A #hernia2013 Update

By Jon OaksDec 15, 2013
I wasn't sure if I wanted to write this post because I thought it might end up sounding bitter, but the fact of the matter is that I'm not bitter about anything.  I am just writing this to try to inspire those who might be struggling with issues in their life right now, especially around the Christmas season. For those of you who don't know, I started on a weight loss journey back in March 2013.  Since that time, I've lost around 60 lbs.  And since I had been on a diet before that, I've lost a total of about…
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SCORM Objects and Camtasia Quizzes in Instructure Canvas

By Jon OaksOct 19, 2013
So, what exactly is SCORM? Yeah, I don’t know, either.  I can tell you that SCORM stands for Shareable Content Object Reference Model, but other than that, I really have no idea. Why would someone want to use SCORM? Many textbooks these days have publisher-provided SCORM content.  So, if you want to import pre-made content into a Learning Management System, such as Instructure Canvas, SCORM is one way to go about doing that. However, the reason that I wanted to learn about SCORM is because I wanted to create quizzes in Camtasia and have grades read to the Instructure Canvas…
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The Problem with Math is English

By Jon OaksOct 16, 2013
There have been several separate occasions in my math classes this semester where a student has asked me a question about a vocabulary word and I simply just didn't know the answer.  I took 3 years of Latin in high school and I was an English teacher at one point, so I generally can guess the meaning of a word from the root word.  However, some words just have me stumped.   My new ‘go to’ tool in class is dictionary.com.  Let me give you a few examples of some words that I have looked up during class this semester. Linear Algebra In…
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Nevermind is a Very Rude Word

By Jon OaksOct 06, 2013
I would like to make the case that the word 'nevermind' is quite possibly one of the rudest words in the English language  In fact, if you check the dictionary, the definition of the word actually states that nevermind is a word that is usually used in negative contexts. So, why am I ranting and rambling on about this word? Well, last week I was in my office helping a student on a problem on a take home quiz. I know, I'm nicer than I should be, as I shouldn't have been helping the student on a take home quiz to…
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Diversity in Mathematics

By Jon OaksSep 28, 2013
Diversity in Mathematics Diversity is a topic that is near and dear to my heart.  As a Korean kid in a primarily white neighborhood and surrounded by primarily white family and friends, I was often bullied.  Although, I’m sure it didn’t help that I was overweight as a child, but that’s a different story.  I know my parents tried their best to make sure that I felt included and whatnot, but I always felt racism and racial undertones a lot as kid, in school, in church, and pretty much everywhere I went on a daily basis.  To me, that’s not…
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See you at #MichMATYC13

By Jon OaksSep 28, 2013
As part of MichMATYC's Fall 2013 Conference coming up on Friday, October 4 - Saturday, October 5, I was asked to create gift basket to be used as a raffle prize during the conference.  I gladly agreed to help out by making a donation!  A picture of the basket and a description of what's all inside it is below.  I hope to see you at the conference and good luck winning the raffle prize! Jon Oaks’ Favorite Things Basket This raffle prize is quite unique and includes the following items: Really Useful Boxes 16 Box Organizer Targus Back-Up Battery for…
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What I Learned at #BloggyCon13

By Jon OaksSep 15, 2013
This weekend I attended my first blogging conference ever: Bloggy Conference 2013. My intent for attending was as follows: I wanted to get tips for becoming a better blogger myself. I am considering having my students write blogs themselves (similar to this idea), as I truly believe that if my students write about what they are learning, then they are more likely to retain the information long-term. I have a few students this semester who are homeschooling their kids at home and have asked me for suggestions for teaching their children mathematics and I heard there were some home school…
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Upcoming Conferences for 2013

By Jon OaksApr 19, 2013
I've been getting a lot of questions lately from people about what conferences and events I'll be attending soon. Here is a list of them for 2013 and I'll try to update it if I know I will be attending any other events: Michigan MAA Annual Meeting Friday, May 3 - Saturday, May 4 Sault Ste. Marie, MI TedXGrandRapids Thursday, May 9 Grand Rapids, MI Calculus In Action Saturday, May 18 Warren, MI register at: bit.ly/cia2013 WebAssign User's Group 2013 Thursday, June 27 - Friday, June 28 Raleigh, NC MCTM Conference Wednesday, July 31 - Thursday, August 1 Traverse City, MI…
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I’m Not a Lazy Teacher!

By Jon OaksApr 07, 2013
I recently read a blog post by a student named Justin Strudler that has me really fired up!  In his post he explains that he thinks most students would rather be sick than go to school because they hate it so much; he then implies that many people discredit this attitude as laziness on the students’ part and calls for change in the educational system. I’m not opposed to change at all, but I want to set the record straight on several things: 1.  I have not once cancelled a class because I was ill.  I will go into class…
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Spring Break 2013

By Jon OaksMar 03, 2013
I will be using this post to document my Spring Break 2013 activities from Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 11 and Tuesday, March 26 to Sunday, March 31. Friday, March 8, 2013 11:30am - 12:30pm Dentist appointment and lunch at the newly opened "Ken's Country Kitchen" down the road from where I live.  Going to this restaurant was a major mistake.  The portions were huge, just like I like them.  However, the food was awful - especially the hashbrowns.  They were burnt and crispy on the outside and mushy and absolutely horrible on the inside. 12:30pm - 1:30pm Worked…
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