SHELTON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Annette G. Cook, Fellow
AMATYC Project ACCCESS
Cohort 5
Shelton State Community College
Martin Campus
C.A. Fredd Campus
www.sheltonstate.edu
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Higher Education Opportunities
The University of
Alabama
Stillman College
Shelton State
Community College
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa Industry
Mercedes Benz
Uniroyal Goodrich
JVC America, Inc.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
ISSUE/PROBLEM
• Classes can become too routine…”same
old, same old”.
• Students and teachers in math classes
sometimes need something to keep things
from getting too heavy .
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
GOAL
• Primary Goal: To keep class interesting so
that the students are engaged.
• Secondary Goal: To help students
understand that math has a lighter side.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
What does research say?
• Maslow defines humor and laughter as
“education in a palatable form.”
• “What is learned with laughter is learned
well.” (Grotjahn)
• “Laughter frees up and opens pathways to
creativity and discovery.” (Eble)
http://www.faculty.armstrong.edu/roundtable/4717458.pdf
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
What does research say?
• “Humor…forces people’s minds into
modes of thinking that are investigative,
seeking, grasping, and filled with trialand-error.”
http://www.faculty.armstrong.edu/roundtable/4717458.pdf
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
What does research say?
• Humor and laughter contribute to
“enjoyment, interest, motivation,
creativity, a relaxed, open, warm
atmosphere, a positive student-teacher
relationship, and reduced tension and
anxiety.” (Robins0n)
http://www.faculty.armstrong.edu/roundtable/4717458.pdf
www.sheltonstate.edu
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
What does research say?
• “Using Humor in the College Classroom to
Increase Teaching Effectiveness in ‘Dread
Courses’” http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCR/is_3_33/ai_62839448/
• Dread courses are defined as those in
which students have a lack of selfconfidence, perceived difficulty with
material, or past negative experiences with
content.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
What does research say?
• “Humor is useful in facilitating attention
and motivation (Bandes, 1988; Bryant et al., 1979;
Wandersee, 1982) and comprehension.” (Gorham
& Christophel, 1990)
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
What does research say?
• Ice Breaker – Have students share their
“Goofiest Moment in a Classroom”
• List Teacher’s Top Ten Pet Peeves in the
Classroom
• List Student’s Top Ten Pet Peeves
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Top Ten Things
More Fun than Stats Class
6. Having your computer crash on the last
page of your research paper.
7. Listening to bagpipe music.
8. Trying to get across the river at 5:00.
9. Watching "Barney" for 12 consecutive
hours.
10. Having your wisdom teeth extracted.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Top Ten Things
More Fun than Stats Class
1. Finding a parking spot on campus!
2.Being attacked by a roving pack of
Rottweilers.
3. Waiting in line at fee payment.
4. Jogging at noon with a heat index of 112.
5. Having your paperwork lost at Financial
Aid.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
To summarize the research…
• “Your sense of humor is one of the most
powerful tools you have to make certain
that your daily mood and emotional state
support good health.”
~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
How?
• Add cartoons, jokes, riddles, and video
clips to lessons. It’s easier than you think.
– If using PowerPoint, literally add them to your
presentation.
– If using an overhead projector, copy humor onto
transparency.
– If LED projector is available, save to jump drive
and share.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
First Day of Class
• The following clip is a great way to begin
your semester. Let them know right away
that using basic math operations is a prerequisite for the course.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Ma & Pa Kettle Math
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4215496701990923822
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Great for an early morning class
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
New Math? (a poem)
A boy taught a girl arithmetic; he said it was
his mission.
He kissed her once, he kissed her twice and
said, "Now that's addition."
In silent but sweet satisfaction,
She gave the kisses back and said, "Now
that's subtraction.“
(continued)
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
New Math? (a poem)
Then he kissed her, and she kissed him,
without an explanation.
And both together smiled and said, “Now
that's multiplication."
Then her Dad appeared upon the scene and
made a quick decision.
He kicked that boy three blocks away and
said, "That's long division!"
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
“New Math”
• Definition: The “idea” is what
matters…not the actual calculations.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
“New Math”
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXx2
VVSWDMo&feature=related
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Got a student who is habitually tardy?
Use this one day just after he/she arrives.
• “…so all you have to do,
class, is remember what I
just said and you’ll have
no problems on the test.”
(similar cartoon also available)
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Fractions/Rationals
• In the middle of a lesson about
fractions or rational expressions, the
following can be shown. It’s always
fun to see how long it takes them to
get it…if they ever do.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
“Systems” Song—Lyrics by Vicki Young
Melody: "You Are My Sunshine”
The other day, dear, as I was graphing,
Instead of one line there were two!
I was perplexed until I realized
My teacher would tell me what to do.
When you have two lines, it's called a system,
And there are three outcomes you'll view:
They're parallel lines or they're the same line
Or they cross in one point that is true.
www.sheltonstate.edu
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Before a lesson on rational roots, I show the
following video clip as a review.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIRb7
F7tKEM
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Imaginary Numbers
• Once rational numbers have been taught,
the following cartoon can be shown the
day after an introduction to imaginary
numbers…again to see if they “get it”.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
www.sheltonstate.edu
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Catholic School
• A couple has a son who is struggling
in school, especially in math. They
decide to enroll him in a catholic
school and see if his grades improve.
• He comes home everyday, goes
straight to his room to do
homework, and is very serious about
his school work.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Catholic School
• The son brings home his first report
card from the catholic school and he
has an “A” in MATH!
• The father is, of course, pleased, but
wants to know: "Why are your math
grades suddenly so good?"
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Catholic School
• "You know", the son explains, "when
I walked into the classroom the first
day,
• and I saw that guy on the wall nailed
to a plus sign, I knew one thing: This
place means business!"
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Roots, Polygons, Integration…
(one of my all-time favorites!)
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Excuses, excuses…
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Modeling Polynomials
• Goliath, a hypercoaster, opened in 2006 at Six
Flags over Georgia. It climbs to a height of 200
feet and reaches speeds of nearly 70 mph. It has
over 4,400 feet of steel track. Portions of
Goliath’s tracks can be modeled with a
polynomial function.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex7CJzmdv8
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Interpreting Graphs
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Interpreting Graphs
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Algebra’s Top Ten Mistakes
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhVT
bUrrMNo
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Another all-time favorite…
• Four friends have been doing really well in
their pre-calculus class: they have been
getting top grades for their homework and
on tests. So, when it was time for the final,
they decide not to study on the weekend
before the final, but to drive to a friend's
birthday party in another city - even
though the exam was scheduled for
Monday morning.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Another all-time favorite…
• As it happens, they drank too much at the party,
and on Monday morning, they are all hung over
and oversleep. When they finally arrive on
campus, the exam is already over.
• They go to the professor's office and offer him
an explanation:
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Another all-time favorite…
• "We went to our friend's birthday party, and when
we were driving back home very early on Monday
morning, we suddenly had a flat tire. We had no
spare, and since we were driving on back roads, it
took hours until we got help."
The professor nods sympathetically and says: "I
see that it was not your fault. I will allow you to
make up for the missed exam tomorrow morning."
www.sheltonstate.edu
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Another all-time favorite…
• When they arrive early on Tuesday morning, the
students are put by the professor in a large
lecture hall and are seated so far apart from
each other that, even if they tried, they had no
chance to cheat. The exam booklets are already
in place, and confidently, the students start
writing.
www.sheltonstate.edu
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Another all-time favorite…
• The first question - five points out of one
hundred - is a simple exercise, and all four
finish it within ten minutes.
• As they complete the first problem and
turn over the page of the exam booklet,
they see the next question:
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Another all-time favorite…
• Problem 2 (95 points out of 100):
Which tire went flat?
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Mathmaticious Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5enJufDEQ0
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Quadratic Formula Rap
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBtUe
tKJzOU&feature=related
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
For Geometry/Trig
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
James Blount on Sesame Street
Triangle Song
• Great in Math for Elementary Teachers
Class!
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Z6t
DSb6c8&NR=1&feature=fvwp
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
for Trig class
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Funky Math Guy
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs464
DqnPTo&feature=related
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Ever had one of those days…
• You are working a long, hard, problem as
an example and you have to concentrate…
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
For those golf players…
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
In Honor of
Valentine’s Day…
Math Pick Up Lines
• “You are the solution to my homogeneous system of
linear equations.”
• Your beauty defies real and complex analysis.
• "I don't know if you're in my range, but I'd sure like to
take you home to my domain."
• “i = Ø when i am not with you.”
• “Your beauty cannot be spanned by a finite basis of
vectors.”
• “My love is like an exponential curve; it'swww.sheltonstate.edu
unbounded .”
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Top Ten Reasons for Not Turning
in an Assignment
7. I accidentally divided by zero and my paper
burst into flames!
8. I was watching the World Series and got tied
up trying to prove that it converged.
9. I couldn't figure out whether I am the square of
negative one or the square root of negative one.
10. I could only get arbitrarily close to my
textbook. I couldn't actually reach it.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Top Ten Reasons for Not Turning
in an Assignment
3. I didn't want the other students in class to look
bad.
4. I was abducted by green-skinned, three-eyed,
pig-snouted space aliens, and they incinerated
my paper with their death rays.
5. Another student fell in a lake and I jumped in to
rescue him. Unfortunately, my paper drowned.
6. I made a paper plane out of it and it got
hijacked.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Top Ten Reasons for Not Turning
in an Assignment
1. I have a solar powered calculator and it
was cloudy.
And the number one reason for not turning in an
assignment is…
2. My roommate used it as a dryer sheet.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
This is good for the day when graded
tests are returned.
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Scene from Numbers TV Show
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFRTg
r7MfWw
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
For your own copy of
what’s been shared…
• Email Annette…
acook@sheltonstate.edu
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Tuscaloosa, Alabama
SHELTON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Annette G. Cook
acook@sheltonstate.edu