Nocking the Arrow

How do you solve for a right triangle when you are provided with only two pieces of information? I am not a mathematician by any stretch, but I do seem to remember enjoying trigonometry even though it seemed irrelevant to me as a teenager. And I do seem to remember needing at least one more angle to solve for a right triangle. Am I correct on this? My 14 year old son, Trevor, one of the sharpest people I've ever met, started on his math homework last night shortly after dinner. His first choice of activity for the evening, like most evenings, would have been playing X-Box online with a few of his friends. However, Trevor is cursed with good hair, athleticism, intelligence, and a family full of educators. Thus, he has no choice but to take learning and school work seriously. As I started to explain, it was about 6:00 in the evening when Trevor started solving right triangles. As usual, he seemed to have things under control, so I went about my business of cleaning the kitchen...

Family and financial commitments keep me from being able to get out very often. Tonight, me and my friend, Keith Sorensen were treated to a 7 - 2 Blackhawks victory over the Flyers at the United Center in Chicago. The game became exciting and entertaining after a slow start. For me, the real highlight was seated beside me in section 333, row 1, seat 18. Bob Gertenrich , a long-time Hawks season ticket holder, has been to each and every Blackhawks home game since 1966. Don't bother with the math, that's 2,175 games without a miss. It took just a few minutes into the first period for me to realize that I was sitting next to a shining example of living history. Now 67, and stricken with serious arthritis, Bob stands proudly for the raucous United Center version of the Star-Spangled Banner , and he stands and cheers each Blackhawks goal. He is the picture of commitment and resiliency. He requires some assistance negotiating the stadium stairs, but his spirit is strong, as h...

1.  A great learning lesson typically starts with a great story. 2.  Life & learning are adventures to be shared passionately without fear of failure. 3.  Deep, meaningful learning occurs through grit, determination, & resiliency. 4.  Inquiry, great questions, & reflection feed our hungry brains. Finally, why are these, and other, movie scenes so deeply entrenched in our memories? One reason is that emotion applies a layer of significance to the learning experience. Another reason is many of us are able to find a relationship between the scene's message and our personal experiences or learning schemas . I am interested in hearing from you. Please share a favorite movie scene along with an explanation of how it fits into your personal learning schema. Related Reading Create More Than You Consume - Life Hacks, Mikael Cho What do Emotions Have to do with Learning? - Mindshift, Annie Murphy Paul Why You Need to Use Storyt...