Joshua Isaacson's Blog http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/ My Thoughts en-us Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:38:50 EST Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:38:50 EST joshua.isaacson@case.edu joshua.isaacson@case.edu http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Movable Type v3.121 What Do Physics Majors Write? http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/11/20/what_do_physics_majors_write According to physics majors, most of the writing done in physics is in two ways. The major amount of writing... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/11/20/what_do_physics_majors_write case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:38:50 EST According to physics majors, most of the writing done in physics is in two ways. The major amount of writing that they do is either for the lab reports that they have to write after every lab; and the mathematical equations and notes that they take in order to perform well in the class.

In physics class, all of the physics majors (BS, BA, or mathematical concentration), all of them are required to take notes in class which makes up a majority of their writing, especially for the Physics with a Math Concentration Degree. When I interviewed one of these students, I learned that they do not perform labs, but instead have additional math classes. They therefore have a lot more mathematical equations that they are required to write down and understand. Through all physics majors, there is a lot of writing down in the classroom, whether it is diagrams of problems the students are analyzing, or equations needed to analyze the situation, or even the concepts behind a certain situations.

When interviewing physics majors in either the BS or BA program, the main piece of writing that they were required to do was to write lab reports after every lab (those in the mathematical concentration take additional math classes instead of labs). The students explained how they would have a lab every other week. They then continued with the fact that they would be required to write a report on the lab due the following week. The lab reports consisted of an abstract, an introduction and theory, a procedure, an analysis, and a conclusion section for each report. These reports would range from 3 to 10 pages of writing including the equations and graphs that are required in order to explain to the reader exactly what occurs in the lab. The abstract is a short section where the lab and results are briefly explained. In the introduction and theory section, the students are required to write about the current theories behind their experiment and to explain the equations that they will be using. Included in the procedure are how they performed the experiments. In the analysis section, the students analyze the results of the lab, and determine the error of the experiment. Finally, in the conclusion section, the students are required to explain how well the lab fits with the accepted values of lab, and explain any reason there may be a difference between the two values. (To see an example of a lab report that I have written as a physics major, click here).

Both of these reasons for writing allow the students in these classes to achieve a better understanding of the way the world works around us, and to gather a better understanding of the field of physics in general, whether the writing is based off hands-on experience, or from class lectures.

Without the writing down in the physics major, the students would not be able to continue to practice physics as a professional.

]]> Archiving and the Cleveland Botanical Garden http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/11/13/archiving_and_the_cleveland_botanical_garden In my visit to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, I learned the value of rare books and the manner of maintaining... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/11/13/archiving_and_the_cleveland_botanical_garden case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:51:09 EST In my visit to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, I learned the value of rare books and the manner of maintaining them in order to preserve the nature of these books. Also, I learned that this library is one of six special libraries in the nation that circulate books. Finally, the speaker went on and talked about the current projects that he is conducting at the library, in order to improve the ability of the library to share the information with people interested in the books contained in the library.

]]> Writing Around Cleveland http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/10/05/writing_around_cleveland As one travels around Cleveland, one views many different types of writing that help to reinforce the views that people... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/10/05/writing_around_cleveland case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:37:50 EST As one travels around Cleveland, one views many different types of writing that help to reinforce the views that people hold of these places, and to help establish a community. These are done through writings on the wall, graffiti, and advertisements posted throughout the Cleveland area.

One major element that helps to develop Cleveland as a cultural city is the guitars that can be found spread throughout Cleveland, from University City to downtown Cleveland. These guitars show that Cleveland has a strong base in music and uses these guitars as a way of showing this aspect. These guitars are used to help reinforce the idea that Cleveland hosts the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is extremely important in respect to culture, because Rock and Roll played and still plays a major influence on the lives of many people and helped to develop some culture in the United States. Finally, the guitars show that there is a connecting bond between all of the citizens of Cleveland, furthering the idea of Cleveland as a community instead of just a collection of individuals. By developing this community, it shows that Cleveland is not just a city where everyone only cares about themselves it, it develops the idea that the people of the city care about the other people who belong here.

Another major element of writing seen around Cleveland is the writing referring to the sports teams. This writing again helps to develop the community of Cleveland; by developing the idea that Cleveland has a sense of unity which is created by the fact that large numbers of people are cheering for the same team together and supporting the team, and putting most other issues aside during the time were they are both supporting the same team. Also, the fact that the teams help to create unity amongst the citizens of Cleveland, it therefore helps to strengthen the culture of the area. With the sports teams in the nation are a huge cause of culture in the nation. With the sports teams being in Cleveland, we can see a culture that revolves around these teams begin to develop.

Finally, writing that is used in maps on the Rapid help to get the citizens around the city, and to keep them informed. Through the use of the signs about different things going on in the city, the culture of the city increases, by allowing more people to participate in these events, as well as allowing the citizens the ability to explore Cleveland and learn more about it. The fact that there are maps in the Rapids also helps to develop the city as a whole, because it allows easier access to different locations, as well as allows the citizen to know where they are and where they need to go, allowing them to explore the city.

Writing can be seen almost anywhere, but in the cities it is mainly seen to support different events occurring in the city. In Cleveland, these events include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and supporting events for the most part.

]]> Virtual Case vs Physical Case http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/09/27/virtual_case_vs_physical_case Case Western University exists as a physical place, as well as a virtual space. These two ideas cause a mixture... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/09/27/virtual_case_vs_physical_case case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:48:50 EST Case Western University exists as a physical place, as well as a virtual space. These two ideas cause a mixture of the physical campus and the virtual campus in the minds of the students.

]]> Writing on the Body http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/09/21/writing_on_the_body Many people have writing on their clothes, but the reasons for wearing these shirts vary from person to person. The... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/09/21/writing_on_the_body case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:52:15 EST Many people have writing on their clothes, but the reasons for wearing these shirts vary from person to person. The reasons for wearing these different types of clothing help to define the student.

One reason that people wear clothing with certain writing on it is to express a certain interest. For example, I constantly wear swimming clothing, in order to show everyone that I am an extremely dedicated swimmer. The fact that I constantly wear swimming shirts tells the rest of the world that I am a swimmer and proud of it. Another example of people wearing clothes to represent their interests is these two guys on my floor who constantly wear soccer jerseys. These two guys are not on the soccer team here at Case, but instead wear these jerseys to show their love of the sport and how much they enjoy watching the games played. These jerseys not only show their dedication to soccer, but also it develops the idea that they are representing and supporting their favorite soccer team through the wearing of these jerseys. Finally, students wear clothes that support the fraternities that they are in. By doing so, not only do these students show a support for their fraternity, but also by wearing these clothes it says to the other students, “I am in this frat and am proud of it.” Some of the freshmen who recently joined frats, now constantly wear clothes that represent the frat, showing their support for their new “brothers.” In general, by wearing clothes that help to express a certain interest also help to define the student as someone who has a strong connection to the topic on the shirt.

Finally, students wear clothing with certain writing on it is to make jokes with other students. One of the swimmers constantly wears shirts that contain certain little jokes such as, “PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals,” or “Sometimes I wonder why that Frisbee is getting bigger . . . and then it hits me.” These shirts are worn in order to show that the student has a comical side and enjoys telling jokes, whether orally or through the use of his shirts. Another example is how a student in my dorm wore a shirt that said, “I lost my number. Can I have yours?” He wears this shirt in order to joke around and I guess he also wears this shirt in a poor attempt to pick up girls. The shirts that some people wear are used in order just to tell jokes.

Around campus, many students wear different types of shirts in order to represent certain ideas. These range from what the students are interested in all the way to the personality of the students. I believe that the shirts that students wear tell other people who look at the shirts ideas and allow them to understand the student a little bit more.

]]> Bathroom Walls http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/09/14/bathroom_walls I examined the writing in the bathroom of my dorm and considered what it says about the students that live... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/09/14/bathroom_walls case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:29:40 EST I examined the writing in the bathroom of my dorm and considered what it says about the students that live in this building. I asked myself, what are all the writings in the bathroom?

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]]> Cheating: Seen in High School http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/08/31/cheating_seen_in_high_school In high school the ideas of intellectual property, academic integrity, and cheating are slightly morphed by some students in... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/08/31/cheating_seen_in_high_school case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:02:16 EST In high school the ideas of intellectual property, academic integrity, and cheating are slightly morphed by some students in order to help lower the amount of stress that a student feels, as well as apply more pressure to other students who try and focus on keeping themselves away from cheating.
Throughout my experience in high school I have viewed many different situations dealing with intellectual property and cheating; ranging from copying one another's homework, to copying another students test. For example, in my physics class, the two students sitting in front of me where having difficulty understanding the material and decided that it would be best if they cheated off of each other during a test in hopes of improving their scores. The teacher noticed, and both students received a zero for the test. In my high school the tolerance of academic dishonesty was extremely low, and the teachers were told to give zeros on any assignment that was copied from another student or a source off the internet. Also, the teachers would hand out a form at the beginning of the year in their classes, explaining the academic dishonesty policy that they were going to enforce, and would not allow any students to try and get around it. Another example of academic dishonesty that I viewed during my high school career, occurred while working on a homework assignment. A group of students was having difficulty completing all of their school work, and decided that it would be easier and more beneficial for them to just divide up the homework and copy off of one another. In this situation the students did not get caught, due to the fact that the teachers rarely would collect the homework, so the students would continue to copy one another. This idea upset me, but there was really nothing that I could do about it. The only thing I did to try and prevent this was again when my friends came and asked me if they could copy my physics homework, I would tell them that I will help you understand the process required in order to do the homework, but I will not do it for you. At times this upset my friends, but I did not want to participate in these acts of academic dishonesty.
All of these incidents of academic dishonesty that occur throughout the high school that I went to compounded with the strong enforcement of the academic dishonesty policy, caused a change in the type of writing that the students at my school did. For the most part, our writing was done with extreme caution, trying to make sure that our work did not have anything taken from another source without documenting the other source, in fear of the teacher believing that we had stolen the words from another author. Finally, I believe that the writing done by the students was helped as well as hurt by the enforcement of the academic dishonesty policy. It caused us to quote almost everything that we thought was from another source, causing our papers to appear as just a series of quotes at times, deducting from the actual work done by the student and the thoughts of the student. On the other hand, the strict policy allowed the students to understand better what academic dishonesty was and allowed them to grow as writers, while making sure that they used their own ideas in their writing.

]]> Welcome http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/08/27/welcome Hello, my name is Josh Isaacson.... http://blog.case.edu/jxi24/2007/08/27/welcome case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:59:50 EST Hello, my name is Josh Isaacson.

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