Dusty Wilson

Discussion Seminar 0: Understanding the Tech

Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to make sure that you know how to access the tech in this class.

Instructions: Answer the following and upload your results as a pdf into Gradescope (check your email for an invite to Gradescope).  Include the questions on your document

1.) General Questions: Name (and what you want to be called), major, and how many quarters have you attended Highline
2.) Life questions: Are you and your family safe and stable economically? How are you feeling about America?  How hopeful are you for your academic and professional future?
3.) Class/school: What are you most and least excited about this quarter?  What (if anything) may I do as your instructor to support you at this time?
4.) Accessing the apps/web used in this class
        a.) Canvas: What is the class image?
        b.) MyLabs: How many questions are in assignment, "1.1: Systems of Linear Equations"
        c.) Dusty's Webpage:
                - What color highlighter did I use on the completed workalong for 1.1 as posted on the class website? 
                - How many completed workalongs are linked on the class website?
                - How many minutes long is the 1.1 video? 
        d.) YouTube: Dusty is not (yet) a famous YouTuber.  Which of the video on his channel has the most views?  (Like, comment, and subscribe!)
        e.) Slack: There are four channels we will use on Slack. 
                - General: This is where I will make announcements and you should ask general questions about the class (i.e., What sections are on the Assessment?)
                - Homework: This is where you will post questions and answers to homework questions.
                - Study groups: This is where you can post about upcoming study groups. 
                - Random: You can post about club meetings, off campus gatherings, and fun stuff.
                - In "Study groups" post an audio clip of you pronouncing your name and what you would like to be called.  Alternately, if you are feeling cool and are using Slack on a desktop, add an audio clip and pronunciation to your Slack profile.
        f.) Gradescope: Upload your responses as a pdf into Gradescope under assignment "Discussion Seminar 0"
5.) Watch this clip on "How to watch math videos."  What are Trevor's seven suggestions?  What is one thing that you learned and would like to apply through this video?

 

Discussion Seminar I: Letters from Previous Students

Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to help you get the most from this class by having you reflect upon what former students have shared.

Instructions: Please read three letters from past students.  Use your observations of the letters and reflections upon your own skills and ablities as a mathematician to answer the following.  Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

0.) What is your name?  In general, do you like to hear your name spoken?  (Dale Carnegie said: "Remember that a person's name is to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.")
1.) Please read (at least) three letters from my former students. Please choose letters randomly using a random number generator but also feel free to adjust if another letter looks more interesting or relevant to your situation.
2.) What is one similarily you have with these students ... one difference
3.) What are two habits they indicate will help you be successful?
4.) What are two questions/concerns that the letters address?
5.) Having read the letters, you now have a sense for how this class may foster broader studenting and math skills. What skills and abilities would you like to develop this quarter?

Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on how the virtue "Justice" relates to mathematics, the study of math, and math classrooms (including this one). This seminar also introduces you to Eugenia Cheng who wrote a nice article on writing proofs that we will explore in a later seminar.

Instructions: Please watch these two videos: Unexpected Tool for Understanding Inequality and 1+1=3.  Then answer the discussion questions below in writing. Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

Note: These videos touch on race and privilege.  They are interesting, but cover topics a little more sensative than are typical for a math class.  While excellent conversation starters, I have also chosen to share these videos because the article next week on proof techniques is also by Eugenia Cheng.

0.) What is your name? Do you work or have significant responsibilities outside of school?  How does this impact you?
1.) What does it mean "to abstract" and what is the point of abstracting away from numbers?
2.) How (if at all) does the mathematical illustration help you understand the concept of privilege?
3.) What do you think about Eugenia's explanation of why "Some poor white men are so angry in society"?l
4.) Notice that Eugenia pronounces "math" differently in the two videos.  Why?
5.) According to Eugenia, what is math about?
6.) What does Eugenia mean by calling us, "Math Explorers"?  Who can be a math explorer?

 

Discussion Seminar III: Beginnings, Middles, and Ends in Mathematical Proof

Overview: In this seminar, we begin (intentionally) exploring what is entailed in a mathematical proof using an article aimed at a slightly higher class than Linear Algebra.

Instructions: Begin on page 1 and read through section 3 (What sorts of things do we try to prove?) of this article about proofs by Eugenia Cheng.  Then answer the discussion questions below in writing. Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

The article is meant to be read, but if you don't like reading, you can also watch me read or just listen to my oh-so-smooth-voice in audio only.

0.) What is your name (first and last)?  Do you have a story about a famous relative/ancestor?
1.) According to the introduction, what is required to write a proof?
2.) Which section(s) in the table of contents seem like they would be the most interesting to you?
3.) What are the components of a proof?  Which of these components is the most difficult to generate?
4.) What is the difference between thinking up a proof and actually writing it down?
5.) Do you believe that you can understand (some) proofs?  Why or why not?
6.) Do you believe that you could come up with a proof on your own?  Why or why not?
Optional: The best video I've found so far on how to prove math theorems is this one.  You may find it helpful, but these next three parts are optional.
7.) Three ways to show p => q.  How do you show that a claim is false?
8.) What are Dr. Trevor's 9 tips for writing your own proofs.
9.) What is similar and what is different between what Eugenia and Trevor say?

 

Discussion Seminar IV: History of Linear Algebra

Overview: This is the first of two assignments on the historical development of linear algebra.  The focus is on content and timeline. 

Instructions: Please read this article.  (It is okay to skim the article).  Then answer the discussion questions below in writing. Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

0.) What is your name?  Do you have a nickname?  (Other than my nickname Dusty, I was also called Chewie and Encyclopedia)
1.) When and where did linear algebra begin? By way of comparison, look up when/where/by whom was the calculus discovered/invented?
2.) What mathematicians play a prominent role in the history of linear algebra (their name is mentioned at least three times)?
3.) What percent of the article is about determinants? What percent of our course is about determinants? Why do you think there is such a difference?
4.) What is the difference between proofs by Cayley, Hamilton, Kronecker, and Weierstrass and what we are learning as exemplified by Frobenius?
5.) How have applications of linear algebra changed?  (This will require you to refer to things taught in class and not in the article).
6.) What are insights you have into mathematics and education after reading this history?

 

Discussion Seminar V: Ancient proofs from geometry

Overview: This is the first of two assignments on the historical development of linear algebra.  The focus is on content and timeline. 

Instructions: Please read this article.  (It is okay to skim the article).  Then answer the discussion questions below in writing. Include the questions on your document and bring a physical (paper) copy to class.

0.) What is your name?  Suppose you were to have a child, would you consider naming your child after yourself?  Why or why not.  (I'm Dusty IV and my son is Dustin V.  It's kinda a family thing.)
Watch An introduction to mathematical theorems
1.) Rules of the game are ____.  What happens if a theorem is false?
2.) What does Q.E.D. stand for?
3.) Why should we study proofs?
4.) What is one of the millenium problems that has yet to be proved?
Watch How many ways are there to prove the Pythagorean Theorem
2.) What is the oldest record of Pythagorean triples and how could this be used in constructions?
3.) Why is it important that we include the little caveat that, "on a flat surface"?
4.) What are two proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem?
5.) 6.) What are insights you have into mathematics and proof after reading this history?

Discussion Seminar VI: Own your body's data

Overview: Recently, an acquantence of mine was admitted to the hospital during her pregancy.  The doctors were concerned that certain high levels found in her blood test could mean that her health was at risk.  They kept her in the hospital for additional monitoring with the "threat" of being induced hanging over her head for days.  Her husband, a former student of mine, is a mathematician and so this video came to mind.

Instructions: Please watch this short video Our Own Body's Data and then answer the following.

0.) What is your name?  Do you know what you would have been named if you had had the other gender?  (My folks said my name had I been a girl would have been Heather).
1.) Talithia gave at least two examples of where knowing the statistics of one's own body impacted health care.  What were her examples and how did knowing the data change what took place?
2.) What are examples of data that you track (about your health or otherwise)?
3.) Do you have an example in your life of where you have asked someone to, "Show me the data."  What happened?
4.) What are the pros and cons of always needing to see the data?
5.) Talithia attended Howard University and Spelman College which are both HBCU's (what does that stand for?) and she recently wrote a book titled, Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics.  Where might you go to college and/or what book might you read if you wanted a greater support network or confidence that you belonged in STEM?


Note: Talithia is a professor at Harvey Mudd where I went during my 2021-2 sabbatical.  I had a chance to connect with her on multiple occasions and consider her a friend.

Discussion Seminar VII: Letter to a Future Student

 

Overview: This week you have a chance to reflect, direct, and encourage a future student. 

Instructions: Please write a 1+ page letter to my future students.  Include the parts listed below, but you do NOT need to include these headings ... I mean, this is supposed to be a letter so make it look like one:-).

1.) Introduce yourself, what you are majoring in, and a bit about your background.
2.) What were some of the challenges you faced this quarter (personally or as a student) and how did you make it through?
3.) What advice do you have for being successful in a class taught by Dusty?
4.) What are the good parts of the flipped class model?  What made it challenging for you?
5.) Please end your letter with something to encourage the reader.

 

Discussion Seminar VIII: