Monday, May 2, 2011

TTC Video : High School Level - Chemistry

High School Level - Chemistry

Many students struggle in high school chemistry. Even if they succeed in earning a good grade, they often still feel confused and unconfident. Why is this? And what can be done to help every student succeed in this vitally important course?

Success in chemistry, according to veteran science teacher Professor Frank Cardulla, doesn't require any special intellectual gifts or talents or advanced mathematical skill. All it requires is a genuine understanding of the ideas that students encounter in the high school chemistry classroom. If students truly understand what they are learning, they will do more than just succeed in high school chemistry; they will find lasting success as they continue to study chemistry in college and beyond.

In Chemistry, 2nd Edition, Professor Cardulla offers 36 carefully designed lectures that provide a solid foundation for future success by giving students a deep and thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts and problem-solving skills needed in the study of chemistry. He has created the perfect course for students who are struggling in their high school chemistry class, for students who simply want to perform better, or for home-schooled students. Even those long out of high school have reaped the benefits of Professor Cardulla's lectures—thousands of our adult customers have purchased and enjoyed the first edition of this course, finding it a useful tool for gaining a better understanding of chemistry.

Learning that Lasts

When students replace rote memorization with a real understanding of what is happening in the problems they encounter, chemistry comes alive. They experience the excitement of grasping the ideas behind the problems and the confidence that comes as they master what they might think of as intimidating material.

That's what happens in Chemistry, 2nd Edition. Through his clear and engaging lectures, Professor Cardulla demonstrates how students can use everyday common sense and logic—intellectual skills they already possess—to truly comprehend the concepts and problems encountered in introductory chemistry. Using examples and analogies drawn from real life, he takes the intimidation out of chemistry and makes this often challenging course accessible for all students.

A Comprehensive Chemistry Course

The course opens with several lectures that outline the instructor's teaching philosophy and demonstrate how students can use logical thinking to help them solve chemistry problems. In subsequent lectures, Professor Cardulla applies these problem-solving skills to key topics in introductory chemistry:

* The periodic table
* Balancing chemical equations
* Elements, atoms, ions, and isotopes
* Density
* Equilibrium
* Le Chatelier's Principle
* Stoichiometry
* Titration
* Molarity
* Acids and bases

To bring these topics to life, Professor Cardulla makes use of visual aids, including illustrations, graphs, demonstrations, and diagrams that support learning and help students gain a deeper understanding of key concepts.

The result is an effective, carefully crafted course that gives students the tools they need to master the basics of high school chemistry. Chemistry, 2nd Edition can be used as a stand-alone introduction to chemistry or in conjunction with a high school chemistry course.

Hands-on Problem Solving

As Professor Cardulla explains, true comprehension of chemistry comes only when students wrestle with the problems themselves. As a result, these lectures are filled with problems that give students ample opportunity to apply the concepts they've learned and strengthen their general problem-solving skills.

With each problem, students are encouraged to stop the lecture and work with the concepts presented to find their own solutions. Afterward, they return to the lecture, where Professor Cardulla presents a thorough and clear explanation of how to find the correct answer. And since the emphasis is on comprehension rather than memorization, Professor Cardulla often provides different methods for solving these problems. He discusses the merits and drawbacks of these various methods and how they relate to a deeper understanding of the ideas behind the problems.

TTC Video : High School Level - Geometry

High School Level - Geometry

Professor Noggle's lectures on geometry are exceptionally clear and well organized. He has an evident love for the topic, and a real gift for conveying the elegance and precision of geometric concepts and demonstrations. You will learn how geometrical concepts link new theorems and ideas to previous ones. This helps you see geometry as a unified body of knowledge whose concepts build upon one another.
For more than 30 years Professor James Noggle has been letting his students in on a secret at the high school in Pendleton, Indiana. He makes geometry feel like a long, cool drink as he guides you through the mysteries of lines, planes, angles, inductive and deductive reasoning, parallel lines and planes, triangles, polygons, and more.

In this course taught by an award-winning teacher, you develop the ability to read, write, think, and communicate about the concepts of geometry. As your comprehension and understanding of the geometrical vocabulary increase, you will have the ability to explain answers, justify mathematical reasoning, and describe problem-solving strategies.

Professor Noggle relies heavily on the blackboard and a flipchart on an easel in his 30 lectures. Very little use is made of computer-generated graphics, though several physical models of geometric objects are used throughout the lectures.

A New Way to Look at the World around You

The language of geometry is beautifully expressed in words, symbols, formulas, postulates, and theorems. These are the dynamic tools by which you can solve problems, communicate, and express geometrical ideas and concepts.

Connecting the geometrical concepts includes linking new theorems and ideas to previous ones. This helps you to see geometry as a unified body of knowledge whose concepts build upon one another. And you should be able to connect these concepts to appropriate real-world applications.

Professor Noggle’s Geometry course will begin with basic fundamental concepts used throughout the course. Students will be able to recognize and define such terms as points, planes, and angles; parallel lines, skew lines, parallel planes, and transversals; as well as the terms space, collinear, intersection, segment, and ray.

Students will discover the world of angles—symbols used for them, establishing a system of angle measurement, classifying the different types, and showing angle relationships.

The course then continues with the use of inductive reasoning to discover mathematical relationships and recognize real-world applications of inductive reasoning, conditional statements, and deductive reasoning.

Using the Fundamental Tools of Geometry

After the first few lectures introduce students to the basic terms, Professor Noggle will open the world of geometry to students. Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

* Classify triangles according to their sides and angles
* Distinguish between convex polygons and concave polygons, and find the interior and exterior angles of convex polygons
* State and apply postulates and theorems involving parallel lines and convex polygons to solve related problems and prove statements using deductive reasoning.
* Explain the ratio in its simplest form; identify, write, and solve proportions
* Identify congruent parts of congruent triangles; state and apply the SSS, SAS, and ASA postulates; and use those postulates to prove triangles congruent
* Be able to define, state, and apply theorems for parallelograms, rectangles, rhombuses, squares, and trapezoids
* Apply proportions and concepts of proportionality in right triangles; discuss the Pythagorean Theorem
* Explore the relationships between right and isosceles triangles
* Define tangent, sine, and cosine rations for angles
* State and apply properties and theorems regarding circles and their tangents, chords, central angles, and arcs
* Address the derivation of the area formulas and apply those formulas to rectangles, squares, parallelograms, triangles, trapezoids, and regular polygons
* Define polyhedron, prism, pyramid, cylinder, cone, and sphere; and apply theorems to compute the lateral area, total area, and volume of the prism, pyramid, cylinders, cones, and spheres.

TTC Video : High School Level - Algebra II

High School Level - Algebra II

Algebra II is the crucial high school mathematics course in preparing for a college education. College students who have not mastered Algebra II find themselves taking a remedial, noncredit course called Intermediate Algebra.

If you are struggling with Algebra II or are preparing to enter college or are currently in college and are struggling with Intermediate Algebra, then this Algebra II video series is for you.

Or if you are an adult who has always wanted to master the beauty of mathematics and now wants the opportunity to do so, this course can fulfill that dream.

A Man with a Plan

Dr. Murray H. Siegel earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education. Kentucky Educational Television named him "The Best Math Teacher in America," and he has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math Teaching. He has been teaching mathematics for decades to students of all ages, and his methods have been tested and proven in real classrooms.

This course is designed, in its sequencing of lessons and in each subject taught, to produce true understanding—the kind of confident knowledge that eliminates the anxiety many have in mathematics.

In this course, Dr. Siegel not only explains the key concepts and methods of Algebra II, he also takes you "behind the scenes." The 30 half-hour lessons show both how as well as why the methods work, using real-world applications to answer the age-old question in mathematics classes: When will I ever use this? With this series you learn Algebra II in a way you have never learned it before.

The series begins by relating the foundation of algebra—polynomials—to the numbers with which you are already familiar. You learn to operate with them, graph them, and solve polynomial equations.

The course then progresses to another essential algebraic concept—the function. Functions of all types are investigated: linear, polynomial (including quadratic), rational, and recursive.

Even the aspects of Algebra II that are usually considered difficult to teach are treated in a user-friendly manner so that all learners can truly understand these topics. Included in this list are matrices and determinants, imaginary numbers, sequences and series, and logarithms. (Yes, with Dr. Siegel as your guide, even logarithms will make sense!)

The final part of the course includes an introductory lesson in Trigonometry.

One important difference not found in most mathematics lessons is that serious learning is punctuated with humor. Dr. Siegel is not a stand-up comedian (although he was a radio talk show host long ago), but his students have never found him boring.

If you want to succeed in mathematics and have concerns that you can be successful in an Algebra course, then this course is for you. Your efforts will be rewarded and you will thank Dr. Siegel for opening the door to mathematical knowledge and understanding.

TTC Video : High School Level - Algebra I

High School Level - Algebra I

The teaching of algebra in most of today’s classrooms is not significantly different from what it was 50 years ago. Certainly, there have been some attempts to change algebra instruction, such as the "new math" reform movement of the 1960s. But the changes that persist in today’s algebra curricula, as a result of that movement, are more superficial than substantial. On the other hand, mathematics and its applications have changed spectacularly in the past 50 years. The advent of technology, for example, in both applied and pure mathematics, has changed the way mathematicians, scientists, and social scientists do and use mathematics. It is high time for the classroom instruction of algebra to reflect some of these changes. This is why, in some exciting, interactive, hands-on algebra classes, we are beginning to see changes in what, how, and in what order mathematics is being taught. Download the files immediately before they delete it again.

Our Algebra I course is on this cutting edge of mathematics teaching and learning for the many reasons stated below.

The Approach to Algebra in a Technological World

"In a technological world, variables actually vary and functions describe real-world phenomena. … Not only does technology suggest an increased 'front stage' role for functions, but it also allows for the dynamic study of families of functions." —National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1995, Algebra in a Technological World.

Inspired and informed by research on the teaching and learning of algebra, Dr. Monica Neagoy gives functions a "front stage" role in her Algebra I course design.

After a historical overview of the evolution of algebra, she explores the various families of functions, in a logical and ascending order from linear to quadratic to rational and, finally, to the family of exponential functions.

Each family serves as the building blocks for understanding the following and more advanced family of functions.

The penultimate section addresses systems of equations and inequalities—taken from among the families studied in previous sections—and the final section looks to the future by giving a taste of fascinating fractals and captivating chaos.

Algebra the "Gatekeeper"

Algebra I has a well-established reputation as one of the primary gatekeepers for access to college, and in particular for access to competitive public and private institutions. One of the main reasons for algebra’s longstanding reputation as a gatekeeper is the way in which it functions as a prerequisite to all other college-required mathematics courses. For this reason, it is very important that students acquire a rich foundation for both a conceptual understanding and procedural fluidity that will serve them not only along their journey through algebra, but also beyond.

You will be amazed by Dr. Neagoy’s ability to help her audience tackle complex concepts, deep questions, and rich problems with ease and joy. For example, after taking this course, "functions" will no longer represent merely abstract objects that "pass the vertical line test" for instance, but rather meaningful and powerful tools that can be used in all subsequent mathematics classes as well. Furthermore, applications of algebra will no longer be synonymous with those meaningless age, coin, mixture, and distance-rate-time word problems but rather with real-world problems that will expand horizons, ease understanding, and stimulate curiosity to learn more.

Moving beyond the abstract, Dr. Neagoy uses historical anecdotes, stories, and myths about mathematicians to humanize their work and the problems they were trying to solve. Concrete models such as prisms, cubes, and disks are employed to help students connect algebraic expressions with the shapes and quantities they describe. Finally, the latest graphing calculators are used throughout this course to illustrate key concepts and enhance student understanding.

The Language of Representations

Many studies have shown that when students are exposed to multiple representations of the concept or topic studied, the resulting understanding is deeper, for rich connections are made among these various forms of representations, thus solidifying a multifaceted mental construct.

Dr. Neagoy constantly travels back and forth among the various "universes" of algebra, which she calls words, equations, numbers, and graphs:

* Words are used to formulate questions and pose problems. If the use of language is not clear, it can be an impediment to the transition from words to algebraic symbols.
* Equations are the realm of algebraic symbols, often called number models in pre-algebra courses. The language of symbols has its own semantics and grammar. In this course much attention is paid to the correct use and rich understanding of symbolic algebra.
* Tables of Numbers in which one column contains the x values and another the y values can be used to represent algebraic relationships between two variables. With the use of modern technology, Dr. Neagoy effortlessly illustrates the fluid and beautiful transition from numbers to graphs, and back.
* Two-dimensional Graphs are the visual representations in the Cartesian plane of algebraic relationships between x and y variables. With the use of dynamic technology, she shows the students how to trace a graph and watch how the change in x affects the change in y, and vice versa.

Dr. Neagoy sometimes even goes beyond these four worlds and uses pictorial or concrete representations to render the problem investigated more hands-on and realistic. In her "mathematics laboratory," she uses a variety of 1-, 2-, and 3-D concrete models including string, square tiles, cylinders, cubes, and other polyhedra to bring problems alive. The use of mathematics manipulatives enhances her teaching and makes the learning more exciting.

In short, it is important to note that Dr. Neagoy focuses on the meaningful and related multiple representations of functions, variables, and relationships rather than focusing on the narrow acquisition of skills in manipulating dry symbols stripped of any meaning.

Multiple Audiences

While Algebra I was originally designed to target high school students, many returning adults have purchased this course for their own edification. We have received numerous letters and e-mail messages from such customers praising not only the content and approach of the course but also the excitement, passion, and expertise with which Dr. Neagoy infects, injects, and infuses her audience.

So if you are a "returning adult" and feel as if you’ve never really understood algebra—or appreciated its power or utility for that matter and would like to give it another chance, trust the word of your peers and embark on the algebra journey with Dr. Neagoy.

TTC Video : High School Level - Basic Math

High School Level - Basic Math

This course introduces the student to the basic concepts of mathematics as well as the fundamentals of more complicated areas. Basic Math is designed to provide students with an understanding of arithmetic and to prepare them for Algebra I and beyond.

Dr. Murray H. Siegel has a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education. Kentucky Educational Television honored him as "the best math teacher in America."

He has a gift and evident passion for explaining mathematical concepts in ways that make math seem clear and obvious rather than arbitrary and murky.

From the basics of multiplication to decimals and fractions and the operations of geometry, he is the master of the skillful metaphor and the well-wrought example.

The Plan of the Course

Dr. Siegel describes how he designed this course: "The topics, sequences, and examples used in this series are based on 23 years' experience teaching mathematics to real students. These students ranged in age from young children to adults past retirement age, many of whom lacked confidence in their ability to succeed in a mathematics course.

"If you, the student, do what is asked of you in the 30 lessons, you will greatly improve your understanding of basic mathematics. Furthermore, you will gain confidence in your ability to understand new mathematical topics and to accept new mathematical challenges."

The lessons cover the arithmetic of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, and integers. Also included in the series are investigations of exponents, square roots, and the order of operations.

Lessons on geometry, measurement, problem-solving, probability, statistics, and pattern recognition (including sequences) prepare students for future mathematical studies.

In addition to learning how to perform various mathematical operations, you will find out why these operations work, how a particular lesson's topic relates to other parts of mathematics, and what practical uses exist requiring knowledge of these arithmetic operations.

When possible, alternative methods of computation are demonstrated. You may find these methods easier to use than the more traditional methods taught in most schools.

Who Can Benefit?

Basic Math is designed to instruct three different audiences. The first audience consists of students using this series at the outset of their study of arithmetic. Such a group may include children attending homeschool. The lessons are arranged sequentially to allow for logical development of the material.

The second audience is comprised of students experiencing difficulty with elementary mathematics in school. The lessons offer an opportunity for students to "make sense" of the mathematical knowledge that has been a source of frustration. These students will be able to fill in crucial gaps in their mathematical foundation as well as to develop a true understanding of arithmetic and pre-algebra topics.

The third audience consists of adults who are seeking a GED, are trying to prepare for college mathematics after many years away from the classroom, or, perhaps, finally want to overcome their anxiety regarding mathematics.

TTC Video : Physics in Your Life

Physics in Your Life

Physics in Your Life is more than a course in physics and more than a laundry list of "how things work." In fact, it combines the two, offering a back-and-forth interplay between everyday applications of physics and the concepts needed to understand them.
This course is organized into six modules, treating five specific realms of physics and their related applications, plus a sixth area devoted to a potpourri of topics:

Module 1 (Lectures 2-6), "Sight and Sound," begins with the technology behind CDs and DVDs, using these devices as a springboard to study light, sound, and other phenomena. You will explore how these principles relate to such topics as rainbows, optical fibers for communications, musical instruments, and laser vision correction.

Module 2 (Lectures 7-12), "Going Places," looks at motion and its connection to modes of transportation such as walking, automobiles, airplanes, and interplanetary probes. This module is based on Newton's laws, generalized to include such topics as fluid motion, conservation of energy, and the dynamics of space flight.

Module 3 (Lectures 13-18), "Plug In, Turn On," looks at the intimate connection between electricity and magnetism that is at the heart of technologies from electric motors and generators to videotapes and credit cards. Electricity and magnetism join to make possible electromagnetic waves, which enable the growing host of wireless technologies.

Module 4 (Lectures 19-24), "From Atom to Computer," starts with the element silicon and builds through progressively larger scales-transistors, logic circuits, microprocessors, motherboards, and peripherals-to create a conceptual picture of how a computer works.

Module 5 (Lectures 25-30), "Fire and Ice," introduces heat with topics ranging from physics in the kitchen to Earth’s climate and how humans may be altering it. Also covered are thermal responses of materials, including the unusual behavior of water in both liquid and solid form. The module ends with the second law of thermodynamics and its implications for human energy use.

Module 6 (Lectures 31-36), "Potpourri," offers a final miscellany of topics in physics: the workings of the space-based Global Positioning System; rotational motion in phenomena from dance to pulsars; lasers and their many uses; nuclear physics and its multifaceted role in our lives; the mechanics of the human body and how physics enables us to explore the body through medical imaging; and the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to you.

TTC Video : Great Ideas of Classical Physics

Great Ideas of Classical Physics

What are the great ideas of classical physics? They are the conceptual tools that allow us to make sense of the world. They include discoveries, theories, insights, methods, and philosophical points of view. You will explore many of these breakthrough ideas, for example:
Experiment: It may seem obvious that if you want to understand something, you should experiment on it and not just think about it. But this idea did not catch on until Galileo performed a series of revolutionary investigations of motion in the early 1600s.
Use standards: One of the secrets of Galileo's success was that he used standard procedures, units, and techniques of analysis to compare his results. This approach led him to conclusions, like his principle of inertia, that no else had ever imagined.
Simplify: Another powerful insight of Galileo's was to start with simple cases and add complexity later. All physicists do this. In fact, they have a joke about it: A physicist is hired to advise a dairy farmer and says, "First, assume a spherical cow"!
Recognize the fundamental nature of obvious things: The common observation that hot objects cool down and cold ones warm up became the basis for the second law of thermodynamics, proposed by the French engineer Sadi Carnot in the early 1800s. The second law has profound implications for heat engines and for the "direction" of time.
Along with these and other general concepts, you learn about such basic features of reality as force and energy, space and time, electricity and magnetism; and you learn how these properties interact in a range of situations. As you proceed through the course, you will find that the entire universe—from atoms to galaxies—is your laboratory.
1. The Great Ideas of Classical Physics
2. Describing Motion—A Break from Aristotle
3. Describing Ever More Complex Motion
4. Astronomy as a Bridge to Modern Physics
5. Isaac Newton—The Dawn of Classical Physics
6. Newton Quantified—Force and Acceleration
7. Newton and the Connections to Astronomy
8. Universal Gravitation
9. Newton's Third Law
10. Conservation of Momentum
11. Beyond Newton—Work and Energy
12. Power and the Newtonian Synthesis
13. Further Developments—Static Electricity
14. Electricity, Magnetism, and Force Fields
15. Electrical Currents and Voltage
16. The Origin of Electric and Magnetic Fields
17. Unification I—Maxwell's Equations
18. Unification II—Electromagnetism and Light
19. Vibrations and Waves
20. Sound Waves and Light Waves
21. The Atomic Hypothesis
22. Energy in Systems—Heat and Thermodynamics
23. Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
24. The Grand Picture of Classical Physics