Euclid’s Last Class for the Semester – D59

This was our last class of Euclid. We started working in our small groups and in mine, we decided to first set our goals and dates to work on vacations. We are going to get together next week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in order to review and learn all the first 30 propositions. This way we are going to be able to fulfill the general goal of reaching to demonstrate these propositions by February 4^th. We are meeting at Isa’s house.

The Web App Ran! and Debriefing – D56

We did it! Along with Isa, we created our first web app called Euclid’s Sorting Hat. The app finally ran on a webpage and now the next step is to edit it and put it nice using HTML. We are still learning how to use this code and we found some trouble doing so, but Kyle is going to help us this week I think.

Later, we had our debriefing of the day. Nothing really interesting happened. Carla joined us for this part of the day.

By the way, before programming class we participated in an activity of ice breaking and to know each other in order to give feedback to Wayne Leighton and Lissa Henkel for the Antigua Forum of next year. It was ok.

Euclid? Big Discussion – D55

Everything appeared to be normal, just a regular Euclid class, until Ingrid mentioned a new standard calling for exact precision on our drawings, making them with previous propositions. She tried to make proposition 4, but didn’t succeed in doing so, showing that that exercise is not practical in the future propositions. We did agree that we would do them as precise as possible using our tools like the compass. The discussion evolved into finding a solution for a better learning process of Euclid. What we concluded is that we should divide the class into three groups, chosen by affinity, and to have standards for all of us for presenting and documenting the propositions, but each group will have its own rubrics and objectives, although the general objective for everyone is to finish up to proposition 30 for this semester. My group is Pablito, Alejo, Gabbi, Chacho, and Isa. This is our rubric:

We also talked about excuses and “getting real”, and how we have been interacting as a group and giving each other feedback. There were different views on the topic, some (Gabbi, Alejo, and some other I don’t remember) were saying we should have a third person, like a moderator or psychologist to mediate with each of us, and others (Carmen, Lucía, Kata, and some others) were saying we don’t need that and that it should be a personal approach with each other, that it has to be within us and not to wait for other person. I agreed with both sides by saying that the change and proactivity to solve problems comes within us, and that it could help having a workshop on how to work better as a group. I also tried to keep calm and mediate the opposite views, trying to reach an agreement on what should we do next as a group. I think I did a good job doing this and proposing solutions to these problems. At the end, we advanced in our organization and I take something positive of the discussion.

Euclid’s Advanced Class – D50

For Euclid’s class, Ingrid had the idea of separating the group into two. The ones that think they are not prepared to made the last propositions (11-17), and the ones that think they are prepared and have understood the previous propositions. The latter was better. In this group, we were Isa, Chacho, Kata, Carmen, Alejo, Mabe, and I. I must tell that this group worked way better than the ones before and we learned at a much faster way, since we were more prepared and the demonstrations have improved a lot. We made propositions 11 to 16.

Solving doubts about programming – D46

Kyle arrived at the MPC after we ended our debriefing for replacing yesterday’s class. Only some of us stayed (Isa, Javier P., Carmen, Pablito, Marce, Lore, Chacho, and I) and discussed our apps. With Isa, we decided to work on her idea about making an app that chooses the random person that would demonstrate Euclid’s Proposition, instead of our original idea of a sketchpad for making the Propositions. With some of Kyle’s help, we finished our algorithm and it worked very well, so the next step is to build it on a web surface (Sinatra would be). By the way, the app would be called "Euclid's Sorting Hat" (with reference to Euclid and Harry Potter's Sorting Hat).

Euclid's Sorting Hat's Algorithm

After that, Carmen asked me for some help for her recording of Proposition 13, so I helped her and stood for almost two more hours. Sometimes I’m impressed about how good I am…

Euclid’s Propositions (7 – 10) – D46

At 9:30 we circled up to demonstrate this week’s propositions. I was in charge of taking out the papers to chose who was presenting and the first one was Majo for Proposition 7. At first, I thought she was doing it good, but then we realized she wasn’t really prepared and we she stood in front for an hour trying to understand the proposition until she kind-of got it. I assume it was terrible for her, I mean it also happened to me but only for 5 minutes or so not an hour. The good thing was that she realized she needed more preparation and to make a better effort in understanding Euclid. She agreed to start Euclid again from Proposition 1. Then Kata volunteered to make Proposition 7. Javier T. did number 8, Isa did number 9, and Mabe did number 10 (which she wasn’t prepared to do it). There was a lot of feedback, especially in Kata’s and Mabe’s presentations. Isa and Javier did a good job. 

Euclid’s Propositions Presentation and Debriefing – D32

To end our day, Alejo, Mabe, and Lucía, showed us their videos of Euclid’s first three propositions. I’ll be posting them as soon as we put them on our Youtube channel.

Nothing interesting happened at debriefing as far as I can remember.

Euclid time and Debriefing – D30

Once again, after lunch we worked on the first three Euclid’s propositions individually. I started practicing the proposition four, but then decided to practice a little more the first three. Later, Alejo and I practiced the demonstrations of these with each other and received feedback. I think I know how to do them very well by now.

As you may know, today was a short day so after Euclid, we debriefed. It was supposed to start at 2:30 p.m. but some were late, which made us talk about commitment issues that lead to other important subjects as well. One thing I didn’t like was Bert’s attitude toward me, because at first the only ones at the circle were Chacho, Mabe, Alejo, Bert, and I, so Alejo and I were talking when Bert asked something to Mabe and demanded we paid her attention, when it seemed that they were only talking to each other. I made the claim that every time, except for the morning meeting, we wait for everyone to start, but he responded me in a very impolite and inconsistent way, even ignoring me. I didn’t pay to much attention to him, for my conviction I was standing for what we all agreed was correct and I thought he was only having a rough time making everyone committed with the MPC. Nevertheless, I despise those types of attitudes and just made me remember how people respond to different situations.

After some 6 or 7 minutes, everyone was at the circle so we started talking about commitment issues and some proposed that we should let everyone in if they were late, even though they could only participate as listeners in the morning meeting. Alejo and I opposed to this idea entirely, contrary to what almost everybody wanted. I don’t think of it as a good idea, because it gives the wrong incentives to not care if one is late. I think it should be a personal commitment if you really care to be at the MPC, and also a matter of respect to your classmates. What surprised me a lot was to hear some voices like Lucía, Franz, Majo, and the Javieres, defending this idea and talking about commitment when one can see they are the least committed to the MPC, or at least of arriving on time. We had a long time discussing this and although I stood to my position, everyone except Alejo agreed on the idea, so I made it very clear that I didn’t thought this was the solution and that didn’t agreed on it, but if everybody else wanted to try it, so be it. The other subject was the silent room, which Alejo proposed to eliminate because it didn’t worked. I supported that motion, and as a “surprise”, almost everyone opposed to it. We “won” the argument by saying that it was the same thing as allowing late arrivals, because it’s the same principle that applies. The principle that we talked before was the flexibility with the rules and remaining open to evolve and change them. Apparently, the ones that were opposed and especially Javier P. didn’t understand their “argument, principle” very well or at all, because they were not consistent on applying it on all cases. So, this is how our day ended, but don’t get me wrong, it was hilarious to discuss all of these.

Euclid and Debriefing – D26

So, after lunch we practiced the first three propositions with our groups. With Marce and Lore, we decided to work individually to try to solve and deeply learn each proposition for later demonstration. When we finished doing this, we had our traditional debriefing. As far I can remember, there is nothing important to mention about this.

Euclid’s postulates and common notions – D15

To end our day at MPC, we got into our groups and finished discussing Euclid’s postulates and common notions. It was interesting how Euclid makes emphasis in the postulates (an assumption of truth), which I saw them as the Allegory of the Cave by Plato. What I mean is that as Plato believe that the perfect forms were only at the intelligible world and in the physical world we could only see the shadows of those objects, Euclid is also saying we must assume we can make certain things as a straight line and a circle although in the physical world they would be imperfect. By common notions, I understood as things we could deduce by pure logic and know them in an “a priori” way. It was good to make this distinction and connection with other examples. 

Individual work & Euclid’s last definitions – D13

This morning was very calm and productive. We had individual work until after lunch and during all morning I mostly read, but before that we went to &Café with Mabe, Katarina, and Gaby, but later only Gaby and I went to the library to read. Nothing more happened besides that we had a lot of fun laughing at some study groups, mainly because of Fred, my mac voice assitant. He kept saying “Sho” (Shut up!), to some girls studying aloud. How nice is Fred, right?

After lunch, we had some more Euclid. We got into our groups to review and discuss all of Euclid’s definitions. It was good to finally end this task so we can start doing some geometry, although I still have a question or two about them but I think I’ll understand them completely when working on the propositions.

First approach with Andrew Humphries – D11

Thanks to Skype we had our first approach with Bert’s son, Andrew, who studied at St. John’s and has taken the Euclid’s road of geometry and logic building. The purpose of the conversation was for him to tell and recommend us about his experience with Euclid. He also recommended us to learn Euclid by doing presentations, in which we would make the propositions by ourselves and then present them to the group. Also, he volunteered to help us with our geometry and teaching skills. He seems a very well prepared and smart person.

By the way, Andrew is working in New Delhi, India. I don’t know exactly on what he is working, but I have a clue that is something related with math.

What is a point? Again! – Dialogue about Euclid’s definitions– D11

Euclid, Euclid, Euclid. Why are you giving us such a hard time? We wanted to start doing some geometry, but before we did that Ingrid suggested that we took an overview on the definitions so they would be clear to all of us before we started. Do you guess the result of that? Another hour or so talking about what was a point! I do have to admit that it was more clarifying although we didn’t had a general agreement. There were two sides, one that stood that a point could exist by itself (Alejo and I), and the other that a point could only exist by a reference to something meaning that a point is only a concept of location (Bert and the rest of MPC’ers). At the end, we didn’t agree, but it was a good mental exercise. We managed to review some other 5 or 6 definitions, but neither did we finished them nor got to the propositions part. 

What is a point? – Dialogue about Euclid’s definitions– D9

This was our first true approach to Euclid. As with everything, you must start with the beginning, and in Euclid’s Elements that is the definitions from Book I. There are 23 and for about an hour and a half we couldn’t discuss more than 7. Yes people, only seven. We spent like 45 minutes discussing the first one, what is a point? Euclid says: “A point is that which has no part”. Any guess? We had a lot of guesses but none of them persuaded everyone. It was mentally exhausting, although I must admit it was a little fun to actually think from scratch. That was because one of the “rules” is to forget everything you may think you “know” and trying to understand Euclid under his own terms. Quite a challenge, ha? You may also be questioning why are we reading Euclid when we have many modern math books that are more “updated”. Well, Euclid’s Elements are the foundations of geometry and from his work derives many of the so-called modern math. The purpose is to explore and discover the foundations that are taken for granted in the math we usually learn in school and college, and go through the process Euclid did to make the propositions of his works. It is to go through the logic process to discover nature’s properties.

Getting into math, Euclid – D7

After what I like to call a horrible day, today was pretty chill. We had a lot of individual work, which was great to free my mind, and after lunch we had a dialogue on Euclid’s preface (editor’s preface to be precise). It was not interesting at all. I think it was because I was so sleepy and talking about a math book’s preface made by the editor was not that encouraging either. I took something really positive though. It was a reflection about how people are willing to protect something really valuable for mankind, such as Euclid’s geometry books. Can you imagine how many people participated in keeping that book safe? So you can later say: “Well, screw that book, I don’t like math anyways”?