Newsletter

A-Squared Tutoring was featured in an article on tutoring in September's issue of Richmond Magazine. A large photo shows owner Lanny Buettner (that's me) tutoring a student. A number of students of mine and their parents were quoted by the article. Sarah Graetzer, a senior at J.R. Tucker High School, was struggling with physics. Four sessions helped Sarah turn her grade around from a D to a B. Her father credited the individual attention and the opportunity to ask questions and get additional examples with helping Sarah understand the subject better. He explained "She could take all the time she needed to."

Sarah is quoted next: "He would go step by step with the problems with me and broke it down. I like how he went in-depth with everything." She also commented on times I explained the historical context behind the physics concepts. "He would talk about certain moments in the history of physics, like how Newton's third law [of motion] came about."

The article also mentions the experience of Cabot Hunt, another student I tutored. Cabot was having trouble with a teacher who would provide little explanation. Her mother describes the teacher's attitude as "if you're in that [honors] class, they should be able to figure it out on their own." From the tutor Cabot was able to get the extra explanation and examples she needed, and her grade improved.

These are just a few of the success stories typical of students who seek the help of a tutor.

The Minds of Boys

In the "Useful Information" section of the A-Squared Tutoring web page, I summarize some important insights into the ways in which differences in brain structure between boys and girls require different learning environments and teaching techniques. Every parent of a boy owes it to his or her child to learn what brain research is teaching us about how to raise a boy who will enjoy learning and do well in school. These ideas are drawn from the book The Mind of Boys by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens.

News from the World of Math and Science

What We Don't Know about the Brain

The brain is the most complex object we have yet encountered. With our brains we are able to understand a huge portion of the observable universe, from sub-atomic particles to black holes. It is ironic that one of the things our brains have yet to understand well is our brains themselves. Discover Magazine recently listed ten important questions about the brain that science cannot yet answer.

Some examples include how information is coded in neural activity, how memories are formed and retrieved, how do brains simulate the future, what are emotions, and what is intelligence. Science is the one area of culture where we own up to our ignorance and are not afraid to state that we don't know. It is the curiosity that drives us to fill in these gaps that drives science. We need to encourage children to explore the unknown. We can do that by teaching what science does not know as well as what it does know.

For more on how science is studying the brain, check out the following sites:

Brains.Org

Brain and Education

Brain Based Research on Learning

Brain Differences between Boys and Girls

The Gurian Institute

The Mathematics of Crocheting

When I teach or tutor math, I always stress that mathematics is above all else describing something in the world. Some things, like fractions or multiplication are easy to demonstrate in the real world. But other things, like polynomials, start to challenge the imagination. But even when mathematics is developed around purely abstract concepts, with no attempt to relate it to the world, something in the world turns out to be modeled by the mathematics.

In the case of some mathematicians in England, they applied the ancient art of crocheting to demonstrate a very abstract concept in chaos theory. The craft of crocheting takes a very simple thing, a long piece of string or yarn and turns it into something much more complex based on the ways the string loops over, under, and around itself. This is essential what mathematicians who study topology think about (they also think about two and three-dimensional objects). Chaos theory looks at how starting from the same place can lead to different results in ways that are hard to predict. An example is placing a leaf in a stream at a certain place and watching how it weaves its way between the rocks downstream. Even assuming you placed exactly the same leaf in exactly the same spot with exactly the same current, you could not predict the path of the leaf; it might be different every time.

Mathematicians Hinke Osinga and Bernd Krauskopf were working on an idea in chaos theory called the Lorenz Manifold. They had developed a computer program that described the manifold but were not getting a satisfactory two dimensional representation of the object. Then Osinga realized she could interpret the computer description as crochet instructions. She proceeded to crochet the Lorenz Manifold using 25,511 crochet stitches. This required over eighty-five hours of work.

So if you are worried that your son or daughter is too caught up in math (not a common problem, I realize), make sure to encourage him or her to take up a hobby. They never know what might prove useful in representing mathematical concepts.

News articles about this topic:

Science News: Crafty Geometry

BBC News: Mathematicians Crochet Chaos

Live Science: Crocheting Chaos

Fluxx's Blog

Richmond Education Calendar

A Listing of Events with Educational Value in the Richmond Area

New Exhibits in the Science Museum of Virginia

Starting September 22:

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (IMAX Film)

StarDate: Ancient Horizons

Starting September 24:

Live Outside the Bottle: The Story of Alcoholism in America

Starting September 26:

Stories of Ancient Egypt

Science Saturdays at the Science Museum of Virginia

September 15: Sound Day

September 22: Mummy Day

September 29: Solar Day

Watercolor Weekends at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Saturdays, Sept. 8 - 29, 10:30 - 12:00

Ages 5-12

Combines instructions on how to paint watercolors with viewing of watercolor paintings on exhibit.

Soul Cafe Poetry Reading

September 6 2 - 4 PM

Open mic poetry reading

The Gellmen Room of the Main Richmond Public Library

24/7 Dad Workshop

September 15, 22, and 29, 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

North Avenue Branch of the Richmond Public Library

A workshop on how fathers can improve on their parenting skills.

First Henrico County Public Library Teen Advisory Board Meeting

September 18, 7:00 PM

Twin Hickory Branch

A volunteer opportunity for teenagers to get involved in planning events for the Henrico Public Librarys. Looks great on college applications!

Also meets Sept. 24, 7:00 PM at Gayton branch.

Dance Dance Revolution

September 29, 2:00 PM

Tuckahoe Branch, Henrico Public Library

Competitive dancing with the Dance Dance Revolution Playstation game.

Folk Art of India

Starting September 29

Lora Robins Gallery of Design

University of Richmond

Ayman Fanous (guitar/bouzokee) & Mark Feldman (violin)

September 20 8:00 - 10:00 PM

Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall

Monroe Park Campus, VCU

Award winning musicians mix a variety of musical styles.

Learning Links

Below are some links to web sites that offer help to students of various subjects. Take advantage of the many learning opportunities now on the Internet. For more links, click on Learning Links at the top of this web page.

Physics

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Goddard Space Flight Center

This is a great place tos start learning about the physics of electromagnetic waves, otherwise known as light, radio waves, microwaves, and gamma rays.

Chemistry

AUS-e-TUTE

An Australian site with a wide variety of Chemistry Tutorials. If you join the sponsoring group, you get access to more materials.

Astronomy

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

Earth Science

For Kids only - Earth Science Enterpise

Sponsored by NASA

Divides earth science into five categories: people, land, weather, air, and natural hazards. Also has an image of the day.

Biology

Biology News

From Science Daily

While some of these might be too technically advanced for younger students, it is an excellent source of news on the latest discoveries. Science thrives only when there is free flow of information about results of experiments and observations. A good place to look for ideas on reports and for science fair projects.

Math

Integer Bars

This java interactive application gives you a workspace for exploring the whole numbers using integer bars (sometimes called Cusienaire Rods). This is the digital version of playing with blocks, except these blocks are color coded and have lengths that correspond to whole numbers from 1 to 20. There are many activities on the Internet for incorporating these bars into learning math. But they can be fun to do for artistic reasons, as well.

A-Squared Tutoring is owned and operated by Dr. Lanny Buettner. Dr. Buettner tutors physics, chemistry, math, physical sciences, and composition.

You or your child can enjoy the benefits of a personal tutor in your home for less than you might expect. Tutoring is great for students struggling to keep up with a difficult subject or just wanting a little extra help with an extra challenging class. Or a tutor can help with study skills, build skills essential to mathematics and science.

A-Square Tutoring serves the Richmond, Henrico, and Hanover areas. Call and find out what a tutor can do for you!

"Over the last decade, research into educational resiliency has confirmed that the single most impressive cure for lack of motivation to learn among students is consistent, specific, and helpful one-on-one contact with an educational mentor. This 'master' today may be the tutor, the tutorial school, the special learning coach, the mentor, and the family members who become tutors."

--Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens from The Mind of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life

A-Squared Tutoring

Academic Achievement is our Business