Learning: The Journey of a Lifetime A Cloud Chamber of the Mind 2006 Mathematics Introduction
	Introduction
	Goals		References
2006 Mathematics Notebook Index			Index for Larson textbook

Introduction to this Web Site

Monday January 30, 2006 Ballina NSW

This Web site is intended to provide the specific notes that I make while Learning more about Mathematics.

Some of these notebook activities will be based on readings and other notebook activites will be based on my attempts to accomplish various goals by using the technology.

Overall Structure of the Mathematics Notes Web Site

Navigation is a critical feature of any Web site. While viewing any page on the Web site one should have a clear idea of where they are and how they can get to anywhere else. At the level of the Technology Notebook web pages, each Web page contains a link to the previous page and a link to the following (next) page. Each Notebook page also contains a link to the corresponding Journal page for that day. (There is also a link from each Journal page to the corresponding Notebook pages.) However one also needs some way to jump quickly to a different Web page, depending on one's interests at the moment.

One is a link to a Web page that I call a Mathematics Notebook Index. This provides a table with links to each Notebook page the year. The table also contains a brief description of the actual Learning activities undertaken in each session.

The second link is to a Web page that I call the Home Page where I have a diagram that shows the various topics that I am interested in Learning more about. This acts much like a map that shows me at any time where what I am engaged in fits into the overall picture of potential topics. From the Home page I can branch to any of the topical Notebooks, as well as to the daily journal web pages, and from each of these pages I can branch back to the Home page.

This Mathematics Notebook web site contains five information web pages: one is this introduction page which describes the overall web site and its features, the second is a web page that attempts to make explicit the goals that I have established during the year that are related to Technology, and the last is a web page that shows the various references that I utilized in making these notes. I have also created a special index specifically for the Larson text as well as a Mathematics Timeline.

Components of Successful Autonomous Self-Directed Learning

Autonomous self-directed Learning (ASL) involves four major components.

First, such autonomous direction must involve some form of time management.

Second, one needs some method for keeping track of what one is trying to accomplish and how well one is accomplishing the goals. This means keeping some form of web-based notebook.

Third, one may use the technology to actually accomplish the goals. The basic web pages are created and managed with a software package called Dreamweaver 8.

Fourth, reflection and keeping a record of such thoughts provides an important feedback loop for comparing what one has learned with what one was hoping for, and when there is a substantial gap, provide a clear indication that more learning is still required.

Layout for Each Mathematics Notebook web page

The intent is to keep my options open as to the best way to capture the important points as I encounter them. Thus the overall format is very similar to a sheet of blank paper and to the use of a word processor. However a couple of features deserve immediate mention. One is the potential to use color much more liberally than when one is using paper. Another is the ability to copy-and-paste material from one electronic source to another.

Tables are one excellent vehicle for organizing and structuring information. I expect to create many tables in the months ahead. Another, even simpler, vehicle is an unordered list of important points with a bullet icon in front of each item.

A third vehicle, which I often use, is some form of concept map. I use two different software packages for creating such diagrams: Inspiration and Mind Genius.

Particularly for mathematics, I also have access to software that gives me technical support for actually doing much of the mathematics. This software is a superb package called Mathematica.