Tag Archives: probability

Friday Finish

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I’m hoping now that Friday’s come
You’ve found all that you seek
And did what needed to get done
To wrap up this (short) week

We read of more than just one kid
Inspired to create
Some #CovidKindness acts they did
To make these days feel great

In games of chance you used your skill
And calculated odds
Your bingo play made buckets fill
Creating smiles and nods

The words of poets whom you’ve read
To help with writing verse
Word play, you’ll see (What’s that you said?)
It’s FUN! (or could be worse).

That video not finished yet?
There’s time left on the clock
Shoot a few seconds: Ready. Set.
And send me (not TikTok).

Let’s wrap this up; it’s going fine
One more request from me
In comments, YOU write the next line
____ ______ ____ ______ ____ ______

 

What makes someone interesting?

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We are going to look at another interesting short story. Before listening to the introduction to the story below, please complete this pre-reading questionnaire. After submitting your responses, go on to listen to the introduction (as read by the story’s author).

When you’ve finished, please respond to the reflection questions here.

Then please revisit our list of assigned activities for this week to check your progress on ongoing projects and look for a new task for your designing skills. You’ll also find a link to the next part of the story.

Play on

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I hope you enjoyed our sunny weekend. Many people had to be satisfied with honouring their mothers from a distance. Whether via online video, the telephone, a card in the mail or a hug at home, I hope you found an opportunity to pay tribute to the mothers and grandmothers in your life. (Maybe you even read them a poem or wrote one of your own!) I would love to read your comments on anything notable about your Mother’s Day weekend (perhaps you’d even share some poetry‽)

Our Mondays always started with Purposeful Play, so I’d like us to spend Monday trying out some games. Choose from the games found through the links below, and whatever you choose, tell how it went or how you did; what you liked (or didn’t) & what was challenging (or wasn’t). Even perhaps include a screenshot.

Choose from 23 online games here

Or

More that 30 other games (including classics like Yahtzee, Dominoes, Snakes & Ladders and more).

Play Snakes and Ladders Dice OnlinePlay Parchisi Dice Game OnlinePlay Draw Dominoes Game Online

These links and other notes about latest and ongoing projects can be found here. I will be looking forward to sharing something new at our regular Tuesday online class circle. In the mean time, play on!

Friday and the Red Flag Fleet

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I lost myself in thinking ‘bout
That Red Flag Pirate fleet,
The captives taken to their ship
And trials they might meet.

I know ‘bout probability
Their chances di’n’t look great
Lingsi seemed sure to farkle* once
That sailor dropped that crate.

She risked it all; she summoned up
What courage she could find.
Surprised that dreaded pirate queen
With powers of her mind.

What lesson do you take from her?
That queen knew to take heed.
There’s nothing quite so valuable
As knowing how to read!

*Farkle is a game of chance played with dice in which to Farkle means getting a bad roll causing the player to lose points and lose their turn.

I look forward to seeing eveyone’s reaction to the story, your writing, your videos and all your efforts from this week (which is quickly passing by!).

Enjoy the poem in the video below (you should recognise the meter!), and spend some time on some poetry you might include in a card on Sunday.

On a bit of a roll

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There may be times when it is hard not to notice what we can’t do or what isn’t getting done ore going well, but right now I cannot help but notice what is happening that is both interesting and good:

  • We had a lovely virtual assembly Friday (featuring some of your hearts for healthcare workers, thank you!)
  • Strong responses to questions about ‘The Difficult Path’ show you may be developing Lingsi’s superpower
  • I’m seeing a few of your video clips tying in with the endings you wrote to the unfinished story we heard last week
  • Several of you are having success at Farkle, the dice game I gave you this week
  • I got to read some of your lines of verse (though one was about pets that bite!)
  • I got to meet someone’s new cat virtually (but again a pet with a propensity to bite‽)

As I alluded in the title to this post, it is starting to feel like we are on a roll. So (after reminding you all to continue working on the tasks laid out for this week) I’ll recommend you plan ahead for Sunday by checking out this wonderful poem by Bruce Lansky. You should recognise the rhythm. You might try writing your own version to include (perhaps along with a copy of ‘On Mother’s Day’, crediting Mr Lansky, of course) in a card this weekend.

I’ll also recommend this online version of Farkle (There are a few ads, but it’s not too bad). The game goes quickly, but watching the text description for each turn helps. And like most things in life, the practice (including the turns that don’t go your way) help you think about and develop your strategy. (Did you know you could have this much fun learning about chance & probability?)

Let me know how your farkle games (or other endeavours) are going in the comments, and I’ll see you at our next meeting this afternoon in Teams at 1PM.