In the ongoing saga of me re-learning Calculus, I have several other tools in my belt. Purchased a PDF Calculus primer from one Faraz Hussein that looks pretty user friendly. I've already done the first problem set but it's all essays about philosophy. Here is the link for the place to buy it. It is only $4.00. http://www.understandingcalculus.com/
The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouellette, has also arrived, and I've just begun reading it. The first thing I notice about it that is interesting is that the DVD that inspired me to look up other things on Calculus because I didn't understand it, is the same DVD that inspired her to learn Calculus. Go figure.
In the meantime, I did send an e-mail to the professor mentioned in the last link.
I didn't want to ask him for help: I'm embarrassed to admit to him I forgot everything. I just wanted to ask him if I could submit his name to The Teaching Company so that HE might be able to do a similar DVD. Despite "Change and Motion's" ability to inspire Ms. Ouellette, I'm pretty convinced that a DVD by my professor about Calculus would be better. I'm biased, but that's what I think. I also addressed him as "Mr. M___", the way he had told us to in class: "You may address me as M____, or Mr. M___. 'Doctor' is tacky." (a classmate told me that that was his way of surreptitiously boasting about his PhD). So I asked him in my e-mail if that was still the appropriate way to address him.
He answered me the next day.
He's retired, and trying to coauthor a book for which the other guy isn't around to help, he complains. He and his wife are delivering goats on their "hobby farm". ("Want a cute Nubian kid goat?" he asked me. "You'd only have to bottle feed him for a month. Three times a day." )
He may or may not really be looking for another home for the goat. He'd be open to having a drink together if I get around to my old campus again someday. He thought that at my present age I should probably call him Chuck, but added that he always felt uncomfortable addressing his teachers by their first name. "I'm not much of a California type guy", he wrote.
There was nothing in the e-mail about the DVD.
I answered him yesterday, without a lot of thought to my reply. I am excited to nominate him to this company; I want very much to do something nice for him, and I think he could outdo all their lecturers. But I made two mistakes that I fear will kill the correspondence. First, I did call him by his first name. After his eloquent but gracious statement, permitting this but modeling more formal address. Idiot.
Second, I assumed he hadn't answered me about whether he wanted me to go ahead and submit his name to this DVD company because he hadn't read my e-mail carefully enough, and wrote back, "You missed the most important thing! Look, you'd be great for this! blah, blah blah...."
I showed a friend the e-mails. She pointed out he had actually had answered my question. I had said, "What do you think? Would you like me to submit your name?" and he had answered, "So, do you want a goat?"
Maybe he gets accolades from former students every day, and maybe in particular, his "stars".
I am not a star. I got a D. And twenty nine years ago, we had a pleasant conversation after I got a B on the repeat of the class, and he assured me, "It was just because of the curve. You had a lot of competition." But once I get all the schoolgirl nostalgia separated from my honest admiration for him, I believe I will still find it appropriate to honor him in some way.
Unless he wants to change the subject again and give me a baby Alpaca.
___________________________________________________
The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouellette, has also arrived, and I've just begun reading it. The first thing I notice about it that is interesting is that the DVD that inspired me to look up other things on Calculus because I didn't understand it, is the same DVD that inspired her to learn Calculus. Go figure.
In the meantime, I did send an e-mail to the professor mentioned in the last link.
I didn't want to ask him for help: I'm embarrassed to admit to him I forgot everything. I just wanted to ask him if I could submit his name to The Teaching Company so that HE might be able to do a similar DVD. Despite "Change and Motion's" ability to inspire Ms. Ouellette, I'm pretty convinced that a DVD by my professor about Calculus would be better. I'm biased, but that's what I think. I also addressed him as "Mr. M___", the way he had told us to in class: "You may address me as M____, or Mr. M___. 'Doctor' is tacky." (a classmate told me that that was his way of surreptitiously boasting about his PhD). So I asked him in my e-mail if that was still the appropriate way to address him.
He answered me the next day.
He's retired, and trying to coauthor a book for which the other guy isn't around to help, he complains. He and his wife are delivering goats on their "hobby farm". ("Want a cute Nubian kid goat?" he asked me. "You'd only have to bottle feed him for a month. Three times a day." )
He may or may not really be looking for another home for the goat. He'd be open to having a drink together if I get around to my old campus again someday. He thought that at my present age I should probably call him Chuck, but added that he always felt uncomfortable addressing his teachers by their first name. "I'm not much of a California type guy", he wrote.
There was nothing in the e-mail about the DVD.
I answered him yesterday, without a lot of thought to my reply. I am excited to nominate him to this company; I want very much to do something nice for him, and I think he could outdo all their lecturers. But I made two mistakes that I fear will kill the correspondence. First, I did call him by his first name. After his eloquent but gracious statement, permitting this but modeling more formal address. Idiot.
Second, I assumed he hadn't answered me about whether he wanted me to go ahead and submit his name to this DVD company because he hadn't read my e-mail carefully enough, and wrote back, "You missed the most important thing! Look, you'd be great for this! blah, blah blah...."
I showed a friend the e-mails. She pointed out he had actually had answered my question. I had said, "What do you think? Would you like me to submit your name?" and he had answered, "So, do you want a goat?"
Maybe he gets accolades from former students every day, and maybe in particular, his "stars".
I am not a star. I got a D. And twenty nine years ago, we had a pleasant conversation after I got a B on the repeat of the class, and he assured me, "It was just because of the curve. You had a lot of competition." But once I get all the schoolgirl nostalgia separated from my honest admiration for him, I believe I will still find it appropriate to honor him in some way.
Unless he wants to change the subject again and give me a baby Alpaca.
___________________________________________________
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