2006 Accountability Rebuttal

Mathematics Department: Accountability Report
Name: Date:
1.) Peer Coaching
1a.) Peer Coaching Principle of Learning:
“Fair and Credible Assessments.”
1b.) Peer Coaching Focus:
“How can I incorporate group work in a Computer Science lab setting?”
1c.) Peer Coaching Experience:
When teaching students a new programming language, as we do in AP
Computer Science, it is very difficult to have the students solve problems
independently in groups. However, once students have a mastered a few
concepts, I challenge them with a special project that they can complete with
the help of their peers.
1d.) Peer Coaching Evidence:
I found that the students did poorly when applying new concepts in a
group setting. However, the students’ grades were higher on subsequent
projects when they worked in groups as compared to working alone.
1e.) Peer Coaching Lesson:
A typical lesson occurred the first week of school.  The first unit taught
students to write the infamous HelloWorld.java program.  The first few days
followed the Master/Apprentice model of teaching programming. In this
paradigm the students are the apprentice programmers and I am the master
programmer. I model correct programming, debugging and editing
techniques while the students follow my lead.  During the next few days, the
students worked in groups on projects that practiced and extended this
concept.
Accountability20062007.doc 1

Name: Date:
2.) Curriculum Development:
Most of my AP Calculus BC students also take AP Physics C
Mechanics. However, they only have an independent study course for AP
Physics.  To address this problem and to show the students more applications
of Calculus in the real world, I developed a series of biweekly take home
exams.  This is the Curriculum Project I chose to pursue in September when
asked to choose a project for this year.
However, late in March, I was told that my Curriculum Project was to
be the AP Audit.  I was told this after I had completed a significant amount of
work (10 exams each with an average 10pp of questions and 10pp of solutions
= 200pp). I was given release time during Superintendent’s Day (one half
day) and on 3/29/2007 (another half day).  This time was barely sufficient to
complete one AP Audit.  I am required to complete AP audits for AP Calculus
AB, AP Calculus BC and AP Computer Science A.

Name: Date:
3.) Personal Goal:
I have been researching Linux Cluster Programming for several years
now. I have done so with an eye toward incorporating several cluster
programming related activities in my computer science classes. We have
touched on this topic in class in the past.  My goal this year was to complete a
significant final project in May and June for my AP Computer Science
students related to cluster programming.
However, this year the Tech Dept took it upon themselves,
without consulting the HS Math Dept, to run the Linux Desktop as a
client in Windows under VMWare. This change in teaching setting
has proved very difficult for the students.  Many applications do not
run correctly. The new system is slow and unresponsive at times.
There are several hardware issues as well (sticky keyboards, no
graphic accelerator, etc).  In addition to this, we cannot install the
Cluster Operating System and the various Applications that we
usually do.
The situation in the Math Lab, room 429, is not conducive to
teaching programming in the style that we have always striven for.
The Math Dept was the first to ever teach about computers using a
GIMIX UNIX MiniComputer and dumbTerminals. We were the first
lab to use PCs, a Local Area Network and Secure UserIDs. Our
students were the first to learn DOS, Windows and Linux.  We were
the first to teach applications such as Word Processing, Spead Sheets
and Data Bases. We were the first to incorporate multimedia
teaching about graphics, animation and sound programming using
Pascal, C++, Java and HTML. I have always had the freedom to
research and incorporate such innovations in this lab.  As a result,
the Math Lab has always been a model for other computer labs in the
high school, not to mention the district.
We need to correct this situation as soon as possible. My
creativity and my students learning are severely curtailed.  We must
bring back the DualBoot Linux Partition that we already had for the
last 13 years.

Name: Date:
4.) Staff Development:
I attended an AP Calculus Round Table given at Oyster Bay High
School this year. Such a round table conference has not been held in this
area for AP Calculus Teachers for some years.  This meeting drew many new
and veteran teachers from the tristate area and was a great learning
experience as we had the whole day to share and debate new ideas and topics
related to teaching Calculus.
I was not permitted to attend LIMACON this year. I was told to
complete the AP Audit during Superintendent’s Day whuch was the same day
(3/16/2007).
4a.) Department activities and initiatives
I help teachers and students with problems relating the Graphing
Calculators and Personal Computers.
I develop and promote the computer classes.
I am continually researching new curricula and teaching methods for
teaching computer programming.
I maintain three Linux ssh servers and one Windows ftp server for the
computer programming students to use on campus and at home.
I make sure that the LAN in room 429 is up and running every day.
I maintain a Linux Super Cluster in Room 429 for the APCS class.
We have more and more users of the Linux Servers each year as
our enrollment has increased in Computer Math, Advanced Computer
Math and AP Computer Science.  As a result, I have had to use a lot of
my own time to maintain this system. I am continually fixing
computer related problems before school, after school, between
classes, on free periods and even during class when all else fails!
Last May I asked for a Computer Duty to start this school year
to help me address this problem.  I was told that it should not be a
problem and that I should be able to have this time.
In June I was asked to cover a class from September thru
November in lieu of my duty assignment due to a maternity leave.  I
agreed this coverage with the understanding that I would still need
the computer duty after the coverage was done.
In September I asked about the computer duty again and was
assured that it would be OK. When the coverage ended in late
November, I proceeded to use my duty time to fix computer related
problems.  I was informed in late March that, due to security issues in
the school, I was assigned a hall duty instead.  I have served that duty

Name: Date:
ever since. However, I am having great difficulty maintaining the
computers again on my own time.
Next year, I am in dire need of a computer duty that is not tied
to any one period. I am the only technician in the district that
maintains Linux.  I never know when a problem will arise and I need
to have the time to fix the problems when they occur.
4b.) Describe your role in school activities:
cocurricular
I am the advisor for the Continental Mathematics League (CML) in
Calculus.  We have 4 meets in class each year.  We are currently 3rd
in New
York State!
extracurricular
I advise the Baldwin High Chess Club.  I am a rated member of the US
Chess Federation (USCF). I am a USCF Certified Scholastic Chess Coach
and a Permanently Certified Local Tournament Director (LTD). We hold
USCF rated tournaments every Monday after school (3PM – 4PM).
During the Fall this year, the Baldwin High Chess Club participated in
the Nassau County Interscholastic Chess League for the first time.  This is a
league of schools fielding chess teams via model similar to that of Mathletes.
We had away meets against Kellenberg, Great Neck South, Wheatley and
South Side. We had home meets against Freeport, Chaminade, Portledge
and Massapequa.  We had a 26 record this year.  The meets took place every
other Thursday after school (4PM – 5:30PM plus bussing time) including a
playoff and championship match both in December.

Name: Date:
5.) Professional Organizations:
http://www.ams.org American Mathematical Society
http://www.maa.org Mathematics Association of America
http://www.nctm.org National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
http://www.acm.org Association for Computing Machinery
http://www.knoppix.net KNOPPIX Linux CD Beta Tester
http://www.yabasic.de yaBASIC for Linux Beta Tester
http://www.realbasic.com REALBasic for Linux Beta Tester
http://gcc.gnu.org g++ for Linux Beta Tester
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/api/ java for Linux Beta Tester
http://bccd.cs.uni.edu Bootable Cluster Linux CD Beta Tester
http://www.cs.rit.edu/~ark/pj.shtml parallelJava Beta Tester
http://www.uschess.org US Chess Federation
Nationally Rated Member/Player
Certified Scholastic Chess Coach
Certified Local Tournament Director
6.) Contests/Competitions: Continental Mathematics League: Calculus
Nassau County Interscholastic Chess League
US Chess Federation Rated Tournaments

Name: Date:
7.) Additional:
I have been involved, for several years now, as a Beta Tester for
KNOPPIX Linux in the Computer Science Classroom.  I used to install and
maintain the latest updates of the Linux Kernel in Lab 429.  I still do so for
the Linux Servers.  The APCS class is upgrading the client platform to an
openMOSIX Super Cluster. I am also a Beta Tester for REALBasic and
yaBASIC for Linux which I use in Computer Math.
8.) Most Proud of:
The Take Home Exams I give quarterly in PreCalculus and biweekly
in Calulus as group tests have been a creative and interesting extension of
class work.
Using Linux in Computer Math, Advanced Computer Math and AP
Computer Science has made my students very productive.  Teaching students
about open source, free software and the GNU Public License has opened
many doors for them. My students are very excited about using Linux at
home as a replacement for Windows and to complete classroom assignments.

2006 Accountability Rebuttal

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2006 Accountability Rebuttal