Producing Props and a Winner

There are times when we're about to shoot a scene and we suddenly realize: It would be awesome if we had _insert something useful here_.

It's usually some prop or visual aid. Sometimes it's a very important bit of data that we need to include.

Like: Units.

We ran into that today:


Amber Cutting Out Magnets

The fun part is that we have been working together for so long now that Amber is acutely aware of some of the technical issues of filming, which is why she suggested we re-shoot the clip. I decided it was perfect example of how we work and left it <smile>.


And, by the by, we have a winner of the Sonlight sweepstakes! Find out who won...


 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Multiplying Decimals

As we move along into ever more complex lessons, it gets more and more difficult to just sit down and teach a concept. And so we discuss, at great length, how we should teach these ideas.

Today it was multiplying decimals.

Amber, Justin, and I all come at math from vastly different perspectives. This helps us as we hash out our ideas. I'll say something like, "I've always hated the 'just count up the place values and move it over that many' mentality. We need to explain why you do that."

To which Justin will reply, "But that's just the way it is. We need to teach them the rule first so they will remember it."

Amber will jump in with, "Decimals are really tenths, so we should start there..."

And around and around the three of us go. But this is really helpful because that means we're addressing at least three different views of math in our lessons and hopefully clear up any confusion that one particular view of math would create.

Unfortunately, we can confuse ourselves from time to time. That's why I've started writing up notes and solving problems on a scratchpad. I've never really had to do that for our videos before:


Multiplying Decimals Notes

It's one thing to present an idea and, if the concept doesn't stick, change your approach and try a different method. But we don't have that luxury on these DVDs. Instead, we must consider all the possible objections and confusing bits and address them in a single scene.

And so far, with the three of us working together, that has worked out beautifully. It's a good thing.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Shooting Ratios

No, we haven't done the segment on Ratios for this DVD yet. That's still to come. But here is a real world example of ratios in action: Shooting Ratios--the ratio between how much film you use per minute of final product.

The last number I heard for Hollywood was an average of 20:1. They shoot twenty minutes of film per one minute in a movie.

This of course varies greatly between films. For instance, in the battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers, they shot hundreds--if not thousands--of hours of footage for that one 30 minute scene. In other films they will get a scene in one take and move on.

In think, over the years, we've averaged around a 5:1 shooting ratio.

For this latest MathTacular project we just finished our second hour of tape. I'm just guessing at the moment, but I think we're closer to a 12:1 ratio at this point.

Why?

I'm not totally sure, but my guess is that it boils down to:

1. We're still getting back into our groove
2. We have to teach and explain more
3. The concepts are harder and so require more hashing out on our end
4. And morale has been low or we're just tired

It's been a long first week. Hopefully we can recharge over the weekend and tackle this again on Monday with a renewed gusto.

May you have a very restful and joyful weekend.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

LCM War!

So, you're sitting there, thinking to yourself, 'Self, I need to teach people all over the world about Least Common Multiples. I know that means the smallest multiple that two different numbers share... but how do I explain that?'

And while you're thinking this, you suddenly wonder, 'Hmm... how do you actively solve for a Least Common Multiple without the guessing/know your times tables method?'

Further research leads you here which clearly tells you to:

Factor each of the numbers into primes. Then for each different prime number in all of the factorizations, do the following...

1. Count the number of times each prime number appears in each of the factorizations.
2. For each prime number, take the largest of these counts.
3. Write down that prime number as many times as you counted for it in step 2.
4. The least common multiple is the product of all the prime numbers written down.

...

'Self,' you say to yourself, 'this is insane.'

And so you start your day of filming.


Least Common Multiples

All in all, we did very well today. Some good stuff.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Free Curriculum and Little Things

On Tuesday, June 30th, we will announce the winner of a year's worth of curriculum!

In the mean time, check out a short video where Bo explains how we will choose the winner:


Sonlight's Free Curriculum Winner Selection Process

If you missed out on the first opportunity, we will have another drawing for first time catalog requesters to win a complete Newcomer Package of their choice. Find out more about the sweepstakes here and tell your friends!

In other news: I felt crazy overwhelmed today. Tons of little things running around, waving their many arms and crying out, "ME! ME! Help me, Luke! Help meeeeee!"


It's the Little Things

Sometimes, I'll admit, I'd rather squish the little things than deal with them.

I'm just sayin'.

How was your day?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

We're Ready to Roll!

Initial Impressions

Getting the first shot is always really difficult. In fact, one of my fellow classmates in college made a documentary on getting the first shot. He took footage on a set while they set up for, I think, around eight hours before they finally moved to the second shot they needed.

What?!

Yeah. That's filmmaking. And I realized, after the fact, that I was a little brief yesterday. We were able to solve quite a few problems, such as: Getting the lights to no longer reflect in the whiteboard or off the books on the bookcase, position the table properly, and generally reduce Justin's reflection on the whiteboard.

And this morning, we had another issue to resolve:


Ironing the Lab Coat

The "oh no" you hear from Amber at the end there... that was the iron staining the coat.

Yeah. Filmmaking.

Once we got going, and Justin got his "groove" back, things went quite well. Some very funny stuff... which is good. We know others are going to like the DVD when we're rolling with laughter while we make it.

And one of the things that I find funny is that somehow Justin's face tends to end up perfectly behind the "white balance" icon on my screen.


White Balance Face

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

"Shooting" Day 1

I grabbing this clip this morning, and I hope to bring you similar little moments as we progress:


A Glimpse of the MathTacular Set

So how much progress did we make today?

Umm...

Well, we never actually started rolling tape.

But we did get everything setup so we should be able to start rolling tomorrow. Justin was double-booked with another meeting, so we couldn't actually get going. Tomorrow, friends! Tomorrow!

...Lord willing...

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Rise of Homeschooling

A recent article in USA Today cites a profound shift in those who are homeschooling their children. In brief, the article states that there is now a higher percentage of girls, than boys, being homeschooled, and that a greater number of those homeschooling are white, wealthy, and well-educated.

While I am no statistician or expert on homeschooling trends, I must admit my first impression was to doubt some of the conclusions drawn. Apparently someone else has doubts as well. Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute has responded to the USA Today article with some statistics of his own.

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts as you interact with the homeschooling community. Do you really think that more girls than boys are being homeschooled? If yes, why? How about the claim that homeschoolers are increasingly more white, wealthy and higher educated?

I recently had the opportunity to join a radio interview with the president of the New York state homeschool organization (LEAH). The topic of the interview was the USA Today article. Take a few moments to listen to our conversation and decide if our thoughts are any more accurate than the article. (Click when the floating headline reads "The Rise of Homeschooling").

We've been home educating for over 14 years now and the face of homeschooling has definitely changed over time. What changes have you observed? What will the homeschool climate be like when our children begin homeschooling?

~Judy

"Solve that again, Sam."

With apologies to Casablanca, which, turns out, deserves more apologies...

We get web corrections from customers as they find things that aren't right on our site. It is often my job to then go make the needed change. Of course, sometimes we get corrections for things that aren't wrong, but it can take a while to sort all that out.

For instance, today I was alerted to the fact that one of our Placement Tests had the wrong answer to a math problem and the vendor's site has the correct answers. I went looking for an updated copy of the test on the vendor's site, only to realize that we merely linked to it... so "our" document and the vendor's document is one and the same. This led me on a search for where the customer could have found a different document. Coming up with nothing, I went back to the original problem and checked the math myself.

If my calculations are correct--and let's hope that they are--then the answer key is right.

As confusing as such things can be, I do learn new details about our site, get to brush up on my math skills, and try to figure out what someone is talking about. So the next time your child asks, "When would I ever need to know this, mom?" Tell them: When you're double checking the answer for a textbook on a website of the organization that employs you.

That should end all complaints. <ha!>


Don't forget to phone your father and hug your hubby this weekend.

Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers and those of you working on becoming one.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Expectant Father

Monday, Monday

For those of you wondering--if any of you are--why I'm still blogging every day and such, when I specifically said that I'm not going to have as much time for the blogosphere for a while. Well, that day is coming.

Monday.

And there is much to do between now and then.

But Monday I will begin blogging about our experiences making the next MathTacular. And, unless I find more time, that may be the majority of what I'm going to be talking about for a while starting next week.

Again, if you read or write anything you think I'd be interested in or would like me to comment on, please drop me an email or leave me a comment. I'm still very much dedicated to you here, but I just won't have the time to read the hundreds of posts in my reader as I have been.

So, Monday we start shooting. Your thoughts and prayers then are very much appreciated. We've done this many times before, but each one presents new challenges and situations we've never encountered before.

Just like the rest of life! <smile>

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

A pleasant complaint

Sarita's Word

---

I am so thankful for my husband John's role in our family. In fact, he's been so instrumental in my children's lives, it's almost annoying.

What do I mean? Well, not that I'm bitter or anything, but when my children wrote their essays for college on who was the most influential person in their lives, EVERY ONE of them listed their dad.

I couldn't help thinking, "Now wait a minute! I'm the one who did all the work! Who homeschooled them? Who drove them to swim meets and stayed to cheer? Who was present every minute of every day? Sure John's role was important, but he was working. How is it possible that he had such an impact?"

Although I can muster quite a bit of "mom indignation," I seriously couldn't be more pleased that the kids respect their father and have learned so much from him.

But their answers were the catalyst for some thought-provoking questions about the role and influence of dads within the home and homeschool.

The impact of fathers: A little of dad's active presence goes a long way
While I know a number of exceptions to this generalization, I would say many dads feel somewhat removed from the homeschool environment. They leave for work early, come home late, and often miss out on the day to day experiences of learning that moms get to experience. This doesn't mean, however, that dads have to sit on the sidelines!

I would challenge dads: Don't be discouraged if you feel you don't have the presence you would prefer at home. Use the time you do have, even if it's only a few minutes of time together sharing stories on the couch in the evening. Make an effort to ask questions, listen, and bond with your children and they will treasure your interest and thrive on your attention.

Although I was our primary homeschool instructor, John gave counsel to our children when they needed him most. When one of my more sensitive children was in tears, John would sit with her for an hour or more asking questions and giving an adult perspective and a listening ear.

Dad's perspective is strategic for homeschool success
Because John was a bit removed from the minute by minute quality of our homeschool, I think he could sometimes offer a more objective perspective to what was happening, or notice issues I didn't because I had been too much in the midst of them or too close to notice. This helped our family gain insight that kept us on a good path toward our goals.

John and I embrace our differences as we realize we truly complement one another. Where I am weak he is strong and vice versa. We choose to focus on each other's strengths instead of noticing all the weaknesses and failures of the other person. We are a parenting/homeschool team.

I want to challenge moms in this way: Please celebrate your husband's role with your children and in your homeschool. Don't belittle or begrudge his level of involvement, but help him find creative ways to interact with your children. Your kids WILL feel his intentional pursuit of relationship as well as the level of your respect and friendship with their father--they may write their college essays about it later!

If you are taking on this homeschool journey alone ...
If you are a single mom (or a single dad), I hope this talk of teamwork doesn't just remind you of the huge challenge before you as you balance these roles in your life; I hope it encourages you that you DO have a Helper.

I pray for you, if you are a single mom, that God would sustain you just as he promises to be Father to the fatherless. I pray for your endurance as you carry double weight in raising your children. I pray God will provide the counter balances and male figures your children need.

For you single dads, or even dads who are doing the majority of the daily homeschool, I pray the Lord gives you an extra dose of patience and sensitivity to balance these roles as well. May he provide the help you need and the female figures in your life to help your children flourish and thrive . Cherish every precious moment with your children as a gift from God.

May your family celebrate our Heavenly Father this week as you think of the special role he's given dads.
Sarita

P.S. Please share what you are thankful for in the "dad" in your life on the Beam forum. Are you a homeschool dad? In what ways do you intentionally build relationships with your children? You can also email me at president@sonlight.com.

One Year Anniversary

No, no, not my wedding anniversary (though that's coming up in a few weeks and I'll let you know then): My first year as a full time employee here at Sonlight.

But I've worked here on and off for, oh, at least a decade now.

And I was a "beta tester" before that <smile>.

So, for the first time, I got a card, a candy bar, and a gift card. How cool is that?

Pretty cool.


Happy Anniversary!

Other than that, today has been a couple long meetings and lots of little things that kept interrupting. And that can make it feel less productive than it's been. And if you've had a day like that, remember: You really have done a lot. And, even if you haven't, that's okay. There's grace and flexibility for that.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Archer and Control

I took Archery in college.

It was the only class that I had with Brittany.

One of the first things we learned was that how they shoot in the movies is all wrong. Instead of gripping tightly to the bow as you release, you actually leave your hand open with the bow resting between your thumb and forefinger. When you release the arrow, the bow falls forward and hangs from a little rope that goes around your wrist. This keeps you from accidentally jarring the bow as the arrow leaves your hands so it flies more true.

In other words: Archery is all about keeping your hands open, your body relaxed, as you point the arrow where it should go. Doing so actually makes the arrow fly straighter and more accurately toward the target.

And I've come to believe that as parents our job is to be like archers. Whether you have a full quiver or only one prized arrow, the practice is the same. Our job is to determine what God has gifted our children to do, point them in that direction, prepare them for flight, and then release them. And the best way to do this is to relax, keep our hands open, but get as much oomph as possible behind them.

Given all that, I was a little surprised at the comment that my good friend Mrs. C alerted me to. It's part of a much longer conversation about educational authority, poor reasoning, and sensationalistic talk. I really hope the reasoning in my response is solid, but the original quote stated:

Homeschool advocacy has a built-in flaw that hurts us imo. We love the heady philosophy of education choice and education freedom [but we] wind up making every issue about the parent’s rights and the parent’s values....

Real education freedom is for the learner and that means no ruling authority, not merely exchanging one ruling authority for another.

...It’s not real education freedom when church, state or even the parent-teacher controls what the child learns, knows and believes.

That means there’s a lot about homeschooling that isn’t real education freedom then. I happened upon the Sonlight commercial curriculum site today for the first time, where I found a list of pros and cons for homeschooling. Guess what the number one "pro" reason was? CONTROL.

As I tried to express--and fear I didn't do very well: Control is a loaded word in this context. The "control" Sonlight promotes is much more in line with archery; control that helps the arrow find its target.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Trust

Every now and again I see something that sticks with me and leaves a lasting impression. I had one of those experiences last weekend. I was at a homeschool convention, enjoying the worship session at the beginning of the day. We enjoyed the awesome sounds of a homeschool family that had more talent than I knew existed in one household. Dad, Mom, and four kids (ages 7-16) ... singing, playing flute, bass, percussion, keyboard ... and the harmony was perfect. In the midst of the worship experience, I noticed something that perhaps no one else saw. Every one of those kids had their eyes focused on their dad. He led their music without saying a word. He never had to stop to get anyone's attention ... never had to wave or shout or give any direction. Each child regularly looked to their dad for the "next thing". They didn't question or disagree ... right down to the youngest member of the group they simply watched dad.

Each time we met together for worship, I watched this scenario play out. And while the worship music spoke to my heart, the lasting impression was that of the trust the kids had in their dad. They believed he would always be there to give them direction ... and he was. Might I always keep my eyes on my Father ... always believing He will be there to give me direction. (Ps 25:2)

~Judy

Changes in Social Media

For those who don't know, Facebook now lets you use a username to identify yourself rather than facebook.com/people/some-random-dude/8972754553141592653. The problem is, I don't know if I should be luke.holzmann, or lukeholzmann, or luke-holzmann, or luke_holzmann, or just "luke" (wait, someone already took that).

Thankfully, that choice wasn't so hard for Sonlight. That's right, Sonlight's Facebook page is now facebook.com/sonlight. How cool is that?

Pretty cool.

As the "Media Relations Specialist" here at Sonlight, part of my job is to keep up on the changes in the social media tools. Facebook's update was one of those changes. Thankfully, I remembered that I needed to update it at midnight--some 14 hours after I was supposed to--and "sonlight" was still available.

If you hear about any major changes in the social media world, I'd love to know. Feel free to tell me about what you hear either here, in an email, or over on Facebook.

Oh, and be sure to let your friends know that they can become a fan of Sonlight on Facebook, write up reviews and post pictures too. And you can read these blog posts there as well (Hello, Facebook friends!).

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Translation Is Hard

Algebra isn't hard. You've been doing it from the beginning. So why is it that math is so difficult for some students?

I firmly believe it's because they haven't learned the language of math. Even babies know that if you put one teddy bear next to another teddy bear, close the door and open it again, there should be two teddy bears there. The difficulty is teaching a child that it can also be expressed in the language of math as 1+1=2.


1+1=2

Does the image above look like an equation to you? No, because it's not. But it could be if we translated it into one, or made it a word problem: How many bears are in the picture above? Show all work.

All of math is the same way, you just keep learning more and more vocabulary as you progress. Addition means "put them together/find the total." Factor means "break them into smaller numbers with division." The problem is that we can forget our vocabulary (much like I've forgotten almost all the Spanish I learned in high school). ∃ π ∀ {1:3} are all just as foreign as + - x ÷ to a new student.

So really, when you're teaching a student math, you're teaching them a language. You're training them to read this foreign script. You're conveying the meaning behind the symbols and sounds. And that is why I find we teach the same concept over and over again in the MathTacular DVDs: We teaching them that writing the equation this way ultimately means the same thing as the other.

1 + 1 = ?
2(1 + x) = 4

Bob saw Jill.
Jill's beautiful features were all Bob could think about as he attempted to soak up every aspect of this moment.

Same meaning... one just has more depth.

Math is easy. Learning the language can be tough. And, unfortunately, I still struggle with English sometimes too. Clever and cleaver are far too similar.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Many Hats

We all wear a lot of hats. Granted, there may not be 500 that ultimately threaten our lives, but sometimes it can feel like they do.

Wearing this many hats may be easy for you if you're one of those super amazing multi-tasker types. Change a diaper, fold laundry, cook a meal, teach math, mow the lawn, pay bills, drive someone to soccer practice, plant a garden, and maintain a cheery disposition all the same time? You've got it.

Me? Not so much.

I'm a one-at-a-time kind of guy.

That's not to say I can't stop in the middle of something at any moment and do something else entirely. But I have to do them one at a time (I can't even listen to music while reading). So today, one by one, I fixed some typos on the web, added some new content, talked over a few marketing ideas, discussed how our navigation system could be improved--and why it hasn't been yet, worked on explaining the order of operations in an Algebraic equation, briefly explained DVD copyright law, hashed out some design ideas for a new purchasing work flow, read about how well the Forum changes have been going (everyone seems to be very happy, which is great news!), after I read a couple hundred blog posts this morning.

My days are normally a tad more focused than that, so my head's spinning a little right now.

All that to say: I salute you! And today, I empathize with your many jobs. Continue to wear those many hats with joy, and may you have the grace you need to keep your head on when you can't take them all off.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

P.S. Just a reminder: As usual, some good stuff in the Other Posts of Note, like Mary Grace's latest which--as her posts often do--brought tears to my eyes.

Iron Sharpening Iron

One of the many things I love about blogging is how posts can help hone my thinking. As one wise guy called it: iron sharpening iron. I am consistently impressed with your insights and wisdom. You bloggers are just so great!

The most recent example is brief exchange I had with Ann on her blog, starting with this post and ending in the comments of this one. She took an idea that has been lightly tugging at the back of my mind for a while and gave it clarity. I think she is right on.

And, because I'm out here on the blogosphere, I get to read these gems.

<contented sigh>

It's good here.

Want a little more good stuff? Check out this post--NB: mild expletive--that does a fantastic job of describing the nostalgia we have for school and how that is quickly overshadowed by the joys of homeschooling.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Can We Shoot There?

Mass Media Law. Not only is it a class you take on your way to a degree in Motion Picture Production, but it's also something you have to consider when you make media.

Unfortunately, there are tons of lawyers who do nothing but tweak with mass media law, so it's a little difficult for someone like me to keep up. And some laws are just plain crazy, like many of the ones surrounding "intellectual property" rights.

When you go on vacation and you wander through a museum and snap some pictures, do you ever think, "Can I do this?" No, you probably don't because the only signs say that you can't use a flash--implying photos a totally cool.

When hiking through the forest filming your children running down the path, do you ever wonder, "What permit do I need for this?" No. Because, somehow, media law doesn't apply to you because you're an individual and you'll, at most, post it to YouTube (which has amazingly dodged many intellectual property issues. Guess that's what happens when you're backed by Google's money and lawyers).

But me, when I walk through a museum or forest, I do think about those kinds of things. Because I deal with those questions from time to time.

Like today.

What kind of permission do you need to shoot an educational clip in a national forest? Well, it looks like you need something like this.

Fun.

We may end up in my back yard again <smile>.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Thinking Caps

Normally, we mean "a hat to help us better think" when we talk about thinking caps.

But all too often, I find that something in my assumptions or preconceptions limits my ability to really consider an idea. And thus, my thinking is capped by how much I'm willing to consider another perspective. So, no matter what hat I'm wearing, I find that a "thinking proof" cap is clamped down around me.


Thinking Cap

I think that's what my dad is referring to in his latest post on the biblical nature of "randomness". It appears that some thinkers have gotten themselves stuck on particular words and missed the actual ideas. In trying to debunk evolution, they have capped their thinking at "God's design" and never got any further. At the same time, as my dad points out, "the Christian evolutionary community" needs to consider some ideas they've never gotten to either.

Granted, our own biases will always blind us and we can't get ourselves to see more clearly by simply wanting it to be so. But, by truly listening to those who disagree with us, we have the opportunity to remove the thinking cap. And that's why I love homeschooling: Despite the labels of "brainwashing," we have the unique opportunity to explore the various sides of a debate. We can tackle tough issues with our families as they arise and our children are ready for them. And while we will never escape our assumptions, we can safely look at challenges to our presuppositions and consider...

So, are you ready for another discussion of something "biblical"? It's a video on "biblical marriage"--though, I would argue, is more an excellent summary of "biblical methods of procuring a wife" than "marriage" per se ...hence why it completely falls apart at the end. It's supposed to be funny. For some, it will be. For you, I'm guessing less so.

And it is not suitable for children.

But it is interesting and, I think, provides an excellent opportunity to shed your thinking cap and consider the ideas. If nothing else, it will challenge your biblical knowledge [smile].

Okay, you've been warned. Ready? Jump in. The water's not too hot yet. If you can't get beyond your own thinking cap--not sure I did--can you spot her assumptions that are limiting her thinking (besides the one I gave you for free)?

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

A Moment to Confess

I have a confession to make: I don't read the Sonlight Moments very often.

'Sonlight Moments? What's he talking about?'

Exactly.

Allow me to direct your attention to my sidebars on the right there. --->

I have all your beautiful faces first because, honestly, without you swinging by every now and then, this blog would be completely pointless. Next to you, I have some buttons that have something to do with some crazy technology, but mostly I just like the color <smile>.

But now look directly under there: Other Posts of Note--which I talk about frequently because other people blog about such great stuff--and the Sonlight Moments widget (which you can add to your blog/site as well).

Sonlight Moments are great stories people send in about their adventures in homeschooling with Sonlight. We read one every Wednesday to the whole company when we gather for large group prayer. I always cheer really loudly when asked, "Who wants to hear a Sonlight Moment?"

But hypocrite that I am, I don't go out and read them on my own blog. What's worse, I was the one who got them to make me the Sonlight Moments Widget in the first place.

So, today, I decided it was time to change. And I read a few.

And I smiled.

I enjoyed myself.

And I was encouraged that homeschooling--especially homeschooling with Sonlight--works.

It is now my plan to take two minutes every day and just read a couple of these inspiring little stories. I hope you will join me, especially when you're not feeling like everything is going exactly as you would like.

Homeschooling works. And these are stories that prove it.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

A Fraction Squared

One of the beauties of creating educational materials is that you get to relearn everything. And you get to learn it better than you did when you learned it the first time because this time you have to teach it.

So, sure, we all know--if we reach back in our minds far enough--that (1/2)² = 1/4 ...right? One half squared equals a quarter because the exponent is applied to both the numerator and the denominator.

But why? And how would you show that? I mean, when you square, say, a half meter to make a box it doesn't really feel right that it would only be a quarter of a meter squared inside.

My brain started hurting. We'd been thinking these kinds of things through for many hours already, and I was fried. So were Justin and Amber.

This was crazy.

Why couldn't I figure it out? I mean, I did well in math back in the day but I was suck on cubing a half meter into a box that would only be 1/8th meter cubed in size and couldn't, for the life of me figure out how to tell someone that was true.

Then Amber held up a quick sketch, and everything was okay.

We could do this.

Children would be safe trusting us to teach them math. We've got their backs and will be able to demonstrate why a fraction to an exponent is the way it is:


(1/2)²=1/4

And I had one of those light bulb/a-ha! moments myself.

Homeschooling: It's a beautiful thing.

...so is trying to wrap your head around the square root algorithm <smile>.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

MathTacular... again!

Well, if you haven't watched the MathTacular3 Trailer recently--oh, it's also on YouTube--you really should. It's really good. And only 50 seconds long. And I made it. And stuff. So, please, check it out. <smile>

Why am I telling you about this?

Well, because we're gearing up to do another one.

Another one.

This means two things:

1. I'm not going to have as much time for the blogosphere for a while, and
2. I'm going to be posting about our adventures while making this thing

Today we had a meeting and discussed our plan of attack and started talking over some of the fun madness we're going to bring you. Nothing particularly exciting about a meeting, so there's nothing really to blog about in that regard.

However, at some point very soon--not sure when--I'm not going to have time to go through my blog feed every day (for the next couple of months while we shoot). So, when that day comes, I would love it if you-all would alert me to the posts you think I should read. Please feel free to email me any links that you think would be particularly interesting/important to Sonlight/me... or any of yours you want to make sure I read (because, I will!).

In September, after principal photography is done, I'll be back to reading your posts every day. If I can somehow fit it into my schedule to go through my feed between when we start and when we end, I will, but I'm not holding my breath... there's a ton to do.

So, sorry, friends, but duty calls. And this is an excellent opportunity to remind you that you can email me from the little graphic link on the right there. ...timely, considering recent events, I say <smile>.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

Digging

More digging through what's happening on the Forums today.

Please let me know if I can be of any help, or answer any questions, or look something up for you.

Unfortunately, because of all the other things I've been researching and writing to people personally about, I don't have anything to say here except: This is a lot of work and your prayers, support, and insights are very, very welcome.

Thank you!

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

The Tangled Nets We Weave

I wanted to draw an image for you, but I don't has what it takes to do that. So, instead, imagine a bunch of dominoes toppling over into the distance so that it eventually looks like a tangled net.

I know, very M.C. Escher of me.

Through my wanderings around the blogosphere today, I was alerted to the fact that something was going down on the Forums. Curious, I started poking around. Now, I moderate my own little part of the Sonlight Student Forums, but I catch only snippets here and there from the "real" Forums.

It turns out that people were committing "infractions" on the Forums by not adhering to the guidelines. Once they had racked up enough "infraction points" (or whatever those are called) they were suspended for a few days. Unfortunately, one of the ways to get an infraction point is to bring up a post deleted for not adhering to the Forum guidelines (this was initially implemented to protect the original poster). Unfortunately, we homeschooler-types are a curious bunch, and so people started asking about why things were being deleted, which meant their posts were deleted, and that led to more questions, and...

Hence, the dominoes turning into a web.


Dominoes - I am no Escher

As an insider trying to look at things from outside the company--and really focus on the user experience--I can see why this whole situation is so frustrating and out of hand. Because, it many ways, it is. That's why that particular part of the Forums where everything was imploding has been shut down. The tourniquet had to be applied. The bleeding stopped.

But now, those who are involved in helping the Forums run are taking this time to reevaluate how we do things so this kind of thing doesn't happen in the future.

Wounds are never a pretty thing, but I am very thankful for the people who are doing their best to graciously stitch things back together. The scars will still exist, and I wouldn't be surprised if some people decided they didn't want to hang around those areas of our Forums in the future, but I am consistently impressed with everyone--both those who work for Sonlight and those who use the resources--who makes the effort to make things right.

 ~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father

One of the cool things about my position is that I'm good friends with both those who are inside the company and you on "the outside" ...so please feel free to email me if you want me to do a little more digging for you about a particular issue. I may not be able to get you a satisfactory answer--sometimes there isn't one--but I love opportunities to help people get more information and insight.