My Experience with Math and Science 10/27/07
Science and especially math have intrigued me for several years. My favorite way to pass time is to solve math contests problems, typically American Invitational Math Exam (AIME) problems and attempt (and sometimes solve) Olympiad problems. I have, also, finished The Art of Problem Solving Volume II, which is quite interesting and challenging, and I am studying it again to gain a better knowledge and understanding of the proofs of the formulas and theorems and the approaches to solve complex math problems. In addition, I started learning from The Art and Craft of Problem Solving, which taught me strategies, tactics, arguments, and much more, of problem solving. Furthermore, I have participated in several mathematical competitions. I competed in the Regional MathCounts competition and placed eleventh out of about 230 participants and qualified for the Countdown Round. I won the first round of the Countdown Round. Also, I participated in the Wake Tech State Math Contest in Geometry and won third place out of the top sixty there, so I qualified to compete in the Geometry State Finals at UNCG. At the state finals, I placed third, again, in the Central Region and fifth statewide. I had less experience with science. I participated in the Shodor Scholars Program and, also, create a science fair project about photosynthesis. I am also in Science Olympiad at my school and am currently taking Biology and Chemistry. I am really interested in science and math and hope to learn more at Shodor.
What I Learned 10/20/07
I learned quite a few things during the last workshop. I learned more about the purpose and goals of the apprenticeship program. Furthermore, I learned the basics of HTML. I learned about the various tags for certain features of website, such as headings, links, lists, and paragraphs. The lesson on HTML was really beneficial, since I barely remembered anything from the program I attended during the summer and served as a wonderful review.
11/03/07
The second workshop covered graphics using programs such as Inkscape and Gimpshop. I learned how to create polygons, curves, and a variety of interesting figures using the wonderful tools. I , also, learned how to adjust the gradient and outline of figures to create aesthetically pleasing art work. I ,also, enjoyed learning how to edit pictures using Gimpshop. This workshop was very interesting and I hope to learn more in the future.
12/01/07
This week, I learned about Cascading Style Sheets, which is abbreviated as CSS. I learned about the general styling of websites. I learned that HTML is used for the text of the website and CSS is used to style the website. I learned about classes, divs, and how to link the CSS code to the HTML code. I was also introduced to the Apprentice Mathematics Component.
12/15/08
The forth workshop went deeper into CSS. I learned more about divs and classes. I was, also, introduced to JavaScript. Using JavaScript, I created a list that will appear after I clicked on something. That was really exciting and I hope to learn more about programming.
We started a new topic this module: computer modeling. A workshop on AgentSheets introduced us to this branch of computational science. This workshop went over the basics of Agent Sheets. I learned the rules, methods, and triggers of AgentSheets, as well as understanding the logic of this program, which I thoroughly enjoy. I learned all this by completeing a model on the spread of disease with the class.
I probably learned one of the most valuable skills during this workshop: presentation skills. I learned to use hand gestures and walk around, in order to maintain the audiences' attention. Furthermore, I was taught to look as if I am making eye contact with the audience, when I am really staring above them. Later, the presenter gave an extremely interesting presentation about career opportunities and developments in the IT world. The afternoon was devoted to creating another AgentSheets project, in which I learned more about AgentSheets.
I learned Net Logo this week, which is really interesting. I learned about the two components of a Net Logo model: turtles, which move around, and patches, the background. I also learned the logic of Net Logo and a variety of commands for certain functions. I learned all this by creating a model on heredity.
I learned a variety of interesting things this week, such as how to add boundaries restricting where the agents can move, in the model, by using patches. Furthermore, I learned more commands and conditionals allowing the agents to do much more things. I applied all the information I learned on a Netlogo group project.
This class covered excel. I was astounded at the amount of functions this program can perform --
before, I thought it could only create graphs based on the data entered. I learned how to model data,
write equations, and analyze graph behavior. We did a SIR model by rolling dice defining
a chance of infection, which makes the data more accurate. I learned a variety of things in this claass.
This class covered Vensim. I never used Vensim before, but I found it quite interesting. It is
somewhat similar to excel, except it shows a visual model about the interactions. Variables are
created and arrows are drawn to connect variables that are related. Equations are constructed to
calculate the relationship. The model is run and a graph is displayed. I foudn Vensim quite useful
and interesting.