Media Player on your device, please click the appropriate link below.

Download the Windows version of Windows Media Player.

Download the Macintosh version of Windows Media Player.

For more information contact Lisa Gross at  lisa.gross@education.ky.gov.

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If you’ve ever visited Schneider Hall, chances are you’ve noticed the grand piano in the lobby.  The piano was gift from the WKU Department of Music when Schneider Hall reopened in 2007.  On a given day, you can stroll through the second floor lobby and hear a variety of songs–classic, contemporary, and even a holiday song or two when it’s ninety degrees outside.

If you work in the office–like I do–you’ll often hear the faint tones of those melodies through a floor of brick and concrete.  To my amusement and amazement, I thought I heard someone playing “Friday” on the piano today.  Naturally, I left my office to go upstairs and check it out.  It turns out that first-year student Duncan Wood was offering students in the lobby a soulful rendition of the pop meme of 2011.

He, as well as the self-styled “Bro Floor Chorus,” agreed to do a performance on camera, which I offer as a cap to your day and the first month of classes this year.

Meaghan Dunn strikes a bovine pose for "cow tipping" as students raised funds for Heifer International.

Every year Bowling Green hosts its International Festival.  Like many members of the community, Gatton Academy students are eager to get involved.  Whether it be to simply walk around the festival, volunteer, or work a table for one of the Academy’s clubs, several students were able to experience the multitude of cultures that were a part of the annual event.

Dozens of cultures and nations were represented from Japan to Scotland to Saudi Arabia as part of the festivities held at Circus Square Park in downtown Bowling Green.  Several Gatton Academy got involved with the festival itself, with many of them arriving early at 7 a.m. to help to set up for the event and others staying through the evening.

Charlotte Humes (’12), a leadership member of the Global Relief and Sustainable Societies (GRASS) club,  explained how nice it was to become involved with the Bowling Green community through the International Festival and have fun while doing so.

Three Academy clubs set up booths at the International Festival.  The Nikami club set up a booth to introduce fair goers to the Japanese culture.  The GRASS club set up a booth to help raise money to buy a water buffalo, heifer, and two goats for a family in need via Heifer International.  The club set up the notion of “cow tipping” and raised over $200 for their cause.

Amnesty International also set up a booth highlighting the club’s main focus this year: censorship.  At their booth, they gave the opportunity to people to sign a petition to release five Syrian detainees imprisoned for their involvement in popular protests.  Other students volunteered with the festival directly and helped set up, clean up, and work at the child care tent.

In addition to the Academy booths, other groups set up to help people learn more about  different cultures, the festival included a variety of food stands to interest  people through their stomach.  Those that went to the fair were able to experience everything from curry, fried plantains, baklava, gyros, Taiwanese bubble tea, Korean sodas, and everything in between.  For those that were less adventurous, there were also BBQ and funnel cakes.

A stage was also set up in the middle of the festival.  Here, those involved with the festival were able to display some of their ethnic traditions.  Traditional Bollywood dancing, tae kwon do, and belly dancing were only a few of the several talented individuals and cultural performances on display.  Music was also played on throughout the grounds, with some sounds coming from individual booths and others from the main, live stage at the heart of the festival.

Wayne Schmitt (’13) had difficulty choosing the element of the festival that he enjoyed the most.  “I thought it was a lot of fun,” Schmitt said. “I enjoyed learning about other countries and cultures. Not to mention, I really liked being able to try foods I had never tried before.  It’s hard to say what my favorite booth was, but I thought the dance performed by the guys at the Saudi Arabia booth was really cool.”

The day came to close around 7 p.m. with several Academy students still on the festival grounds.  Though they were tired, their day was filled with experiences of new cultures, raising awareness for causes, and stuffing their faces with ethnic food.

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The Center for Gifted StudiesThanks to generous support from The Berta Excellence in Education Fund, Dr. Tom Hébert, author of Understanding the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Students and nationally recognized expert in gifted education from the University of Georgia, will share his expertise Oct. 24-25 in Bowling Green.

The Center for Gifted Studies at WKU will host two presentations by Dr. Hébert at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center, an evening seminar and a daylong workshop.

The evening session, from 6:30 to 8 Oct. 24, is designed for parents and others interested in the social and emotional development of gifted children. Dr. Hébert will focus on the search for meaningful friendships, heightened sensitivity and empathy in children, managing stress, moderating perfectionism and maintaining healthy motivation. Discussion will focus on how parents must take good care of themselves in order to celebrate the social and emotional lives of their children.

The six-hour workshop, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25, is titled Understanding the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Students and is designed for parents, educators, counselors and school administrators. This seminar presents a comprehensive treatment of social and emotional development in gifted students. Topics include theories that guide our understanding of the lived experiences of gifted students, social and emotional characteristics and behaviors evidenced in gifted learners, friendships and family relationships that supports them, identity development, and contextual influences that shape their social and emotional lives. In addition, participants learn strategies for designing a supportive classroom environment for social and emotional development. Through case studies, activities and media, educators gain a better understanding of their students and learn methods to address their social and emotional needs. EILA credit is available.

Both events are free and open to the public. For information and to RSVP, contact The Center for Gifted Studies at (270) 745-6323 or email gifted@wku.edu.

Contact: Tracy Inman, (270) 745-6323.

Step One: Check.

September 28, 2011 | News, Research | No Comments

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What have we here? That’s a mighty fine looking stack of entries for the Siemens Competition. Kudos to the students who entered for their hours of research, drafting a report, and building their application. Thanks also to Derick Strode and all of the research mentors for guiding this process.

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Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies at WKU, is one of two recipients of the Acorn Awards for teaching excellence, given annually to outstanding professors at Kentucky’s colleges and universities—one for a professor at a four-year college or university and one at a two-year institution.

Dr. Julia Roberts (left) received the Acorn Award on Sept. 23 in Lexington. WKU President Gary Ransdell (right) said Dr. Roberts is “a world leader in the education of gifted and talented students. Our gifted children are fortunate to have Julia Roberts leading this important sector of education in Kentucky.” (Photo courtesy of CPE)

David L. Cooper, professor of English and African-American history at Jefferson Community and Technical College, was also honored. Both recipients received a $5,000 honorarium and inscribed plaque.

The awards were presented Friday (Sept. 23) at the 23rd Annual Governor’s Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship in Lexington, sponsored by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and Kentucky’s colleges and universities.

WKU President Gary Ransdell said Dr. Roberts is a superb teacher, scholar and researcher.

“She has been singled out by our faculty as a University Distinguished Professor. She is the holder of the Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies,” he said. “More important, however, is her long and impressive record of innovation in creating WKU’s Center for Gifted Studies and the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky.  She has become a world leader in the education of gifted and talented students.  Our gifted children are fortunate to have Julia Roberts leading this important sector of education in Kentucky.”

Dr. Roberts, known as Dr. Julia on campus, said she was honored “to be recognized as a productive faculty member in the field of education, specifically in gifted education; for initiating and directing programming for gifted children and young people; and for leadership in state, national and international organizations in gifted education.”

Dr. Roberts has 46 years of teaching experience, including 35 at WKU. She is president-elect of The Association for the Gifted (a division of the Council for Exceptional Children), a member of the Executive Committee of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and co-chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee of the National Association for Gifted Children. She is also a member of the board of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education and the Kentucky Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education.

Dr. Roberts, a native of Kirksville, Mo., holds degrees from Oklahoma State University and the University of Missouri.

In his nomination letter, Dr. Ransdell said she was a brilliant teacher and a tireless advocate for gifted children, their families and their educators. During her tenure at WKU, programs she has led have touched more than 30,000 students, he said.

“The wonderful young people with whom I have had the privilege of working are the highlight of my career,” Dr. Roberts said.

Other high points include:

  • Being named one of the 55 most influential people in the history of gifted education
  • Serving as the founder and executive director of The Center for Gifted Studies, which is celebrating its 30th year of providing services to children and young people, educators and parents
  • Opening the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky after 10 years of advocating for a residential school for high school juniors and seniors with both talent and a high interest in careers in science, technology, engineering or math
  • Bringing the international headquarters of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children to WKU.

Nancy Green, executive director of the National Association for Gifted Children, said Dr. Roberts has a national reputation as a mentor and instructor to teacher candidates, classroom teachers and parents.

“Through her longstanding and tireless commitment to teaching and education, Dr. Roberts has truly made a difference in both the field of gifted education and in the classroom,” she said. “Whether it’s through direct influence on children through Western Kentucky University’s summer programs or through a more strategic impact via national advocacy efforts, Julia Roberts is that rare leader who understands both how to shape policy on behalf of many and to directly touch lives one at a time.”

The Kentucky Advocates first presented the Acorn Awards in 1992. Recipients are chosen based on recommendations by faculty and students as well as self-written essays about their philosophy of teaching.

Contact: Julia Roberts, (270) 745-6323; or Sue Patrick at CPE, (502) 573-1652 ext. 308.