text:
Wikiversity:Colloquium/archives/September 2009

Template assistance
I am unsure if transwiki/transclusion(?) is the right word but I would very much like to have a template in Wikiversity that is the same as a template in Wikipedia, eg. The template is a Tibetan language template that automatically links to Tibetan script and Wylie Wikipedia articles, comparable to the template in Wikipedia. I am happy to do it if I may just have some guidance. I bumbled my way and created one Wikiversity template for Tibetan which is at the beginning of the Topic:Tibetan main page. Also if I am going to have paragraphs of Wylie or Tibetan script should they be in a field marked as Tibetan and Wylie respectively somehow? Would this maximize browser intelligibility? I await your advice. :-D B9 hummingbird hovering 06:15, 3 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I have imported Bo and Bo-wo but they will need some cleanup to fix the broken red links. I'm not sure if you want to point those links to wikipedia or create your own pages here.  Let us know if you need any help in customizing the template for use here.  --mikeu talk 11:05, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

Wikiversity Communication Widget
Since we are still a comparitively small group, but one that may be suffering from large group communication issues, I wonder if it makes sense to create a widget from the IRC software. Here is something along this idea: User:MichaelBillington/IRC  --JohnBessatalk 20:29, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

What Wikiversity is not
That things are going slow is a good thing IMHO, as it allows for maturing of ideas. But if they slow to a stop--that's bad. We put huge efforts into this writing, but then never voted. Can we just "ram" it through the process, assuming there are no objections to doing that or to the writing itself? This goes as well for other policy documents that are still in "limbo."--JohnBessatalk 19:10, 3 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I don't know about "ramming" things through the process, but yes. That document and its companion What is Wikiversity? have been "brought into the context" of current discussions as have other products of the earlier consensus here at meta and Wikibooks. The current team seems to be focused on Community Review/Proposed process at this time. --CQ 20:08, 3 September 2009 (UTC) [ quinobi ]
 * Well, whatever you want to call it, I think that the "plate has to be cleared" before moving on to the "next course." Possibly a concensus to either accept, table, or reject (or table instead of reject) policy ideas combined with a restrictive queue of, say, three simultaneous policy discussions will keep the table--or plate, or palette, reasonably clear.--John[[Image:bessa66.png|12px]]Bessatalk 21:06, 3 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The section below was an attempt to prioritize which pages should be worked on first.  The CR page seemed to be the most important to queue up.  I'll add your suggestion to the list.  --mikeu talk 13:13, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

The Wikiversity process
Proposed code for the process template based on guideline and policy.

(noinclude code ommited)

Rendering:

The current content at Process is only an example. A page, processes based on guidelines and policies can be created to follow through. Thoughts? --CQ 15:51, 3 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The proposed template seems reasonable to me. Would certainly be relevant in places like the Colloquium and at the CR page itself (though I think we need the policy about CR separately).  The Jade Knight (d'viser) 02:14, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * I went ahead and created process with:

 * Keep it simple. -- dark lama  12:13, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

 * That may be a little too simple, your Darkness. My thought was to make process inviting and comfy to encourage participation and an atmosphere of academic freedom. See Special:WhatLinksHere/Template:Strategy ... Notice confluence with Wikimedia-wide process, quality. Other "directives" are on the way "down" from on high. I'm not saying we should "suck up" to WmF but I'm hoping a spirit of cooperation can increase Wikiversity's visability and relevance within the metacommunity. We have unique liberties here that other projects can't have, especially once our process is well designed. --CQ 15:01, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

 * How about:

 * -- dark lama  15:43, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Looks good to me. The Jade Knight (d'viser) 18:26, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The wording is fine by me. I would like to point out that official process is a link to Processes which is not "official" at this time.  --mikeu talk 18:42, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

 * How about:

 * -- dark lama  18:59, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Close enough for Rock & Roll. --CQ 20:48, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

Policy roundtable
There seems to be a general feeling that this is a good time to try to move forward on some of the stalled policy development pages. Please indicate which of the listed pages you would like to see the community focus our attention on first:

 *
 *
 * Usurpation
 * this is part of Username --CQ 14:21, 2 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Bot editing rate
 * Community Review/Proposed policy
 * actually after some thought, I think this should be the first step. --SB_Johnny talk 18:21, 30 August 2009 (UTC)
 * this one as the first to focus our attention on. --mikeu talk 13:27, 31 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Username guideline
 * --CQ 14:21, 2 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Disclosures as Guideline
 * What Wikiversity is not
 * add a suggestion...
 * add a suggestion...

See below for the next round. --mikeu talk 17:44, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

learning from Nomic project
A new learning project has started at Learning from Nomic with gameplay occuring at Talk:Nomic and Nomic. Please join in! --mikeu talk 21:08, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

Spanish
--Aleyska 00:06, 8 September 2009 (UTC) Hello I am interested in learning to speak spanish fluently

 * I left a note on your talk page about Topic:Spanish. Maybe someone who is more involved in that can help out some.  --mikeu talk 00:23, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Policy, process, etc. vs. the roundable: maybe time to skip along?
I thought the "roundtable" thing was a good idea (still do), but wasn't the point of it to focus our attention on one particular policy (or whatever) at a time? It's good that there's such interest in the topics now, but these things can easily bog down.

Since the comments on the CR process/policy/etc. seem to all be in support thus far and none of the discussion below seems to have objections to the content (as opposed to what we're calling it), should we maybe just call it "approved" for now and move on to Policies, guidelines, and processes? --SB_Johnny talk 17:09, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

 * Agree. I suspect that we might get more input from a broader cross section of the community if we focus our efforts on one topic at a time.  Otherwise, people will have trouble figuring out where the current discussion is happening and we'll get less discussion within each topic.  We can then pick a new topic of focus next week, or every two weeks, to move through the list.  Please share your thoughts on Community Review/Proposal.  --mikeu talk 17:22, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The Jade Knight (d'viser) 18:28, 4 September 2009 (UTC)
 * --CQ 20:52, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

 * ✅, marking official now so we can move on to the next topic. --SB_Johnny talk 12:13, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Just a reminder that we are currently looking for input on Community Review/Proposal. Please read the page and discuss at Wikiversity talk:Community Review/Proposal. If there are no objections in a few days we can wrap it up and move on to the next item in the list. --mikeu talk 00:34, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Little Red Schoolhouse -- for real!
I may have an opportunity to restore a one room school house, that is restore the entire community of knowledge.

In short, there is a rich guy next to the church I attend who wants to restore a one-room school house that is presently an unused "sportsman's club." I suggested to the rich guy restoring the "community of knowledge," that is the school itself, and he liked the idea, but balked because he got resistance from the sportsman's club. (Sportsmen do the unsporting sport of wandering around the woods shooting innocent wildlife during Autumn, when I like to hike the most.)

Well, maybe not so short. The politics are such that two girls, daughters of one of the sportsmen (who is actually having misgivings about blowing away the woods creatures), love teaching, and nearly all the women in the church are likewise teachers. There is both professional and financial support,and a family-related motive to restore the building.

Since the rich guy is a businessman, then he will probably want to see concrete documentation resembling a business plan, proving on paper that the school would be successful, at least on paper. One-room school houses were of course successful, helping America to grow to be the big power that it is today. I believe it is the type of structure that schools have become, so large to be void of empathy, that is eroding America, both morally and economically.

Naturally the church will want to be involved, which would seem to be a problem since schools are supposed to be secular, but the church actually supports Darwin's second brainstorm, that human morality is descendant of the natural affection of wild creatures for their young, eliminating what is usually a huge headache.

Wikiversityian involvement would be two-fold. Creating the proposal, and documenting the success. Wv would be a natural system for the school's education program, which traditionally involves the older children learning the material well enough to teach the younger children. Also important is that one-room schoolhouses teach students how to benefit the community, rather than prepare students to be human capital (Joel Spring, American Education). In this sense, the traditional schoolhouse would be a vehicle for what is now called non-traditional education.

I have written extensively on this topic, including Middle School Science, and I really need to catalog my educational writing. (Personally I think I am headed to school counseling rather than teaching.)--JohnBessatalk 20:54, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

Username policy in light of SUL
Community Review/Usurpation of usernames has been opened to keep this discussion centralized. Please continue the discussion there, and feel free to copy & paste any comments from below that you would like to see included.

There is an attempt at a discussion on SUL Usurpation of usernames, the accounts attached to which have edits, at Wikiversity_talk:Changing_username. However, the discussion is far too thin (the Crat who started the discussion hasn't been back since his first post and I'm the only other commenter). The gist of the matter is this: Our usurpation policy says you can't usurp a username that has edits and this is defended by saying it's a GFDL issue. However, this position pre-dates SUL. Meta does not suggest such an overriding concern at Unified login and on those projects which have developed SUL usurpation, there is a substantially more liberal policy for SUL usurpations than for ordinary usurpations.--BewareofDoug 07:13, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

 * I think assuming good faith is required on the part of the person who originally created the account locally too. I think names should be first come first serve without regard to who may be using it elsewhere. I think unless a person agrees to give up the username a change should not take place. I think any person who wants a SUL account where there name is not available on all projects should request a name change for there own name instead. I think the practice of forcibly renaming other people with "(usurper)" in the name is a very bad one. What gives person A more of a right to a name then person B? How would you like it if you returned to Wikiversity to find you cannot login because you've been renamed "BewareofDoug (usurper)"? I think usurpers can damage projects by upsetting people who return to find they can no longer login and use a username they registered, just as I imagine not being able to use the same username everywhere can be upsetting for some people. I think there is no way to keep everyone happy. I think usernames should be no big deal and that people make a bigger deal out of being able to use the same username on every project then it should be. -- dark lama  12:07, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

I agree that more input is neeed on this topic. Usurpation is one of the items on our policy roundtable discussion above. I'd like to invite everyone to comment at the central discussion at Wikiversity_talk:Changing_username. --mikeu talk 12:16, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

 * This would probably be better handles as a CR case, since there's no clear policy about it. --SB_Johnny talk 12:53, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

 * I agree. We really need more input from the community on a decision like this. I have started a Community Review/Usurpation of usernames to draw more attention to this discussion. Please post new comments at that page, and feel free to copy & paste anything from this page that you feel the community should be aware of.  --mikeu talk 13:31, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

Rich-text editing on Wikia
I noticed that rich-text editing has been rolled out on Wikia: http://help.wikia.com/wiki/Help:New_editor based on FCKeditor. Anyone know how far off is it for WMF projects? -- Jtneill - Talk - c 03:12, 18 September 2009 (UTC)
 * With regard to this, see the strategy proposal: WYSIWIG default editor. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 02:08, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Wikiversity strategic planning
There are a number of proposals at the http://strategy.wikimedia.org Wikimedia strategy site that relate to Wikiversity. Please take a moment to review these pages. --mikeu talk 02:53, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

 * The Wikiversity specific proposals are at: Wikiversity --mikeu talk 14:07, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

Wikiversity as key OER site
Brion V. and I attended an Open Educational Research Search Discovery workshop in July. Representatives from a few of the large repositories, archives, and educational institutions were present.

There was an unanswered question that came up: Is Wikiversity interested in including a complete overview of the world's [notable] educational materials?
 * Subquestion: does the answer vary based on whether you're describing all notable materials, or simply free ones. If the former, then the list of notable non-free materials would be a good place to start looking when you're deciding what new free materials to create; if the latter, highly abbreviated lists of non-free materials could be left in their own ghetto and linked to their wikipedia pages where appropriate.
 * Subquestion 2: How does notability here differ from that on Wikipedia? (there, any individual publication or material would need to satisfy notability guidelines for publishers or authors; or be the flagship of a popular website; however even best-selling highschool textbooks which clearly satisfy some of those guidelines don't have entries or categories.   (Try finding any of the popular history textbooks reviewed here anywhere in WP, for instance.)

Noone had a solid answer for how we would all search for, discuss, and share the best available OER works two years from now. None of the other possible sources for such an overview had a clear handle on scalable community discussion, flexible classification, or linking into and association with specific courses and projects.

If this were considered within Wikiversity's scope, there could for instance be a page per notable module/course/activity (or a group of them), with links to repositories and archives that contain that resource. (some might be only at wikiversity, some might be at a dozen different public repositories, each offering its own slightly different features.

That would be a large, cleanly described task: every new archive you find can be described in terms of the % of its collections that are unique to it; and the metrics it provides to demonstrate how widely used / notable / distinct each of its materials is.

Sj 23:21, 25 September 2009 (UTC)

 * I think Wikiversity is interested in including everything the world currently knows, people would like to know, or would like to study. Wikiversity tries to encourage people to explore, learn and research whatever they want. Learning and research possibilities are limitless. I think that includes notable educational materials. I think the answer does not vary because AFAIK Wikiversity has no notability requirements.
 * I don't know what form "a complete overview of the world's [notable] educational materials" would take. Maybe representatives from OER Search Discovery could start a learning project like "What is educational notability?". Maybe they could also collaborate to create a learning project like Notable educational materials in which contributors could limit the learning project's scope to whatever definition of notability there is consensus for and use subpages to organize the overviews. -- dark lama  15:42, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

News
Please contribute to News. Do you have a new project that is starting? Remember to watchlist the page to keep up with what is happening. --mikeu talk 14:19, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

Categorization
I have a problem - no category for multidisciplinary topic / course type

Genezistan 04:21, 13 September 2009 (UTC)

 * Is this for Reflective thinking? We can create a new category if an existing one does not fully describe the type of resource.  --mikeu talk 17:58, 13 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Realize that you can categorize pages in multiple categories. There is no need to limit yourself!  The Jade Knight (d'viser) 18:41, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Display random image from commons
One for the mediawiki freaks :) - how could a random image from commons be shown on Wikiversity? -- Jtneill - Talk - c 12:39, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

 * An extension could do it, or javascript. -- dark lama  15:00, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Philosophy
What is the ultimate test for say, achieving the highest degree impossible to philosophy? --Mystyck 02:29, 29 September 2009 (UTC) PS- I made an odd observation today. From my perspective, I saw that tonight was a half moon. But then I observed that we can only see half of one thing. Next month to this day is a quarter moon. And from this I asked two questions =If theres light on the other side of my perspective, who can see it? =Is this a Coincidence?

Follow my learning path... at Wikiversity
User:Darklama has created some buttons that can be used on external websites (such as Facebook, blogs, etc.) to draw attention to resources here at Wikiversity. Feel free to use this button and link to your favorite page here at wikiversity. Or create your own button! --mikeu talk 15:24, 9 September 2009 (UTC)
 * A smaller version with larger text would be useful. Lemuel Akins 20:37, 9 September 2009 (UTC)
 * He has created a second button that can also be used. --mikeu talk 22:17, 9 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Curious - what image editing software do you use, DarkLama? -- Jtneill - Talk - c 03:58, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

help please
http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Topic_talk:Wiki_business_ventures Sir Soapy

 * Sir Soapy, you left a message on my talk page about this earlier, and I notice you still haven't replied to that message. Do you want us to remove Wikademia from the spam blacklist? Well, maybe you should explain why it was put on that blacklist in the first place and why you think it should now be reviewed for removal from that list. After you do that maybe somebody could help you out. Thanks, Trinity507 23:27, 30 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Also, please remember to sign your posts with four tildes so that this conversation can be more easily followed. Trinity507 23:28, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

 * Due to abuse of multiple accounts (see Wikiversity:Community Review/User:Wikademia), the User:Sir Soapy account has been indefinitely blocked. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 23:31, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

 * All right, sounds like a good decision to me. I had no idea what the Wikademia thing was until I went back and read some of the archives, but of course that was after this whole conversation. :-) Trinity507 02:37, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

Please help integrate proposals for assessment content and assessment review into MediaWiki
I am having trouble with http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposal:Assessment_content (which was started before I even knew the MediaWiki Quiz extention existed) because I realize now that the review system, which is described seperately in http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposal:Develop_systems_for_accuracy_review needs to be much more tightly coupled or the two parts will be much less useful.

Please see for a set of states in a state transition flow, followed by a list of fields with some really important ones missing. I updated the question about the necessary database structure on w:Talk:Database_normalization but I wanted to ask for help here, as there seems to be a greater quantity of volunteers eager to make something of free interactive educational content here.

Specific questions:

What fields need to be added to each question in order to support accuracy review?

 * The answer scored as incorrect which is challenged as correct, among other things. 99.25.113.203 15:12, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

Is there a Village Pump/Technical forum here where these questions would be more appropriate? --99.35.130.5 18:15, 10 September 2009 (UTC)

 * Please see http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Quiz -- You probably want someone with Tim Starling's level of MediaWiki/SQL expertese for this. The enwiki VP/T may be more appropriate for this question, but let people here try to answer first, I guess. 98.210.193.221 20:11, 10 September 2009 (UTC)
 * McCormack is the person who developed Quiz, here. He's not been around lately but you might get him interested in working on this. I'm doing some similar work for generating dynamic content with MediaWiki but I'm mostly doing with the #time parser function so far, but was planning to get to some Test and Quiz topics further down the road. Looks like it would be wothwhile. I'll dig a bit deeper. CQ 16:56, 11 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Thank you. I'll try to figure out the additional field variables for being able to review a newly submitted question item. 76.254.67.112 20:01, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

I don't see any more interdependencies in the data structures or dataflow which would suggest any more database complexity than what's already described. However, readers have been making some odd challenges and have asked for diagrams on http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Proposal_talk:Develop_systems_for_accuracy_review -- I think it's fair to say that both need a formal source data syntax and semantics, as well as copious diagrams before we try to get a set of interoperable implementations. 98.210.193.221 17:45, 1 October 2009 (UTC)

survey says...
According to en-wv pages hits the most popular pages during the month of August were:

 * Psychology
 * Great Repeal Bill
 * Blues basics

Take a look at the list linked above. It is a handy way to see what topics and pages are most in demand by visitors to wv and suggests areas where we might want to focus our development efforts. --mikeu talk 14:54, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

 * Another project that I have just started is Google Search and Wikiversity. This project will study how people using Google search are brought to Wikiversity.  There are already some interesting results.  For example, Principles of Management and Principles of marketing are two of our pages that goodle searchers visit after finding those wv pages in a search.  Please participate or comment if you find this topic of interest.  The goal is to both learn how Search engine optimization works and also to think about how the results can help us develop Wikiversity by informing us of high visibility pages that newcomers are viewing.  --mikeu talk 14:14, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

 * This is very interesting. The most popular pages are not necessarily blue-ribbon pages.  One the the pages listed is Amateur radio (8 hits/day) which I though was exceedingly sparse and almost a stub, but it does show a need for amateur radio education in the WWW.  Should we assign pages like this for development?  Can we somehow influence brick and mortar educators to give Information Society credits to enrolled students who research and develop such pages?--John[[Image:bessa66.png|12px]]Bessatalk 19:26, 11 September 2009 (UTC)
 * This is actually what caused me to adopt Portal:History; I discovered it was WAY more visited than School:History. The Jade Knight (d'viser) 18:32, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

 * I have to say I studied some psychology before focusing purely on my computing courses, I may be able to contribute something to the psychology resources, although my knowledge is mostly basic. Still if wikiversity rises close to the top of a google search result for psychology related articles, all the better! Lysander89 10:24, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

Publication of bachelor thesis or master's thesis
Hello! I'm completly new to Wikiversity but I have some experience in other Wikimedia-projects. I have noticed that you allow original research here (as the only project, I think?). Is publication of bachelor projects and master's thesises welcomed here? If so, how does it work? Is PDF acceptable? How to categorize the uploaded file? Should links be added from somewhere in the project? And what about non-English publications? (I have noticed that a Danish Wikiversity does not exist.) If such texts are not welcomed, do you know where they would be suitable? --Nillerdk 08:20, 28 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Hi Nillerdk, yes, your thesis would be very welcome. PDF upload would be fine/easy, perhaps with a dedicated mainspace page containing meta-info and abstract? If its in Dutch, it could go on http://beta.wikiversity.org. Category? Well, try whatever the subjects are - we can help out. For an overview try Browse and Portal:Research. Hope this helps. Sincerely, James. -- Jtneill - Talk - c 11:15, 28 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the answer. So an English bachelor thesis or an English master's thesis is within the scope of en.wikiversity.org. So far so good. It seems that beta.wikiversity.org does not allow file uploads. So where do a thesis in another language (not being one of the few languages for which a xx.wikiversity.org exists) belong? Nillerdk 12:44, 28 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Great question. Theoretically at beta, but you point out a problem (I wonder if someone more familiar with beta can help you?)  Does there happen to be a Topic:Danish here?  If so, that might be one place to link to it from.  The Jade Knight (d'viser) 18:44, 28 September 2009 (UTC)
 * Maybe upload to, then link from beta? -- Jtneill - Talk - c 06:34, 29 September 2009 (UTC)
 * The last time I checked, you can upload .pdf files to Beta. What was your problem?  Filesize? Hillgentleman | //\\ |Talk 17:25, 18 October 2009 (UTC)


text:
Norwegian Language/Lesson I

Foreword
This page is a lesson on Bokmål, the more commonly spoken of the two forms of norwegian. This page covers basic use of pronouns and conjugation of verbs in the present, the use of modal auxiliaries, and how to hold a basic conversation.

Pronouns
Personal Pronouns are as follows for their English equivalents.

Nouns
Nouns describe a person, place, or thing.

Basics
In the norwegian language, there are three genders for nouns: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The indefinite singular (unconjugated) forms of the nouns are represented similarly the way they are represented in english.
 * En stol. Masculine, a chair.
 * Ei jente. Feminine, a girl.
 * Et bilde. Neuter, a picture.

Cases
Cases for each verb differs, but they follow the same rules.
 * Indefinite singular: Article before the noun.
 * Definite singular: Article is attached to the end of the noun.
 * Indefinite plural: A modified form of the article (see below) is attached to the end of the noun.
 * Definite plural: The suffix -ene is attached to the end of the noun.

Below is a table of the different noun cases in norwegian, with the english equivalents in parentheses.

Exceptions
Depending on the speaker, the feminine article may be replaced with the masculine article. For example in the definite singular case, one might say jenten instead of jenta.

In the case of a neuter noun, in which the noun itself has only one syllable, for instance 'house'; et hus. The indefinite plural is simply drops the article. Houses would be 'hus', planes (et fly) would become 'fly', and so forth.

Verbs
The infinitive form of verbs will typically follow this form (å)+(verb)+(letter e) å is one of the many ways to say 'to' in norwegian for example: the infinitive of the verb, 'to play' is 'å spille' The e is simply a platform for conjugation.

Conjugation
Simple conjugation in the present tense does not change for the pronoun it is used in conjunction with. The strong and weak verbs which will be covered in lesson are conjugated the same way for the present tense. Conjugation for the present tense is adding the letter -r to the word and dropping the å at the beginning of the infinitive.

Irregular
As in nearly all languages there are irregular verbs, verbs that are conjugated differently from the rest of the verbs in the language. Some of the more common ones in Norwegian are. Their present tense forms are as follows
 * Å Være, to be
 * Å Vite, to know
 * Å Gjøre, to do

Modal Auxiliaries
Modal auxiliaries, or modal verbs, are words that appear before verbs in order to change the mood of necessity or probability. Some common examples in english include; can, shall, will, must, and may. The sentence structure of these is also similar to the english equivalent. Jeg kan spise mat. I can eat food. The sentence is formed by the subject, the modal verb, the infinitive form of the verb dropping the -å stem, and then the object. Negation is achieved by adding ikke directly after the modal verb. For example: Jeg kan ikke spise mat. I cannot eat food. Other modal auxileries and their english counterparts are as follows:

Now to Norwegian Language/Lesson II--->

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Norwegian Language/Lesson I


text:
Joint Entrance Examination/AIEEE 2009/Q080 DOPPLER EFFECT

Test Text

Original Question by 164.100.170.4

 * Here's the question...

Post a reply! []

What's Up?

 * Latest discussions on the forum

Waves-And-Oscillations

Physics-Help

Category AIEEE 2009

Thread post

Additional notes

 * These comments, along with the notes on the left, were contributed by 164.100.170.4 12:17, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

AIEEE 2009
 * reply[]


text:
User:B9 hummingbird hovering/Nundro notes

Invoking the Lama (from Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro) (3 times) LAMA KHYEN NO O Lama, care for me ! NYING Ü DÉ PÉ GESAR SHYÉ PA NÉ From the blossoming lotus of devotion at the centre of my heart KYAB CHIK DRIN CHEN LAMA YAR LA SHYENG Rise up, O compassionate lama, my only refuge ! LÉ DANG NYÖN MONG DRAK PÖ ZIR WA YI I am plagued by past actions and turbulent emotions--- KAL PA NGEN PA DAK LA KYOB PÉ CHIR To protect me in my misfortune CHI WOR DÉ CHEN KHOR LÖ GYEN DU SHYUK Remain as the jwel-ornament on the crown of my head, the mandala of great bliss. DREN DANG SHÉ SHYIN KUN KYANG SHIENG SU SOL Arousing all my mindfulness ans awareness, I pray ! Ngöndro Reciting the Four Contemplations which Turn the Mind Reciting the Four Contemplations which Turn the Mind NAMO ༔ Homage ! LU MÉ TEN GYI GÖNPO LAMA KHYEN ༔ O Lama, my unfailing and constant protector ! DAL JOR DI NI SHIN TU NYÉ PAR KA ༔ This free and endowed human birth is very difficult to obtain. KYÉ TSÉ MI TAK CHI WÉ CHÖCHEN YIN ༔ Everything that is born is by nature impermanent and bound to die GÉ DIK LÉ KYI GYU DRÉ LU WA MÉ ༔ Beneficial and harmful actions bring their inevitable results. KHAM SUM KHOR WA DUKNGAL GYA TSÖ NGANG ༔ The Three Realms of samsara are an ocean of suffering. DREN NÉ DAK LO CHÖ LA GYUR WAR SHOK ༔ Recognising this, may my mind turn towards the Dharma. Reciting these verses many times trains the mind properly.
 * http://mildred632.free.fr/dharma/Ngöndro/ngöndro-a4.xml

Sri Sri Sri
http://www.lotsawahouse.org/ngondro.html

Triune: outer, inner & secret
All sadhana of the Nyingma, Bonpo and Kagyu as a general principle have outer, inner and secret evocations. Dzogchen, particularly so according to my master ChNN Rinpoche. There are sometimes quatrunes, but these are also gankyil. Some people holds that the secret is 'higher' than the inner which is in turn 'higher' than the outer. This is a false view. Outer, inner and secret are nondual like the gankyil: they are a triune, interpenetrating and indivisible. The most efficacious is the practice that works and that is individual and unique according to the qualities, propensities and karmic proclivities of the aspirant.

Yana
The same holds true for Yana. Dzogchen is not a 'higher' practice it is the most refined, the most subtle. The spaciousness of the effortless vehicle, Dzogchen, enfolds all the other yana. All other yana flow into Dzogchen in due course. Dzogchen is the ground which support the paths of the yana. In truth, there is only one yana. A Dzogchenpa in quality can practice and teach through any of the yana. The yana are also a historical progression of the Buddha Dharma and provide a valuable categorical and organizational tool of the various literatures and practices. Yana also function as a pedagogical tool. Each yana has its own rules and vows, cycles of initiation and progressive commitments. In truth, the qualities, propensities and karmic proclivities of the aspirant determine the yana not the sadhana. That said, it is generally understood that mode of sadhana determine the yana. This is a false view. A person outwardly practicing and initiated in the first yana, may be practicing as a Dzogchenpa in quality according to their realization. For a meditation master this is self evident. What we understand as meditation in Dzogchen though is not just sitting nor contemplative ritual action, it extends to an expansive continuum effortlessly embracing all activities through waking and sleep. A meditationless meditation. So many Dzogchen practitioners in initiation and not quality tout that this excuses them from sitting meditation and contemplative ritual action. This is unfortunate. That said we are all unique, some people are more fitted to sitting meditation, others to philosophy, others to literature, singing, ritual, craft and arts, etcetera. Our 'dharma' though, in the sense of our occupation and preoccupation, is not just to do what we are good at or have a calling for and are predisposed to, but also to develop practices that challenge and extend us and that within which we are not naturally gifted.

Text, intertextuality and metatextual notations
"When
Tibetan
letters
are
stacked
to
represent
a
Sanskrit
word,
each
syllable
is
pronounced
irrespective
of
whether
the
letter
would
be
silent
in
a
normal
Tibetan
word.

Each
letter
is
pronounced
the
same
way
regardless
of
what
letter
precedes
or
succeeds
it.

That
is,
the
linguistic
compensations
of
normal
Tibetan
pronunciation
do
not
apply
to
Sanskrit
stacks." [typographical error repaired]

Jigme Lingpa mentions his own practice of ngondro in his 'transpersonal autobiography' 'Dancing Moon in the Water' (Chudai Garken; ཆུ་ཟླའི་གར་མཁན) (Full title: )... Convey the importance of the moon in "I am" seed of haM within Carya and more esoteric vehicles. This image conveys a simulacrum and mirrorwork.

Gyatso (998: p.xxi) relates her methodology of signifying textual annotations in "Dancing Moon contains interlinear notes, printed in smaller type than the rest of the text. I have retained this convention in the translation." I note the resolve of Gyatso but I am transcribing the Tibetan text into a Wikimedia environment, the pitch of font is already challenging to view and read unless the screen percentage is magnified. To my knowledge Wylie and Extended Wylie do not have transcriptions yet for identifying such subscript or metascript in their conventions. But that may just be my oversight. There is a beautiful traditional translingual mark ※ for identifying commentary or annotations to a text. I have resolved to employ that for the interim instead of curved parentheses as I commenced doing in a rather cavalier fashion. I would be extending the traditional usage of this mark in this application, but this modern forum is going to necessitate the evolution of new conventionalities such as this adaptation and innovation. I hold that it is considered and respectful.

Vajranatha (1996: p.8) refers to interlinear 'notes' but it is not identified whether these are demarcated by a smaller pitch of font or ligature than the text proper. This Ngondro has a number of such notes. The smaller pitch text annotations are very common and known as where 'yig' denotes 'text' and 'mchan' are 'notes'. Sometimes these are corrections made by a second hand (in which case they will be very short). Sometimes they are notes and commentary, e.g. in philosophical writings you often get identifications of cited sources in smaller writing. Some people just transliterate these notes in a smaller font, other people use xml like notation for example. Sort of depends who the intended audience is. Sometimes they are appropriate as footnotes when it is clear what specific location to place the footnote.

༼ཧཾ༽ = haM, the seed syllable is undefinable and yet is to be defined, for even though inconceivable to say that its majesty cannot be received directly to mind[stream] by the grace of adhisthana is to be in duality. The seed-syllable will reveal itself to me in the practice of the Ngondro, I will invoke haM in a Wheel as it is herein invoked with auspicious embrace; 'I am' the fullness of divine pride in unobstructed interpenetration with deity fully aspected, this is how this seed is utilized in Becoming Vajrasattva which is key to this Ngondro. hamsa = swan = grace; svaham/soham...it is a finality, a completion in binding, in the practice of the mandala it is invoked after the 'bhandha', a binding seal, bhandha = mudra; ha = Moon (male thigle/bindu, white element) anushwara = Solar (female thigle/bindi, red element), the winds of the outer channels are centralized.
 * http://books.google.com.au/books?id=eZQsTlDQ0T8C&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=ham+seed+syllable&source=bl&ots=O6BwljZV-O&sig=JWlhAscoUwNp5CauG6RE1PGasJ0&hl=en&ei=vfS9So_cEtWSkQX8yqxW&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9#v=onepage&q=ham&f=false

"'Ordinary body, speech, and mind, along with the collections (or, said differently, the white and red elements and the energetic-mind, along with their collections) are inherently enlightened. In essence, they are the five wisdoms. This is the manifestation of enlightenment at the time of the ground.' Patrul Chokyi Wangpo's exegesis of Jigme Lingpa's Ladder to Akanishta, rendered into English (2006: p.30)"
 * Patrul Rinpoche received instruction on the Longchen Nyingtik Ngondro some twenty-five times from Jikmé Gyalwé Nyugu, and Patrul Rinpoche completed the required practices the same number of times. Aum Sri Sri Sri Dzogchen Ling pa Namah

 * Adhisthana or Kaji in Japanese, which is a favourite term often used in Vajrayana ritualism, originally means "subduing others (by spiritual power), refer Kukai

 * http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/advanced/tantra/level1_getting_started/vajrasattva_purification_basics.html

 * The quality of the sadhaka determines the yana not the sadhana. That said, the rites of the Ngondro may be enacted within any yana but is as a generality traditionally cordoned as Kriya and Charya given its ostensible purpose as preparatory and purificatory for entry into the Inner Tantras and in rare cases Yoga tantra given the modality of the practice. My invocation of Ham lead me to Charya. The knowing of why is revealing itself.

Introduction
The 'preliminaries' (ngondro) of the 'seminal heartmind' (snyingthig), the mandala of 'vast open ground' (longchen) is only for the 'vessel' (bumpa) of 'beginner's mind' (nyuanshin).

Shakyamuni did not write anything down, well, nothing has been eluded to in the various canons nor has any direct literary testament been preserved through the relentless juggernaught of Time. Everything we have of Shakyamuni's 'orations', his 'threaded discourses' (sutra), are in effect attribution and hearsay. Hearsay indeed is the Sramana way, the direct transmission of realization through the auditory channel to the Hearer who sits at the feet of the teacher. This spirituality of 'sound' and 'speech' (shabda) as 'transmission of empowered signal' (lung, wang), a modality of 'disciplic succession' and 'lineage' (parampara) and a number of transpersonal techniques and cultural tokens, Shakyamuni inherited from the greater tradition and cultural milieu. In the greater Indic tradition, listening and hearing as modalities of learning were prized. It is important to remember that few people historically in India were literate. Given Shakyamuni's privileged birth we may attribute him with the likelihood of literacy. We do not even know definitively with what languages he did discourse. We do know he favoured the vernacular. Moreover, we may infer that he was not only an inspired orator but due to the great wave of respect that washed over the localities of India where he taught, demonstrably sublime. This 'quality' of the heartmind ༼ཧཱུྃ༽ of true seeing related in 'true speech' ༼ཨཱཿ༽, the mantra that emanated from his lips is for the faithful, palpable in form [body/embodied] ༼ཨོཾ༽ in 'activity' of the revolution of the Dharmacakra. The entwining of 'body', 'energetic voice', 'heartmind', 'qualities' and 'activities' are the mindstream 'the continuum of luminosity in sum' (which is esoterically given the nomenclature 'foundation', 'ground', 'base', 'root' gzhi). This 'spacious' luminosity of the 'sacred ground' the 'field' (kshetra, temenos) is the 'open' silent resonance of the 'void', the 'expanse' of 'emptiness' (shunyata).

For Shakyamuni faith was key, but with the caveat that blind faith is but ignorance. Faith in liberation from constructs and falsehoods, faith in the divine architecture of the natural world and Universe within which we are embedded, and faith in the possibility of an 'intelligence' (bodhi), the full awakening of the potential of the human. I evoke 'faith', but it is such that engenders and interpenetrates with its consort, 'conviction' (shraddha). Shakyamuni took the toolbox of pramana that he inherited and favoured 'direct experience' (pratyaksha) and 'inference' (anumana) as tools of discerning truth. Truth is Dharma. Even the modalities of pramana that Shakyamuni disfavoured hold merit. Shakyamuni wasn't a Buddhist. Buddhism is a cultural construct. The culture replicated and perpetuated itself through the generations, as culture does, by stories (and by exoteric and esoteric means). Buddhism and its sibling and parent traditions are now in diverse localities and spread through manifold speech communities. Stories are endemic, the stuff of culture. There is nothing which is not text, narrative and discourse. Irrespective of what outer form it takes, ritual is a dialogue. Text in this evocation is the fullness of any cultural token in any medium. Indeed, there is only one river, one continuum of human culture with innumerable tributaries. The tributaries have been running together, entwining, and diverging since time untold. In the river of culture there is no island. We infer through narratives and parable. Knowledge hard-won though direct experience is often conferred to others through narrative. To learn by listening and indeed realize by hearing was the mark of a superior disciple. Three classes of disciples or students are often mentioned: poor, middling and superior which may be glossed into English in a plethora of analogues. Dissanayake (2008: p.70-71) provides a valuable analysis of Shakyamuni's social systemic view of language as a mutual arising: "According to Buddhism, language has to be understood as a social practice inflected by convention and agreed upon by the people who use it. What this means is that language is not divinely-ordained or iron-clad, and that it evolves in conformity to the movement of convention. In the Buddhist literature there are copious references to agreement among the users (sammuti) or the practice of users (vohara). Hence, language as a product of social interaction is central to the Buddhist perspective on verbal communication. When we examine the early discourses on Buddhism, we can identify five central concepts that are deployed in discussions of language. They are, etymology (nirutti), generality (samanna), usage (vohara), consensus (sammuti) and conceptuality (pannatti). Among these the ideas of etymology and generality were current at the time. However, the Buddha was not obsessed with these in the way that some others had been; he did not reify them in the way that others did. He was much more interested in the ideas of usage, convention, and conceptuality because they enabled him to focus on the idea of language as a social institution and social practice that responds to changing social and cultural forces."

Mantrayana, the Way of Secret Mantra is the tantric tradition that was disseminated to the Himalaya in the first wave, the early translation period which in contradistinction with the new translation period was given the nomenclature Nyingma. It is important to foreground that just as every person is unique, as is their spirituality, the threads of the tapestry of tradition are also a dynamic continuum, stone that never sets.

Obeisance, homage, salutation, prostration
The following wisdom of Gordon (1833-1870) is monumentally set and largely illegible in the weatherworn stone of the foundation of his figurative commemoration in Melbourne city:
 * "[Life is mostly froth and bubble,]
 * Two things stand like stone...
 * Kindness in another's trouble,
 * Courage in your own."

This salience has been very important to me through the years and is sound for any spiritual path. I know very little about the man. But this holds the essence of prostration. Prostrations are salutations: a disciplined, courageous humility that exalts as it yields. For many of the Dharmic Traditions they are subsumed in obeisances to guru or murti and vinyassa yoga practice. Prostrations and circumambulations share a physicality, a visceral embodiment of prayer. Just as prostrations pathe the holy roads of Christendom and orient the directives of Islam, so too do they wear the body of those holy people who for untold millennia have circumambulated Mount Kailash, oft aniconically represented by the Bonpo as a sauvastika, a form that embodies radiating spirallic movement. Both the svastika and sauwastika are signs evident on the Buddha Shakyamuni's worshipful footprint. Indeed, the footprint as an absence was one of the first representations of the Buddha Shakyamuni other than his sacred mendicant bowl. An absence as the Buddha as Tathagata has both 'Thus come' and 'Thus gone'. Visually significant and powerful teachings of shunyata which for the most part is an analogue of the motif of self-sacrifice (atmayajna) wrought though the liberation from the 'I', the 'egoic persona' (ahamkara). Shakyamuni's anatta, one of his Three Seals was not something new to the greater tradition, but it was reworked and packaged brilliantly.

Levi (undated, unpaginated) holds that: "In the Tibetan tradition certain mantras or ritualistic maps are written in language which is neither Sanskrit mantra nor discernible through methods of ordinary reception or comprehension. Such is the Language of the Dakini ( lit. in Tibetan sky-walker ) which cannot be understood through discursive analysis but which in itself evokes the powers it describes & the beings for whom, according to the theory, this language is inherent.The Song of the Vajra or Vajra Lu in the Maha Ati School of Tibetan Buddhism Ema kiri kiri is an example The melodies to such 'songs' are received in dream by the masters of the lineage through which the text has been 'transmitted' & singing them is a direct means of entering into the state of realization of the master, with or without a conceptual understanding of the text."

In our modern confluence of cultures into the one global milieu quickened by the Internet, Buddhism has a number of transpersonal tools and practical wisdoms for fortifying meaning and purpose and orienting ourselves in a complex moral and social environment. The First Turning discourse in English often favours the Pali of the Theravadin as this is the only extant, complete Buddhist Canon from one of the early schools, but this also foregrounds the importance of bringing the other less-represented schools in Buddhist discourse to our modern dialogue to redress this skew. Tse-fu Kuan (2008: p.3) holds that: "The Theravada Canon in the language of Pali...is the only complete Buddhist Canon preserved by one of the early schools in an Indian language probably very close to the languages used by the Buddha and his disciples."

Do you know much about the early schools of Buddhism? The Theravadin are only one of in excess of 18 schools. The first turning were codified in many languages not just Pali. If you are focused on the first turning then be aware of its historicity. The Theravadin like the Gelugpa have been given too much attention or have been overly favoured and foregrounded in English discourse. The Buddha taught and recommended teaching in the vernacular which most definitely was not Classical Sanskrit. Indeed he was reacting to the spiritual authority in large enshrined by the Sanskritic tradition. Shakyamuni was an iconoclast. The reasons why Shakyamuni favoured the vernacular are similar to the Protestant Reformation and the move away from Catholic High Mass in languages removed from the understanding of the people. Accessibility! Sanskrit is a control, a control in the scientific sense. A tool of calibration in a complex linguistic environment. That is how Sanskrit works in the milieu of the Dharmic Traditions as well as how it works in Western scholarship and indeed Dharmic scholarship in all languages. Sanskrit forms the nexus of orientation.
 * 'diglossia' (Sanskrit: dvaibhashika), indigenous Tibetans grounded in scholarship are Pandita, an extension of the general understanding of the term. The term 'Lotsawa' in Tibetan is a complex Sanskrit-Tibetan hybridization.

"East Tibet, known as Kham, includes the valleys of several great rivers (the Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze) and the pastureland between them. Although more spread out, Kham had a population roughly equivalent to that of Central Tibet. Owing to its proximity to China, a number of important trading routes lay in Kham, along with several major towns including Derge and Chamdo. Kham was politically more decentralized than Tibetan, and its different regions were governed sometimes by hereditary princes and sometimes by lamas from their monastic seats. The Nyingma and Kagyu schools were particularly strong here, with a few medium-sized monasteries in the valleys and numerous retreat centers in the surrounding hills and mountains." (Ray, 2000: p.10)

Recitation, evocation, invocation, spellcasting, go[d]spel[l]
Bija "The entire Universe is a garland of spell letters" from the Mandarava Terma of Namkhai Norbu

The Buddha Dharma is a complex and confusing for many. Many people foreground certain practices and doctrines and discount others. This is natural but also unfortunate. Each practitioner needs to determine which pramana they hold are determiners of valid cognition and condusive to truth formation. Bija and the esotericism of language is a complexity in Buddhism as the following discussion intends to convey. Skillful means is a very powerful doctrine and epistemological tool. Rationalism has its purposes and is to be held in merit but the irrational too has its purposes and is to be valued. In Magical thinking there is a certain power to alter our experience of the world and thereby in truth altering our world as our world is our experience of it.

Dissanayake (2008: p.70): "'In order to understand the distinctiveness of the Buddhist approach to language and verbal communication, we need to place it alongside some of the dominant views that were current at the time in India. One such view was that language is sacred, that it was a divine creation, and that it was an instrument of divine will. Buddhism repudiated this view. Closely allied to this notion was that language incarnated essences and carried metaphysical meanings. Buddhism rejected this view as well. What is interesting about the Buddhist approach to language and verbal communication is that it marks the middle path, the avoidance of extremes that has always characterized Buddhist thought. The Buddhist approach to language avoided the essentialism that was dominant in many other views current at the time; it also repudiated a totally materialistic approach to language that advanced the view that it was totally arbitrary.'"

The following work of Levi needs to be rewritten, condensed: Semiotic or modern language theory speaks of appropriated or motivated and non-appropriated or arbitrary language systems. "Is there between words and things a rapport of simple convenience or an eternal appropriateness? In India, as in Greece, both of these were supported. But the second, expounded by Bhattihari does not exclude the first..." R.Daumal, RASA Appropriated or motivated language systems are those in which the word for a person, place or things is a subtle form of that 'thing' and, as such, of course can not be 'translated.' Non-appopriated or arbitrary systems, like our modern European ones, utilize words which indicate or formulate but are not considered to BE the object implied and thus many different word exist, in the different languages, for table, bird, chair or friend... In general, prayer implies a dualistic relationship between the speaker and the object of the prayer. In appropriated language system, such as the one derived from Sanskrit exposition 'mantra', this is not the case. Here the implied object is inherent in the language system and not considered to be apart from it. The letters themselves are understood to be the subtle (sthula) form of the deity or Goddess shakti and each syllable is a bija mantra directly reflecting diving powers and potential. Appropriated or motivated language theory (in which a word is the subtle form of the object it describes) is traced to at least two other language systems, ancient and esoteric Greek and Hebrew. The formulas developed in these are furthermore, at least in the Sanskrit tradition, protected by formal initiation in which circumstances are created to favour the empowered nature of this speech. When non-motivated or arbitrary systems are in use, prayer becomes a supplication to divine power. The needs of an individual can be met through complete supplication, at least theoretically, but spiritual practitioners attest to the phenomena of the answered prayer.

Sheldrake (1988, 1991 ) is held in esteem and as a visionary by many, and by the same number he is also dismissed and discounted as a crank. Sheldrake (1995) suggest the theory of morphic-resonance, a vibrational archive of information and knowledge that can intercommunicate ideas, strategies and behavours to all members of that species or biome and to which each species has timeless access. Sheldrake's wife is a Dzogchen practitioner. I mention him here as the meme of morphic resonance holds a teaching story of particular importance for the poetics of prayer and the esotericism of magical thinking. When we participate in a ritual, we participate in all the evocations of that ritual throughout time and timelessness, they all resonate and interpenetrate. Ritual may be held to open an imaginal portal where adhisthana may flow. Some yana of Buddhism foreground ritualism whilst other yana deny its utility. The Buddhist way is the middle between two extremes and finding coexistence of that which is otherwise held as mutual exclusivity is to be lauded. The timelessness of the mythological world for Eliade, contrasts with the timeboundedness of an historical world. Unlike Lévi-Strauss, Eliade holds that the mythological and historical worlds are linked, and in fact, that humans pass between timeboundedness and timelessness during ritual and other religious practices.

Dzogchen has its own stragegy for understanding manifestation and the poetics and efficacy of prayer, the doctrine is dang, rolpa and tsal (Norbu, Shane, 1999). It is through this doctrine that the skillful means of yidam as thoughtform are realised. It is through this doctrine that the non-theistic and theistic trends in Buddhadharma and indeed, in the Dharma proper, may be resolved. Many people find comfort and support in a deity and a personal god. It is only when their insistence on the universality and supremacy of their chosen deity or god and deny the validity of difference and the plurality of the spiritual possibilities open to the human, that this arrogance fully reveals itself as spiritual and social canker. Many folk just want to pray to a personal god as this is personable and intelligible, they can relate person to supreme person. Indeed, devotion and bhakti is very important if not key in all trends of Buddhadharma. Devotion is the warmth of sentiment and feeling. Devotion is the heart in the heartmind. Devotion to guru in guru-yoga deifies guru in no uncertain terms and holds that the most benefit from guruyoga is yielded if the aspirant experiences their guru as Buddha. The difference between deity and buddhas and bodhisattvas and saints or realised siddhas is really just politics and polemics. When Buddhism is transplanted out of its original cultures it may become sterile and loses the sacredness of the deities interspersed throughout all phenomena. This animism is evident as folk-religion in all historical cultures of the Buddhadharma. It is only the ill-informed unromantic modern mind that wants to sterilize the magic of myth in living spiritual traditions. If we secede from magic well, then the power and possibility of magic is lost to us. That is tragedy. Superstition is also a tragedy. We seek the middle-way and realise that the middle-way too is an extreme. Question everything and then question questioning.

Eliade (1957: pp.68-70) contributes famously to the phenomenology of the sacred with his insistence that when humans experience the sacred, the numinous, through ritual or myth, they enter the timelessness of the original event. Eliade names the experience of the mythical in the historical realm through ritual and myth, hierophany. This original event, this primordiality, is key to Dzogchen.

A simple way to envision a bija is through the upaya of the Two truths and Essence-Function. In the nonduality of Atiyoga the two truths coalesce as essence interpenetrates with function, indeed they are a continuum.

Cleary (1995: p.ix) in his 'Translator's Preface' to his English rendering of the Samdhinirmocana Sutra, he frames an eloquent overview of the polyvalence of 'essencelessness': "'Here, essencelessness is defined in three ways. First is essencelessness of characteristics, which refers to the nature of conceptualized characteristics, which refers to the nature of conceptualized characteristics projected on phenomena. Second is essenceless of birth, which refers to the dependent or relative character of phenomena, which by virtue of their interdependence have no individual point of origin. Third is ultimate essencelessness, referring to the selflessness of all things, which is call the ultimate truth.'"

Wheels within wheels
The Vaishnava specifically and most proponents of Sanatana Dharma in general, hold Shakyamuni to be an avatar of Vishnu (or Krishna). In the Jataka Tales of Buddha Dharma, Krishna is of the mindstream of Shariputra. Turning the Wheel of Dharma and the Dharmacakra becomes a function and are embodiments or emanations of Vishnu's Sudarshan Chakra. Historically, Buddha Dharma the evocation of Indian Buddhism specifically, was just seen by the populace and also by a number of Western scholars as yet another sect as testament to the efflorescence of Dharma. Buddhists monks became a caste.

In Mantrayana, Mandala are used as consecration portals, they focus divine qualities. Padmasambhava used Mandala in the Caves of the Himalaya where he initiated his disciples. Historically, these Mandala would be more visually like yantra with bija and symbols than the magnificent institutional Buddhist Vajrayana Mandala that has emerged. These Mandala would have been made somewhat like Rangoli directly on the ground and would have been demarcated with flour, grains, ash and sand and included precious objects such as gems and crystals, berries, beads, flowers, seeds, bone and fruit, for example. Indeed, true vajrayana mandala not for public display often use ground crystals and pigments eg. two vivid basic copper carbonates, the blue 'azurite' and the green 'malachite'  and sometimes a third intermediate 'turquoise' colour. Most if not all mandala for public display and which have had photographs taken have inconsistencies and are not inaugurated and the deities are not invited to take seat. This though is not generally disseminated. Indeed, sand or silica is a crystal. Jigme Lingpa, the revealer and codifier of our Ngondro was a worker of crystals and wrote a treatise on their soteriological and esoteric usage and crystals or jewels are to be seen in his iconography. In Vajrayana thanka, jewels are often interspersed forming the wheel of a sacred personage's aureole.

Mandala are a field of bodhi.

Outer, inner and secret. The outer wheel is a wonderful rite and indeed is seminal to our Ngondro but also not necessary as is every form of ritualism in Buddha Dharma. The wheel of consecration became subsumed through imaginal imagery in the sadhana where it is evoked as the refuge field. I though am kinaesthetic so have found the outer wheelmaking to be of value. Wheelmaking for me has been a portal of communication. I have practically employed wheels invoking teachers with whom I require adhishthana, to empower me to realise their teachings. The wheel is a 'support' focusing the mindstream communion of guru-yoga and communion with yidam.

Yoga is communion
Yoga has outer, inner and secret modalities. I often enact the rite of puja for my guruji, ChNN Rinpoche. The ngondro of the Longchen Nyingtig and the Longchen Nyingtig proper have cycles of esoteric pranayama (tsa-lung) and bodily movements (trul khor) associated with its lineage. Guru yoga is in essence an inner modality of outer or physical yoga. That leaves us open to the mystery of secret communion which is entrained when the four corners of the wheel are in employ of the mandala of the Ngondro: prostrations, recitations, mandala and guru-yoga. That said, each of these four corners have outer, inner and secret forms.

The ever-humble and self-deprecating Dingo Kyentse, et.al (2008: p.54) holds practical wisdom in yoking his guru to his mindstream simply and directly in devotion 'as it is': "'Generally speaking, my teacher Shechen Gyaltsap appeared to genuinely possess all the qualifications of a master that are taught in the sutras and tantras, and he was especially grounded in the experience of the highest view of the Great Perfection as it is. Subsequently, when I studied, reflected, and pretended to teach these aspects, I felt that having the good fortune to actually receive such a golden doctrine like a wish-fulfilling gem from my precious master, the perfect Buddha, made gaining a human birth worthwhile, and I felt even more devoted and inspired than usual. Even nowadays, while pretending to teach these aspects, I keep my precious master in mind and feign to invoke him to make the exposition and study meaningful.'"

'As it is' is an unornamented substantive or essential gloss of Dharmata in English. Efficient and functional, though it has no poetry. Even though we frown on the reification of essences in Buddhadharma, we also evoke them as skillful means, eg. bija. Our buddha-nature may be envisioned as bija and the nature of our bija determines our 'gotra' or spiritual family. Bija is essentially a function of the essence of Dharmata, where the essence and function indivisibly interpenetrate.

On one of the book covers of Brilliant Moon is a picture of his eminence (check appropriate title) holding a flower to the gateway of his throat. He was often photographed with flowers. Flowers are mandala, indeed we throw or caste flowers upon mandala in certain schools and where they fall determine gotra and therein meditational deity. This is also poignant in showing that the zen lineage, rime mindfulness and meditation sadhana was strong in this rinpoche.


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title: User talk:U n d e r s c o r e


text:
User talk:KevJ

 Hello KevJ, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! Jtneill - Talk - c 13:00, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

 Hi , I am Percy. Nice to meet you. I love the beach, swimming, fishing, and I am currently doing some research at Wikiversity on oceanography. I am also learning to play piano. What do you like? Can I be your mascot?

title: User talk:KevJ


text:
Template:Language

This template will return the English name of a language given the language code. (Use lowercase for the language code.)

usage:

Examples:

See also:
 * - returns the local name of the language
 * /trunk/phase3/languages/Names.php

title: Template:Language


text:
User talk:Ivonna

>>>>>>> <<<<<<<

Hello Brian! :)

21st November The optional operation system for a netbook is Windows 7, since it's the most common one and it's easy to use in comparison to other systems, like Linux. Linux require lots of knowledge and understanding before successful use. It also doesn't support the main programs that the "rest of the world" is using, like Microsoft Words, Excel. Windows 7 is very new and much better than Microsoft Vista, therefore it's the one to suggest for people who plan to buy a netbook in the future. Netbook is quite weak and supports only programs with little graphics and there is little memory in it, so Vista is out of question. It is always nice to try out new programs and follow the new developments, that's why the new Windows 7 should be a choice.

1. How is Facebook and Twitter the same?

1) Keeping up with friends - easy to keep up with what's going on with the friends 2) New friend finder - both websites lets people meet new people 3) Instant messaging - send information or whatever at any time for free.

2. Why do you think Facebook is worried about competition from Twitter?

I think Facebook might be getting too packed with applications, so Twitter is having the advantage of having none, only pure communication. I think Twitter is easier to understand, easy to navigate and link to pages. Twitter is very clear and simple, while Facebook require a little more brain. Twitter provides direct access through RSS reader. Facebook is very private and without private invitations, there's no friendship. Hehe! While Twitter allows people to jump from one profile to another without restrictions, unless blocked by the other person. There are also many celebrities on Twitter, so celebfans can easily follow their updates too. Anyway, sometimes simple is getting boring, so I wouldn't know what I would do in Twitter for hours, while I can use and play with the Facebook applications for hours. There are new applications developed every day to keep people active and online.

title: User talk:Ivonna


text: File:4.A.Temp Sensor.pdf

title: File:4.A.Temp Sensor.pdf


text:
User:Tuonun

My profile My name is Narin Kanpanich, or you can call me NUN. I study in TIM major. I'm also interested in computer about new technology in computer.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Motherboard EVGA X58 LGA1366 Intel ATX SLI Processor 3.79GHz Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition

Memory 12GB of 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

Case Cosmos S

Power supply ATX power supply

Floppy drive

Hard drive 1TB 7,200RPM Hitachi hard drive, 80GB Intel X-25M solid-state drive

CD/DVD Lite-On - iHAS324

Keyboard Optimus Maximus keyboard

Mouse Logitech MX1100 Cordless Laser Mouse

Video card 2 x 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2

Monitor The Samsung P2370L LED Monitor Review

Sound card Blaster X-Fi

Modem US Robotics USR 9108

1) How is Facebook and Twitter the same?

Facebook and Twitter are quite the same. They are both online communities where you can communicate with other people around the world. They both are the program that people can post their notes in, and they also can post what they are doing. Others people can see what they post it. People can also change their status or their profiles up to date

2) Why do you think Facebook is worried about competition from Twitter?

I think that Facebook is worried because Twitter has many features that Facebook has. Twitter is becoming more popular because many famous hollywood stars or people are using twitter to update their schdules. Therefore, people or fanclub can follow their favourite stars very easily. Morepver, Twitter is faster than Facebook because it can post their blogs on their mobile phones, so they can up to date very fast when ever they want. On the other hand, Fackbook cannot be like Twitter. Even Facebook can be use by mobile phone, it has to connect with wifi. Facebook is worried about Twitter because Twitter is more conveninet and faster.

Linux

title: User:Tuonun


text:
User:WHolisticUK

Let us begin

title: User:WHolisticUK


text:
User talk:Tuonun

 Hello Tuonun, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --AFriedman 17:21, 24 September 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Tuonun


text:
UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Critical Thinking Skills

Course Title: Critical Thinking

Lecture Topic: Critical Thinking Skills

Instructor: Dr. Crown

Institution: University of Texas - Pan American

It is imperative to develop a child's critical thinking skills. By developing a child's critical thinking, they will be better able to respond to problems presented to them. Through this challenge, one will be better able to analyze the information presented to them and develop an independent solution with reason.

Backwards Design
Course Objectives
 * Primary Objectives: By the next class period students will be able to:
 * Understand the benefits of playing a game with a plan in mind
 * More effectively participate in critical thinking games
 * Sub Objectives: The objectives will require that students be able to:
 * Express their ideas without reserve
 * Increase their desire to triumph in critical thinking games
 * Difficulties
 * At first, students may have difficulty understanding the strategy presented to them.
 * Real-World Contexts
 * Good critical thinking skills benefit one by allowing them to see problems differently and think things through so that they may form a solution.

Model of Knowledge
 * Concept Map
 * Creating a strategy
 * Forming ideas
 * Grouping characteristics
 * Communication skills
 * Expressing ideas
 * Accept the possibility of defeat

 * Content Priorities
 * Enduring Understanding
 * Understand how to solve higher level problems using critical thinking skills
 * Important to Do and Know
 * Formulate ideas independently
 * Worth Being Familiar with
 * Describe a person's physical attributes when presented with a photograph

Assessment of Learning
 * Formative Assessment
 * In Class (groups)
 * Students will play the "Guess Who" game
 * Summative Assessment
 * Students will play "20 Questions"

Legacy Cycle
OBJECTIVE

By the next class period, the students will be able to: The objectives will require that students be able to:
 * Understand the benefits of playing a game with a plan in mind
 * More effectively participate in critical thinking games
 * Express their ideas without reserve
 * Increase their desire to triumph in critical thinking games

THE CHALLENGE

How can one play the “Guess Who?” game and be the first one to guess the person their opponent has chosen? GENERATE IDEAS

The students will be asked to generate questions on their own that would be appropriate when playing the game. Appropriate questions include, but are not limited to...

 * Is your person wearing a hat?
 * Does your person have glasses?
 * Are they wearing earrings?
 * Do they have any accessories?
 * Do they have a moustache?
 * Does your person have facial hair?

Note: Of the 24 faces on the game, 5 are wearing a hat, 4 have glasses, 5 wear earrings, 11 have accessories, 5 have a moustache, and 10 have facial hair.

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

Once the student has generated questions that they would potentially ask an opponent while playing this game, they will be lectured on the importance of asking effective questions. They will also be shown how they can do so on their own.

Brief Example: In order to competitively play the game, one should try to eliminate as many people as possible early on. One should ask a question that can eliminate many people regardless of the answer, such as whether or not the person has any accessories. Accessories include hats, glasses, and earrings and eleven people in the game have some type of accessory. As the game progresses, more specific questions should be asked. When there are only three people left, one should take a guess at who the person is because your chances of winning more quickly are far greater if you guess than if you continue asking questions.

RESEARCH & REVISE

Students play the game with the questions they have come up with.

TEST YOUR METTLE

Students will play the game “20 Questions.”

The type of questions asked by the student will indicate their understanding of the previous challenge. A student who has mastered the objectives of this challenge should be able to win the game with a reasonable number of questions.

GO PUBLIC

Students discuss the games, the strategies used, and how they could win more quickly in the future.


text:
UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Graphics

Course Description

-

Engineering graphics is an introduction to computer-aided drafting techniques using a CAD program and sketching to generate two and three dimensional drawings based on the conventions of engineering graphical communication. A required design project introduces the need for analysis, working drawings, and consideration of production methods.

-

Topics

-

/Introduction to CAD/

/Introduction to Multi-view Drawings - Snap Cubes/

/Introduction to Pictorial Drawings - Snap Cubes & Special Graph Paper/

/A Lesson in Sub-Assemblies - CAD - Snap Cubes/

/A Lesson in Sub-Assemblies & Working Drawings - CAD - Lincoln Log House/

-

title: UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Graphics


text:
UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Graphics/Introduction to CAD

Course Title: Graphics

Lecture Topic: Introduction to CAD

Instructor: Dr. Crown

Institution: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Backwards Design
Course Objectives

 * Primary Objectives- by the next class period students will be able to:
 * design parts using a simple CAD tool
 * create simple multiview and pictorial drawings
 * document designs with engineering drawings
 * explain the usefulness of drawing and CAD in the design process

 * Sub Objectives- the objectives will require that students be able to:
 * understand a 3-D cartesian coordinate system
 * visualize simple 3-D objects
 * utilize basic computer tools and skills

 * Difficulties
 * students have difficulty visualizing 3-D parts and often get frustrated and give up on this necessary skill ; the ability to interpret complex multi-view drawings is a learned skill that requires many hours of practice and can be tedious. Students often come into the course with a wide range of visualization and drawing skills. The course is an entry level course and many students have not learned how to be disciplined and focused in the studies.

 * Real-World Contexts
 * Computer aided design is used in almost every area of career interest of the students and is related in some way to leisure activities. It is actually difficult to think of an area of student interest where CAD does not play some role. CAD is also a principle tool used in video games, a popular activity for students.

Model of Knowledge

 * Concept Map
 * Engineering Design Process
 * Ideation Phase
 * CAD used to develop and visualize ideas
 * CAD used to understand the design environment
 * CAD used to analyze designs
 * Implemenation Phase
 * CAD used for manufacturing drawings
 * CAD used for assembly drawings
 * CAD used for communication
 * Computer Aided Design
 * Symbiotic with sketching
 * Multi-view drawings
 * Isometric and oblique pictorials
 * A visualization tool
 * Coordinate systems
 * Right hand rule
 * Useful in design development and documentation
 * Can be used with CNC machines
 * Expected skill for engineers
 * Many different CAD programs

 * Content Priorities
 * Enduring Understanding
 * Understand connections between sketching, drawing, and CAD
 * Make and interpret simple multi-view and pictorial drawings
 * Important to Do and Know
 * Make simple parts with a CAD program
 * Develop visualization skills
 * Develop a systematic approach to design
 * Worth Being Familiar with
 * Familiarity with VRML models
 * Develop and encourage creativity

Assessment of Learning

 * Formative Assessment
 * In Class (groups)
 * Worksheet: Identifying surfaces
 * Game: Identifying pictorials
 * Worksheet: Cube puzzle design-new
 * Worksheet: Cube puzzle drawings-example
 * Create a VRML model-Part 1
 * Homework (individual)
 * Worksheet: Creating multiview drawings
 * Worksheet: Creating pictorial drawings
 * Game: Identifying pictorials
 * Summative Assessment
 * Worksheet: Multiview and pictorial drawings
 * Completed cube puzzle model and worksheets

Legacy Cycle
OBJECTIVE

By the next class period, students will be able to: The objectives will require that students be able to:
 * Design parts using a simple CAD tool
 * Create simple multiview and pictorial drawings
 * Document designs with engineering drawings
 * Explain the usefulness of drawings and CAD in the design process
 * Understand a 3-D cartesian coordinate system
 * Visualize simple 3-D objects
 * Utilize basic computer tools and skills

THE CHALLENGE
 * How do you design and create a challenging and entertaining cube puzzle?

GENERATE IDEAS
 * What puzzles have you seen that you would describe as a cube puzzle?
 * What makes cube puzzles enjoyable to solve?
 * What makes some more difficult than others?
 * Are some people better at solving these types of puzzles?
 * How can someone get better at solving various cube puzzles?
 * What skills are needed to be an expert at solving cube puzzles?

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES
 * Use an internet search engine to look for images tagged as "Cube Puzzles". Attempt to classify the types of puzzles found.
 * Find information on the Diabolical Cube, Soma Cube, Bedlam cube, and Slothouber–Graatsma puzzle.
 * How do you construct each puzzle and how was that information presented?
 * What is the relative difficulty of each cube puzzle?
 * Were you able to find other cube puzzles in addition to these four?

RESEARCH & REVISE
 * Learn how to make engineering drawings.
 * Instruction on multiview drawings.
 * Complete the four page handout on multiview drawings. (Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2, Worksheet 3, Worksheet 4)
 * Instruction on pictorial drawings.
 * Complete the four page handout on pictorial drawings. (Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2, Worksheet 3, Worksheet 4)

 * Learn how to work with Cartesian coordinates in a three dimensional space.
 * Design your four piece puzzle. (Design Worksheet, Design Example)
 * Complete multiview and pictorial drawings of each puzzle piece and the assembly.

 * Learn how to create computer models of three dimensional objects.
 * Make puzzle piece 1 (part1.wrl) on the computer using VRML. (Instruction Page, VRML Example Part)
 * View your part in a browser with a VRML plugin.

 * Apply your new drawing skills.
 * Complete multiview and pictorial drawings of each puzzle piece and the assembly. (Drawings Worksheet, Drawings Example)
 * Make a free hand exploded view of puzzle assembly as a pictorial drawing.

TEST YOUR METTLE
 * Games and Quizzes
 * Exam - Create a pictorial drawing from a multiview drawing of a solid object and make a computer model of the object.

GO PUBLIC
 * Create a Cube Puzzle with your own puzzle pieces using the virtual reality modeling language (VRML) format.
 * Download the cube puzzle and replace the demo parts (1-4) with your own puzzle pieces.

Examples

Link to Cube Puzzle Web Site:
 * http://crown.utpa.edu/texprep/Crown/


text:
UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Measurements and Instrumentation/Temperature Measurement

Course Title: Measurements

Lecture Topic: Temperature Measurement

Instructor: Dr. Stephen Crown

Institution: University of Texas - Pan American

Backwards Design
Course Objectives

 * Primary Objectives- By the next class period students will be able to:
 * Differentiate between zero-, first-, and second-order systems
 * Understand first-order step functions
 * Derive a time constant

 * Sub Objectives- The objectives will require that students be able to:
 * Understand several heat transfer/thermodynamics equations
 * Solve a differential equation

 * Difficulties- Students may have difficulty:
 * Remembering heat transfer/thermodynamics equation
 * Remembering how to solve the differential equations

 * Real-World Contexts- There are many ways that students can use this material in the real-world, such as:
 * Understanding how thermometers work
 * Understanding how measuring systems behave

Model of Knowledge

 * Concept Map
 * Understand equations
 * Formulate ideas
 * Express ideas

 * Content Priorities
 * Enduring Understanding
 * Understand how step-functions work
 * Important to Do and Know
 * Understand the correlation between various classes
 * Formulate ideas based on knowledge previously obtained
 * Worth Being Familiar with
 * Differential Equations
 * Thermodynamics
 * Heat Transfer

Assessment of Learning

 * Formative Assessment
 * In Class (groups)
 * Generate equation to solve for thermometer output
 * Homework (individual)
 * Pre-lecture quiz after student has read chapter
 * Summative Assessment
 * In class quiz over lesson

Legacy Cycle
Students will be asked to read chapter 3 of their measurements book prior to this lesson. They will also be provided with a temperature measurement quiz online so that they may evaluate their own understanding of the topic prior to attending class. OBJECTIVE

By the next class period, students will be able to: The objectives will require that students be able to:
 * Differentiate between zero-, first-, and second-order systems
 * Understand first-order step functions
 * Derive a time constant
 * Understand several heat transfer/thermodynamics equations
 * Solve a differential equation

THE CHALLENGE

The students will be presented with the following questions:
 * Why is it that when taking ones temperature with a glass mercury thermometer it is recommended that the thermometer stay in the mouth for at least three minutes?
 * Is three minutes a sufficient amount of time?
 * Can this time be reduced while maintianing accuracy in measurement?

GENERATE IDEAS

The students will be given a few minutes to individually write down their answers to the questions that have been presented. Students may respond with answers such as:
 * It takes the thermometer time to reach steady state
 * Because of the the reaction time of the thermometer
 * Because of the thermometer's time constant, you want an accurate reading

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

The professor will lecture on first-order step functions so that students will gain a better understanding of the topic. Students will be asked, "What do we need to know in order to answer our challenge questions?" and given a few minutes to individually write down their responses. Examples include:
 * We need to know the materials of the thermometer and their properties
 * We need to know some heat transfer, thermodynamics, and differential equation

RESEARCH & REVISE

Students will be provided with heat transfer and thermodynamics equations. They will then form groups and be asked to begin deriving the time constant.

TEST YOUR METTLE

Students will receive feedback on their progress and ideas as well as the correct process for deriving the desired equation. Students will be presented with a quiz at the beginning of the following class.

GO PUBLIC

Students will now be able to answer the questions presented at the beginning of the lesson and will be asked to turn in a brief explanation.

Pre-Lesson Quiz
Multiple Choice.

1. In temperature measurement, the body temperature is constant yet the signal to the thermometer is changing from the room temperature to the body temperature. This can be classified as _____.

a) a static measurement

b) a dynamic measurement

c) a step change

d) a dynamic measurement and a step change

e) a static measurement and a dynamic measurement

2. A thermometer is an example of a _____.

a) zero-order system

b) first-order system

c) second-order system

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

3. How often is the exact input-output relationship of a system found from calibration?

a) always

b) 98% of the time

c) 50% of the time

d) 33.3% of the time

e) never

4. What affects the time constant of a thermometer?

a) the mass of the liquid inside the thermometer

b) the specific heat of the liquid inside the thermometer

c) the heat transfer coefficient between the thermometer and the environment

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

5. The time constant is the time required for a first-order system to achieve __% of the step change magniture.

a) 33.4

b) 63.2

c) 86.5

d) 95

e) 99.2

True or False

6. A measurement system will always output information.

7. The thermometer must gain energy from its new environment to reach thermal equilibrium, and this takes an infinite amount of time.

8. The output signal obtained depends on the initial conditions as well as the input signal placed on the measurement system.

9. The time constant provides a measusre of the speed of the system response, and as such is an importanct specificcation in measuring dynamic input signals.

10. One must wait 3 time constants for a first-order system response to be 95% accurate.

11. A first-order system takes an infite amount of time to be 100% accurate.

12. All glass-mercury thermometers have the same time constant.

Test Your Mettle Quiz
Answer the following questions to determine your skill level. NOVICE

A glass thermometer with a time constant of 30 seconds and initially at room temperature (T=20°C) is used to measure the constant temperature of still air in an oven (T=100°C). What temperature is indicated on the thermometer 30 seconds after being placed in the oven? PRACTITIONER

A glass thermometer, initially at room temperature (T=20°C), is used to measure the constant temperature of still air in an oven (T=100°C). Thirty seconds after being placed in the oven the thermometer reads 35°C. What is the time constant of the thermometer? MASTER

A glass thermometer, initially at room temperature (T=20°C), is used to measure the constant temperature of still air in an oven. Thirty seconds after being placed in the oven the thermometer is removed. Thirty seconds after it has been removed the thermometer reads 35°C. What is the temperature of the oven?


text:
UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Introduction to STEM

Topics

-

Batteries From Coins

Cold and Hot Packs

DNA Extraction

/Educational Testing and Measurement/

/Live Science, Survey of/

Polymers

Preparation of Soap

UV Sensitive Beads


text:
UTPA STEM/CBI Courses/Introduction to STEM/Batteries From Coins

Course Title: Introduction to STEM

Lecture Topic: Batteries From Coins

Instructor: Javier Macossay

Institution: University of Texas - Pan American

Backwards Design
Course Objectives

 * Primary Objectives- By the next class period students will be able to:
 * Understand voltaic cells and their chemistry

 * Sub Objectives- The objectives will require that students be able to:
 * Identify the chemicals in coins.
 * Understand the concepts of oxidation and reduction.
 * Assemble a voltaic cell.
 * Determine the effect of different layers (number of coins).
 * Understand the effect of an electrolyte in a voltaic cell.

 * Difficulties- Students may have difficulty:
 * Students will encounter problems understanding oxidation-reduction reactions.
 * Students will encounter problems understanding how a voltaic cell works.

 * Real-World Contexts- There are many ways that students can use this material in the real-world, such as:
 * Batteries are used everyday in several applications. Examples include disposable batteries used in simple equipment, such as a radio, to rechargeable batteries used in iPods. Furthermore, the advent of electric cars will require the understanding of how batteries work and the development of advanced materials for specialized batteries.

Model of Knowledge

 * Concept Map
 * Identification of chemicals in coins.
 * Understanding oxidation and reduction reactions.
 * Assembly of a voltaic cell.
 * Evaluation of a voltaic cell with different layers (different number of coins).
 * Determination of voltage of the different assemblies.
 * Evaluation of a voltaic cell with different layers placing layers of filter paper (saturated with sodium chloride) in between coins.

 * Content Priorities
 * Enduring Understanding
 * Understand how a voltaic cell works and the importance in powering equipment.
 * Important to Do and Know
 * Become familiar with oxidation-reduction reactions.
 * Worth Being Familiar with
 * Identification of the chemicals in coins.

Assessment of Learning

 * Formative Assessment
 * In Class (groups)
 * Discussion of the chemicals in coins.
 * Discussion of voltaic cells and how they work.
 * Discussion of individual laboratory procedures.
 * Discussion of results and conclusions.

 * Homework (individual)
 * Internet based search of chemicals used in coins.
 * Internet based search of voltaic cells.
 * Development of a laboratory procedure to assemble and test voltaic cells. A correlation of number of layers and voltage will be made. The effect of sodium chloride on filter paper in between coins should be investigated.
 * Analysis of data and interpretation.

 * Summative Assessment
 * Discussion in front of the group of the conclusions.

Legacy Cycle
LOOK AHEAD AND REFLECT BACK

 * Goals
 * Students should be able to understand the interaction between science and technology and real world applications and impact.
 * Objectives
 * Students should identify the chemicals used in US coins and learn how to assemble a voltaic cell.

THE CHALLENGE

Duracell is losing market to Energizer, given the fact that the “Bunny” lasts longer and is cheaper. Since you work for the Duracell parent company, you have been assigned to develop alternative ways and materials to launch new, cheaper batteries. You have realized that the majority of the people disregard the US pennies, so can you build a battery from pennies? What about other US coins?

GENERATE IDEAS

 * Students will research independently the chemicals found in US coins and how they can oxidize and reduce.
 * Students will investigate how to assemble a voltaic cell and learn how it works.
 * Students will investigate the effect of sodium chloride (electrolyte) in oxidation-reduction reactions.

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES

Students will discuss their ideas through brain storming before performing experiments.

RESEARCH & REVISE

Once data is collected, students will discuss their results and draw conclusions.

TEST YOUR METTLE

Students will compare their results against their peers’ observations and conclusions.

GO PUBLIC

Students will discuss among themselves and in front of the class their results.

Test Your Mettle Quiz
True or False (50 points)

1.- Gold is used in the US American gold eagle

2.- Gold is used in the US American platinum eagle

3.- Silver is used in some US coins

4.- Copper is among the most common metals used in US coins

5.- Zinc is not found in US coins

6.- Nickel is the major component in 5 cents coins

7.- A voltaic cell is also called a galvanic cell

8.- A voltaic cell can generate electricity through chemical reactions

9.- A reduction - oxidation reaction takes place in a voltaic cell

10.- Electrochemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the interconversion of electrical energy and chemical energy

Multiple choice (50 points)

11.- A redox reaction will have:
 * a) Electrons being transferred from one substance to another
 * b) Electrons are not transferred
 * c) Electrons do not participate in this type of reaction
 * d) None of the above
 * e) More than one of the above

12.- If a compound loses electrons it is:
 * a) Reduced
 * b) Oxidized
 * c) Its oxidation state remains the same
 * d) More than one of the above
 * e) None of the above

13.- What is an electrode?
 * a) Metals found in galvanic cells
 * b) Non metals acting as insulators in galvanic cells
 * c) Metals where oxidation reactions occur
 * d) Metals where reduction reactions occur
 * e) More than one of the above

14.- A voltaic cell will generate electricity from a chemical reaction only if:
 * a) The metals used in the electrodes are different
 * b) The metals used in the electrodes are the same
 * c) The electrodes provide for an overall reaction that contains an oxidized and a reduced species
 * d) None of the above
 * e) More than one of the above

15.- The best method to prepare a voltaic cell is by:
 * a) Placing adjacent electrodes containing the same metal
 * b) Placing adjacent electrodes containing different metal (alternating them)
 * c) Either assembly should work appropriately