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Math rules, and everything else drools. Well maybe not everything, but the truth is that math really is the king of subjects to study. For ultimately every subject in school—indeed everything—revolves around math. Even subjects that you would never think. Like English, for example. How so? you say.

Well for instance, take poetry. Poetry has meter, which in essence is the way a poem is structured as to the flow of the syllables. The sonnet is a type of poem consisting of four stanzas: three of which contain four lines, and the last containing two lines. Indeed, math can be found in the sonnet as well as in many other least expected places.

You see the sonnet has a meter which is known as iambic pentameter. Pentameter refers to the number of feet a line contains, a foot being a number of syllables of words. Iambic refers to the number of syllables and the stress pattern associated with those syllables: the iamb is a foot of two syllables, an unstressed followed by a stressed. Thus a line of iambic pentameter contains ten syllables, and these are such that the pattern is unstressed followed by stressed. This is illustrated by the following: daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM. An example of some lines of iambic pentameter would be the following taken from Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare:

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

So what the heck does poetry, iambic pentameter, or the like have to do with math? Before you go off and get ready to commit me, give me a chance to explain. The point of this article is to show that if we look (and admittedly we sometimes have to look hard, but often times we really don’t), we will see relationships and tie-ins between an abstract discipline like mathematics and other seemingly unrelated fields—like poetry, to wit. You see, we can think of a line of iambic pentameter—the key meter of any sonnet—as being composed of a string of 0’s and 1’s, in which the 0’s represent the unstressed syllables and the 1’s represent the stressed syllables. Thus the daDUM’s above become 01’s, and a line of iambic pentameter becomes 01 01 01 01 01. For those of you who recognize this pattern, you notice that we have converted the meter of the sonnet into a binary pattern of digits. By converting the sonnet into this binary pattern, we can spot instantly whether each line of a sonnet fits rigorously into the iambic structure or not. For any line that does not alternate between 0’s and 1’s, with five of each in each line, would technically fall outside this structure.

Indeed many lines of many sonnets fall outside this structure. Just read the sonnets of Shakespeare or Emily Dickinson, for that matter. However, this structure is followed as a guiding principle. Deviations occur for the sake of expression and also because deviations sometimes…are good.

So here we have discovered a weird connection between binary digits and—of all things—poetry. Imagine how many other things we could discover if we just used a little imagination. For this reason, I say without reservation that math indeed rules and everything else, kind of drivels. And for those of you who realized while reading this that those binary digits are what form the foundation for computer technology—yes that’s right, the computer would not be if man did not harness the power of those little seemingly insignificant 0’s and 1’s—take a bow.

Yes. Math rules. And by the way, why don’t you chew on this binary digit stuff while you figure out a way how to make more money with Google’s Adsense Program. Just a kidding thought. Till next time…

See more at Math Poems

Parents often ask why their children are doing poorly in math, particularly in grades 2-6. For young children, abstract quantities can be daunting, especially when taught in the context of skill drills. Many children do not find immediate meaning in numbers as symbols, although that is what parents and math teachers hope to convey to them.

Children in third through fifth grades who are having difficulty with procedural operations, such as long division and multi-digit multiplication, very often have not had any kinetic activity associated with the learning of the multiplication tables which are the basis for their computations. They become distracted from the procedures of multiplication and division by their concern over the “blank space” in their knowledge of multiplication tables and they lose momentum.

Parents often say that they download tables form the Internet or they use flash cards. Another, perhaps better, alternative is to provide art and craft materials for the student to use in writing his or her own personal multiplication tables. When the tables are personalized and used frequently with pride and familiarity, students gain in experience, confidence and expertise.

Children tend to enjoy having their own personally crafted multiplication tables from 1×1 through 12×12. They use these with pride and confidence. Even taking them to the supermarket to compute the total cost of multiple items will help to make the applications of arithmetic real and valued to a child.

Making a child’s learning experiential is of utmost importance in creating interest in math and developing skills. Many are not aware of the essential uses of elementary mathematical and spatial concepts in daily lives. Heightening awareness of these events is essential to pointing them out to children and sharing experience with them.

Just as parents read to our children, so should they communicate a reliance on mathematical principles. This may vary from family to family depending on individual pursuits and interests. For some families whose common interest is sports competition, a short discussion of the role of sports statistics could make that dreaded skills homework more interesting and relevant to a child’s life. Others may be interested in video games, which use computer programming that requires trigonometric applications. Cartoon animation programming uses principles of topology, the mathematics of mapping in space.

Road trips and map reading are also mathematical adventures for parents to share with children. Topographical maps use numbers in an obvious way, while road maps with scale measurements open the discussion to ratios and scale.

The history of measurement and attempts at standardization can become real when discussing money or the differences among the metric, imperial and U.S. measurement systems.

Toddlers, even with a rudimentary understanding of concrete quantity, can enjoy games of “which is less and which is more?” Counting games and rhymes abound and have been traditionally used to accustom children to quantitative symbols even at very young ages.

Perhaps the most useful tool of all in developing a child’s math ability at an early age is precision in language. Most students who have experienced the “drill and kill” math experience in school are shocked when they start to solve math word problems as a mathematical exercise. These applications of the skills so long deemed to be the foundation of math education are daunting to children who have been trained to believe that mathematical studies begin and end with computation.

If children learn mathematics as a foreign language, with symbols and grammar of its own, they are better able to handle the rigors of higher mathematics - with its whole new set of symbols and logic - and they are more productive students. Reading to a child, discussing concepts of “more and less,” “before and after,” “twice as much” and hierarchical classifications such as supermarket shelf organization and street name organization can pay off in a child’s mathematical performance.

Spring has finally arrived and it’s time to think about opening your swimming pool for the season. What terrors lurk under the seemingly innocent winter cover? What expensive and time-consuming issues will face you this season before the pool can be fun?

Here are a couple of proven tips that can help get your pool in shape and ready for summer fun and relaxation.

THE POOL’S GREEN!

Algae is often a problem when opening a pool after a long winter. A little light through some pinholes in the winter cover, no chlorine in the water and voila, algae blooms unrestrained. As unsightly as it is, getting rid of a spring case of algae shouldn’t be difficult, expensive or time consuming.

If you discover algae when you open your pool the first thing to do is get your pump and filter set up and functioning properly. Once the pump and filter are up and running simply add algaecide to the pool according the to dosage guide on the container. Use only concentrated algaecide with active ingredients at least 50% of the contents. Look for quaternary ammonia or polyquaternary ammonia as the main active component.. These two chemicals are extremely potent and leave little or no residue.

Once added, LEAVE THE POOL ALONE for at least 4 hours with the pump running.. Many people want to shock the pool right away under the mistaken notion that chlorine kills algae. Chlorine alone will not kill algae (that’s why algaecide is sole) but will knock out the algaecide just added if used right away. Give the algaecide time to kill the infestation and THEN shock the pool with chlorine to break down the dead material so it can be filtered. Make sure to check the filter pressure and backwash when indicated. The whole procedure shouldn’t take more than a few hours during one day. Once the pool is clear add chemicals as you normally do and the water should be ready for the season.

I NEED TO REPLACE MY SAND

With proper maintenance pool filter sand will last from 5-7 years before needing to be replaced. Pool sand filters get more efficient with time. The sand traps fine particles during use, which in turn act as filtering media and improve the efficiency of the sand. New sand will not filter as well unless you help it along. The easiest way to bring your new sand up to speed is simple. Add a pound or two of diatomaceous earth, DE, to your skimmer when the pump is running. The DE is much finer than sand and will lodge in the filter sand and improves filtering right away. Your new sand should work just as well as the old.

These simple tips should help make opening your pool simpler, easier and cheaper so you can enjoy it as soon as weather permits.

My sand filter is running at high pressures

Follow the backwashing instructions in your Owner’s Manual. The sand bed may be clogged with mineral deposits that will not backwash away. Some calcium based chlorines and other alternative sanitizers will build up in your sand bed, and will require more frequent backwashing and changing of the sand.

Before you replace all the sand in your filter, try removing approximately 1″ of the top layer of the sand, replace with the exact amount of sand you removed. Normal life span of the sand is about 4 - 5 years.

You may have to clean your filter system with a special filter cleaner, please call Blue Haven Pools & Spas for more information.

Check to see if there is a closed or partially closed valve along your return piping, open the valve.

Your pump may be too small to provide sufficient flow for proper backwashing. Your filter will function, but a lower design flow rate will cause your system to backwash improperly. Check the output of the pump to be sure that it equals your filter’s design flow rate. Replace the pump if it is too small.

My sand filter is running in short cycles

Improper backwashing could be the reason. Always backwash until the water runs clear in the valve’s sight glass, usually about two minutes.

You may have live algae causing the filter to clog. By testing the water balance with a test kit and super chlorinating, you should solve this problem.

There is sand at the bottom of the pool

The sand you are using could be too small, which will go through the filter system, then back into the pool. Remove the sand and replace it with the proper grade of sand - #20 Silica or 45-55mm pool sand.

Your pump may be too big for your filter. During backwashing the pressure can cause the sand to rise high enough to overflow into the standpipe, allowing sand to flow back into the pool. Refer to your Owner’s Manual for the correct amount of sand for your filter.

There could be a loose lateral located at the bottom of your filter. Tighten any loose laterals, replace if broken.

Most calcium based chlorine, both powder or tablets, contain from 30 - 35% of what is called inert materials. This is calcium residue or dust, which many pool owners mistake for sand. You can confirm this by following these steps: During vacuuming, use a hand vac and pole. As the vac head approaches, the sand will lay on the bottom, and will allow itself to be picked up. Most calcium residue will scatter away from the vac head as you try to pick it up.

If you have this problem, we recommend that you put extra water in your pool and vacuum to the waste line. If you vacuum to the filter, some of it will be trapped on the sand surface, allowing dust to get back into your pool.

The pool won’t stay clear

Your pool chemistry may be out of balance, allowing algae to multiply.

The flow rate through the filter may be low due to clogged or undersized piping. Cleaning the lines or changing to larger pipes will correct this problem.

Your filter operation time may not be long enough to compensate for heavy use or hot weather. Try running your filter for 24 hours to clear the water, then adjust to less running time.

Your pump may be hooked up to the wrong port on the multiport valve. If incorrectly installed, the filter will be flowing in reverse. Be sure the pump is connected to the port marked “pump” on the valve.

You could be backwashing too often. Backwash only when the pressure rises 7 - 10 psi over the starting pressure, or when the return flow back into the pool becomes low.

My filter is noisy

An oversized pump may cause noise in your filter valve due to excessive flow. To test, hold your hand partially in front of any returns at the pool wall. If the noise subsides, this will confirm that the problem is excessive flow. It can be remedied by by installing smaller eyeball fittings in the return(s), changing the pump impeller size in the pump, or change to a 2-inch control valve.

My Vari-Flo valve leaks to waste

The valve seat gasket inside the valve has become worn or loose. How do you replace the gasket? You will need a new gasket, some Krazy Glue, and a sharp 1/8-inch wide flat bladed screwdriver.

NOTE: Mark the top and bottom of the valve with a marking pen. It’s very important that you do not change the location of the cover when re-assembling. Remove the cover, usually six screws. Using the screwdriver, scrape out every last part of the gasket and cement, in order to get back to a clean flat surface. Put a fair amount of crazy glue on the flat side of the gasket. Place the gasket, flat side down, back into place - let dry for one hour minimum.

A solar pool heater means more enjoyment, more fun from your swimming pool or outdoor spa. Anyway, why do you have one? It is a valuable investment on which you also spend much time and money, looking after it.

There are four means of heating your pool

* by using an electric heater

* using gas, usually a propane heater

* using a pool cover

* and by using solar pool heating

You are probably aware already that heating a swimming pool electrically or with gas is very costly. Accordingly many people choose not to heat the pool at all at cooler times of the year or day, thereby foregoing your potential enjoyment from your pool .

Only because it is expensive to keep it warm and usable.

Why would you invest so much in a pool and then not splash around in it for a good deal of the time? It is easier than you think, and cheaper, to use solar power energy and make your pool or outdoor spa a much more welcoming environment to savor at any time you want. A solar pool heater - or spa heater - enables you to carry over the use of your pool or outside spa into springtime and fall, chilly evenings and morning time*.

Additional rewards of solar pool heating include:

* You economize on utility bills, charged for running a conventional pool heater

* No bills for solar energy - it is free!

* You cut down on greenhouse gas emissions

Of course you are able to purchase a solar pool heater, maybe spending up to $2000. Or you can construct one yourself. For much less.

You might ask, Is a DIY solar pool heater not highly complex and pricey to build? No, rest easy, it just takes a good set of instructions and common DIY skills to make one yourself. A fourteen year-old might be able to do it.

And the cost? Well, it can really be done for the piddling sum of less than US$100.

Sure, naturally you do need a circulation pump and if that runs on mains power it will take just 15 to 20 Watts only for a 30,000 litre pool. But of course, using a solar powered pump won’t even call for this use of mains power. There are solar pool heaters for various situations, and they come in whatever size. Rooftop systems lie flat on your roof and are best used for the very large pools, or you may like to look at an system, placed on the ground. The on the ground system is set up directly next to your pool with the greatest possible exposure to the sun’s warmth.

It is this ground system that you could be build for under US$100. So, in choosing your solar pool heater system you need to know the size of your pool and your local weather. You do need some sunshine but good solar heaters work even on cloudy days!.

A word of warning. Do remember that heated pool water is a good breeding ground for bacterial and algal growth so you must monitor correct chlorine or salinity levels to the pool or spa water. You should obtain some expert advice about that from your local pool supplier.

Oh yes , and the pool cover. By all means use it as a passive solar top-up of your pool enjoyment. It will help you make the most of your greatly enhanced pool.

Now off you go - enjoy your swim!

You know I have not yet caught on to the sudoku craze but from what I understand this puzzle game can become quite addictive. Maybe that’s the reason I haven’t dived in yet. You see, there is something delectably delightful about solving puzzles and other brain teasers and I simply have way too much to do already. Yet with all my busyness, I try to get in a good crossword or two from time to time, and I make sure to do some brain teasers. You should too and here’s why.

For one, these puzzles keep your mind sharp; for two, these games and brain stimulators keep your mind from wandering into other less desirable territories. The harder your brain works on solving such challenging mind games, the less energy you have to contemplate things like problems and other time consuming frivolities. If you think this proposition is hogwash then take me up on the challenge. Go get yourself a brain teaser, crossword, or sudoku book in your nearest Borders or Barnes & Noble. Learn the rules and start to do these. Watch how after a few days—once the fever has caught on—you are less inclined to frivol away your precious time on senseless and inane absurdities: like what the latest celebrity gossip is and what your neighbor across the street just did to his garden with his new chain saw.

My father was an ordinary mailman yet he had an extraordinary zest for doing crossword puzzles. He had no college education, yet he could pound away at these black and white diagrams until all the spaces were full. I would watch him intently as he racked his brain to get that last clue and complete the grid. Little did I understand the fascination so one day I, the college boy, asked the untutored mailman, “Dad, what is it about those stupid puzzles that you like so much?”

My father, annoyed that he had to lift his head from the clue trail, glacially looked up and stared me down. He responded with utter challenge: “You’re the college boy, let’s see if you know a three letter word for a sea eagle?” “A what?” I retorted, surprised by the question. “A three letter word for a sea eagle,” he repeated. Needless to say, I was dumbfounded by the question and quite challenged by the task. Within a week, I too was a crossword junkie.

When I contemplate the whole concept of brain teasers, math problems, sudoku, crosswords and the like, I marvel at how few people realize the great joy that lies in taking these challenges head-on. Maybe this is why I turned out to be such a normal, fun-loving guy: I had too many challenges on my mind to be sidetracked by nonsense and unproductive thoughts. Try it out for yourself and see whether you too do not become a junkie of the highest order. Indeed, we can afford more junkies like this in the world.

See more at Cool Math Site and Problem of the Week and Cool Brain Teasers

Building strong math skills is essential for both the academic and life success of your child. As a secondary school math teacher, it is clear to me that basic addition and multiplication skills lay the foundation for success in the mathematics and science subjects at school. This has significant roll-on effects for your child’s life including their future education, employment, lifespan and general happiness.

For the majority of children these skills require hard work to master, but the effort that we as parents invest in this is well worth it.

We do not need to experts in the field of education in order to give our kids a great headstart to their education in this area. Solid, regular practice of the multiplication tables will help your child to memorise these important facts. Addition practice gives similar results.

The purpose of this work is to allow your child the freedom to concentrate on new skills that are taught in math classes at school without the need to continually refer to addition or multiplication tables. The result is more productive math lessons. There is nothing like success in a lesson or a subject to promote confidence and enthusiasm in your child.

I make times tables practice a regular feature of my classroom math teaching regardless of the age of my students. I have seen children of all ages from eight to fifteen rapidly improve their mental math skills as a result. Consequently, these students have gained confidence and skill in this subject. This has even applied to students who had no faith in their own abilities in math before this practice was undertaken.

Combined with a variety of learning-centered math games, this basic drilling of facts has a profound effect on a child. They can see that the work is not only possible, but even enjoyable. This is truly the pathway to success, for a child that wants to study math will have many more options open to them in life than one who does not.

Memorizing math facts is a necessary part of elementary school. Flash cards and repetitive chanting have their place, but, for my children, were pure drudgery. Frustrated by their lack of interest in practicing their math facts, I have searched for ways to make memorizing math facts more fun.

Our favorite math web site, Aplusmath is an easy to use site offering a worksheet generator, online flashcards and games including Matho, Concentration and Hidden Pictures. Matho combines both bingo and math facts in an exciting timed game. Or, match the math problem to the answer in concentration. Discover beautiful photographs by solving math problems in the hidden pictures game.

Both of my children enjoy music, so tapes and CD’s are perfect for us. Rock ‘n Learn makes fun audio programs featuring “cool music that teaches”. The math facts programs come in rap, rock and country versions to satisfy a variety of musical tastes. My son happily reviews multiplication facts to a funky rap beat.

A favorite educational “toy” is Leap Frog’s Twist & Shout. Children twist and shout their way to learning facts. It’s fun, it’s lively and the learning is done to a toe-tapping musical beat. Kids move and groove their way through four games, each with a “teach” and a “quiz” mode. Then they twist the number dial to solve the equation and hit it to select an answer. Answers are heard and seen on the LCD screen.

We have also made good use of the Hot Dots flash cards. Hot Dots flashcards can be used like regular flash cards, or add the Hot Dots Power Pen and children can drill independently with instant reinforcement! Kids simply touch the pen to a dot and it responds instantly signaling a correct or incorrect answer.

If traditional flashcards aren’t enough to inspire your kids to practice math facts, try these fun alternatives. Helping your child learn math facts now will make more advanced math so much easier. Have fun!

For many children, math is neither fun nor easy. Many children find it difficult and uninteresting and unfortunately this attitude can lead to less chance of success and further distress. But changing a negative attitude towards math into a positive one can be as easy as making math more fun.

One of the best ways to do this is with the use of math games. Fun math games can be used in all areas of math and they are a great way introduce math concepts and to practice basic math skills.

If you choose the right math games they won’t be complex to play or to learn, or time consuming. There are many simple, quick math games that can be played with little or no equipment.

Many math games can easily be adapted for the classroom or for use at home. Some of these games can be used to teach or practice different math concepts and can be used with different ability levels. The following is an example of a fun math game that can be adapted for different skills and levels.

This math game is very simple to play but requires skills in different areas. Students must have a concept of number order and place value to give the answer higher or lower and to provide guesses that are appropriate for the clues given.

Higher or Lower
To begin select the upper and lower number limits, e.g. between 10 and 100.
One player selects a number and records it on a piece of paper.
The other player/s guesses what they think the number might be. For each guess the first player tells if the chosen number is higher or lower. Play continues until the number is guessed.

Variations of Higher or Lower Math Game
This game can also be played in more advanced varieties to develop skills in ordering larger numbers, decimals or fractions. See the examples of more advanced games below.
- 3 digit number between 300 and 600 (e.g. 345)
- 4 digit number between 2000 and 4000 (e.g. 3027)
- number with 1 decimal place between 6 and 9 (e.g. 7.3)
- number with 2 decimal places between 4 and 5 (4.87)
- fraction with single digit numerator and denominator, between 0 and 1 (e.g. 4/5)

This math game can be played with two people so it is easy for a parent to challenge a child or it can be played by a whole class. In the classroom, the teacher can select the number and challenge students to guess it or a student can select a number between the given limits.

The game can be played with each guess being recorded and H or L written beside each guess. A more advanced version is to play orally which requires players to remember the previous guesses and answers.

So if you really want to make math fun for children, math games is the answer. The games don’t need to be complex and often you don’t need any special equipment.

Choose games that are simple to play and have simple rules but most importantly choose math games that are challenging and fun. For more fun with math why not try using a variety of games including math board games, card games and pencil and paper games.

Without cleanliness and maintaining the hygiene of the swimming pool it becomes dirty. Swimming pool vacuum cleaners are excellent equipments and with regular cleaning the pool can be used for longer periods.

Several cleaning tools are freely available in the market but some cleaners are more popular and effective in use compared to the others. Vacuums working with suction action are one of the popular cleaners utilized to vacuum the entire vicinity. Beneath the surface area, the ******* machine not only absorbs water but also drags it to the filter area. Some of them act as good scrubbers, scrubbing against the walls while moving from one place to the other in the area. This useful equipment can absorb the debris found inside but not the larger ones. Large debris might get stuck and spoil the cleaner. Vacuums are the hardest working equipments that keep swimming areas fresh and hygienic to use.

They are available for all types of swimming areas. Some of the few well-known ones are Supa-Vac Venturi Vacuum, Cruiser C400, Hayward Aquabug, Barracuda Topaze. The C400 automatic cleaner is intended for usage for above and in ground pools. The Hayward Aqua Bug never requires emptying or replacing debris bags as it facilitates with the existing filtration system. Topaze cleaner is designed for the clearness of round as well as oval ones. The aim for using machines is to clean the entire vicinity but few devices provide additional facilities and some offers just the basic requirement of simple cleaning.