Embracing the Geek Within

Tuesday - May 7, 2013

Sometimes it's just a happy - but geeky - day.  First, in a discussion of prime (versus composite) numbers with my 5th grade students, we used our ages as examples.  In noting that they are all currently "prime" at 11 years old, I mentioned that magic 3 weeks in 2002 -  "Ammirati prime time"  - when Jonathan was 11, Megan 13, and Joe and I were both 41.  And yes, when I asked if there was another Ammirati prime time 6 years later, they all did some calculations and verified that the magic has happened twice.  Laughing, one student said  "You must REALLY like math."  Why, yes I do.  Yes. I.  Do.  Will there be another Ammirati prime time?  One of my students has challenged himself to figure it out.  

THEN, Megan's ultra-fabulous Mother's Day gift arrived in the mail.  Perfect!  Hysterical!  A hand-crafted, natural cherry, made in Canada (extra bonus for this Canada-phile), organizational tool for the mom who loves to dole out the resources in Settlers of Catan!  I am totally geeking out!  Thank you beautiful girl!  Now, when can we play Catan?   I can keep our resources in perfect order (while I stew in regret about the placement of my initial settlements). Anybody have any brick? I need some brick ....

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Wednesday - May 8, 2013


" Every geek knows that F(n)=F(n-1)+F(n-2) is the greatest of all sequences, the Fibonacci Sequence." 
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89 .... 

Happy Fibonacci Day!  Yes, it's  5/8/13!!  I have been dancing around all day after seeing alerts and celebrations from all sorts of science and math blogs about this amazing math day.  Another Fibonacci Day won't roll around until Aug 13, 2021 and then of course that's it for this century.  As one of my 5th graders blurted out after seeing the sequence: "We don't have 13 months in a year."  Yes, it's a rare and special event.  Even non-math geeks will admit that. 

I shared Fibonacci with my 5th grade students and we reached full agreement:  Fibonacci Day is more exciting than Pi Day.  Just sayin'.