It's sweeping the population.
And if there's an X-Bar-Bar-Bar, I don't want to know about it.
And thanks to Mike from Spiked Math, whose recent references to X-Bar inspired today's comic, particularly this comic: http://spikedmath.com/063.html.
Friday, October 30, 2009
X-Bar
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
It's sweeping the population.
And if there's an X-Bar-Bar-Bar, I don't want to know about it.
And thanks to Mike from Spiked Math, whose recent references to X-Bar inspired today's comic, particularly this comic: http://spikedmath.com/063.html.
It's sweeping the population.
And if there's an X-Bar-Bar-Bar, I don't want to know about it.
And thanks to Mike from Spiked Math, whose recent references to X-Bar inspired today's comic, particularly this comic: http://spikedmath.com/063.html.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Happy (Belated) Birthday to Us!
I guess that I've been so caught up in other things that I didn't even notice that last week was the Second Birthday of this blog, counting from the publication of the first Co-Medians strip. (The blog is older than that, but back then it was for my students, none of whom actually came here.)
I didn't even realize until Halloween was almost here. The Halloween comic was the third one.
I didn't even realize until Halloween was almost here. The Halloween comic was the third one.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Road Less Traveled
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
If a math teacher is alone in a wood, and there is no one around to hear him, does he make a pun?
And I would, too, were I in a wood or two.
If a math teacher is alone in a wood, and there is no one around to hear him, does he make a pun?
And I would, too, were I in a wood or two.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Pie in the Face!
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
So long, Soupy. Soupy, so long.
Now who am I going to send all those pictures of all the presidents that I found in my father's wallet to?
So long, Soupy. Soupy, so long.
Now who am I going to send all those pictures of all the presidents that I found in my father's wallet to?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday Comic: Super-Stickman Graphite Novel page 9
Dateline: Stick-World!
The damsel in distress has been rescued after a perilous plunge from the pinnacle ... ah, shoot, she fell from the ladder.
Click on the link and follow the exciting story!
The damsel in distress has been rescued after a perilous plunge from the pinnacle ... ah, shoot, she fell from the ladder.
Click on the link and follow the exciting story!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Recharge
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
With me, it's more a case of replacing the old battery entirely.
I don't know about you, but I miss the look of the Retro Future that never got here and is already antiquated.
With me, it's more a case of replacing the old battery entirely.
I don't know about you, but I miss the look of the Retro Future that never got here and is already antiquated.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
What the Difference an "F" Makes...
So I had one of these moments yesterday when reviewing for a midterm, the kind where you realize that something obvious to you might not be obvious to them. There's a "teachbable moment" there, for me as well as them.
I wrote on the board:
What is the difference between these two phrases?
"25% of the original price"
"25% off the original price"
Forget the math for a moment and tell me in English.
The only difference is "of" and "off". That one letter "f" makes all the difference in the world in solving the problem. And they have all seen commercials for sales on TV. This is "Math in the Real World", which they're always asking about.
If something is 25% "of" the price, we're multiplying by .25. Or even better, we're dividing by 4. (Some of my high school freshmen didn't understand this connection between .25 and a quarter despite the number of times I talk money.)
If something is 25% "off" the price, we're still multiplying by .25, but that isn't the price we're paying. That's the price we're saving. That's the discount from the original price. (I made sure to say "from" instead of repeating "off" there.)
Different question. Different answer.
I was stressing the importance of reading the question and, more importantly, reading it carefully to make sure that you are aswering the question that is being asked.
And this was a teachable more for me as well because one of the review questions on the sheet had to do with Linda buying a $48 coat for 25% of the original price. The answer to the question, of course, was $12.
However, a student pointed out to me that $12 was not one of the choices.
Linda hadn't bought a $48 coat at all. She spent $48 on a coat that had cost much more.
I had misread the question.
I wrote on the board:
What is the difference between these two phrases?
"25% of the original price"
"25% off the original price"
Forget the math for a moment and tell me in English.
The only difference is "of" and "off". That one letter "f" makes all the difference in the world in solving the problem. And they have all seen commercials for sales on TV. This is "Math in the Real World", which they're always asking about.
If something is 25% "of" the price, we're multiplying by .25. Or even better, we're dividing by 4. (Some of my high school freshmen didn't understand this connection between .25 and a quarter despite the number of times I talk money.)
If something is 25% "off" the price, we're still multiplying by .25, but that isn't the price we're paying. That's the price we're saving. That's the discount from the original price. (I made sure to say "from" instead of repeating "off" there.)
Different question. Different answer.
I was stressing the importance of reading the question and, more importantly, reading it carefully to make sure that you are aswering the question that is being asked.
And this was a teachable more for me as well because one of the review questions on the sheet had to do with Linda buying a $48 coat for 25% of the original price. The answer to the question, of course, was $12.
However, a student pointed out to me that $12 was not one of the choices.
Linda hadn't bought a $48 coat at all. She spent $48 on a coat that had cost much more.
I had misread the question.
Jerry Lewis, I'm not
There was a spike in traffic the other day as someone (other than me) liked a comic enough to put it on StumbleUpon, reddit and digg. It's the first time something on reddit didn't get voted down to zero votes. Anyway, I was looking at the breakdown by country.
So I'm not Jerry Lewis.
(I do have decent numbers in Germany, so I could be David Hasselhoff if I work harder at it.)
So I'm not Jerry Lewis.
(I do have decent numbers in Germany, so I could be David Hasselhoff if I work harder at it.)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Associates
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
I imagine this works with "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey", too.
I imagine this works with "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey", too.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Combine Like Terms
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
I do this every year.
Usually several times.
And I'll catch them every time.
I do this every year.
Usually several times.
And I'll catch them every time.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Humpty Dumpty
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
Banach and Tarski, a pair of docs.
But the two Humpty story is kind of hollow.
Edit: An even better explanation of the Banach-Tarski Theorem appears on this Irregular Webcomic page.
Banach and Tarski, a pair of docs.
But the two Humpty story is kind of hollow.
Edit: An even better explanation of the Banach-Tarski Theorem appears on this Irregular Webcomic page.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
School of Fish
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
You can calculate the time from start to fin.
You can calculate the time from start to fin.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Sunday Comic: Super-Stickman Graphite Novel page 8
Dateline: Stick-World!
Women on rickety ladders and flying superheroes! They go together like peanut butter and chocolate in a candy store. Which, co-incidentally, is where we can find said woman, ladder and superhero as our story unfolds.
Click on the link and follow the exciting story!
Women on rickety ladders and flying superheroes! They go together like peanut butter and chocolate in a candy store. Which, co-incidentally, is where we can find said woman, ladder and superhero as our story unfolds.
Click on the link and follow the exciting story!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Pre-School Science!
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
Today's comic brought to you by the letter "C" and the number 186,000.
My co-worker informed me that Einstein was considered both a genius and insane.
And that I'm half that.
Pre-School Algebra
Today's comic brought to you by the letter "C" and the number 186,000.
My co-worker informed me that Einstein was considered both a genius and insane.
And that I'm half that.
Pre-School Algebra
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Speed Limit II
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
And you just know a beat-down is gonna be bad when the blows are measured in scientific notation.
This comic wasn't inspired by the previous Speed Limit comic, nor is it
related, but I couldn't think of a title that fit better.
And you just know a beat-down is gonna be bad when the blows are measured in scientific notation.
This comic wasn't inspired by the previous Speed Limit comic, nor is it
related, but I couldn't think of a title that fit better.
Monday, October 05, 2009
Olympics
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
I'm still disappointed over New York 2012.
So congratulations to Brazil, which is part of South America, which is represented by one of those five Olympic rings, despite never hosting the Olympics. (The World Cup, on the other hand, ...)
I'm still disappointed over New York 2012.
So congratulations to Brazil, which is part of South America, which is represented by one of those five Olympic rings, despite never hosting the Olympics. (The World Cup, on the other hand, ...)
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Sunday Comic: Super-Stickman Graphite Novel pages 6 and 7
Dateline: Stick-World! The Late Edition
How Late? A week late!
If you were here last week, so were we, but no one thought to spread the word. Spread it like strawberry jam on toast. Mmmmmmmm, toast ....
For those of you trying to follow the Prologue of our epic adventure, here's the ending, on page 6.
When you're done with the prologue, click on the link and follow the exciting story!
How Late? A week late!
If you were here last week, so were we, but no one thought to spread the word. Spread it like strawberry jam on toast. Mmmmmmmm, toast ....
For those of you trying to follow the Prologue of our epic adventure, here's the ending, on page 6.
When you're done with the prologue, click on the link and follow the exciting story!
Friday, October 02, 2009
Meddling
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
Just trying to be helpful, you know. Being thick-skinned is a plus.
Just trying to be helpful, you know. Being thick-skinned is a plus.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Absolute Value
(Click on the cartoon to see the entire image.)
(C)Copyright 2009, C. Burke. All rights reserved.
Not appropriate? Show me the proof!
Not appropriate? Show me the proof!