Newsletters | Newsletter Archive BLOSSOMS What's New? January 2013

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January 2013

What's New?

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New BLOSSOMS Lesson from Lebanon Explores “Rational versus Irrational Numbers”
Rational-IrrationalThe latest lesson from our BLOSSOMS partners at the American University of Beirut looks at the sets of rational and irrational numbers and the existence of two infinities, the countable infinity and the uncountable infinity. Students will learn to use straightforward and advanced tools of mathematics, including methods of proof, Euclidian division, the Pigeonhole Principle, as well as the more advanced Cantor’s Proof of Uncountability. The lesson is presented by Professor Nabil Nassif of the Mathematics Department and by his assistant, Sophie Moufawad, a PhD student at the the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique (INRIA), Paris, France. Watch the lesson here.

BLOSSOMS Partnership in Malaysia Kicks Off
Malaysia teamMIT BLOSSOMS is pleased to announce the start of a one-year partnership with the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) that kicked off in Kuala Lumpur on January 8th with a 3-day workshop for 70 Malaysian math and science high school teachers in the use and creation of BLOSSOMS lessons. Participating teachers came together from all parts of the country to learn from MIT BLOSSOMS team members and to share their ideas about math and science topics for BLOSSOMS lessons that would be valuable in Malaysia. Over the next twelve months, twenty new BLOSSOMS lessons will be created by UTM professors and students and also by Malaysian high school teachers. Read about the kick-off event here.

BioBuilder Educational Foundation Announces Professional Development Offerings for 2013
The BioBuilder Educational Foundation (TBEF) puts current research into the hands of teachers and students. By converting exciting and ongoing research questions into teachable modules, the foundation hopes to increase interest, engagement, and understanding of science and engineering. Lessons rely on design challenges. They are delivered through web-based animations, in-class and laboratory activities. Once completed, students and teachers return to an online forum where data and best practices are exchanged. The foundation believes that by making education more purposeful, they can foster connected minds and build a savvy, creative community. Read more about the foundation here and download their 2013 Professional Development brochure here.

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Massachusetts Teacher Wins BLOSSOMS “Back to School” Lesson Contest

We are pleased to announce that Sandra Haupt, a math teacher at the Concord Carlisle High School in Concord, Massachusetts, is the winner of our recent BLOSSOMS contest. Ms. Haupt won for her lesson, “Geometry’s Most Elegant Theorem – The Pythagorean Theorem” and will videotape that lesson at MIT and other locations during her April spring vacation. This is the 6th contest BLOSSOMS has held, including those in the U.S. and in partnering countries.

Coming Soon to MIT BLOSSOMS

kiteThe Parallax Activity

The Physics of Kite Flying

Fantastic Factorials

Meet Two MIT BLOSSOMS Teachers

teachersRabih Talhouk is a Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Professor Talhouk has significant scientific contributions to the study of the role of membrane proteins, namely gap junctions, in regulating breast epithelial cell differentiation and transformation. He also conducts interdisciplinary research on anti-inflammatory activities in plants available in Lebanon and used in traditional medicine. In 2011 he received the AUB teaching excellence award. Read more.

Elia El Habre is a graduate student in the Cell and Molecular Biology program at the American University of Beirut (AUB).

Watch their BLOSSOMS lesson, "Tissue Specific Gene Expression" here.