Making Your Own Sense
Reflections on maths, learning, and the Maths Learning Centre.
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Very Unique
I often hear that the phrase "very unique" is not a correct thing to say. The explanation is that the word unique means "there is nothing else like it" and as such is already an absolute. So there's no grades of unique: something is either unique or it's not – there is nothing else like it or there is someting like it. This is a good explanation, so I agree we shouldn't use the phrase "very unique".
Plastic bag CPR
There is a saying that goes "practice makes perfect", but I've had several people point out to me that a truer statement is "practice makes permanent". If you do something over and over, it will stick – whether it is the right thing or not.
Rhapsody's sunburn
My daughter asked to watch The Fairies (distributed through ABC for Kids) this morning and as we ate our breakfast I watched as Harmony and Rhapsody visited their friend Bubbles the Beach Fairy on Fairy Beach.
The Bare Drop-In Centre Walls
I took down all the posters in the Maths Drop-In Centre on Friday and the effect is startling.
Individual Ahas
At the Hmm... Sessions in November, something cool happened when a couple of the students were showing the rest of us the solution to a puzzle.
Books in the 22nd Century
I've just read a book called "Written for Children" by John Rowe Townsend. It was published in 1974 and gives the history of writing for children (in English) up to that time. It was very interesting reading. What I'd like to comment on here is the final chapter, where the author talks about the future of books (p333 onwards):
Pushing your own "Dawn Treader"
I went to see the new movie version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on my birthday and I was sorely disappointed. I liked The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and I was a little disappointed with Prince Caspian – if the pattern continues I wonder what depths of disappointment I might sink to if they ever make The Silver Chair.
Wisdom from the Dodecahedron
The Dodecahedron is a character from the book The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. He lives in the city of Digitopolis at the base of the Mountains of Ignorance. Here is his description from the book (page 145)
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